Across North America, Goldfish Swim School team members start their day ready to make waves! Some head right to work to open the doors of their local Goldfish for their swimmers. Some make breakfast for their own kiddos before loading them up in the car and shuttling them to school. And some of our go-getters and wave-makers head out to their high school or college classes, working hard to make their dreams come true!

In an effort to share more about our team members and what their daily routines at Goldfish are like, we’re launching a brand new blog series – A Day in the Life of A Goldfish Team Member! Through this series, we’ll chat with members of our crew to see what their shifts, and life outside of them, look like!

Meet Ashlynn!

Our very first feature – Miss Ashlynn! Ashlynn is a Swim Instructor, Lifeguard and Deck Supervisor at Goldfish Swim School – Gilbert in Arizona. She loves working with kids, and after hearing about her friend’s Golden Experience working at Goldfish, she decided to apply!

She quickly became an important member of the Goldfish – Gilbert team, teaching lessons from Mini 1’s all the way through Pro 2’s. She is eager to learn and happy to help her team wherever she can, hence her three different roles at Goldfish!

To get to know more about Ashlynn and her role with Goldfish – Gilbert, we chatted with her about her daily routine.

5:20 AM

Brrring, brrring, brrring. Ashylnn’s alarm sounds loudly in her bedroom, starting her day bright and early at 5:20 AM. She hops out of bed to brush her teeth, comb her hair and get ready for her school day. She grabs a quick breakfast and is out the door and off to school!

After a short drive, Ashlynn is seated in her first class of the day, ready to soak up her last few weeks of high school. In the Fall, she’ll be heading off to study Biomedical Science, working towards becoming a Physician’s Assistant in Pediatrics or Dermatology!

12:20 PM

Ashlynn’s after school routine changes a bit depending on the time of year. During soccer season, Ashlynn heads to practice right after school. Because she is a senior and has a lighter class load, during the off-season when the school bell rings at 12:20 PM, she hops in the car to head home early and to take her dog for a quick walk before sitting down at her kitchen table to get some school work knocked out before heading to work.

Because Goldfish is flexible with scheduling, Ashlynn has really enjoyed having a part-time job while in high school! Her shifts at Goldfish are something she looks forward to as a way to round out her day – focusing on her swimmers, coworkers and responsibilities within the school.

“Many people dread going to work but I love it, I would work every night of the week if I could!”

3:45 PM

By 3:45 pm, Ashlynn is at work and clocked in for her shift at Goldfish – Gilbert. First things first, she checks in with her managers, then stops by the changing huts to get into her Goldfish gear. Once dressed and ready, the next few minutes before lessons start are all about prep! She sets up the pool deck with everything she’ll need for the evening lessons, then joins her team for a pre-shift huddle.

The pre-shift huddle is a crucial part of the team’s day. It’s the first time they get to connect for the day, to say ‘Hi’ to one another, have a quick conversation about how their day is going and spend a few minutes preparing for what the evening will bring their way. The Deck Supervisor leads the huddle, sharing any announcements or special reminders before they get ready to dive in.

At 4 pm, kiddos eagerly enter the pool deck and step into the 90-degree water to start their lesson. Ashlynn teaches 7 lessons in her four hour shift! She gets to see lots of swimmers and teach different levels, making the evening go by quickly. Through all of the training the team goes through, prior to teaching lessons and through their monthly in-service days, Ashlynn is well equipped for lessons. She knows how to teach swimmers all of the skills they’ll need to know if they were ever in a water emergency – like rolling over onto their backs, and getting themselves out of the water – as well as help them learn important life skills like patience and confidence along the way. She encourages bravery, courage, and that her swimmers make friends in lessons, too!

Ashlynn loves her job at Goldfish, looking forward to seeing all of her swimmers and the smiles on their faces as they come onto the pool deck for lessons. She also loves to watch her swimmers master their skills, though sad to see them leave her when they advance through the levels!

“I have teared up a few times because my kids that I started with got moved up to a new level!”

Tears of pride and joy – that’s how you know you’re passionate about your job!

7:30 PM

When lessons come to an end, Ashlynn hops out of the pool to clear the pool deck and clean up for the night. Before heading out, she gets together with the rest of the team to have a post-shift huddle.

The post-shift huddle is time for the team to debrief on that shift’s lessons. They share funny moments, important announcements like a swimmer being ready to advance to the next level, and shout out their swimmers that are making great progress!

8 PM

After a rewarding shift, Ashlynn clocks out to head home to spend time with her mom and hit the hay to get some rest before taking on another busy day!

Ashlynn is a busy bee, working, going to school and playing soccer. She has learned a lot through her job at Goldfish, like utilizing one of the Core Values – Treating Everyone with Integrity, Compassion and Trust, in her daily life. “I’ve learned to look at difficult situations and approach them with the same integrity, compassion and trust. I know this is something that will help me to excel in my personal life and in my future career,” she says. Not only does she learn a lot through her experiences at Goldfish, but she also truly values her time spent there and would recommend her friends, and others, apply to work at Goldfish to help make a difference in children’s lives, as well as their own.

“I would recommend working here because the overall experience when you’re in the water is great! You see all of the kids come in with a huge smile on their face. They make me laugh every lesson!”

If you’re looking for a job where you can make a difference while having fun and building up your resume, a GOLDEN opportunity is waiting for you at Goldfish! Learn more about the pool of possibilities and career opportunities that await you! Each individually-owned-and-operated Goldfish Swim School provides paid training, flexible shifts and competitive wages. Oh, and we work in a shiver-free pool surrounded by a tropical environment all day ~ swim into your dream job today!