Great gyms are built. And sometimes, they also need to be saved.

In this episode, Alex sits down with Bambu, founder of Axé Capoeira in Chicago, and his wife Jennifer, who together have spent over two decades building something far bigger than a single school. Bambu's capoeira journey started with a 55-hour bus ride to Canada in 1998 and turned into a 28-year teaching career. But the real story isn't the founding—it's what came after, when years of personally funding a struggling academy led to the lights getting cut off, and Jennifer stepping in to keep the doors open.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• How a 55-hour bus ride turned into a lifelong calling—and a school that almost didn't make it
• The moment everything turned: the lights went out, and Jennifer paid the bill
• How "no Plan B" became Bambu's actual business philosophy, and why it works for him
• Running two academies, two programs (Axé Capoeira and its sister School of Samba), and a marriage where business and home don't have clean lines
• How COVID brought them closer together while pushing other partnerships apart, and how they kept their students through it
• Their advice for anyone chasing a passion: "Educate yourself, ask for help, and go for it with both feet!"

If you've ever wondered what it actually takes to keep a gym alive through the years nobody sees on Instagram, this one's for you.

Axé Capoeira is based in Chicago, Illinois, with a second location in Rolling Meadows. Bambu has been teaching capoeira since 1998 and holds the rank of Mestrando.