Latest news with #Conquer
Int'l Business Times
9 hours ago
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
From Obstacle to Opportunity: How Jake Marshman & Conquer Ninja Gym Built a Movement from Grit, Culture, and Community
When Jake Marshman opened the first Conquer Ninja Gym in 2015 in a small space in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, few believed his idea would work. A gym centered on Ninja Warrior-style obstacle training? At the time, it sounded more like a novelty than a viable business model. But Marshman, an avid fitness enthusiast, contractor and fabricator, and serial entrepreneur, had a vision and the grit to see it through. Ten years later, that vision has transformed into a nationwide movement. Conquer Ninja Gyms now operates in multiple cities across the United States and is opening its doors to franchisees, turning what once seemed like a niche into a full-fledged community built on physical strength, character development, and something Marshman calls the 'Seven Pillars of Culture.' "I didn't set out to be on American Ninja Warrior ," Marshman states. "I was just drawn to the style of fitness; it was fun, creative, and unlike anything else. When I started, there were maybe a couple of gyms like this in the entire country." With a background in construction, Marshman built every obstacle in the first gym. Without a website or even a marketing plan, he relied on word of mouth and a few social media posts to announce the opening. Within a week, word spread quickly through local school communities. And by the second week, lines of people were waiting at the door. "That's when I knew I was on to something," Marshman says. "People were excited. It wasn't just about fitness; it was about challenge, excitement, and connection." Jake Marshman - Founder of Conquer Ninja Gyms Soon, Conquer Ninja Gyms became a destination not just for adults looking for a new way to work out, but for kids as well, a major shift from traditional fitness spaces. Summer camps, field trips, open gyms, birthday parties, and competitive events quickly followed, laying the foundation for a business model centered on both athletic performance and inclusive, family-friendly fun. While the obstacles and athletic challenges drew people in, what's kept them coming back and what's driven expansion is Marshman's unwavering commitment to building culture. At the heart of the Conquer philosophy are seven core values: Integrity, Courage, Commitment, Humility, Wisdom, Perseverance, and Growth. "We don't just train bodies here," Marshman says. "We're teaching life skills. Whether it's the courage to try a new obstacle or the humility to handle a win with grace, these are lessons that translate far beyond the gym." These principles, which now form the basis of the gym's curriculum and franchise training, were formalized with the help of a leadership expert who became a franchisee and helped shape the internal culture model five years ago. Coaches are trained to actively develop these values in their students, weaving them into classes, conversations, and conflict resolution. "Culture is built whether you build it intentionally or not," Marshman says. "So we decided to be deliberate about it." Conquer Ninja Gym - Bedford, Texas Each Conquer Ninja Gym is like a community hub. Marshman is passionate about designing each space himself, obsessing over flow, layout, and obstacle variety. Over the years, he's evolved the physical design from a DIY build to a refined third-generation model. But his hands-on approach and love for the process remain intact. "I still get excited about designing the next gym," he admits. "I love walking into a blank space and imagining how kids, families, or even athletes will move through it. That's where the magic starts." Even as the franchise scales, that personalized touch remains a cornerstone of the brand. Marshman and his team work closely with franchisees, not just on logistics, but on training them to lead with the Seven Pillars, ensuring that the mission doesn't get lost in expansion. The gyms welcome everyone from first-timers to aspiring ninja competitors. And while the sport itself has evolved from entertainment to serious competition over the past decade, the community ethos stays the same: encouragement, growth, and resilience through play. From that first whirlwind summer in Eden Prairie to a thriving franchise network today, Conquer Ninja Gyms' growth has been nothing short of, well, ninja-level. Marshman reflects, "We've had massive growth over the past 10 years. It's been a wild ride, and I've always been involved in every part of it." Now, in 2025, Marshman has not only built the ninja community through his gyms but also through his podcast . And he and his team are only opening the doors wider. The Conquer Ninja Gym franchise opportunity is officially live, inviting a new generation of owners to carry forward the mission of fitness, fun, and fearless growth. Because, for Marshman, it was never about obstacles. It's about helping people conquer themselves, inside and out.
