What does it really take to build a marriage, raise four children, grow a Jiu-Jitsu business, and stay together through 25 years of chaos, change, sacrifice, and success?

In Episode 31 of Coffee Time with Carlos Machado, Carlos sits down with the person who has been beside him through almost the entire journey: his wife, business partner, martial artist, mother of their four children, and the woman who helped transform the Machado organization behind the scenes — Lindsay Machado.

And after 25 years of marriage, there are definitely a few stories to tell.

Lindsay grew up in a martial arts family and stepped onto the competition floor almost as soon as she could walk. She entered her first karate tournament at four years old, eventually trained in Kempo Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and kickboxing, and grew up in an environment where discipline, structure, hard work, and running a successful martial arts academy were simply part of everyday life.

But she didn't always love it.

Lindsay talks candidly about being the little girl who wanted gymnastics, dancing, singing, and all the "girly girl" things — while her father had other plans. She remembers crying when it was time to put on her sparring gear because she hated getting hit.

Then, around age 13, something changed.

She made a decision: she wasn't going to see herself as a victim anymore.

That shift in mindset helped shape the competitor, businesswoman, wife, mother, and leader she would eventually become.

Years later, when Lindsay met Carlos and moved to Texas, however, she discovered something else very quickly:

Not every martial arts academy operated like the one she grew up in.

Carlos's early Jiu-Jitsu school was a very different world.

Small academy. Holes in the walls. Questionable mops. Students arriving whenever they wanted. Very little structure. Carlos giving away enormous amounts of his time because he simply wanted to teach Jiu-Jitsu and help people.

Lindsay remembers calling her father and wondering whether she had made a terrible mistake.

His response?

"You made your bed, girl. You sleep in it."

And that was the beginning of a 25-year partnership.

Carlos and Lindsay revisit the difficult process of turning a passionate Jiu-Jitsu academy into a sustainable martial arts business. They discuss tuition, boundaries, staff, revenue, academy culture, policies, instructors, student expectations, and why helping people doesn't mean a martial arts instructor shouldn't earn a good living.

Carlos also opens up about one of his biggest regrets as an instructor: failing to value his own time.

In the early days, he would teach classes for hours, stay afterward answering questions, accept discounts and special arrangements, and try to make everybody happy. As marriage and children entered the picture, that approach became impossible to sustain.

Something had to change.

And Lindsay was often the person pushing for that change.

That didn't always make her popular.

She describes herself as a "bull in a china shop" during those early years — coming into the academy, seeing what wasn't working, and immediately trying to fix everything.

Some students resisted.

Some black belts left.

Even implementing something as simple as bowing created controversy.

And Carlos admits that sometimes Lindsay wasn't only fighting resistance from the academy — she was fighting resistance from him.

Their conversation gets into the uncomfortable side of building something meaningful: losing students, watching black belts leave to create their own schools, discovering students were being solicited away, learning when relationships have reached the end of their cycle, and eventually creating a better path for instructors who want to spread their wings.

Those experiences helped shape the philosophy behind the Carlos Machado Jiu-Jitsu Association today.

Instead of assuming people will stay forever, Carlos and Lindsay now recognize that growth sometimes means preparing people to leave successfully — while preserving the relationship.

That lesson applies far beyond Jiu-Jitsu.

Carlos and Lindsay talk openly about working together while raising four children born within roughly four and a half years, homeschooling them, running businesses, traveling, teaching, managing staff, and trying to keep a marriage alive while constantly solving problems.

The Machado family continues building through their academy, association, instructor development, Kids Summit, events, and their involvement with the Professional Grappling Federation and Dallas Mustangs.

Even after 25 years, apparently the 3 A.M. ideas haven't stopped.

Neither has Lindsay's instinct to figure out how to make them happen.

This is Part One of Carlos and Lindsay's conversation — an honest, funny, occasionally spicy look at marriage, martial arts, entrepreneurship, parenting, leadership, communication, and the work behind the Machado legacy.

Because whether you're building a Jiu-Jitsu academy, a business, a family, or a marriage, the lesson is remarkably similar:

The foundation is everything.

☕ EPISODE 31 CHAPTERS

00:00 — Meet Lindsay Machado: 25 Years of Marriage
02:00 — Growing Up in a Martial Arts Family
09:00 — Lindsay Meets Carlos & Moves to Texas
14:30 — Her First Look at Carlos's Early Jiu-Jitsu Academy
17:00 — Turning Passion Into a Sustainable Martial Arts Business
23:00 — The Culture Clash: Bringing Structure to Jiu-Jitsu
34:00 — Creating Better Paths for Future Instructors
38:30 — Marriage + Business: Working With Your Spouse
42:00 — Carlos the Dreamer vs. Lindsay the Doer
44:30 — The "Dream Bucket" & "Critical Bucket" Communication Method
47:00 — Why Consistency, Communication & Timing Matter
49:00 — Lessons From 25 Years Together
51:00 — Professional Grappling Federation, Dallas Mustangs & What's Next

🥋 ABOUT LINDSAY MACHADO

Lindsay Thompson-Machado grew up immersed in martial arts, beginning karate competition as a child before training and competing across karate, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and other martial arts. She later moved to Texas, married Carlos Machado, raised four children with him, and became an integral part of the business and organizational side of the Machado martial arts legacy.

Today, Carlos and Lindsay continue working together across their martial arts organization and new ventures, including their involvement with the Dallas Mustangs in the Professional Grappling Federation.

🐎 PROFESSIONAL GRAPPLING FEDERATION / DALLAS MUSTANGS

Learn more about the PGF and the Dallas Mustangs:
https://www.pgf.world/

☕ COFFEE TIME WITH CARLOS MACHADO

Coffee Time with Carlos Machado goes beyond techniques and tournaments. Join Carlos for conversations about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, martial arts, mindset, entrepreneurship, relationships, leadership, family, and the lessons learned through a lifetime on and off the mats.

🔗 Watch more episodes & updates:
https://coffeetimewithcarlos.com/

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https://www.youtube.com/@CoffeeTimeWithCarlosMachado

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https://podcast.coffeetimewithcarlos.com/

ABOUT CARLOS MACHADO

Carlos Machado is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pioneer, Coral Belt, teacher, academy owner, and member of the legendary Machado family. Through decades of teaching, competing, mentoring instructors, and developing martial arts schools, Carlos has helped shape generations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners while continuing to explore how lessons from the mat apply to business, relationships, leadership, and life.

Episode 31 of Coffee Time with Carlos Machado.

Topics: Lindsay Machado, Carlos Machado, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, BJJ, Machado Jiu-Jitsu, martial arts business, martial arts school owner, marriage and business, husband and wife business, entrepreneurship, martial arts family, raising children, homeschooling, leadership, staff training, martial arts academy management, BJJ academy, Jiu-Jitsu business, martial arts mindset, Professional Grappling Federation, PGF, Dallas Mustangs, martial arts podcast, Jiu-Jitsu podcast.

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