From the Desk of the Executive Director

We are all in this together and if we can find ways to take care of ourselves and each other, the sky is the limit on what we can accomplish!

Summer will soon be upon us, which means pool time for many. And while this may be a busy time for many swim school owners, we hope you are able to still find some time to invest in yourself. If there is one thing we’ve learned through this last year, it’s how important it is to take care of you, your health and mental wellbeing. As the owner and leader you have a lot of demands put on you and it can be easy to forget about what you need to be healthy and most productive. If you don’t make time to spend at least a little time on self-care it will most likely cost you more in the future.

And while we know this, why is it so hard to make it happen? You are a valuable asset to your business, invest in you like you would invest in other assets within your company. Put it on your schedule and make it a priority. Find what works for you and then commit to doing it, just like you ask staff to commit to their job duties. And give yourself grace as you work to navigate all the demands before you and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Help could be in the form of delegating some tasks, asking a friend to hold you accountable to your me time or seeking out professional help. In this issue you will find some self-care inspiration from small business owners like you in the article, 25 Entrepreneurs Reveal Their Most Coveted Self-Care Rituals. We hope it inspires you to find some ways to take care of you. And speaking of inspiration, you may be someone who finds inspiration between the pages of a book. If you are an avid reader or someone who would like to be, check out the Book Buzz article by Miren Oca for news on a USSSA book club and a great list of books to get your summer off to an educational and inspiring start!

And while we are talking about self-care and asking for help, how do you create a company culture that encourages everyone to ask for help when they need it? Check out the article How to Build a Culture of Generosity at Work to learn six practices you can use to help your team ask for and give more help to each other. We are all in this together and if we can find ways to take care of ourselves and each other, the sky is the limit on what we can accomplish!

LISA M. ZARDA, CAE, CNAP

Executive Director US Swim School Association