We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kristina Richie. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kristina below.

Kristina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission, as an Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) instructor, is “Not One More Child Drowns.” When I became a parent, I was completely unaware that drowning is the number one cause of death for children 4 years and younger, and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14. Of course parents generally understand that if a child can’t swim they could drown, but the prevalence and shocking rate at which this occurs was never stressed in the information I was exposed to as a new parent – for example, the way that carseat safety or avoiding choking hazards was. It wasn’t until we enrolled my first child into ISR swim lessons that I learned that drowning was in fact the biggest risk to my child’s life.

We have a pool and a lake in our back yard, so we knew that it was our responsibility to do everything we could as parents to keep our children safe, and learning self-rescue swim skills was one of the first steps. People were amazed (as was I!) that my one-year-old could float independently should he fall into the water, and I shared the importance and success of ISR to friends and fellow parents as my children continued their lessons over the years. I grew to realize that I cared deeply about this mission and that I had the skills and resources to offer these life-saving lessons to little ones in my community, so I decided to make the career change and dove into something I am truly passionate about.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born in Japan, raised just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio and have called Mt. Juliet, TN home for 10 years now with my husband and 3 young children. I went to college and graduate school with my sights set on a career in music education and arts administration, and spent the early years of my career teaching at the K-12 and college levels. I worked for a symphony orchestra, and a recording studio in India, and could have never predicted a career as a business owner and swim instructor 10 years down the road. But here we are today!

Becoming a mother shifted my priorities completely. My family lives on the lake here outside of Nashville, and we love boating, wake surfing, fishing and swimming. We love that our children will grow up remembering these activities as a core part of their childhood. At the same time, living on the lake and having a backyard pool sparked a serious interest in water safety and drowning prevention the moment our first child was born. We enrolled my oldest in swimming lessons as a baby and year after year watched our children learn incredible life-saving skills through Infant Swimming Resource (ISR).

My commitment to water safety and drowning prevention became a passion I wanted to share with others, and ultimately led me to shift careers and become trained and certified as an ISR instructor.

As an ISR instructor I teach children ages 6 months through 6 years how to swim and self-rescue should they ever unexpectedly find themselves in the water. These life-saving skills include learning how to roll onto their back, float and breathe until help arrives for infants, and for older toddlers and children — learn how to swim, float and rest, then resume swimming to reach a point of safety.

One of the many things that sets ISR apart from traditional swim programs is that we only offer one-on-one lessons. This allows us to customize every lesson and meet each child where they are developmentally, and in their skill and comfort level. Also our program is 5 days a week, for 6 weeks, which through repetition builds muscle memory for life-long skills. This method of sensorimotor learning leaves each student skilled and independent in the water in a matter of weeks, instead of the months and years it can take in weekly or group lessons. Another important thing that sets us apart in the survival swimming industry is that we will never throw a child into the water, or ask them to perform a skill they are not equipped for. Safety is our number one priority, and I pride myself on offering gentle lessons that adapt to the pace of each child.

I know families who have tragically lost children to drowning accidents, and I’ve taught students who have survived near-fatal drownings…though drowning is the #1 leading cause of death for children under 5, the good news is that it is also preventable. It is a profound responsibility to give each child their best chance of survival through swim lessons, and is an honor I take very seriously. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to work toward the mission of drowning prevention with each precious child I teach!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word of mouth from satisfied parents has been a big piece of building my reputation and clientele. There is an indescribable feeling – a mix of amazement, pride, joy and peace of mind that comes with seeing a child successfully learn self-rescue swim skills, and when you see your child achieve something so significant at such an early age, you want everyone to know! I remember the feeling well watching my own children in ISR lessons. When parents share their child’s accomplishments through videos and photos online, or in person, people can see with their own eyes the results of what I have to offer. Referrals to other parents are the ultimate gift and compliment and I’m so grateful every time a parent refers me to a new client!

On a broader scale, Infant Swimming Resource is the global leader in self-rescue swim programs, with over 60 years of research and scientifically based methods for teaching little ones successfully and most importantly, safely. The ISR brand carries a respected and credible reputation, which I am proud to share and offer in my community.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I am fortunate to live in the community that I serve, and I genuinely enjoy building relationships and friendships with my clients and their families. I stay in touch via social media, or when possible in person at various events and through organizations within the community. I truly care for each of my client’s children and their success and wellbeing and love seeing them return season after season!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lakesideisr.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakesideisr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakesideISR
• Other: Email [email protected]

Image Credits

Kimberlee Brooke & Co