2018 Volume 29 Issue 4

V O L U M E 2 9 | I S S U E 4 2 018

U N I T E D

S T A T E S

TOP 3 TIPS FOR YOUR SWIM SCHOOL HIRING

7 Beginner Tips: Underwater Photography LAS VEGAS NATIONAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS!

Ignite

S W I M

S C H O O L

A S S O C I A T I O N

!

B e t u C y ! r e y t r r r Cu Be rry Be y ! r e ! t r e t Be u !

C e t u C y ! r e r t Cu e rry Be y ! r B e r t u C Be ! r e t r u y e !

C r e B r t e u C B y r e t r e u !

C e B t u C ! e t Cu

Find your berry cute look at DOLFIN SWIMWEAR

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ry e! IN THIS

ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

Letter from the President

5 From the Desk of the Executive Director 7 Art of Recruiting: Top 3 Tips for Your Swim School Hiring 8 7 BEGINNER TIPS FOR UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY COVER PHOTO CREDIT

8 7 Beginner Tips for Underwater Photography 10 Memorable Customer Service 12 2018 National Conference Highlights 14 The Growth of the USSSA Infant

Toddler Education Program 16 Creating the Right Attitude for Success 21 Top Networking Tips

TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO CREDIT USSSA Member, Brad Grzelka, Atlanta Swim Academy

21 Stop Drowning Now 22 Ignite Your Swim School’s Growth 26 Ask Al

ASSOCIATION HEADQUARTERS 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 109 Cave Creek, AZ 85331 480.837.5525 usssa@usswimschools.org usswimschools.org Executive Director Lisa M. Zarda, CAE, CNAP Editor Monica Martin ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President John Kirk, Little Otter Swim School Vice President Mike Williams, American Kids Sports Center ASSOCIATION DIRECTORS Buffy Folise Chicago Swim School Bobby Hazen SAF-T-SWIM Tracy Koleber Nitro Swimming Melissa Taylor Small Fish Big Fish Swim School Matt Young Hubbard Family Swim School

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 1

in this together.

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LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT As we go into the slower time of year, for most of us, it is a time to reflect and make things better for the coming year.

The Board of Directors of the Association gets together this time of year to think about what we want to work on in the coming year. We come up with a plan of the most important things that we think will move the Association forward in the next year. This Strategic Planning Meeting is important and allows us to focus on a few things rather than many. We all have limited time and resources, so as business owners it becomes important to maintain a sharp focus. Gary W. Keller in his book, The ONE Thing, states that, “Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you make your focus.”

What is the ONE task that can drive your life forward? By determining that, you can choose the most important tasks to focus on. This is the ideal time of year to spend some quiet time with yourself and your team to map out your path for the next year.

Another concept that is useful is from the book, 212° The Extra Degree. The premise behind the book is that water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Water at 211 degrees is just hot water. At 212 degrees, it becomes powerful and can power a steam engine. What is that one degree of effort that can take us over the top?

We frequently get caught in the many things we have to do and are not focusing on the most important thing.

My challenge to you is this, use this winter as our ancestors did, as a traditional time of reflection and a time to get ready for the new year. What seeds will you plant in the spring that will lead to a more bountiful harvest for you?

JOHN SPEAKING AT THE 2018 LAS VEGAS NATIONAL CONFERENCE

JOHN KIRK President US Swim School Association

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 3

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FROM THE DESK OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR When considering the definition of ignite, the theme for this issue, one phrase jumped out at me “to set in motion.” Through all the hard work and efforts put in to create an experience for our National Conference attendees I’ve paused to ask myself, what did we set into motion at our conference? In other words, how did our conference set something in motion that will draw success for our members?

I’m inspired by feedback we’ve received that has been an example of just that, our conference putting something into motion. Kara Cassidy at Florida Swim School shared how after hearing The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center presentation she went back to her swim school and printed the school values on a card. The staff now reviews that card every morning at the start of work. And recently, on Facebook, the Nelson Vargas Team at Acuática Nelson Vargas shared a video where they used an idea for a new fun activity in swim class that was shared at the Tap Into Your Creativity for New Lesson Ideas session.

And our attendees are not alone, at USSSA we have been working hard this past year to set some new things in motion to give you, our members, a better experience.

We are pleased with the progress we have made in creating an online experience that is easy to use and informative. If you have not yet had the opportunity to login and check out my.usswimschools.org we encourage you to do so!

At my.usswimschools.org you will find a single sign-on experience that gives you access to manage your account, add/remove staff members, register for events, take or assign online learning courses, search our resource library, download marketing tools and read through our magazine archive. Be sure to check back often as we continue to work on inputting and adding to the resources available online. As you utilize these tools we welcome your feedback, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts by calling our office or emailing admin@usswimschools.org.

LISA M. ZARDA, CAE, CNAP Executive Director US Swim School Association

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ART OF RECRUITING: TOP 3 TIPS FOR YOUR SWIM SCHOOL HIRING #2 As you know, recruiting talent is tough in today’s job market. So, you need to do things differently for different results. Just like real estate agents that will ‘stage’ a house to sell - the #1 thing you can do to help inspire talent is to improve your candidate first impression.

