What if the thing holding your athletes—and your business—back isn’t strategy, talent, or training volume…

…but their nervous system?

In this episode, Nick Cownie sits down with Briana Bowley, the nervous-system specialist trusted by UFC fighters, world-class athletes, and high-pressure professionals around the world.

Briana reveals how fight, flight, and freeze responses shape performance, sabotage competition results, and even impact how you run your gym. If you’ve ever wondered why great athletes crumble under pressure—or why you react the way you do in business—this conversation will change how you see yourself and your students.

• How Briana became the coach UFC fighters trust
• Fight/Flight/Freeze: how your biology sabotages performance
• The missing link between trauma, competition nerves, and self-sabotage
• Why martial artists break under pressure (and how to fix it)
• The crossover between BJJ training, business stress, and burnout
• How Briana built a global coaching business while travelling
• The “ascension model” she used to scale her work
• The biggest mistakes grappling coaches make with people management
• Why your business results are a reflection of your nervous system

00:00 – Intro

00:55 – Briana’s work with fighters & high-pressure performers

02:25 – Fight/Flight/Freeze explained

04:30 – How Briana discovered nervous system regulation

09:48 – Applying nervous system work to martial artists

14:07 – Turning Briana’s expertise into a business

20:29 – Briana’s scalable business model

24:10 – The biggest mistakes Briana made early on

28:41 – Structure, freedom & performance

31:56 – Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai & pattern recognition

36:43 – What business owners can learn from martial arts

41:37 – Managing people, trauma & gym culture

46:57 – Briana’s #1 message for grappling business owners

48:06 – Who she’d love to spar in history

50:50 – How to contact Briana

51:20 – Outro

Nick’s opening a new Full Mats Fast™ Case Study Group — the exact paid-trial system replacing free trials and enrolling loyal students.

👉 https://grapplingmap.com/fullmatsfast

👉 Comment "MATS" on any of our Instagram reels to get the details

Briana Bowley is an international speaker, nervous system regulation and performance coach, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu purple belt who helps high performers and athletes master pressure with precision.

With over a decade in the high performance and self-development space, she’s supported world-class entrepreneurs and combat sports athletes to rewire their stress responses, build resilience, and perform from deep calm.

Through her signature framework, The Bowley Blueprint™, Briana bridges mindset and physiology, teaching people to access flow, lead with intention, and win without burning out.

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/brianabowley

🌐 Website: https://brianabowley.com

🔗 Free Trainings: https://brianabowley.com/links

🌍 Directory + Tools: https://grapplingmap.com

🎯 Full Mats Fast Workshop: https://grapplingmap.com/fullmatsfast

The real story of how an unknown Sydney BJJ coach and his content partner went viral—proving real jiu-jitsu still wins online—and what your school can learn from it.

Two years ago, Chris “Bones” Burns was teaching small BJJ classes on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

Then Sheila from Jiu Jitsu Socials picked up her camera—and everything changed.

This episode breaks down the viral rise of a coach who ignored the rules, doubled down on real jiu-jitsu, and built a global audience by being himself.

You’ll learn the system behind their content, how to make your school stand out online, and why “authenticity” isn’t a buzzword—it’s the new algorithm.

💥 IN THIS EPISODE

• How one viral video changed everything
• The 3 rules of authentic martial arts content
• Why group photos don’t grow your gym
• Turning content into community (and students)
• The secret to posting without cringe

🕒 TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – From Unknown Coach to Viral Brand

02:14 – The First Post That Blew Up

05:01 – Why Authenticity Beats Every Algorithm Trick

10:30 – The BJJ Project and Building Community

14:20 – Mistakes Most Gyms Make on Social

17:00 – How to Film Content That Converts

22:30 – The Mindset Behind Going Viral

28:00 – Turning Attention Into Enrollments

🎯 WANT TO FILL YOUR MATS FAST?

Nick’s launching a new Full Mats Fast™ Case Study Group—learn the exact paid trial system used to replace free trials and enroll loyal students.

👉 https://grapplingmap.com/fullmatsfast

👇 GUEST LINKS

Chris “Bones” Burns

2nd Degree Black Belt under Master Rickson Gracie and Professor Jason Roebig

Instagram: @chrisbonesjj

Academy: @zeropointsydney

Learn from Chris: @the.bjjproject

Sheila – Jiu Jitsu Socials

Instagram: @jiujitsusocials

⚔️ CONNECT WITH THE GRAPPLING MAP™

https://grapplingmap.com

https://grapplingmap.com/fullmatsfast

💡 ABOUT THE SHOW

Real talk for grappling-school owners who want full mats, loyal students, and true freedom—powered by the systems, automations, and strategy inside Full Mats Fast™ and Million Dollar Dojo™.

👉 FOLLOW NICK

Instagram: @grapplingmap

https://instagram.com/grapplingmap

Ellee Beckman joins Nick Cownie to reveal how play-based coaching fills your mats.

Former teacher-turned-BJJ coach Ellee Beckman joins Nick Cownie to expose why most kids’ programs fail — and how to fix them fast. They unpack the hidden gap between teaching technique and teaching children, why fun beats form every time, and how coaches can build classes that fill themselves.

Inside you'll discover:

• The #1 reason kids quit BJJ (it's not what you think).
• How to communicate like a child whisperer, so they LOVE your classes.
• Why games = growth for your BJJ school.
• A simple framework to boost retention & enrollments, so you sign more students and keep your kids classes full.

Links referenced in this episode:

• @thearteofcoaching on Instagram
• youtube.com/thearteofcoaching
• stan.store/thearteofcoaching
• @grapplingmap on Instagram
• The Grappling Map

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Arte of Coaching
• Nova Arte
• IBJJF
• Grappling Map

Want To Fill Your Mats Fast?

Most grappling school owners are one system away from 30 more students.

You don’t need another reel, flyer, or free trial—you need a plan that works while you teach.

If your classes swing between packed and empty, and you’re tired of guessing what’s next…

👉 Click here and message me the word "MATS" on Instagram, or go to GrapplingMap.com/FullMatsFast to get the 30-day roadmap and fill your mats—fast.