Welcome to The FEC Masterminds, the ultimate podcast for owners and operators of family entertainment centers. Hosted by active operators Clint and Erik, we cut through the corporate fluff to bring you real talk from the front lines. Every week, we interview a new industry leader to uncover what makes their location unique and trade the blueprints that build better businesses. No sales pitches—just real operators sharing the exact strategies to help you scale and grow. A rising tide lifts all boats. Subscribe now and join the community!
FEC Masterminds Podcast
Claim This Podcastby Clint Novak
11 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
Podcast Overview
Welcome to The FEC Masterminds, the ultimate podcast for owners and operators of family entertainment centers. Hosted by active operators Clint and Erik, we cut through the corporate fluff to bring you real talk from the front lines. Every week, we interview a new industry leader to uncover what makes their location unique and trade the blueprints that build better businesses. No sales pitches—just real operators sharing the exact strategies to help you scale and grow. A rising tide lifts all boats. Subscribe now and join the community!
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
4/24/2026
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Recent Episodes
July 6, 2026
From Bankrupt Auction to FEC Success: Turnaround Secrets with Dave
<p>How do you take a bankrupt go-kart track and turn it into an 18% year-over-year growth machine? </p><p>In this episode of the FEC Masterminds Podcast, Clint and Erik sit down with Dave from Grand Island Fun Center. Dave shares his journey of transitioning from a college student helping his dad at an auction to becoming a decade-long solo owner-operator. </p><p>We go deep into the "outside perspective" of running an FEC—including the tough choices required to keep a park relevant. Dave pulls back the curtain on why he made the difficult decision to remove underperforming assets like batting cages and Water Wars, and how focusing on high-impact attractions like outdoor tactical laser tag helped shift his park’s reputation. </p><p><strong>Key Takeaways From This Episode:</strong></p><ul><li><p><br></p><p><strong>The Power of a Rebrand:</strong> How Dave overcame a "dump" stigma left by previous owners through new logos, signage, and targeted marketing. </p></li><li><p><br></p><p><strong>Asset Management:</strong> Why Dave decided to cut his losses on batting cages (saving on maintenance and liability) to focus on higher-ROI go-kart experiences. </p></li><li><p><br></p><p><strong>Ghost Kitchen Strategies:</strong> How Dave uses "Taste of the Fair" as a ghost kitchen on DoorDash to drive extra revenue without increasing on-site operational friction. </p></li><li><p><br></p><p><strong>The Hiring Edge:</strong> How Dave achieved an impressive 3.5-year average retention rate for seasonal staff—a rarity in the amusement industry. </p></li></ul><p><strong>Connect with the Hosts:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Clint Novak: <a href="https://www.novakamusementsolutions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.novakamusementsolutions.com/</a></p></li><li><p>Erik Stottlemyer: <a href="https://www.adventureparkusa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.adventureparkusa.com/</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Listen & Subscribe:</strong></p><ul><li><p>YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjhH0o01j-QOfYaL_4xrxA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjhH0o01j-QOfYaL_4xrxA</a></p></li><li><p>Spotify: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2klCyxlYbcGKFxdOQx15DV" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://open.spotify.com/show/2klCyxlYbcGKFxdOQx15DV</a></p></li><li><p>Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fec-masterminds-podcast/id1895404878" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fec-masterminds-podcast/id1895404878</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Are you an FEC owner looking to level up?</strong></p><p>Drop us a line or apply to join our off-the-air Mastermind calls: <a href="https://www.novakamusementsolutions.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.novakamusementsolutions.com/</a></p><p></p>
June 29, 2026
3 Locations, 100 Employees, and Zero Regrets: Turnaround Secrets with Ed
