Simple Profit with Tu Le

At Harvard Business School, Tu Le reflects on what it takes to make promises customers value and deliver them consistently. Through a story about Henry Ford and an engineer’s fee, he explains why the real value lies in knowing how to solve the problem. He then shares practical ways to understand customer needs, define a measurable promise, track whether customers are staying, focus on a specific market, and equip instructors to deliver the experience. He closes with a reminder to test business instincts before scaling a decision. Learn more at mystudio.io.Timestamps00:00 Introduction from Harvard Business School03:04 Henry Ford’s lesson on value and pricing03:58 Your business as a promise10:58 Understanding customer needs13:36 Make a promise you can prove wrong15:30 Make the customer promise measurable18:51 Focus on a niche22:53 Instructors deliver the promise

Episode description:What does authentic leadership look like in practice? From a Harvard Business School classroom, Tu Le shares lessons on earning trust, practicing integrity inside and outside work, staying humble as a business grows, and helping people reach their potential. He also offers two practical ways to support a team: listen before trying to solve a problem, and take difficult conversations on a walk. Learn more at mystudio.io.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction from Harvard Business School02:06 Establishing credibility03:29 The purpose of the class03:52 The authenticity test05:26 Practicing integrity outside the dojang07:14 Staying humble as the business grows10:45 Meaning and purpose beyond money

How Encourage Martial Arts Sells Out Summer Camp: Early Presales, Pricing Tiers & Operations That Drive Word-of-MouthIn a webinar, the host interviews Min Wilson, CEO and co-owner of Encourage Martial Arts, a five-location Northern Virginia group (with a sixth opening) that did $5.5M in 2025 sales at 30% net while spending about $13–14K on ads, relying mainly on word-of-mouth driven by strong operations. They outline their summer camp sales and operations strategy: begin presales in late July, release limited discounted spots to create scarcity, then roll out weekly themes in October and a largely finalized field-trip calendar in January to drive additional registrations. For Summer 2026 they have sold 1,745 weeks (55% of goal) and collected $563K toward an estimated ~$1.1M in camp revenue. They emphasize data (surveys of parents, campers, and staff), dynamic pricing by location/capacity, frictionless online registration, automated communications, themed décor/crafts/mat chats, and safe field-trip logistics including buses.Timestamps00:00 The Big Marketing Bet00:21 Meet Min Wilson02:23 Encourage Studios Snapshot04:19 Affiliate Partner Model06:03 Summer Camp Sales Focus07:17 Why Sell in July09:38 Camp as Core Revenue13:58 MyStudio Camp Setup15:02 Landing Page That Sells18:25 Themes and Field Trips20:20 Payment Plans and Deposits23:04 Refund Policy Roleplay26:22 Dynamic Pricing Strategy30:45 Frictionless Web Signups33:30 Operations Over Scripts36:59 Done For You Camp Systems40:29 Strategic Camp Upsells40:47 Encourage Operating System43:23 Discounts and Scarcity46:14 Webinar Reset and Results50:48 Survey Data and Safety53:01 Themes and Field Trips58:58 Decor and Craft Execution01:01:58 Mat Chats and Curriculum01:07:39 Parent Comms and Value01:15:59 Q&A Marketing Staffing Wrap

In this episode, Tu is joined by extraordinary operator Josh Arson from Hero Martial Arts to share insights on building and sustaining a successful martial arts business. Josh opens up about his journey, including the pivotal moment after his ACL surgery when he realized the potential of his team. They discuss the importance of the right mindset, essential skills for expanding to a second location, and the significance of emotional intelligence. Timestamps:06:12 Emotional Intelligence and Leadership08:11 The Value of Self-Education13:59 The Journey of Hero Martial Arts23:56 Expanding to a Second Location24:52 Providing Opportunities for Top Employees27:39 Building a Prototype Location29:09 Achieving Rapid Growth: Reaching 200 Students in One Year34:05 Balancing Passion and Talent: The Key to Success42:11 Empowering Your Team: Stepping Back to Let Others Shine43:41 The Importance of Mentorship and CoachingWant to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

