Get the Most Out of Your SuperShow - an account of a first SuperShow experience

by Cris Rodriguez

February 2019.

Mike Metzger. Melody Johnson. Bill Clark. Shane Tassoul. Chuck Norris.

Those were the Speaker names that I read.

Those were the legends in our Industry that I would be sharing the stage with.

And man was I PUMPED!

Having the opportunity to share my love of Digital Marketing at the industry’s largest and most established conference gave me chills.  It was an absolute honor.

My mentor, Mike Metzger (who sometimes has more faith in me than I do) was the one that signed me up. And I was super nervous! This was going to be my VERY FIRST SuperShow…

And he had me speaking 4 times!

I knew the most important question I had to answer was… what suit jacket was I going to wear?! Kidding! ;)

What was most important to me was figuring out what I could present in 60 minutes that would help people get immediate results.  So many times you go to conferences, and the speaker that is presenting is all fluff.  They are just teeing you up to purchase their “amazing product."

There are even courses out there that specifically tell you “don’t teach from the stage, but sell from the stage.”  And I get it.  Everyone’s gotta eat.

But I would much rather provide people with non-stop value, solid gold bars, and actionable checklists, because I know if I can get them results…they will eventually buy.

Fast forward to June 30, 2019.

I had 4 presentations that I knew were going to help school owners put in place an actionable game-plan to systemize their social media and digital marketing in their academy.  Now it was just time to deliver.

Walking into the Bellagio is absolutely breath-taking.  If you’ve never been to Vegas, it’s pretty much like Texas… everything is bigger.  As I signed in to get my speaker badge, I noticed that everything about the SuperShow is top notch. There are so many helpful people from Century headquarters, and everywhere you turn there is an industry celebrity chatting with a school owner. 

As a part of the MAIA Elite Mastermind, our clients get there a day early for their second Elite conference of the year.  It’s always like a huge family reunion. In the past, I only traveled to the seminars for the knowledge and motivation to come back home hungry and implement.  I didn’t talk much to the other school owners and would go back to my room after the training sessions.

And man was I doing it WRONG!

One of the best ways to fast track your success in any business is to do two things:

1 - Find a mentor

2 - Get an accountability partner

And there are mentors and accountability partners everywhere at these seminars!

Now my favorite part of traveling to conferences is getting to spend time with the friends that I have made. Besides the AMAZING NON-STOP Business Training Sessions at the SuperShow, there are also AMAZING Instructor Training Sessions as well.

Whether you are a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, A Kali lover, or Tae Kwon Do artist, there is something for everyone at the SuperShow.

Now let’s talk about that Trade Show floor.

This was my very first SuperShow; I really had no expectation of what the trade show floor was going to look like.  But WOW is it one of a kind!

I was expecting a few booths in a side room; I was wrong, again. The Trade Show floor is every martial arts school owner's dream.  From merchandise to gear to tools and resources for making your life as a school owner easy breezy—if you need something for your school, you can find it at the trade show.

If you are on the fence about attending the SuperShow, what are you waiting for?!

I would love to meet you, chat about any digital marketing questions you might have, and help you create an actionable game plan for your school.

If you are going to the Super Show, I challenge you to do 2 things:

• Find a mentor.
• Get an accountability partner.

There are so many amazing consultants in our Industry.

You know as a martial artist that if you want to get better at the martial arts, you need a coach. Why would it be any different for your school?

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. All you need to do is find a mentor that you vibe with and whose core values are inline with yours.

Then, you need to listen and take action.

And one of the best ways to help you stay motivated to take action, is having an accountability partner.

This SuperShow, I also challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and talk to your fellow school owners.  Make some friends! They are the only people in the world who know what it’s like to own a business like you do.

I look forward to meeting you at the SuperShow. 

I will be the one with the fly jacket on at the MAIA Booth, helping to level up school owners' lives with my fellow MAIA Consultants.

……

Cris Rodriguez is a marketing specialist for MAIA, and is proud to be available at the 20th anniversary SuperShow to answer your questions. If you want her as your mentor, you’ll have to get in line!

With 20 years of SuperShows, attendees have had stories and experiences too numerous to recount in a single blog. But a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So we happily present a few of those countless moments, snapshot and sent to us for posterity! Enjoy!

Rebekah Graham with Master Ken - “Looking forward to 2021!”

John Orndorff – “I've been going to the SuperShow for years, but never took pictures of myself until my friend Adam Boster Action Hero Photo pushed me into it in 2017. AYEEE YYAAAA!”

Tim Flynn with speaker Melody Johnson.

Ge Cerezo – “MASS13 – These girls (pictured with Legendary Diana Inosanto) still train FMA and will go to college in 2021! #Kali4Kids”

Kevin Doerksen with Personal Best Martial Arts Canada

Somi (aka @Sparkygator05 on Instagram) “My first SuperShow in 2008.”