Today we’d like to introduce you to Marco Antonio Aguilera.
Marco, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a native of the City of Chicago and moved to the Dallas area in the spring of 2014 with my wife, 2 kids and my dog Biggie. At the time, I had already been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 7 years and was a brown belt under Rodrigo Comprido Medeiros. I continued training here in Dallas under Octavio Couto at Octagon MMA in Dallas. While at Octagon MMA, my two kids started training and I would assist in teaching the kids classes. I eventually gained the confidence and trust of Octavio and would help teach the kids classes and adult classes when Octavio would travel. That’s where I started to gain more confidence in my teaching skills and started considering opening up my own BJJ studio. Octavio encouraged me to open a small studio in Frisco Texas, where I was living with my family. I called dozens of Martial arts gyms, CrossFit gyms, and fitness centers in the Frisco area to see if they had space I could rent to hold BJJ classes. After a couple of weeks of searching Larry Reeves along with Nathan Konvicka from CrossFit Remedy in Frisco TX, contacted me and agreed to let me conduct classes in an unused corner of their Cross-fit gym. I started teaching classes in May 2016. It was really slow for the first couple of months but eventually by the fall I had built up a small student base of adults and children. Close to the end of November, I was looking to expand as we began to outgrow the corner space at CrossFit Remedy plus I was now living in Prosper. On my way to Frisco to teach classes I would drive by warehouses near the Dallas North Tollway. I called and luckily, they had a space available for lease so I jumped on the opportunity and have been running and growing Aguilera BJJ studio since January 1, 2017. Since then I have earned my black belt and am finalizing my certification with the IBJJF. I continue to train under Octavio and looking forward to competing as a black belt. The families that have joined Aguilera BJJ are dedicated to BJJ and to each other. They are an amazing group that supports each other and have come together to become friends and BJJ family.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have had some obstacles and challenges along the way. The first was with awareness of my classes. Since I was inside of a CrossFit gym, people did not expect to see Jiu Jitsu classes. I did not have a dedicated location so I had to rely on word of mouth and a strong geo-targeted social media presence.
Second challenge I had was when I opened the new location in Prosper, I had no money, I barely scraped enough to pay for the first month lease and deposit. I now had an empty warehouse with a small office and a couple of mats. I had to be resourceful so I visited thrift stores and habitat for humanity where I was able to purchase paint and supplies to get the office and space looking better. I worked late nights driving Uber on the weekends and delivering pizzas during the evenings to help raise money to buy more mats and supplies to get the straining area ready. I had to pay for advertising, equipment and make sure I had enough for the next month’s rent and utilities.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Aguilera Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Studio story. Tell us more about the business.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a great martial art that is for everyone. It’s a great workout plus, as my instructor Octavio would say, “it’s a dynamic form of meditation”. We have students from 5 to 55 years of age who love coming in multiple times a week. We are located in Prosper TX, and it has that small town charm and family atmosphere. We happily serve the families of Prosper, Celina, McKinney and surrounding areas. We take pride in knowing that our facility is a family owned local business and not a franchise location where you are just another contract. I pride myself in teaching all of my classes, I have been training and competing in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for over 10 years and that’s the experience I provide my students. They deserve the best instruction and guidance from a true Brazilian Jiu Jitsu professional. The dedication and passion I have for Jiu Jitsu translates into the way I teach. That is what separates me from the competition and what drives my motivation to teach and deliver 100% all the time!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck, I believe in opportunities, if you want to be successful in life you have to find opportunities and work really hard to make them succeed. The harder you work and put yourself out there, the more you will attract opportunities. I believe in the Law of Attraction, “What you think you create, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you become.”
Contact Info:
- Address: Aguilera Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
420 J E Weems blvd., #5
Prosper, TX 75078 - Website: www.aguilerabjjstudio.com
- Phone: 469-605-0747
- Email: aguilerabjj@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/aguilerabjjstudio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/aguilerabjjstudio
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/aguilera-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-studio-prosper
- Other: www.prosperbjj.com
Image Credit:
Octavio Couto
Rodrigo Comprido Medeiros
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