Episode 445 | School Owner Master Class Series (2): Gus Lopez Interview

Podcast Description

In this Master Class Series Part 2, Duane Brumitt and Allie Alberigo sit down with Gus Lopez from Lead Hunter Media to talk about the part of business most school owners don’t see on Instagram: the messy middle.

Gus shares his real origin story—quitting a sales job, losing his car, starting over with nothing—and how he built Lead Hunter Media into a company that helps martial arts schools generate leads and actually convert them.

Along the way, the conversation turns into a masterclass on what really drives growth: mindset, follow-up, systems, tracking your numbers, and staying consistent (especially when summer hits and it’s tempting to “take a break” from marketing).

Key Takeaways

Your “origin story” matters because it builds skill and confidence. Gus points out that once you’ve built the skills, you don’t fear rock bottom the same way—because you know you can rebuild.
Mindset beats tools when the operator won’t execute. Gus has worked with multiple industries and sees the same pattern: the most successful clients aren’t always the biggest schools—they’re the most coachable.
Most marketing doesn’t fail because of ads. It fails because of follow-up. Gus explains that early on, they could generate leads, but school owners weren’t calling, texting, or staying consistent long enough to convert.
Systems plug the leaks. Lead Hunter Media evolved from “we’ll send you leads” to building software, automation, and AI follow-up—because the real problem wasn’t traffic. It was what happened after the lead came in.
Track your stats like a dashboard, not a judgment. Allie shares how she tracks leads, trials, show rates, and sign-ups monthly. Those numbers help you find the bottleneck instead of guessing.
There are no dead leads (unless they tell you to stop). Allie tells a story about reactivating leads from 2020 and signing up three people simply because the timing was finally right.
Summer is not the time to stop marketing. Gus calls it a “double whammy” when schools expect a seasonal dip and pause marketing. Instead, summer is when you build momentum for back-to-school.

Action Steps for School Owners

Audit your mindset circle.

Who are you around most?
Do they help you move forward—or keep you stuck in complaint mode?
Find at least one person you can vent to and leave the conversation ready to execute.

Identify where your marketing is actually breaking.Ask yourself:

Are leads coming in?
Are appointments getting booked?
Are people showing up?
Are they enrolling?

If you can’t answer those questions with numbers, you’re guessing.

Create a simple follow-up standard (and stick to it).If you’re calling once and labeling a lead “bad,” you’re quitting too early.

Decide how many calls/texts you’ll do
Decide how many days you’ll follow up
Then make it non-negotiable

Build a real sales process (even if it’s basic).If someone asks, “What’s your sales process?” you should have an answer.

What happens when they inquire?
What happens when they book?
What happens when they show?
When do you ask them to enroll?

Run a lead reactivation campaign this week.Go back to old leads and send something simple like:

“Hey! It’s spring—are you still interested in martial arts for you/your child?”

You’ll be surprised how many people respond when the timing is right.

Market through summer to win back-to-school.Back-to-school momentum doesn’t start in August. It starts when families see you consistently all summer long.