Ancient Arts For Modern Minds - Cognitive Kali

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Paul McCarthy, Founder, and CEO of Cognitive Kali, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The Cognitive Kali Method is one of the most exciting and intentional ways to improve both your physical and brain health. Tapping into the ancient methods of Kali, a martial art from the Philippines, and emerging neuroscientific research, we design programs that have the potential to tap into our brain's higher centers of executive cognitive function. Anyone wishing to activate the potential of their mind-body connection truly will benefit from our programs. From individuals wishing to stave off the cognitive decline of age to elite performers in sports, movement or problem solving, and creative teams, our methodology is adapted to be accessible to all, whatever the goal.

Tell us about yourself

All of my work stems from a deep passion for learning how to help people thrive as healthy human beings. Whether that is to overcome neurological or movement issues or to level up in activities that can only be improved through an efficient collaboration of physical and cognitive training. I began designing the foundation of the program at Florida Gulf Coast University by combining the little knowledge of Kali I had into progressively more difficult chunks of patterned movement. After learning more about Kali in Los Angeles through training at the world-famous Inosanto Academy, I partnered with professors at UCLA, where I took up the position of the Director of the UCLA Martial Arts Program. As the method evolved, we collaborated with neuroscientists from Canada to Israel we began to craft our programs based on the research that they were actively pursuing. Brain science and tech are expanding at an exponential rate, and the more we learn through peer-reviewed research, the more work we need to do to get it out to help as many people as we can. I believe the secrets to controlling epidemic disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and neurological disorders that strip folks of their independence and community lie in a partnership between academic researchers and commercial entities that can scale the findings of the research to be accessible to all and not just stuck in a paper somewhere.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

To be honest, my biggest accomplishment does not come from business success but from a simpler goal of just helping people. Helping Daniel stand unaided, using individualized cognitive and physical training. Helping Datone Jones own his 'move' to level up his game, get more sacks and get an NFL contract. Helping Jim with his social anxiety and ability to tap into the wealth of creativity he possesses. These are the things that come to mind when I think of accomplishments.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Some business owners are business minded, some are passion driven, some are opportunistic, and some just have a good idea. In my opinion, a good business owner understands that they cannot be all of these things and invests in a team that can create something greater than the sum of its parts. I have not achieved this yet, as it is one of the hardest things to figure out. That plus figuring out how to create a mega-viral post on socials!

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Find a mentor who understands the business aspects of your industry.
2. Understand that for a long time, everything will need to be done by you.
3. Pour massive amounts of zero-risk capital into growing it! Jk! Personally, I hope that staying true to my intended purpose will lead to more growth; having principles to stand behind and sticking to them is important to me, and I believe customers who see this will be more attracted to it than companies driven solely by the almighty dollar.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://cognitivekali.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cognitivekali
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cognitivekali/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cognitivekali/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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