We were lucky to catch up with Mikaela Bagley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mikaela, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a client that you appreciate them?

I love snail mail. I feel it is a forgotten art in our modern world. Sending notes to clients to thank them for their commitment to saving lives by valuing teaching water skills and water safety is crucial. Whether it’s sending a life saver in the mail or sendings stickers, a written note I feel as a consumer has always gone a long way, so I make sure to do this for families/clients.

Mikaela, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Swim Possible’s goal/mission: From beginning to end, adapted swim lessons boost a person’s swimming skills and confidence in the water. The ultimate goal is to create lifelong swimmers who not only are water-safe but love the water. Often, children with disabilities—specifically autism—may be more prone to wander and/or be drawn to water. Safety is paramount to prevent water emergencies and drownings in this population. Water has tremendous normalization qualities, and by being offered developmentally/age-appropriate swim-lesson opportunities, individuals with disabilities are the same as their peers in swimming, floating, and having fun in the water. We at Swim Possible believe that people of all abilities should learn the benefits and therapeutic qualities from learning to swim.
Swim Possible provides quiet, safe, and calming lessons that are customized for students who need a gentle approach to learning how to swim. Our method incorporates the movements and relaxed breath of Yoga, gentle floating of water massage, and current swimming techniques to help students quiet their minds and feel how their bodies move in the water.
Swim Possible does not focus on diagnoses or labels. We teach swimming lessons to students of all ages who are not served successfully by traditional lessons, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety, ADHD, Down’s Syndrome, and other sensory and learning differences.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I bet Tammy when she bought the company of Swim Possible. At my old role I dealt with many renters, and I never met someone whose passion poured out of them like Tammy. She was so eager, ready to do anything and at the end of the day in my many years of knowing her she has remained the same. Her tireless effort is awe inspiring. She truly believes if she has saved even one life, that all of the hard work will be worth it.

As I’ve began working for her, she never stops thinking about her families. She can spout information about every single one of them and people like her are hard to come by.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think in the world of the great resignation, we are seeing people take major pivots in life to find jobs that are fulfilling. I went from directing aquatic operations for a couple larger organizations into operations for a smaller company where you can just feel the culture of a warm hug. Tammy and Wayne’s commitment is so refreshing and to work on the ground level of making a business be great versus how can I get as many programs in a short period of time was a huge pivot for me. I’m not looking back. It might means I’m working some more hours to ensure the best customer experience, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.swimpossible.org