Exploring Life & Business with Bryan Turner of No Stress Midwest

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryan Turner.

Hi Bryan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved to KC as an engineer with Honeywell fresh out of college, I came here without knowing anyone in 2012. I started coaching club and HS soccer during that time in the Johnson County area. During that time, I saw that there was a need by a lot of my players to pursue some private soccer training so I was doing that on the side to make some extra money. In 2018 after being named a HS Head coach, I left my career as an engineer (civilian contractor for the US Navy) and along with the HS coaching job, I started No Stress Midwest. Originally started as a soccer training business, we have since added four other businesses to the No Stress Midwest family over the past four years. No Stress Midwest is the overall business and is made up of:

No Stress Midwest Training: soccer training & sports performance
No Stress Midwest Education: academic tutoring
No Stress Midwest Podcast: just completed 5th season interviewing sports professionals around the country
No Stress Midwest Apparel: clothing apparel store
No Stress Midwest Scholarship Foundation: Non-Profit (Waiting on federal approval) to assist players with club fees to eliminate the pay-to-play setup around youth soccer

We have plans to grow each of the businesses over the coming years as well as add a few more businesses under the No Stress Midwest Umbrella.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has been NOTHING CLOSE of a smooth ride! Leaving an engineer’s salary while still trying to upkeep my lifestyle was quickly reduced. I feel as an entrepreneur you are on a constant roller coaster of emotions. The high’s the low’s and everything in between. I am learning to try and find the middle ground and not get too high with the high’s or too low with the low’s. Entrepreneur’s are constantly coming up with plans to try and build out your vision and although they all seem good at the time, when played out they might have flaws.  When it came to presenting to local clubs and businesses, my ideas did not make as much sense to them as it did me, and although I was deterred at times I would pivot to the next idea or learn from that “no” and turn it into a “not yet”. I have been told “no” way more times than I’ve been told  “yes” but each of the yes’s I have received has helped grow No Stress Midwest in the ways that it needed to. I am still pushing to build No Stress Midwest to help the community and am constantly look for ways to provide solutions to our local youth athlete’s needs.

As you know, we’re big fans of No Stress Midwest. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
No Stress Midwest focuses on the holistic development of youth athletes. By not only providing on-field training that benefits the “athlete,” we also offer off-field academic enrichment that benefits the “student” to get the best out of all of our trainees. Building the student-athlete and not just focusing on just one part or the other. We also have a “player lounge” in our facility located downtown where we host FIFA tournaments, soccer watch parties, ping pong and teqball so our athletes have a place to unwind, relax and have fun at their place of business. We also have select No Stress Midwest Apparel items for sale (full selection on our website). I would say currently, I am the most proud of No Stress Midwest lasting four years. We have taken a lot of steps in the right direction over the years when it comes to building a solid foundation for the business. Over the past 6 months and short term moving forward, the goal is to strengthen each business and having people in place with a similar vision. Although not completed, it’s been cool to see it grow.

We offer private soccer training & sports performance work with our licensed coaches throughout the KC Metro Area within No Stress Midwest Training.

We offer private academic tutoring with licensed teachers/business professionals within No Stress Midwest Education.

Our podcast has completed 5 seasons the most recent being coaches edition interviewing coaches at the youth, collegiate and professional levels. Our other seasons have brought professional soccer players and soccer-related business professionals from around the world. (Season 4: Soccer-prenuer’s, Season 3: Black Excellence, Season 2: #GirlsRule, Season 1 Pilot).

No Stress Midwest Apparel is an online store (www.nostressmidwest.com/shop) where you can buy official No Stress Midwest clothing items.

No Stress Midwest Scholarship Foundation (pending federal approval) will be in place to raise money to give out as scholarships to local youth athletes to help cover the cost for their club fees ($3k+/year)

Any big plans?
The future plans are to add other sports trainers to No Stress Midwest Training. Add more teachers & business professionals to No Stress Midwest Education. Having satellite facilities throughout Missouri and Kansas. No Stress Midwest Scholarship Foundation able to not only fund 3-5 full/partial club scholarships but also able to provide our athletes that are in college scholarship money as well. Have No Stress Midwest Apparel sold in stores around the Midwest and eventually designing our own clothes. Having people in place to run each of the businesses and facilitate the day-to-day needs so I can step away and focus on big-picture plans.

Pricing:

• No Stress Midwest Training 1 on 1 session – $75
• No Stress Midwest Education 1 on 1 session – $60
• No Stress Midwest Student-Athlete Package (1 training and 1 tutoring session) – $120

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nostressmidwest.com
• Instagram: @nostressmidwest
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/nostressmidwest
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/nostressmidwest
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/nostressmidwest

Image Credits
Darth Photo