Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Tietgen.
Hi, thank you for sharing your story with me – can you please start by bringing us up to speed on how you got to where you are today, both personally and professionally.
The idea of our nonprofit became a passion of mine when I experienced first-hand the life changing positive effects on my daughter, Claire, of both the Kolbe assessment and the sport of Jiu Jitsu. Claire was adopted at birth and she was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). This is a disease that causes a person to struggle with many social and emotional encounters in life. When Claire was in elementary school she became suicidal from constant Bullying. As a parent, imagine what this felt like to discover statements written in her closet and journals that she wanted to die. In 6th grade, my daughter wanted to take her own life. We needed to move quickly and decided to get Claire involved with Martial Arts. This created a sense of inner strength in her that she did not know existed. She began interviewing famous MMA fighters that also had been bullied as children. She created a YouTube channel, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYwDiGWGMOdr0hPxkgu2hwg/videos
Once this self-confidence started developing I knew that she still needed more emotional help. A dear friend of mine, Dr. Ramon Corrales, suggested that Claire complete the Kolbe assessment for youth. It was quickly uncovered that her natural strengths were not being nurtured in her Independent Education Plan (IEP). When a child is going against their grain it builds conative stress. I worked with the school and made changes to her IEP. Within just a few months her grades went from D’s and F’s to A’s and B’s. Watching her was so uplifting and Claire and I thought that if this could happen for her, it could happen for other children. So we opened a nonprofit to help children through Jiu Jitsu and learning about their natural strengths with the Kolbe assessments.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The first eight months of COVID was really challenging and put a halt to our strong Jiu Jitsu memberships. We are now back up and going full steam ahead. We have a strong youth program that focuses on anti-bullying and building self-confidence in the youth.
Our E3 Academy Kolbe center needed to pivot from in person workshops and meetings to zoom-based workshops. The transition has been smooth and seems to work for many people’s schedules. Plus, this lets us consult with clients throughout the country instead of just in Kansas City.
We’ve been impressed with E3 Scholarship Fund/ E3 Academy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
OUR MISSION Embrace: A place for youth to feel welcome, learn new skills, and make new friends.
Empower: Build strength, raise self-esteem, and develop resiliency.
Encourage: Youth to be confident, self-advocate, and protect self and others.
“Whatever it is you like to do, if people don’t like it, make it cool!” ~Ronda Rousey
Ronda gave this advice to our daughter Claire. Advice that saved her life and inspired Claire to start E3.
E3 Scholarship Fund is dedicated to helping children who struggle with bullying, anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide, or need financial assistance to pursue an activity to help them build confidence.
We are a certified youth Kolbe assessment center. The Kolbe assessment is a short questionnaire that calculates responses and reveals unique instincts that drive behavior. Instinct is deeper than knowledge or feelings, it is what makes you tick and what drives you to do things YOUR way. Why is this important to know? When you do things YOUR way, it eases the stress in your life, you get more done, and you are free to be yourself. It helps knowing you are perfect just the way you are.
We champion better self-understanding because it leads to better self-management. And that enables your child to operate at their full natural potential.
Using the Kolbe methodology and conative research, we empower families with a three-step approach to behavioral knowledge and personal development. We help families and children apply the insights that they learn from Kolbe assessment to improve their relationships and lives.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Since so many families are doing virtual school and shifting to homeschooling we would like these families to benefit from the assessments that we offer. The family dynamics truly change when everyone knows their own natural instincts and those of their family members. Since so many people have become comfortable with zoom webinars and workshops, we are excited to continue to expand nationally.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: E3-Academy.org and E3SF.org
- Instagram: @E3AcademyTeam or @e3jiujitsu
- Facebook: E3AcademyTeam or E3 Jiu Jitsu