Here are my top three action steps (all free) that you can take that will have a positive impact for your swim school in 2019:

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# It was an honor to speak at the USSSA National Conference in September 2018.

I met so many amazing swim school owners and you put on a professional and fun event. Thank you for teaching so many kids to swim each year – you are heroes!

BY PAUL FREED MANAGING PARTNER AT HERD FREED HARTZ WWW.THEARTOFRECRUITING.COM PAUL@HERDFREEDHARTZ.COM

RECORD YOUR “BEST PITCH”

Imagine if I visited your swim school and asked you, “Tell me about your swim school and why it’s amazing and different than others? Why do people like working here? How could I be a hero in this job in the first year?.” You’d likely have a compelling answer that was a good mix of facts and emotion.

You’d make me lean forward in interest.

You can close me in-person.

But, here’s the problem. Your written job descriptions are likely really boring.

Here’s a test: Read your current job description out loud to someone across the table over a coffee. Would you say that to another human? Probably not.

ACTION STEP: Sit down with someone in-person and use your phone to record the natural and authentic sounding “pitch” you already say today to those 3 questions. Write that down as a starting point for your new job description.

RECRUITING VIDEO

As I showed examples at the conference, this can be a big win to include a link within your job descriptions and have on your careers page. USSSA also developed a video you can use right away as a bonus too! Record 60-75 seconds of you talking (audio) switching between videos of kids in the pool and your facility. Add your logo to the beginning and end. Done.

ACTION STEP: Take out your phone and practice making a recruiting video next week. Just do it and don’t overthink it. Consider it a 1.0 version but you’d be amazed at the positive impact that would have right away.

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PROACTIVELY TARGET TALENT

Just posting a job opening on your website, Indeed.com and Craigslist isn’t recruiting. This is “Post n Pray”. This can work sometimes and you get lucky, but it isn’t a strategy. The best talent isn’t actively looking. You need people to be aware of your swim school ahead of your hiring need.

ACTION STEP: Make a list of where you could proactively find talent such as lifeguards (public pools/resorts), swim teams and parents of students. Reach out to these groups ahead of your recruiting needs and keep in touch.

Hope you found these recruiting quick tips inspiring and helpful!

2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 7

BY KARIM ZAYED K & K SWIM SCHOOL

7 BEGINNER TIPS UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY Underwater photography can be challenging and expensive for a swim school. Professional and leisure photographers have to be patient, energetic and conďŹ dent throughout their shoot.

After years of experience in this skill both recreationally and within my swim school, here are some entry level tips to getting a great shot:

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1. WIDE ANGLE Always shoot with a wide angle lens, whether it be getting a close up of goggles on a child’s face or a swimmer performing certain movements in the water. Do not use a zoom lens, as you will need to capture the entire subject.

You can always crop the image later.

My preference is a 16-35 mm wide angle lens.

2. FAST SHUTTER SPEEDS Out of the water you will have time to frame a still image in your mind.

Though, in the water your subjects never stop moving. This forces you to increase your shutter speed, allowing you to take as many pictures as possible.

If your shutter speed is too low, your images will appear blurry. This fast shutter speed works well if you are trying to capture bubbles or jumping

5. USE A GOPRO & DOME PORT A GoPro is a great substitute for an expensive underwater DSLR housing.

With a GoPro you already have a wide angle lens built in. Combine your GoPro with a Dome Port to increase the field of view by 30%. Therefore, images will come out cleaner, with the ability to capture split water images.

6. SHOOT IN RAW Shooting in RAW maximizes your photo’s data. Data from your photo is used in post-editing platforms such as Adobe Lightroom. Shooting in JPEG will compress your image, losing some needed information for post-editing. Capturing a RAW image on your camera allows you to change the exposure, highlights, shadows, saturation and plenty of other features that will enhance the beauty of your image.

7. CORRECT WHITE BALANCE IN POST EDITING Colours are difficult to capture when shooting underwater. You lose your reds very close to the surface, followed by your oranges and yellows. Usually, you are left with a very blue or green image. Correcting the white balance of the photo is easier when shooting in RAW. Adobe Lightroom’s eyedropper tool works well, though any post-editing software can be used.

3. USE A WEIGHT BELT It can be difficult to control your buoyancy underwater while taking photographs. It is best to use a weight belt to stay at the bottom of the pool.

To prevent distorting the image, learn how to control your air. Keeping still will allow you to shoot underwater skills like dives and back floats.

4. LIGHT Water significantly blocks light, yet light is the backbone of all underwater photography. Always shoot with a strong light source. Light set ups can be very expensive, though natural light costs nothing. To avoid overexposed images when shooting at an outdoor pool, use natural light in the morning or late afternoon.

