Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Macie & Ish Schaeffer & White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Macie & Ish, great to have you with us today and excited to have you share your wisdom with our readers. Over the years, after speaking with countless do-ers, makers, builders, entrepreneurs, artists and more we’ve noticed that the ability to take risks is central to almost all stories of triumph and so we’re really interested in hearing about your journey with risk and how you developed your risk-taking ability.
Taking risks happens most effectively for us when the pain of staying where you is more painful than moving on. That’s where I found myself when I took the most risks. It sounds so cliche, but internally I realized that I wanted to live to my full potential, and staying where I was wasn’t going to get me there. After you start taking the risk, at some point you realize you can’t go back anymore, and that’s when the fear can really kick in. BUT, if you can ride it out, you find out you’re growing by leaps and bounds and that’s what life is really about anyway.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
We founded and manage a martial arts gym in Portland, Oregon. We specialize in striking–boxing and kickboxing. What makes us unique is our approach to martial arts. We train in a way that incorporates the idea of deep practice–doing the fundamentals really correctly to produce excellent artists. This also means embracing the struggle–productive struggle is what leads to lasting impact.
We also believe in the potential of everyone to be powerful people in the world. When you walk through our door, you’re a fighter. That’s it. Whether you are a hobbyist or you will actually take a fight, you’re treated the same when you are in the gym. You’re a fighter. We feel that when people embrace their power, the world changes in positive ways. Fundamentally, that’s the gift of martial arts–to be in touch with your own power and express that in powerful ways in the world. That’s what we call being badass.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most important quality is persistence—it takes a lot of trial and error to find the things that will work for you. So my advice is when things don’t work as you expect, be prepared to take a pivot and try again. Tied closely into that is the idea of self belief. You have to believe relentlessly in yourself and your gifts. It can sound like ego or bragging, but you have to believe that you have something to contribute that’s valuable. The third thing I would suggest is to think about how to take aligned action every day. Sometimes you have to take some steps of faith. You have to move before you know if it will “work” or not. That’s how you learn to trust yourself, and trusting yourself is everything in small business.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
Honestly, we were cast in the greatest show on entrepreneurship–a reality TV show called “The Blox.” My participation in The Blox was the most helpful. I learned so much from my time on The Blox, and the collaborative community I have gained from that experience has been incredibly helpful and supportive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.equipacademypdx.com
- Instagram: equipacademypdx
Image Credits
Black and white photo credit Austin Bowman
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