Meet Emily Allen of Ultimate Ninjas Academy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Allen.

Hi Emily, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Since our high school days, my husband and I have always worked hard and prioritized saving. We knew early on that starting our own business was a lifelong goal—even if we didn’t always know what that business would be. It wasn’t about chasing a specific idea at first, but about building something of our own. After years of saving and waiting for the right opportunity, we began exploring franchises and were drawn to Ultimate Ninjas—a small, family-owned system that aligned with our values. What stood out was the mission: creating a space where kids could be active, build confidence, and challenge themselves physically and mentally. That purpose gave our dream a direction and made the decision feel right.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been perfectly smooth—like any new business, there have been a few real challenges. The biggest early one was awareness: getting families to know we exist and trust us. We responded by focusing on an experience worth talking about—simple trials, referral momentum, and partnerships in the community.

The second challenge was navigating permits, safety standards, and compliance across different agencies. We leaned into it and built a checklist and documentation process so we’re consistent and inspection-ready.

And staffing has been a big one—finding people who are great with kids and can uphold a high standard. We’ve improved our hiring and built a clearer training process so the experience is consistent no matter who is coaching.

Overall, those bumps actually helped us build systems early, and that’s been a big reason we’ve been able to grow confidently.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ultimate Ninjas Academy?
Ultimate Ninjas Academy is a children’s ninja-themed gym that offers a dynamic alternative to traditional youth sports and fitness programs. We introduce kids to the exciting world of obstacle course racing and movement mastery through purposefully designed classes and custom-built obstacle gyms created in collaboration with professional ninja athletes.

Our mission is to provide a safe, high-energy environment where children can challenge themselves physically and mentally. Through climbing, jumping, swinging, and balancing, kids build real strength, boost confidence, and have a blast while doing it.

What sets us apart is our obstacle-based fitness model—an innovative approach that turns hard work into play. The truth is, obstacles are fun! And when kids are having fun, they’re more engaged, more motivated, and more likely to develop lifelong healthy habits.

In today’s world, people are used to instant gratification. But at Ultimate Ninjas Academy, one of the most rewarding things to witness is kids failing—and trying again. I tell them all the time: it might take you 50 tries to make it up the warped wall, but on your 51st try, you’ll get it. Watching that moment of breakthrough is what it’s all about.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
The most important quality behind our success is having high standards for our coaches. In this business, the coach is the experience. Families don’t come back because the obstacles are cool—they come back because their child feels seen, safe, challenged appropriately, and encouraged. So we hire for character and energy, we train for consistency, and we coach the coaches. When the coaching is great, everything else works: safety improves, kids progress faster, parents trust you, and retention takes care of itself.

Pricing:

• $109/month – membership
• $14 – open play session
• $45/session – camps
• $275 – birthday party

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ultimateninjas.com/academy/loveland-co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ultimateninjasacademy_loveland/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ultimate.ninjas.academy