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MEMORABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE To create customer loyalty, you must first elevate the customer experience. And the experience that makes the biggest impact is emotional. Emotions and connections are created by the people that represent the organization and the relationships that they build with your customers. But the people can only be as good as the culture that is driven and supported by the leaders of the organization. This is the foundation of service excellence. Without an inspired group of people, who are willing to do more than what is expected, service will be inconsistent and scattered.

To support service efforts, there needs to be basic service principles in place to ensure there is a consistent level of manners and professionalism in place at all times. While this is not actually service, it does set the stage 10 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

and open the doors to building deeper relationships. To create a memorable experience everyone must focus on fulfilling customers unexpressed wishes and needs by staying-in-the-moment to detect what customers may be thinking but not actually saying. You can master the art of anticipation by looking for cues and clues that your customers unknowingly share with you. The goal to create personalized experiences, that surprise and delight, is the key to creating raving fans of your organization who will share great posts about you and recommend you to their friends.

To be a Service Sensation, you must: • Pay attention to details • Look for ways to make it memorable by ensuring your service is personal and unique to each customer

Service is the true brand differentiator, and authentic, personalized service is what drives customer loyalty.

• Recognize that every interaction could be a defining moment • Utilize the psychology of service; Service is the way that you make people feel Thank you for sharing your time with me at the annual conference!

BY JENNIFER BLACKMON CORPORATE DIRECTOR, THE RITZ-CARLTON LEADERSHIP CENTER CULTURE TRANSFORMATION 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

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VIVA LAS VEGAS! 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

BY STAFF CONTRIBUTOR USSSA

The 30th Anniversary USSSA event was more than a conference‌it was an ALL-IN CELEBRATION! The Flamingo Hotel provided a Vegas-vintage-cool scene amidst the glitter and dazzle of the downtown Strip.

The weeklong event was a record-breaking success! Each morning boasted a featured keynote, followed by a mix of professional presentations, lunch & learns and dynamic sessions. We were pleased to welcome swim school owners, instructors, industry affiliates and speakers from across the United States and around the world. Members arrived from Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, China, Philippines, Slovakia and Sweden. The presentations covered a wide spectrum of topics relevant to every aspect of the learn-to-swim business. Select PowerPoint sessions are available online.

Workshop instruction was offered over two days allowing Members to attend both the Infant Toddler and Special Abilities courses. As a result, the IT and SA conference workshops had a total record number of attendees, as well!

The high-energy was also tangible in the packed exhibit hall! The room was brimming with sponsors and vendors, many of whom attended in previous years and some for the first time.

Here are exciting event highlights which include welcoming three NEW Board Members and honoring the accomplishments and service of fellow Association peers!

BIG WELCOME AND WARM CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS SERVING ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Buffy Folise Chicago Swim School

Bobby Hazen Saf-T-Swim

Melissa Taylor Small Fish Big Fish Swim School

THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS WERE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR REMARKABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE LEARN-TO-SWIM INDUSTRY: Hall of Fame Inductees Marla Blauman | Aqua Wave Swim School Bette Pipes The Hall of Fame award honors individuals who have at least 20 years of experience and have made exceptional contributions to the swim school profession and learn-to-swim industry.

The Hall of Fame recipient demonstrates a lifelong passion and devotion to the teaching and learning of swimming and has exercised their expertise for the advancement of children, safety, learning to swim and the lifelong benefits and joys of swimming. Marla was one of the first charter members of what is now the US Swim School Association. She taught swimming for over 50 years and served on the committee that created the first Infant/ Toddler course for USSSA. She supported USSSA by becoming a Lifetime member and served on the board of directors. It was our honor to recognize Marla Blauman with the Hall of Fame for 2018.

Bette dedicated over 50 years to learn to swim, teaching up until her 70th birthday and then continuing by volunteering at local drowning prevention events and association events. She had a contagious joy for life and she will be greatly missed by so many with her passing in June. We are honored to induct Bette Pipes into the USSSA Hall of Fame.

Miren Oca was honored with the Guiding Light Award Ocaquatics Swim School The Guiding Light award is given to those who have made a particularly

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outstanding contribution to the organization in previous years. The Guiding Light recipient demonstrates a generous commitment to teaching, helping, sharing and otherwise serving the Association and/or its members. Miren Oca has served in many roles within the association over her years as a lifetime member, including board of directors, president, committee member and committee chair.

She currently chairs the Infant Toddler Committee with a dedication to bringing baby swim instruction to members across the country. She has dedicated countless hours to giving back with her experience, talent and big heart.

Ed McHale was honored as the National Educator of the Year Hubbard Family Swim School USSSA is committed to the education and recognition of our swim instructors.

We are proud of the amazing instructors at our member schools and we were honored this year to present the National Educator of the Year Award to Ed McHale with Hubbard Family Swim Schools in Phoenix, AZ. Ed has been an instructor for over 18 years and has touched the lives of thousands of children. His passion for his career as a swim instructor is evident when you first meet him as he continues to work with all levels of swimmers, including those with special abilities.

