Rising Phoenix

When Joshua Weible opened Rising Phoenix Martial Arts in 2019, it was a leap of faith. While he had gained insight and mentorship from his instructors at Soaring Phoenix Martial Arts, where he earned his second-degree black belt, “no one I knew were business owners,” he said.

Rising Phoenix Martial Arts Academy began with nine students out of a local dance studio before COVID-19 hit. Despite the challenges of operating in a pandemic, Joshua grew his school to 55 students and was even able to secure his own space.
One challenge for Joshua as a small-business owner was bookkeeping, which he was learning on the fly.

After being in business for about five months, he connected with the Small Business Development Center at Treasure Valley Community College, where an adviser helped Joshua set up QuickBooks and learn to balance accounts and handle receipts. His adviser also introduced him to local grants that were crucial for the budding martial arts studio.

Without the SBDC, “I would not have been able to do this,” Joshua said.

We are honored to see Rising Phoenix grow from a concept to more than 55 students (and counting)!

Original quote: “She (Letham) was a huge help. I would not have been able to do this” Joshua said. Although Joshua attended some SBDC classes and training, he added “Imagine how much she would have helped me from the very beginning.”