What happens when you combine passion, persistence and a little bit of being a marketing nerd?
Gateway CEO students got a great lesson in entrepreneurship from Chad Mueller, a promoter, gym owner, founder and self-described “marketing nerd” who has built his businesses by staying curious, investing in himself and staying true to what he loves.
Chad comes from a family of entrepreneurs and has traveled the world, but today he's back in the St. Louis metro area building his brand through several ventures, including Fairtex Fight, Stand Up Fight Series, Maryville Muay Thai and All Saints Muay Thai Gym.
His entrepreneurial journey started much smaller. Chad began with virtually nothing, borrowing weights from his parents' house and slowly building his gym. Fifteen years later, he is celebrating the anniversary of that business—and it looks very different than it did in the beginning.
At one point, the business was focused on marketing to the “soccer mom” looking for a cardio fitness class. Today, Chad is developing professional fighters who compete internationally and helping bring new opportunities to the American market through Fairtex USA.
There were plenty of critics along the way who didn't think the pivot would work. Chad stayed with it anyway.
His message to our students was simple: when you stay true to what you're passionate about, you give yourself a much better chance at long-term success.
Chad also shared some of the investments he's made in himself, including significant business coaching and mentorship. He credits Alex Hormozi as a major influence in helping him think differently about building his businesses.
And the work ethic was real. His early days included 5:30 a.m. starts and 9 p.m. finishes. Today, after building systems around the business, he has created something very different—a business that can operate without requiring him to be there every waking hour.
Then came the marketing lesson. As our students prepare to launch their own class business, Chad challenged them to think about four things:
1️⃣ Get attention.
How are you going to get people to notice you?
2️⃣ Create an irresistible offer.
Give people a reason to engage. An “Enter to Win” can be more than a giveaway—it can be a way to capture emails or phone numbers and begin building a relationship.
3️⃣ Create interest with follow-up.
Don't disappear after someone doesn't win. Continue the conversation and give them another reason to engage.
4️⃣ Make an offer that makes sense.
The goal isn't simply to get attention. It's to turn that attention into action.
Chad also encouraged our students to learn the marketing tools available to them, explore platforms like GoHighLevel, consider starting a YouTube channel and even think about opportunities to white-label software or provide marketing services to other businesses.
For a group of 21 students currently trying to figure out how to get their own community event noticed, this was a timely conversation. Sometimes the best business advice is simply: learn how to get people's attention, give them a reason to care and then keep showing up.
Thank you, Chad, for investing your morning with Gateway CEO and for being so willing to share your story, your knowledge and your time with our students!
We appreciate leaders who don't just tell young entrepreneurs what to do—but are willing to help them figure it out.
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