THERE WAS TERRIFIC TURNOUT AND ANOTHER COMPETITIVE YEAR FOR THE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE! Swim Schools submitted unique, creative and memorable community promotions, swim school t-shirts, photos and marketing ideas while Members voted via Facebook and in person at the conference. Many thanks to everyone for participating. CHEERS to the winners!

Outstanding Photograph K & K Swim School Best T-Shirt DeMont Family Swim School Memorable Marketing Hubbard Family Swim School Favorite Facility Propel Swim Academy Unique PR Activity Houston Swim Club USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 13

THE GROWTH OF THE USSSA INFANT TODDLER EDUCATION PROGRAM The Annual Conference in Las Vegas was a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of the US Swim School Association!

You all know that the USSSA started in 1988 and the very first conference was in March 1989. But you may not know that this same year the Infant Toddler Committee was formed and established the guidelines of working with this special age group in the water. The original committee was made up of Johnny Johnson, John Bainbridge, Jan Thomas, Marla Barrera Blauman, and Virginia Hunt Newman. We were very lucky to have 3 of those original members at this year’s conference in Las Vegas.

This early group developed the foundation for the Infant Toddler Education Program and since its inception, a workshop has been taught at every conference. The course has never been about “how to” teach infants 14 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

and toddlers but rather it has been a collection of tips, tricks and tools for working with this age group in the water.

The original course had a home study section that consisted of an exam with 121 essay questions. Each participant also had to video record themselves teaching a class. This cassette then had to be mailed back to the office and 3 months later you received your score and hopefully a certificate!

Kathy Hubbard credits this course for Hubbard Family Swim School’s long standing membership in this association.

In 1996 the annual conference was in Tempe and she signed up for the course at her very first conference. “In 1996 Bob and I made a last minute decision for me to take the Infant Toddler Course taught by Dave DuBois at the National Swim School Conference. Two hours into the course, I called Bob and said - get down here! We closed the bar, overpaid our babysitter, became better teachers and found a passion that is still alive today. Education is the most powerful and valuable thing we can do for our members.”

Over the years the Infant Toddler Education Program has evolved and many improvements have been made.

There is still a course you can take at home but now it is online and you receive your scores and feedback immediately.

The Classroom and Water Workshops

BY MIREN OCA INFANT TODDLER COMMITTEE CHAIR

have become one course at the conferences and now we have replaced the in water section with amazing and professionally filmed videos of skills. We have created a Presenter Course to train ON THE GO presenters who can go out to your school to administer the workshop.

We have course presenters around the US and internationally that can help you train your infant and toddler teachers.

The current IT Committee members were all very excited to hear that John Bainbridge would be attending the conference...and then we all got very nervous when we heard that he would be attending the Infant Toddler Workshop.

What would this original founder of the course think about his baby...no pun intended! John did sit through the course and here is what he had to say: “I had the pleasure of attending the Infant Toddler Workshop at the 2018 Las Vegas USSSA Conference. It was a treat to see the enthusiasm of all in attendance. The expert dissemination of information in the education section and the variety of methods shown in the afternoon video skills session, was professionally presented. The willingness of participants to share ideas was evident. This core value of sharing, was foremost in our minds when we wrote the original Infant Course, back in 1989. When using a gentle manner and appropriate child development

principles, infant/toddler swimming can be facilitated many ways. Great work Infant Committee!� John Bainbridge Infant Aquatic Consultant I am proud to say that I took my very first Infant Toddler Workshop in 1993 and it was taught by John Bainbridge.

This experience helped me to realize that I could make a life in the water teaching infants and children. I am especially proud to now serve on the Infant Toddler Committee which is a very passionate group of volunteers that are dedicated to aquatic education for babies and toddlers. We all love this committee, learn from each other every day and pick up new tips everytime that we teach a course to a new group of participants. I feel that continuing your education and training is essential in developing your swim school business.

You can take the Infant Toddler Course in San Diego prior to our Spring Workshop this February or if interested in booking an instructor to come teach your staff at your school, call USSSA at 480-837-5525!

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS A3 Performance | p15

Mobile Inventor | p23

Aquam | p29

Neptune Benson | p4

C & H Financial Services | p23

Risk Management Services | p19

CES | p28

RCPS Really Cool Pool Stuff | p25

Charlie Banana | p11

StringCan Interactive | p6

Dolfin | Inside Front Cover

Tri Swim | p25

Finis | p2

USA Swimming Foundation | p28

Jackrabbit Swim | p11

Kids

CREATING THE RIGHT ATTITUDE FOR SUCCESS Can you picture yourself living your dream?

Some people will tell you that getting a clear vision of your success is all you need to do to realize it. By now, you probably know there’s a lot more to it. Jim Rohn, the great business philosopher, said,“You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills.”

BY JIM ROHN THIS ARTICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON WWW.SUCCESS.COM.

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If you’re not advancing toward your goals as quickly or as easily as you’d hoped, it’s time to address your skill set. This might mean your industry skills, but real advancement more likely requires you to sharpen your self-discipline and to focus on your personal development.

