We were lucky to catch up with Tasha Haight recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tasha, thanks for joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?
In the very beginning, it was just me. Mermaid Tasha started as a one-woman operation — I was the performer, the scheduler, the costume designer, the marketer, and the logistics department all at once. When I booked hotel appearances or events, sometimes the venue staff would help wrangle me, and other times my grandmother would step in to assist. For larger events, a close friend of mine — who happened to be a security manager at the nightclub where I bartended — would help wrangle and literally carry me in full mermaid tail when there were no luggage carts. It was very grassroots, very scrappy, and very much built on community.
The turning point came when Jolly Roger Amusement Park approached me about a residency. They wanted two mermaids performing simultaneously, five days a week. That was the moment I realized: I can’t be two mermaids at once. If this business was going to grow, I needed a team.
Finding my first performers wasn’t as simple as posting a typical job listing. There is a global mermaid community, but not a large local one where I live — and residencies pay differently than one-off events, so travel wasn’t always feasible for experienced mermaids. Instead, I focused on recruiting people with strong swimming backgrounds or acting experience and then training them in mermaid performance. I made social media posts, reached out through my personal network, and met incredible talent like Regan and Emily, who became foundational to the team.
Our interview process was a mix of traditional and unconventional. Of course we talked about professionalism, scheduling, and reliability — but we also tested comfort in water, performance presence, and the ability to bring joy to guests. Training is where we really invest: all performers go through PADI Mermaid certification, and all contractors — mermaids and wranglers alike — receive Emergency First Response training in CPR and First Aid. Those certifications are included as part of working with Mermaid Tasha LLC, because safety and professionalism are non-negotiable in this industry.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change much about starting lean and learning as I went — it taught me resilience and creativity. If I were starting today, I might document my early processes sooner and build standardized training systems earlier, but honestly, growing organically allowed the brand culture to develop authentically. It started with a single mermaid and a dream — and evolved into a team bringing that magic to life together.
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.
I’m Tasha Haight — though most people know me as Mermaid Tasha. I’m an internationally performing professional mermaid, a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer, a children’s book author, and the founder of Mermaid Tasha LLC. I was also featured on Netflix’s MerPeople, which was an incredible opportunity to share this unique industry with a broader audience.
My journey into this world started with a lifelong love of the ocean, storytelling, and performance. What began as creating a mermaid persona for a circus company evolved into a fully realized business when I recognized how powerful immersive character experiences could be — especially for children. I saw that mermaids weren’t just entertainment; they could be vehicles for imagination, confidence-building, and even conservation education. From there, I built a company that blends professional aquatic performance, hospitality entertainment, and meaningful storytelling.
Today, Mermaid Tasha LLC provides live mermaid experiences for hotels, resorts, amusement parks, private events, and community programs. We offer professional mermaid and merman performances, interactive swim experiences, underwater shows, children’s programming, and character-based event entertainment. I also write children’s books that weave conservation themes and marine wildlife encounters into fun mermaid adventures, extending the magic beyond the event and into homes and classrooms.
At its core, what we provide is more than a performance — it’s an experience. Many clients come to us wanting something unforgettable for their guests or attendees. We solve that by offering safe, highly trained aquatic performers who are not only strong swimmers and actors, but also certified in professional mermaid diving techniques and emergency first response. That level of professionalism, safety training, and polish is still rare in this niche industry, and it’s something I’ve prioritized from the beginning.
What truly sets us apart is that we pair fantasy with purpose. Our brand doesn’t just entertain — it inspires curiosity about the ocean, encourages environmental awareness, and creates personal connection through storytelling. Whether it’s a child meeting a mermaid for the first time, a resort guest swimming alongside one of our performers, or a reader discovering ocean conservation through a storybook, the goal is always to create wonder with meaning behind it.
I’m most proud of building a business that began with a dream and grew into a professional team, an internationally recognized brand, and a platform for ocean advocacy. I’m also proud that we’ve created career pathways for other aquatic performers and instructors through training and certification — helping shape the next generation of professional mermaids.
The main thing I want potential clients, followers, and fans to know is that when they work with Mermaid Tasha, they’re getting more than a costume or a character. They’re getting a fully realized experience — built on conservation, professionalism, safety, imagination, and heart.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think my reputation was built through consistency, professionalism, and word of mouth — long before this industry was widely understood. In the early days, there wasn’t a clear roadmap for running a professional mermaid business, so I focused on showing up reliably, treating every booking — big or small — with the same level of care, and delivering an experience that exceeded expectations. When clients realized they could count on me not just as a performer, but as a business partner who understood safety, logistics, and guest experience, referrals naturally followed.
Another major factor was investing in proper training and certifications, both for myself and for my team. Being a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer and requiring Emergency First Response training for all contractors signaled that we take aquatic safety and professionalism seriously. In an industry where hobbyists and professionals sometimes blur together, that commitment helped set a clear standard and built trust with venues, resorts, and families.
Media visibility also played a role. Being featured on Netflix’s MerPeople introduced our work to a global audience and validated this craft as a legitimate performance discipline. But even with that exposure, I believe reputation is earned in the day-to-day interactions — how we treat clients, how we represent venues, how we care for guests, and how we support each other as a team.
Finally, I think my reputation grew because the brand stands for something beyond entertainment. We combine fantasy with ocean education and conservation storytelling. That purpose-driven element resonates with clients, families, and followers — and it gives the brand a depth that people remember and recommend.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
Yes — over time I’ve intentionally built multiple revenue streams so the business isn’t dependent on live performances alone. While mermaid appearances, residencies, and event entertainment remain our core service, we’ve developed complementary offerings that extend the brand beyond the pool or shoreline.
One important branch is professional training and certification. As a PADI Mermaid Instructor Trainer, I offer PADI Mermaid courses, all the way through and including the Instructor level, for both aspiring professional performers and recreational participants who simply want to experience mermaid diving safely. These courses teach proper fin swimming techniques, breath-hold skills, underwater communication, safety protocols, and rescue procedures. In addition, all Mermaid Tasha LLC contractors receive Emergency First Response certification — CPR and First Aid — as part of their onboarding. Offering these courses not only raises industry standards but also creates an educational revenue stream separate from entertainment bookings.
Another supplementary branch is publishing. I write children’s books that follow mermaid characters on adventures centered around marine wildlife and ocean conservation. These books allow families to take the experience home after meeting a mermaid in person, and they’re used in schools, libraries, and events to spark curiosity about the ocean. They’ve become both a retail product line and a storytelling extension of the brand.
We also generate income through branded merchandise, collaborative resort programs, and arrangements where venues book recurring mermaid programming as part of their guest experience packages. This creates stable, predictable income rather than relying solely on one-off events.
Together, these multiple streams — performances, residencies, training courses, publishing, and branded experiences — create a sustainable business ecosystem. Each branch supports the others: the books reinforce the conservation mission, the training builds professionalism, and the live experiences bring the brand to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mermaidtasha.com
- Instagram: @mermaidtasha
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mermaidtasha
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/52152255/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mermaidtasha
Image Credits
Ian Gray Photography