<p>How do you stand out in a brutally crowded market of nineteen competing adventure parks? You throw out the corporate playbook, buy a drop-fog machine, and lean heavily into aggressive guerrilla marketing.</p><p>In this episode of the FEC Masterminds Podcast, Clint Novak and Erik Stottlemyer sit down with fellow mastermind member Ed, who is fresh off closing on his third family entertainment venue in Minnesota.</p><p>Ed takes us behind the scenes of his 36-year journey in the amusement industry—starting from his early days as a roller rink DJ (where he was once fired and rehired by a different manager) to managing a rapid expansion across three vastly different venues: Zero Gravity (an indoor adventure park), Summerland (a seasonal 9-acre outdoor park), and his newest acquisition, The Fun Lab (a full-scale FEC).</p><p>Key Takeaways From This Episode:</p><ul><li><p>The Turnaround Playbook: Why Ed views his venues as "reclamation projects" and the hard sacrifices required to pull off a successful business turnaround.</p></li><li><p>The "Bring Your Own Food" Birthday Model: How cutting out pizza delivery pain points and letting parents bring in their own Costco or Little Caesars food allowed Zero Gravity to boost party capacity by 30% to 40%.</p></li><li><p>WrestleMania-Style Birthdays: How Ed built an interactive Northern Lights party room with custom printed wall graphics and a ceiling-mounted down-shooting fog machine for under $4,000.</p></li><li><p>The Pixel Floor Phenomenon: Ed’s experience as an early adopter of the operator-free Pixel Game Floor (by Laser Force), why it instantly paid for itself, and why he’s ripping out VR to install another one at his new location.</p></li><li><p>Cross-Pollinating 100+ Employees: How Ed structures management and teams across a 75-mile geographical spread.</p></li><li><p>The Radius Marketing Wave: How Ed and other mastermind members are achieving 6x to 8x ad spend returns on Meta and Google Ads using Radius.</p></li></ul><p>Plus, we talk about why roller rink operators make some of the best guerrilla marketers, the absolute power of close-knit mastermind networks, and the reality of living on "weenie water soup and ramen noodles" during a major business growth phase.</p><p>Novak Amusement Solutions (Clint Novak):https://www.novakamusementsolutions.com/</p><p>Adventure Park USA (Erik Stottlemyer):https://adventureparkusa.com/</p><p>Zero Gravity Adventure Park (Ed):https://www.zerogravitymn.com/</p><p>The Fun Lab (Ed):https://thefunlabmn.com/</p><p>YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqjhH0o01j-QOfYaL_4xrxA</p><p>Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/2klCyxlYbcGKFxdOQx15DV</p><p>Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fec-masterminds-podcast/id1895404878</p><p>Are you an FEC owner looking to step up your operations, swap "gold nuggets" with other operators, and scale your business? Apply to join our off-the-air Mastermind calls by visiting Novak Amusement Solutions today!</p>
June 22, 2026
Tales from the Trenches: Broken Tractors, Border Crossings, and Roller Coaster Deals
<p>Ever wonder what happens behind the scenes when the cameras are off? This week, Clint and Eric take a break from their usual guest format to swap stories from the trenches of the FEC world. From Eric’s 45-day stint living at the park (and his battle with a broken tractor at home!) to Clint’s dramatic border crossing struggles and deep dives into the Niagara Falls attraction scene, this episode is all about the real-life, chaotic, and hilarious side of being an operator.</p><p><strong>In this episode, we cover:</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong>The Spring Chaos:</strong> How to handle thousands of kids, staffing scrambles, and the "controlled chaos" of a busy season.</p></li><li><p><strong>The Wildcat Origin Story:</strong> A legendary tale of roller coaster acquisition that involves a Goodfellas-style cash deal, sandblasting in a parking lot, and the "worth-it" moments that make it all happen.</p></li><li><p><strong>Attraction Realities:</strong> The highs and lows of installing rides, from city ordinance battles and engineering mishaps to pivot points that saved the day.</p></li><li><p><strong>Operator Community:</strong> Why swapping stories is the heartbeat of this industry, and how you can join the conversation.</p></li></ul><p>Whether you’re currently facing your own operational hurdles or just love a good industry tale, grab a seat and join us.</p><p><strong>Want to share your own FEC story?</strong>We want to hear it! Email Clint at <strong>clintnovak@gmail.com</strong> to get your story on the show. And if you’re looking to join a group of operators who meet monthly to solve industry problems, check out the <strong>Novak Network</strong> at <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=https://novacamusementsolutions.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">novakamusementsolutions.com</a>.</p><p></p>
11 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is FEC Masterminds Podcast?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
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This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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