From productivity tips to leadership styles, how are you supposed to know which skills you should improve and which will lead you down the path of success?

This is an important question to answer correctly because the wrong answer could send you down a rabbit hole of useless suggestions and pie-in-the-sky promises.

THE LUCK MYTH Before you can answer the question of which skills need improvement, you’ve got to stop telling yourself that success is impossible.

There’s a pervading belief that success happens for others but not for us. Maybe it’s the idea of luck: Some people are just lucky and some people aren’t, right?

Wrong. When it comes to executing a strategy with consistency and the right attitude, luck has no part in the plan.

That’s good news because it means that if you create the right map, pack the right gear, and set out with the right pair of binoculars, you’re sure to discover the journey of your dreams.

Luck isn’t about a random set of circumstances that make or break your destiny. Instead, luck is what you make of the things life throws at you. It’s the idea that if you really put your mind to something, you can achieve it.

That might sound simplistic, but any kind of success starts with this fundamental belief that success is possible—for you.

Without this essential belief, you’ll get stuck. You might already feel stuck.

When we’re stuck, we have a constant, nagging voice in our heads telling us that we’re not far enough, fast enough, or good enough. There’s a daily regret at not tending to the important things.

There’s a recurring feeling of dashed hopes and frustrated dreams.

Being stuck feels like being so close to failure that you’re about to fall off the edge. Every time we think of the life we could have—that life where we’ve met our goals and have set even higher ones—we feel defeated and a little more hopeless.

That’s the danger of believing in luck. If you’re unlucky, you think, “Why bother?” If you’re unlucky, you feel like a failure before you even start. So you don’t start.

It’s time to set aside the myth of luck.

Bad luck is not the root of your frustration or failure. Good luck isn’t something that only a few receive.

Instead, your approach to your dreams and the choices you make along the way are the determining factors in whether or not those dreams are possible.

AN ATTITUDE OF SUCCESS No matter what skills you need to sharpen to move ahead toward your vision, the first skill most people need to hone is attitude. You can call it perspective, approach, or mindset—but it all comes down to the same concept. How you think about your life and your business is the first essential part of success.

And yes, the right attitude for success is a skill. Developing the right attitude for success might seem simple, but it’s a lifetime endeavor.

Why? Because each new challenge, every setback, and any roadblock can blast away your positive attitude and replace it with dread, depression, or defeatism. “ The worst thing one can do is not to try, to be aware of what one wants and not give in to it, to spend years in silent hurt wondering if something could have materialized – never knowing,” Rohn said.

That sad outcome is one too many people are familiar with – you likely know someone who didn’t pursue their greatest dream and regretted it deeply.

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You don’t have to go down that road.

Instead, you can pick up the essential tool of a success attitude and choose a brighter path.

To develop your own attitude of success, you’ve got to determine what success means for you. Ask yourself: • What makes life valuable?

• What makes life worthwhile?

• What makes life work well in all areas?

The answers to these questions will help you define success for yourself. It might look like travel with your family, financial freedom, your own business or a certain promotion, robust health, and a sense of peace and well-being.

Try to be specific as you consider the successful life you’d like to lead.

The next step is considering what thoughts, ideas, and beliefs will support this life.

For example, if your family and friends make life worthwhile, then you need an idea on how to spend more time with them. You need the daily thought of your family’s well-being, and you need the core belief that family obligations are more important than professional ones. Without that, all the calendar reminders in the world won’t get you home in time for dinner with your spouse and children.

Your attitude, or as Rohn called it, your personal philosophy, is the first step toward success on any path. “ While there are many puzzle pieces for success,” Rohn said, “without developing a sound personal philosophy, the other pieces are of little value.”

RESPONSIBILITY THINKING The sound philosophy Rohn refers to is the attitude of success you build through the right thoughts, ideas, and beliefs.

When you take such an attitude, the other pieces of your success plan function at a much higher level. Your future is within reach when you have a firm foundation on which to build and maintain it.

Taking responsibility for your attitude is the first step. Most people hand over the responsibility for their attitude in the following ways: • They point to personal circumstances as the reason for their attitude.

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• They point to other people’s actions (or inactions) as the reason for their attitude.

• They point to luck (or lack of it) as the reason for their attitude.

• They point to their own flaws or failures as the reason for their attitude.

• They point to the world at large as the reason for their attitude.

None of these are suitable excuses to have a poor attitude. Sure, things happen in life you can’t control, but as Rohn says, “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.”

CONSISTENT LEARNING The difference between someone who has a difficult youth, a career full of failures, and a personal life that’s in shambles versus a person who has the same difficult youth, career full of failures, and personal life that’s in shambles but has an attitude for success to go with all that is massive.

That one ingredient—the right attitude—can make or break us.

Because the right attitude for success says, sure, we had a rough start in life, but we aren’t going to sit around blaming others’ actions for our choices.

