The Boulder Weekly has a great article this week about the use of the word "local" and it's co-opting by big business. (You can read it here for more background.) Obviously as the owner of a local business, I am a big supporter of community based businesses. But I also shop at chain locations because sometimes local isn't the right answer (I'm totally fine with mass produced toilet paper, airplanes, and telephones).
Here at the Boulder Quest Center, I think we have the perfect balance of global/local. Our dojo is 100% owned and operated in Boulder. However, we license our curriculum and some marketing materials from SKH Quest in Dayton, OH. We get the benefit of our teacher's research, travels to Japan, and expertise in creating the most effective, life-enhancing self defense curriculum on the planet. The idea of a Casey-Ryu Ninjutsu being comparable is literally laughable. Yet when it comes to making decisions about pricing, class schedules, even class offerings (not all To-Shin Do dojos also offer Belly Dance), those decisions lie firmly on Keitoshi's and my shoulders. And if we need support, we have a tight family of expert dojo owners to help us see our possible decisions clearly.
As in our martial path, we are constantly training to be better individuals, better citizens, and better entrepreneurs. Who do you know in our local community who would benefit from authenic empowerment training? Our mission at the Boulder Quest Center is to help individuals live a life choice to unleash their potential. How can we help you achieve your goals? Contact me (Mary Aitoshi) to setup a free intro lesson.

Labels: Boulder Weekly, business, local, ninjutsu, Quest

This Halloween marks Boulder Quest's first Friday night graduation. I've been so gratified to hear all the excitment building around these Friday night tests. Plans are in the works to make graduations even more fun with Belly Dance and Stage Combat demos, group meditations, and demos from selected students. We are also adding a potluck and an opportunity for groups of students to self-organize to take advantage of the different options at Uptown (especially 4580 Restaurant whose bar and restauant are great places to gather)!

For Halloween, you are invited to come to graduation in costume. Look in your inbox for an evite so you can sign up for our Halloween Potluck or come early to help me decorate the dojo! We'll also have a costume contest and bobbing for apples.

Every month, we'll have something new at Graduation and we need you to bring your friends and family to help make the dojo the Place to Be!

~Mary Aitoshi

Labels: Bobbing for Apples, Boulder, Costume, Halloween, Place to Be, Quest