143. Business is Just a Game of Chess with Timothy Abadilla, Masterpiece Chess Academy in Los Angeles

What does it take to turn a niche skill into a thriving local business? In this episode I sit down with Timothy Abadilla, founder of Masterpiece Chess Academy in Los Angeles, to talk about how he went from Uber driver and preschool assistant to running one of the most active chess programs in Southern California. And spoiler alert — it’s not just about loving chess. Tim shares his full journey from employee to boss, the creative ways he attracted his first clients (hint: Pokémon was involved), and how his strategic thinking from chess carries over into how he grows his business. We also explore why the chess world has exploded post-pandemic and how Tim is hiring, scaling, and staying focused in a competitive industry most people overlook. If you’ve ever wondered how to build a hyper-local business that lasts, or how to make your niche offer sticky and profitable, this is a must-listen. In this episode:Tim’s unexpected path from chess hustler to entrepreneurHow he used Facebook groups, local meetups, and tournaments to growWhy quality beats marketing when it comes to retentionWhat business owners can learn from chess (focus + strategy!)Why the post-pandemic hobby boom helped him scale fastHis current bottlenecks and what he’s doing to fix them Action Steps:Follow through on what you say you’ll do — execution over ideas.Don’t be afraid to aim high — just make sure you reverse engineer the steps.Never give up — in chess and in business, perseverance wins. Connect with Tim: Website: masterpiecechessacademy.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masterpiece_chess Facebook: Timothy Abeliahttps://masterpiecechessacademy.com/blogs/news/my-chess-story Connect with me, Hayleigh Hayhurst: Steal my Podcast Launch Checklist for free: ⁠https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/⁠checklist⁠ Website: https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EspressoPodcastProduction Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/espressopodcastproduction/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@espressopodproduction Music: John Kiernan. www.johnkiernanmusic.com Produced by Espresso Podcast Production: https://www.espressopodcastproduction.com/ Join the Conversation: What did you think of this episode? Share your thoughts and key takeaways with me on social media using the hashtag #EmployeeToBoss. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and share it with your network.