Instead, we’re going to start shedding old ideas and adopting new beliefs to grow beyond the painful past.

The right attitude for success says, ‘Wow, we failed a lot in our professional life but what we learned from those failures will propel us even further next time we try!’

And the right attitude for success says, ‘Relationships are hard sometimes and we all lose people we care about, but now we can take what we’ve experienced and apply it so we’re the best versions of ourselves.’

Rather than spend idle time wondering why we have it so rough, an attitude of success inspires us to look back only to see what lessons we can take with us as we charge into the future.

Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to help us get there, but if we end up in a positive place of gratitude, even after difficulty, we know we have the right attitude for success.

YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN Once you’ve stepped back from your challenges and looked at things with a new view, you might feel like it is smooth sailing from here on out.

Well, probably not. Every path has its highs and lows. In fact, the most difficult thing you face might be maintaining that positive attitude.

It’s a daily discipline to keep your personal philosophy at the forefront of your mind. Everything else in your world will battle for prominence, from the news to your complaining neighbor. You might feel pumped up at the thought of your impending success, but without the right attitude to keep your mindset on track, your plan is likely to fail.

You need to adopt a personal development plan that helps you on a both a daily and weekly basis. Reading, writing, talking with other success-minded folks, and learning from a mentor are all part of a solid personal development plan.

The idea is to control what your mind dwells on and how you see the world.

If you leave this vital component of your life to anyone else—whether that’s your boss or the local news anchor—you’re likely to be disappointed. “ If you don’t design your own life plan,” Rohn said, “chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you?

Not much.”

Article by Jim Rohn, America’s Foremost Business Philosopher, reprinted with permission from Jim Rohn International ©2015. As a world-renowned author and success expert, Jim Rohn touched millions of lives during his 46-year career as a motivational speaker and messenger of positive life change. For more information on Jim and his popular personal achievement resources or to subscribe to the weekly Jim Rohn Newsletter, visit www.JimRohn.com.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY 27-FEBRUARY 3, 2019

USSSA OWNERS CIRCLE ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO usswimschools.org/events

ADVENTURE AWAITS

San Juan, Puerto Rico l Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis l St. Johns, Antigua l Castries, St. Lucia l Bridgetown, Barbados l Philipsburg, St. Maarten

FEBRUARY 25-26, 2019

USSSA SPRING WORKSHOP SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA usswimschools.org/events

SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2019

USSSA NATIONAL CONFERENCE MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN usswimschools.org/events

20 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

THANK YOU ANNUAL SPONSORS

TOP NETWORKING

TIPS TIP 1 BE CHOOSY Be selective about where you network. Of course, there are some obvious places that make sense; the chamber, a trade organization, a charity volunteer opportunity and a leads group. There are also organizations like Business Network International that are excellent and set-up just for that. Visit BNI online at www.bni.com.

TIP 2 SET GOALS Go to a networking event with a purpose. Always set goals when you are networking. I would recommend setting up just one or two Strategic Alliances at each event.

STOP DROWNING NOW launches new website and online curriculum platform.

Why has a new website taken so long?

Because this is more than just a website.

This is a full online database for drowning prevention educators nationwide. This includes teachers, school districts, scouting troops, hospitals, cities, swim schools

BY GRETA SCHULZ SCHULZ BUSINESS SELLUTIONS 2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Networking is a necessary part of building a business. It is also one of the most intimidating tasks, but it shouldn’t be. Here are some tips to help you build your business and really enjoy networking!

TIP 3 UNDERSTANDING STRATEGIC ALLIANCE A Strategic Alliance is a person who represents a company that you either call on the same clients or similar clients but don’t compete with each other. This is your true purpose when you are networking. NOT selling!

Try these and you will be well on your way to creating some true long-term clients!

and individuals who are passionate about educating to eliminate drowning.

The new online platform has portals designated for each user. This portal guides the user through teaching tools to use in their communities. Everything a user would need is downloadable directly from the platform.

Not only have we been working on the new platform, but we have been busy re-designing the look of the curriculum suite as well as creating new in-water programs specifically for swim schools.

In addition, our new site collects crucial data that will help the drowning prevention community determine how many people are reached through our programming and how the information is being used and retained. With this data,

TIP 4 LET GOOGLE DO THE WORK Google does a lot of great things!

One of their best features for salespeople is Google Alerts.

You need to setup a Gmail account and when you do, go to ALERTS. List all that you would like to learn and let Google send you that information daily. Some examples– Your top clients and prospects, information about the industries you sell into, your competitors, etc.

This is a great way to stay in front of your clients and prospects without just sending them stuff about you.

we as a community can gauge how far we are moving the needle.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Stop Drowning Now is proud of the work we have done so far. But this is just the beginning. We still need your help, both with bringing our drowning prevention programs to local communities as well as donations to help implement these programs. Please consider a tax deductible donation today, and if you have a contact in your area that may be interested in our curriculum suite, reach out to our team and we would be happy to help. Contact us at info@StopDrowningNow.org.