IOL News
5 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
You don't get better playing weaker teams, says Matlou on Kaizer Chiefs' tough pre-season
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder George Matlou in action in the Netherlands. Image: Kaizer Chiefs Kaizer Chiefs remain winless on their pre-season tour of The Netherlands after suffering a third consecutive defeat, this time a narrow 1-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen on Saturday afternoon. The Glamour Boys had previously gone down to Dutch top-flight sides Vitesse and FC Utrecht. While the lack of goals and results may raise questions back home, there is no panic within the camp. Instead, the focus remains squarely on long-term gains and sharpening the team ahead of a crucial 2025/26 campaign. 'I hate losing,' George Matlou told the club's media department, after the match. 'However, these are highly competitive games, and that's how you get better as a team. You don't get better playing weaker teams.' This Kaizer Chiefs team is a much better side than last season — Conquer (@Conquer_Modiba) July 11, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Matlou's words echoed the broader sentiment from the Chiefs squad and technical staff — that this European tour is less about results and more about building a competitive, battle-tested unit capable of challenging both locally and on the continent. The clash against NEC saw Chiefs put in a more organised and disciplined shift. Although they still came out second best, their shape and transitions showed clear improvement from the earlier friendlies. Against FC Utrecht — a side preparing for Uefa Europa League qualifiers next week — and Vitesse, Chiefs struggled for rhythm, but Saturday's performance was a step in the right direction. 'We're getting to know each other,' Matlou continued. 'We are improving on when to press, where to press, how to press. These are all key elements we're working on during this phase. We are Kaizer Chiefs — we don't like losing, but this process is vital.' Defensively, there were positives to take. Centre-back Aden McCarthy again looked composed alongside Miguel, with the duo forming a promising partnership. 'It was a really tough encounter,' said McCarthy. 'NEC are a strong team in the Dutch league. The way they pressed and moved the ball tested us, but it was great to experience that level.' He added: 'We understand each other very well at the back. Sometimes we don't even need to talk — we know what to do, and that chemistry is growing.' Thank you to the amazing supporters who joined us at yesterday's match. Your energy was amazing! The songs were amazing! Special thanks to 'Soccer Mad' Dennis for reaching out to us and for the support! ❤️✌️#Amakhosi4Life #KCNetherlands #KCPreSeason — Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) July 13, 2025 Chiefs' structure didn't go unnoticed in the stands. Former Mamelodi Sundowns captain Alje Schut, now head of scouting at FC Utrecht, was among those observing the match. 'The two central defenders really performed well,' Schut noted. 'Chiefs played organised football. But at this level, small details matter — and that's how the goal came. These are moments they'll learn from.' Chiefs will wrap up their Dutch tour this coming Saturday, and while pre-season isn't judged by wins alone, Matlou made it clear that the team is hungry to finish on a high. 'We definitely want to win that one,' he said. 'It's been tough, but we're learning, improving and growing every day.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arcadia Capital Advises Conquer on Strategic Acquisition of Full Circle Insights
MIAMI, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arcadia Capital, the premier strategic advisor and investment bank to leaders in the technology and software ecosystem, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Conquer, a portfolio company of Camden Partners, in its acquisition of Full Circle Insights, a portfolio company of Scaleworks. The acquisition brings together two category leaders to create the first Salesforce-native, closed-loop engagement platform, integrating marketing attribution, funnel analytics and sales execution. Conquer is the leading Salesforce-native sales engagement platform for enterprise sales teams. This acquisition enables Conquer to offer a fully unified solution that connects real-time engagement tools with powerful analytics and campaign intelligence natively within Salesforce. "We're thrilled to have partnered with Arcadia Capital on this transaction," said Greg Moran, CEO of Conquer. "Their deep domain expertise, thoughtful guidance, and around-the-clock commitment were instrumental in helping us navigate a complex and highly strategic process. The Arcadia Capital team was a true extension of our own, and their partnership was key to making this acquisition a success. They've been a trusted advisor to Conquer for years, and this deal is another example of the value they consistently bring to the table." The transaction underscores Arcadia Capital's continued leadership in advising high-growth software, SaaS, AI and Tech Services businesses on strategic transactions. The deal reinforces Arcadia's unique ability to both strategically advise and efficiently deliver transformative outcomes for founders, operators and financial sponsors. For more information about Arcadia Capital, please visit View source version on Contacts For media inquires, please email media@ Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arcadia Capital Advises Conquer on Strategic Acquisition of Full Circle Insights
MIAMI, May 22, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arcadia Capital, the premier strategic advisor and investment bank to leaders in the technology and software ecosystem, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Conquer, a portfolio company of Camden Partners, in its acquisition of Full Circle Insights, a portfolio company of Scaleworks. The acquisition brings together two category leaders to create the first Salesforce-native, closed-loop engagement platform, integrating marketing attribution, funnel analytics and sales execution. Conquer is the leading Salesforce-native sales engagement platform for enterprise sales teams. This acquisition enables Conquer to offer a fully unified solution that connects real-time engagement tools with powerful analytics and campaign intelligence natively within Salesforce. "We're thrilled to have partnered with Arcadia Capital on this transaction," said Greg Moran, CEO of Conquer. "Their deep domain expertise, thoughtful guidance, and around-the-clock commitment were instrumental in helping us navigate a complex and highly strategic process. The Arcadia Capital team was a true extension of our own, and their partnership was key to making this acquisition a success. They've been a trusted advisor to Conquer for years, and this deal is another example of the value they consistently bring to the table." The transaction underscores Arcadia Capital's continued leadership in advising high-growth software, SaaS, AI and Tech Services businesses on strategic transactions. The deal reinforces Arcadia's unique ability to both strategically advise and efficiently deliver transformative outcomes for founders, operators and financial sponsors. For more information about Arcadia Capital, please visit View source version on Contacts For media inquires, please email media@
Business Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Arcadia Capital Advises Conquer on Strategic Acquisition of Full Circle Insights
MIAMI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arcadia Capital, the premier strategic advisor and investment bank to leaders in the technology and software ecosystem, served as the exclusive financial advisor to Conquer, a portfolio company of Camden Partners, in its acquisition of Full Circle Insights, a portfolio company of Scaleworks. Arcadia Capital Advises Conquer on Strategic Acquisition of Full Circle Insights Share The acquisition brings together two category leaders to create the first Salesforce-native, closed-loop engagement platform, integrating marketing attribution, funnel analytics and sales execution. Conquer is the leading Salesforce-native sales engagement platform for enterprise sales teams. This acquisition enables Conquer to offer a fully unified solution that connects real-time engagement tools with powerful analytics and campaign intelligence natively within Salesforce. 'We're thrilled to have partnered with Arcadia Capital on this transaction,' said Greg Moran, CEO of Conquer. 'Their deep domain expertise, thoughtful guidance, and around-the-clock commitment were instrumental in helping us navigate a complex and highly strategic process. The Arcadia Capital team was a true extension of our own, and their partnership was key to making this acquisition a success. They've been a trusted advisor to Conquer for years, and this deal is another example of the value they consistently bring to the table.' The transaction underscores Arcadia Capital's continued leadership in advising high-growth software, SaaS, AI and Tech Services businesses on strategic transactions. The deal reinforces Arcadia's unique ability to both strategically advise and efficiently deliver transformative outcomes for founders, operators and financial sponsors. For more information about Arcadia Capital, please visit
