In this episode of the Business of Jiu Jitsu podcast, I break down a full month-by-month marketing and operations plan for your academy in 2026.

If you ever feel like you’re just reacting to whatever’s in front of you, this gives you a clear structure to follow. I walk through what to focus on in each month, from pricing reviews and onboarding in January, to marketing kickoffs in February, to retention plays and system building over the summer, and all the way to end-of-year promotions in December.

You’ll also hear ideas for running kids camps, holiday offers, belt promotion timing, and how to keep students engaged year-round. Whether you're brand new or trying to clean up what you’ve already built, this gives you a clear and repeatable plan to grow your gym without burning out.

PS. If you're looking for help growing your academy head on over to www.Growjitsu.com - I've got free resources as well as paid help, thanks for listneing.

In this episode, I walk through what it really takes to grow a Jiu Jitsu academy — and why lead generation should never be the first step.

We cover how to tighten up your retention, onboarding, and sales process before you worry about running ads or chasing new leads. I also talk through simple but effective ways to build trust during trials, communicate better with your students, and use basic tools (like Google Sheets) to track what matters.

If you’ve been stuck in overthinking or spinning your wheels trying to grow, this one lays out a clear, practical path forward.

If you're a Jiu Jitsu Gym owner looking for a little help to grow their business grab a copy of my free book 'The Unstuck Academy' here: https://growjitsu.com/book

In this episode of the Business of Jiu Jitsu podcast, I break down a layered approach to building and growing your Jiu Jitsu academy, from setting your big picture goals all the way down to the small plays that actually move the needle. Whether you're just getting started or trying to fix a gym that's already running, this episode walks you through the exact framework I use when helping academy owners clean up their systems and grow.

We go over how to do a simple “traffic light” assessment of your gym, how to build structure around retention, onboarding, and lead flow, and how to engage your current students without needing a huge marketing budget. I also share some easy-to-execute ideas like monthly attendance shoutouts, Google review habits, rewards systems, and how to know when you're ready to scale. If you're feeling stuck or overwhelmed, this episode will give you a real game plan to work from.Head on over to https://growjitsu.com/book to download a free copy of my book 'The Unstuck Academy'.