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 21

IGNITE YOUR SWIM SCHOOL’S GROWTH

USE PASSION-BASED MARKETING TO RECRUIT & RETAIN STAFF, AND

When someone uses the term ‘marketing,’ it almost always relates to external efforts to raise brand awareness and gain more customers. But while this might be the most common form of marketing, there’s another type that could benefit swim schools significantly: passion-based, primarily internal marketing.

Swim schools are in a unique position in which their staff members can make all the difference in whether their bottom line is thriving, or taking a dive. Sure, at an average company, employees matter too. But the personality and passion of an office manager at a corporate company or a clerk at a grocery store don’t directly connect to whether those businesses’ customers are happy and whether their revenues are growing. At a swim school, conversely, your instructors in particular are everything to your students and their families.

So how can you keep them, improve future recruitment efforts and grow your business? Here are three tips.

1. INSTILLING PRIDE IN YOUR TEAM MEMBERS The first question to ask yourself if you’re unsure of your employees’ commitment and contentment is, “are they proud of the work we’re doing here?” If you have instructors who wholeheartedly believe in your mission, they’ll naturally be passionate and loyal to your company. Case in point: One study showed that 54 percent of employees who are proud of their company’s impact on the world were more engaged in their work.

And if your instructors don’t fit this bill? You’ll see problematic ripple effects in every area of your business.

22 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

BY JAY FEITLINGER FOUNDER AND CEO OF STRINGCAN INTERACTIVE One way to infuse passion and help instill pride in your staff is by bringing them into the process of defining your mission and core values, and then reinforcing these concepts time and time again. If you haven’t yet come up with these sorts of guiding principles, invite your instructors and your whole team to participate in a brainstorming session so everyone’s voice can be heard.

This doesn’t have to be complicated; a simple, one-sentence mission statement and a handful of core values are all you need to unite your team around a common purpose.

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Let’s say your mission is, “to keep kids safe around water and help families have fun in the water together” and your core values are “integrity,” “candor,” and “connection.” It’s your job to market these values to your team. You can share a weekly email that includes an anecdote of one of these ideals in action or create a monthly event in which you give an award to the employee that exemplified these standards best that month. The point is to regularly reinforce - and showcase - the tenets that your business is built upon, so it can breed passion and unity that will spill over into your clientele and community.

At StringCan, we are very proud of our values. We think about each one in everything we do as a company, which helps us align as a team and bring the most value to our clients.

2. PLAYING THE LONG GAME FOR RETENTION AND PRODUCTIVITY When you run a swim school, the tendency is to put your students first.

And of course that makes sense. But similar to how a parent must take care of their own well-being in order to be a better parent to their children, you must make sure your instructors’ satisfaction is high on your priority list. If your teachers are happy and feel rewarded by the work they do for your company, they’ll come to work with a pleasant attitude, have more patience with their students and ultimately perform better.

Everyone wins.

Part of establishing this type of culture is banding your team together around a mission and core values, as mentioned above. The other part is taking intentional steps to improve your employees’ daily work environment.

Use visually appealing signage to remind instructors that you value them, or launch a ‘teacher appreciation’ week and encourage students and their families to participate in some way. This kind of internal marketing can go a long way in helping to retain your best staff and keep them working at their peak for you and your students.

In fact, a Columbia University study shows that the likelihood of job turnover at an organization with high company culture is only 13.9 percent, whereas the probability of job turnover in low company cultures is 48.4 percent. Furthermore, the Department of Economics at the University of Warwick found that happy workers are 12 percent more productive than the average worker, and unhappy workers are 10 percent less productive.

It pays to treat your team right.

I’m very proud of building a culture that celebrates our team members in all their accomplishments and especially on their birthdays and anniversaries with StringCan. For example, on every employee anniversary and/or birthday we make a big deal about it. The day is all about them. We decorate their desk, have their name and internal testimonials about them on all our office TV’s and we host a lunch for them at their favorite restaurant. Our team are big foodies, so this goes a long way.

STRINGCAN INTERACTIVE VALUES

24 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

3. INWARD PASSION TURNS INTO OUTWARD PASSION When your staff is happy and bursting with passion, your customers will notice.

But you can use some external marketing to further drive this point home with potential customers and future employees who haven’t yet walked in your doors.

A great way to do this is to create a series of “Day in the Life” videos that showcase your staff, and share these through email and social media. This helps your community see firsthand the passion your instructors have, which can quickly become contagious. Other people who are passionate about swimming and teaching kids are sure to take notice and be eager to apply to be part of the fun and purpose that’s built into your school.

If you really want to move the needle on customer satisfaction and revenue growth, you’ve got to first make sure you’re using passion-based marketing to meet the needs and wants of your internal team. This is a tried-and-true way to keep the staff you have, recruit stellar staff in the future and grow your business.

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ASK AL

BY ALVARO G. MENDOZA COMMERCIAL ENERGY SPECIALISTS, INC.

