Karate School is open following the pandemic
It has been a challenging year for small businesses across this great country-especially our Karate school. Having doors shuttered due to the pandemic and the uncertainty of it all has forced entrepreneurs to use a great deal of innovation in order to carry on their respective missions.
At JMA, our mission has been to empower people through martial arts since 2006!
It is surreal that Master Johnson and I just celebrated our 15th anniversary with JMA. Having dropped everything to follow our shared passion, we've had some difficult years getting to this stage as successful business owners. Along the way, there have been moments that we didn't know if we would endure, but relying on our training and the tenets of Taekwondo (Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self Control, Indomitable Spirit) along with the special ability as a couple to work alongside each other for so many years, there was no battle too great.
I believe that God prepares us for the difficult moments in our lives, and that having faith means that no challenge is too great to overcome.
Little did we know that 2020 would be so challenging.
JMA made the decision to hold on to its staff during the pandemic. From a purely economic perspective, some would say that the first thing a business should do is eliminate your workforce, if possible. After all, we were scared. Instead, we cut costs where we could including the decision to close our Apex location. Standing in the middle of an open bay (APEX) upon packing up was bittersweet-happy that we were able to negotiate the school's closure, but sad to leave our Apex family. Ultimately, we were able to consolidate our efforts for strength through the storm.
With the uncertainty of the pandemic, I re-certified my IT Certs and enrolled in a M.S. CyberSecurity program, and now work during the day as a CyberSecurity Engineer for the Federal Government. Mrs. Johnson expanded her skillset enrolled in a PhD program. Together, we worked so hard to keep our business open. In ways, there has been some positives that have come out of such a horrible circumstance. I am sure that there are stories across our great nation of people that were not going to lie down without a fight, and while we all have been changed, I hope that you're stronger through it all.
The common denominator for all businesses that have been able to endure throughout the last 15 months are the customers which continued to patronize their local establishments. We couldn't have done it without you.
