We were lucky to catch up with Ychlindria Dolce recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ychlindria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Talk to us about building your team? What was it like? What were some of the key challenges and what was your process like?

At the inception of my business, I worked solo to build the service I wanted to provide. It was extremely tough taking on a new business venture all by myself, and like so many other business owners starting out, there were moments I doubted myself and my ability to execute my vision, but I stood firm in my faith and stayed focus on delivering a quality product.

As my business continued to grow, I knew if I wanted to expand my reach it would mean bringing on someone to help me. I put out an ad via social media, that I was looking for an assistant, and within hours, I had candidates reach out to me with interest in the position. As it turned out, one very interested candidate just so happened to be a former client of mine, who graduated from the Jump Academy program! Early on in the interview process, it became very apparent she was a standout that would be perfect for the position.

It was so rewarding to recognize there was no better testament of the impact of my business, than knowing that someone who was served in the program is now pouring back into it. I felt so proud of the accomplishment of being able to hire my first employee. My assistant, Gaby, handles a lot of the day-to-day tasks of the business, as well as, helping with training sessions.

My second employee hire, John, is what helped expand business by opening up our services to a new market. Instead of limiting our offerings to Long and Triple Jumps, we have been able to also offer High Jump services. I had been desiring for a long time to bring on someone with a strong knowledge of the High Jump, and John fit the bill perfectly. John came highly recommended through a few coaches I was familiar with. After an initial conversation, we realized we shared a common goal of helping kids in our communities tap into their full potential.

With the help of my team, we have been able to solidify a brand.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ychlindria Spears Dolce, and I am the owner and principal trainer at Jump Academy. Jump Academy is based out of Schertz, TX, and is a premier service, offering specialized technical coaching and training in the horizontal jumps (Long and Triple Jump) and High Jump. We offer small group training sessions and strive to provide a safe space which fosters confidence, grit, and success for all of our clients. Our athletes come from various areas across the state of Texas, with clients coming as far as a three-hour commute, to be a part of our training family.

Jump Academy was birthed from my own journey as a standout high school Track & Field athlete, from small town Luling, TX. As a high school athlete, I earned top accolades–such as–winning Gatorade National Girls Track and Field Player of the Year and becoming the most decorated high school Track and Field athlete (male or female) in Texas high school prep history–garnering 14 gold medals, two silver medals, a national Triple Jump record, UIL State Long Jump record, and team state championship. Additionally, I competed in the Long Jump at the 2000 Olympic Trials at the age of 16, and competed internationally, as a member of the U.S. Junior National team, where I struck gold twice. I continued my career on a full scholarship at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the Long & Triple jumps. While achieving some success as a jumper on the collegiate platform, I was plagued with injuries, which eventually caused my athletic career to come to an end.

The knowledge and experience I have gained as an elite athlete, as well as my combined middle school, high school, and collegiate coaching experience–over the last 15 years, led to the inception of Jump Academy. I recognized a substantial need for better equipping jumpers with the skill set needed for them to reach their potential, within the sport of Track & Field.

Our biggest boast, is we provide a family environment for our clients. Aside from the quality of service we provide, our clients know we strive to build lasting, meaningful relationships with them. In essence, each of our Jump Academy members becomes an extension of our own family.

We have built an easily-recognizable brand, but it has required a great deal of hard work to get to where we are. The company started extremely small and has grown through client referrals, and the amazing results of the young athletes we have gotten to work with. The majority of our clients have been some combination of District, Area, Regional, and STATE champions, and honestly, we could not be prouder of what we have been able to accomplish together.

Jump Academy will continue to use our platform to help young jumpers accomplish their goals.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of attaining new clients has undoubtedly been word-of-mouth from my current clients. I have always felt that the greatest compliment I can receive for my business, is when current clients refer other people to Jump Academy. It already means so much for people to trust me and my team with their own kids, but to stand firm on their belief in us, and spread the word about us to others, absolutely means the most.

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

I have learned that people are often results-driven. You can tell them about your expertise and talk about what you are capable of doing, but it is the actual results that really hook people. Keeping this in mind, I try my best to champion the growth and success of our athletes. No matter how big or small, anytime Jump Academy clients are making forward progress, I aim to celebrate them and highlight them through our social media platforms and website. I stand in the confidence that I have the background and knowledge necessary to help the athletes I serve achieve their goals, but fully recognize that it is my company’s ability to churn out favorable results, which has increased our footprint all across the state of Texas.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thejumpacademy.net/
• Instagram: @jumpacademytx
• Facebook: @jumpacademytx

Image Credits
Dan Dolce Media