I KNOW YOU HAVE WRITTEN ARTICLES ABOUT POOL COVERS BEFORE, BUT WHAT IS THE REAL SCOOP ON THEIR USE, AND HOW DO OTHER SWIM SCHOOLS DEAL WITH HANDLING THE COVERS?

Welcome back to our “Ask the Expert” feature, designed to assist you with issues related to swimming pool water, mechanical equipment, space conditioning and code compliance.

Ask a question, and we will try to answer to the best of our ability.

Yes, I wrote a preliminary article about pool covers back in Winter of 2015, but the topic is important enough to take another look.

26 | USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG

KEEP HEAT IN THE POOL Scientifically, pool heat does not want to stay in the pool water, it wants to go into the building air space above it. Once there, heat must be replaced by either additional energy from a heater, or from recovered heat from the dehumidification system. Both cost money. This is based on the square footage of the pool surface area and the temperature difference between pool water and surrounding air.

So, the larger the pool surface area and the larger the difference between air and water temperatures, the more water will evaporate into the room and the more humidity will need to be removed (see larger dehumidification system).

Adding a pool cover brings your “exposed pool surface” to NEAR ZERO during times the cover is in use. How is that relevant? Read on.

CUTTING EVAPORATION TO ZERO CUTS LOSS OF TEMPERATURE It is a fact that 70% of your annual heat loss comes from evaporation, and using a cover brings that to NEAR ZERO during times cover is in use. Scientifically, it takes 1 BTU to raise 1 LB of water by 1 Degree F. However, when the same 1 LB of water evaporates it takes about 1048 BTU’s out of the surrounding water thus severely reducing the temperature of the pool. FUN FACT: By the time you have lost 1”of pool water through evaporation, you have lost over 18 Degrees F of pool water temperature.

COMMON QUESTION: DO INDOOR POOLS NEED COVERS LIKE OUTDOOR POOLS? There are different reasons, such as indoor pools are not subject to the fluctuations in day and night temperatures like outdoor pools. Neither do they radiate heat to the night sky or have winds that carry the heat away from the pool; BUT they do require room ventilation to control indoor humidity caused by the large amount of evaporation. Without a proper ventilation and space conditioning system, high indoor humidity levels will cause numerous problems, including moisture and condensation on interior surfaces and rusting of structural components. Plus, the energy required

to operate these systems adds tremendously to your operating costs – robbing profits from your bottom line. How Much?

CASE STUDY: NEW SWIM SCHOOL IN SOUTH CAROLINA A proactive owner asked me if the use of covers really made any sense financially and whether it was worth the extra labor to take on and off. To answer the first half, we turned to a (now defunct) Department of Energy computer analysis – Energy Smart – that accurately predicts costs and savings based on several input variables. The conclusion: On their 1,440 Sq Ft pool, maintained at 91F, with 87F air temp and relative humidity, the use of a pool cover for only 8 hours a night will provide the following savings: • 27% lower energy costs with a savings of $6,000 a year • 33% lower water costs with a savings of over 32,000 gallons • With an “insulated” pool cover cost of $3200, it pays for itself in half a year • Plus, pool covers help save interior finishes and prevent moisture and rusting BUT, HOW CAN ONE BEST USE A COVER? There are several ways to implement a cover, and we have seen many leading swim schools have very different approaches: • Fold On Deck: The choice of many schools, the pool cover is “accordion” folded on the deck on one end of the pool. While the cover companies don’t like this, the good covers still last over 10 years with this 2-person low-tech method of use.

• Wall-Mounted Winder: Normally, the pool cover is split into two sections (lengthwise) and a stainless steel wall-mounted winder is used to pick up and store one section, and the 2nd section on top of it. This can be handled by one person but is easier with two. Ladders and cut out sections are folded onto the main cover and rolled up as well. The loaded winder is heavy, so your walls need to be capable and the 18-24” protrusion onto the deck (if the winder is low enough) sometimes counts against your health department required space.

• Rolling Winder: These SS winders cost a bit more than the wall mounted variety, but are easier to operate. You line up the winder to section #1, apply deck brakes, wind cover… move to section #2, and so forth. Then you roll out of the way. Some schools have included a small 1-2’ alcove on the deck where the winder resides when not in use.

CONCLUSION It is well documented that the use of a cover will save a significant amount of water, energy to reheat the water, chemicals to treat the water, energy to reheat the incoming air, electricity to remove the humidity from the air and damage to the interior finishes. There is a quick payback to the implementation, even when adding the cost of the winder.

Deployment is streamlined by using a wall or deck mounted winder system, and the entire process can take as little as 5-10 minutes. Is it worth it? Many of your peers emphatically say YES! Hope that helps! Please feel free to forward your questions and comments through the Association office, or directly to me, via email at amendoza@ceswaterquality.com.

Best Regards, Alvaro G. Mendoza

USSWIMSCHOOLS.ORG | 27

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UNITED STATES SWIM SCHOOL ASSOCIATION 7100 E. Cave Creek Rd., Suite 109 Cave Creek, AZ 85331