We had the good fortune of connecting with Angie Vogel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Angie, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My husband and I started our own Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Academy because we had a very different approach to teaching Jiu Jitsu, and we wanted a way to cultivate a new and cultural environment.

It’s extremely scary to start your own business, especially when it’s bootstrapped! But we felt strongly that we had something special and with our work ethic and dedication we could make it work for us.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Jiu Jitsu Company was opened 3 years ago with a small community of our students and friends. We were so overwhelmed with gratitude for those founding members, and it was truly a team effort to get opened!

Jiu Jitsu is a combat sport, where we are grappling and “fighting” for positional dominance. You need a strong trust with your partner, and a willingness to fail. These are the same qualities I think we bring to our business as well. We trust ourselves, and the feedback of our members, but we are also willing to try and build new ideas. And they definitely don’t always work!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Wow Philly is an amazing city! Old city in particular, where our business is located, is filled with history! The Betsy Ross house, where the first US flag was stitched. The liberty bell of course.

Everyone always names the Philly cheesesteak, but Philly is an amazing food city! I would head to Chinatown for DimSum, or to south Philly for Mexican.

Aside from that Philly has beautiful parks with lots of Parisian influence, like Rittenhouse Square! Grab a baguette from Parc, and a coffee from La Colombe and you’re all set

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely my husband/business partner/coach Josh Vogel. He truly supports me in all aspects of our life together. I appreciate that he gives me the space to learn and fail, and also brings a very calm energy when I am feeling overwhelmed.

Website: https://www.jiujitsuphilly.com

Instagram: TheJiuJitsuCompany

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/the-jiu-jitsu-company-philadelphia

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thejiujitsucompany5792

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