Mary Louise and Ron Zeller are not your typical grandparents.

Mary Louise, 64, is an Olympic taekwondo gold medalist, published author, seminar leader, motivational speaker and U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee. Ron, 75, is co-founder of the Mental Fast Track program and the Fenix Event seminar with his wife. His primary focus has been the study of human development and potential. During his early career, Ron taught geology at BYU, worked as a research engineer at the University of California at Berkeley and was a high school principal. Ron has consulted CEOs, athletes, movie stars, foreign dignitaries, prisoners and gang members to help transform their lives and patterns of thinking. They are both partner leaders of the new World Class Taekwondo school in Orem.

When people tell the Zellers that they don’t look or act their age, Mary Louise says, “Big dreams and goals aren’t just for the young!”

Business Connect: Mary Louise, how did you get involved in taekwondo
Mary Louise Zeller: When I was 46, our 18-month-old son fell from a second-story window. Even though he miraculously survived without any major damage, I was shattered and struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder. I had gained 50 pounds when I was pregnant with him and felt mentally and physically exhausted. I saw a taekwondo ad in the paper one day and it mentioned that it helps improve your focus and concentration. I took a class and progressed rapidly.

I don’t know anyone my age who does what I do. I’m not talented or gifted, I just think in a different way. Philosophy without action is nothing. Now I teach women’s self defense. Taekwondo gave me self-confidence, awareness, focus and mastery.

BC: What are some of the tips you give in your co-authored book “Secrets of the Fountain of Youth?”
MLZ: You have to move your body if you want aliveness. Playing is very important to human beings. Even though we’re adult and have to do business, I still play with my work. Your mind cannot be the best unless your body is active and working. I think it would be a great advancement in business if martial arts was integrated into the workday. It gives you energy. It makes you feel powerful and focused. It would impact productivity and absenteeism from illness.

BC: What are you most proud of?
MLZ: I’m most proud of Ron. He’s a rare commodity in business and for people. He’s worked with people from all walks of life. People come out of his trainings with a different life. I’ve watched him coach heads of companies and they get to the core of their problems. I’m proud of his 30 plus years of doing that.

BC: Ron, how did you get into consulting businesses?
Ron Zeller: I worked in public education and then in private education. Then I decided to get involved in corporate work. I got more out of working with individuals than with companies. My company’s Web site is mka-world.com. Our strategy focuses on communication. We help companies get the bad psychology out of the way, and design new conversations around results.

BC: What are examples of bad psychology and bad communication?
RZ: Fifty percent of conversations taking place within companies include gossiping, complaining, ethics and morality. So many people within companies work well on their own, but they aren’t working well as a team.

At meetings, people don’t talk straight — they are political and try to defend themselves. The first thing they have to work on is cleaning out their authenticity and integrity. Only then can they begin to work on finding out the possibilities. I train people on how to have productive conversations and how people can give their best to a failing company.

BC: Do you teach companies team-building skills?
RZ: Things like taking a company out into nature don’t build unity. It’s only temporary. You must learn how to create championship team conversations and language. A company is a product of its language and conversations.

BC: What is the Mental Fast Track program that you helped create?
RZ: We work with executives for a year to have a breakthrough in running their companies. Many of them fly from all over the world to my home in Sundance where I work with them one day every three months, and then I coach them in between.

I like to do things that are impossible. And I like to help others take on something they can’t do and figure out a way to do it.