Join Tu and our returning guest Zach Resnik as they discuss the importance of capturing and converting leads, and how MyStudio's Amplify's AI tool automates the process.Tu explains the importance of key metrics like student lifetime value, and calculating customer acquisition costs in order to optimize marketing efforts. Join the conversation to learn valuable tips on scaling your business!Timestamps04:49 Student Retention and Growth Analysis08:45 Marketing Strategies and Lead Conversion10:04 Automation and Amplify System15:30 Personalized Follow-Up and Best Practices18:22 The Importance of Lead Follow-Up18:50 Pricing Strategies and Membership Value21:30 Understanding Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)23:54 Effective Marketing and Lead Conversion29:21 Handling Objections and Increasing Event ParticipationWant to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

In this episode of the Simple Profit Podcast, Tu sits down with Navin Gurnaney, CEO of Code Ninjas. They explore the importance of having the right systems, people, and a commitment to excellence that allows their organization to operate 350 locations. Navin also shares his wealth of experience leading major companies like Starbucks in India and Domino's and offers valuable advice for business owners. Tune in for practical tips on how to build a million-dollar grossing business and ensure sustainable success. Timestamp: 05:41 The Importance of Systems and Processes 08:17 Code Ninjas: A Unique Approach to Learning 14:45 Managing Partner Programs and Scaling Up 24:02 Franchise Systems and Support 24:46 Code Ninjas' Commitment to Excellence 32:02 Marketing and Growth Strategies Contact Navin at  [email protected] Want to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

Join Tu live at the Harvard Business School campus as he deep dives in the case study of CEO Jan Carlson's remarkable turnaround of Scandinavian Airlines in the 1980s: from losing $17M a year to netting $600M in just 5 short years. Timestamps: 02:10 The Birth of My Studio 03:05 Case Study: Scandinavian Airlines Turnaround 07:12 The Importance of Trust in Leadership 08:35 Effective Communication for Leaders 13:31 The Trust Triangle 15:41 Reflecting on Leadership Blind Spots Want to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

Join Tu live from the Harvard Business School campus as he embarks on the Owner President's Management Program. In this episode of the Simple Profit Podcast, Tu shares insights from a captivating case study of the tragic 1994 friendly fire incident involving US military aircraft and explore its parallels with communication and leadership in business. Key takeaways revolve around setting clear expectations, communication protocols, and establishing core processes within an organization. Tune in to learn how these lessons can help you build and manage a successful business. Timestamps: 02:19 Case Study: Friendly Fire Incident 07:43 Key Takeaways and Leadership Lessons 11:49 Conclusion and Next Episode Teaser Want to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

In Part 2 of this series CEO Zac Reznik briefs Tu on his latest progress since their last episode, and shares how he implemented Tu's strategy to increase Tenacity Martial Arts' revenue by 50% in just 6 weeks. Learn about event-based marketing, leveraging local PTAs, and other ways to generate leads and trials for your business. Timestamps: 03:45 Financial Challenges and Revenue Goals 11:46 Pricing and Competitive Analysis 18:48 Five Ways to Get Students 19:05 Leveraging Current Students for Referrals 20:40 Creating and Distributing VIP Cards 23:31 Gorilla Marketing Tactics 24:32 Building Relationships with PTAs 30:16 Handling Special Needs Students 33:39 Optimizing Storefront and Foot Traffic Want to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io

Can Tu help a new business owner grow from 20 to 100 martial art students in 12 months? Follow the journey of Zac Reznik, owner of Tenacity Martial Arts as he navigates the challenges of a new business with the help of Tu's expertise. In this episode Tu and Zac discuss everything from securing commercial real estate, managing startup costs, to lease negotiation and clever promotional tactics. Join us as we follow Zach's progress in this 12-part series that aims to transform Tenacity Martial Arts! Timestamps: 02:09 Zac's Financial and Family Background 05:04 Finding the Perfect Location 08:02 Financial Realities and Negotiations 17:02 Cutting Costs and Managing Expenses 21:52 Calculating Operating Expenses 24:16 Understanding Cash Flow and Expenses 25:20 Setting Student Enrollment Goals 26:58 Marketing Strategies for Student Enrollment 32:17 Special Events and Retention Strategies 37:11 Tracking Progress and Future Plans Want to streamline and optimize your business? Visit us and schedule a free demo of MyStudio to see how our tools can help you achieve similar results at www.mystudio.io