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

Krysten, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

While I have been both a business owner and have worked as an employee of other businesses, I find that being a business owner has been an overwhelmingly positive endeavor for me and my family. The challenges and responsibilities have certainly outweighed the benefits at times; however, the opportunities to stretch and learn through ownership are so very worth it. Back when I was working as an employee, I could not have fathomed the unending burden of stress and responsibility that comes with a business.

When I think back to the last time I had a regular job, it was when I was the Assistant Swim Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the Vanderbilt Women’s Swim Team. I remember how nice it was to only think about my job as far as my limited responsibilities and to-do list required my attention (and sometimes not even then). Those were lighthearted days filled with bliss and wonder. I didn’t have anyone working for me and just trucked along my way, waiting for assignments and direction. On the other hand, I had very little say in how things would go. I remember being frustrated that certain aspects of my job were inefficient and even downright ridiculous. I would be frustrated when my boss would not plan well, leaving things until the last minute that should have been done way in advance. I saw many flaws in the lack of planning and preparation that I had no control over.

Now that I am a business owner, I value my ability to plan and prepare well for things that are coming. I can paint a clear vision for my staff and give them direction so they can do their work well.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For those who don’t know me, I am the Owner and Director of Nashville Swim Academy – the premier learn-to-swim program in the Greater Nashville area. Our mission is to provide the best environment for each student to build a positive and safe relationship with the water. We have helped thousands of swimmers create a lifelong love for the water.

My first experience teaching swimming was when I was 17 years old. I was given no training at all but loved the experience of learning how to understand what each swimmer needed so they could learn the skills of swimming in a positive way. My own sink or swim experience of fumbling through learning how to teach swimming helped me to to understand how important it is to create a positive experience. I had an unbelievably positive response from clients because I was enthusiastic about teaching swimming and creating that positive experience with each swimmer.

What sets Nashville Swim Academy’s teaching method apart from others is the concentrated emphasis on meeting each student where they are in their swimming process. Each individual comes into the swimming process with their own hype level, biases, and comfort with the water. Water related stress is both normal and real. Ignoring the stress does not help, nor does allowing swimmers to live in that stressful state. We focus on working through the barriers to learning swimming skills so we can get beyond the stress. We find that once we are able to work beyond whatever is causing stress, we are able to celebrate and start building confidence that carries swimmers forward in a positive way.

Now more than 20 years into teaching swimming, I am most proud of the positive reputation I have built in Nashville. We have been named the #1 choice for swim lessons by the readers of the Nashville Scene in 2024, securing Nashville Swim Academy as the place to take your child for Swim Lessons in the area. We are honored to continue to be recognized for the amazing work we are privileged to do each day.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

By far, our best source of new clients has been word of mouth from current clients. If I have learned anything over the years with working with so many moms and dads, it is that they talk – talk to their friends and families about the fun activities they have their kids in. Swimming class is one of the amazing activities worth talking about.

Our families are incredibly kind to continue to recommend our swim lesson services to friends and families. One of the sure ways to know we are doing a good job is that we have families who have each new addition jump right in with us. We are so grateful for the opportunity to grow along with the wonderful families who have made Nashville Swim Academy their swim home.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Creating a team of professionals who are working toward the same goal is no easy task; however, it is very much worth the intensional work put in to make it happen. Team building is something I enjoy and take very seriously because it is so important for a positive work environment. Part of the challenge of managing a team is that we are working with so many different personalities, goals, ambitions, and past experiences.

One of the ways I can maintain a high staff morale is to encourage opportunities for interaction and open conversations. The more people talk in person and have human interactions, the more likely people find commonality and connection. To help facilitate these in person interactions, I schedule training with the entire staff at least once every 3-4 months. While the outwardly obvious emphasis of these training sessions is to build teaching skills, my internal purpose of the training is to strengthen bonds among the staff.

If I could give a manager some advise for maintaining high morale, it would be to get to know each staff member and care about them then start to help them do the same thing with each other. When people know that you care, they will care to go above and beyond for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nashswimacademy.com
• Instagram: @nashvilleswimacademy.com
• Facebook: @nashvilleswimacademy.com