Business ownership isn’t for everyone. It takes strength, resilience, and compassion to build a successful business and team. Goldfish Swim School Owner Rosanna Casper exemplifies these character traits.
Casper opened her first location in Brookfield, Wisconsin in 2017. For Casper, living near her school was a must. “It was important to me to play an active, hands-on-role in my first location.” Casper says. Leading up to the opening of Brookfield, Casper set off to learn each system of the Goldfish Franchise Model inside and out. She worked every single job for months, and then began building and training her team, giving them the independence and authority to make their own decisions and lead with their own style. Letting go of responsibilities wasn’t easy, but seeing her team members grow, embody the Goldfish core values, and take accountability for the day-to-day has been wonderful to watch.
Today, Casper continues to invest in her team members personally and professionally to set them up for success. “Every single manager and team lead has been promoted from within and I’m so fortunate that so many of them have stayed,” shared Casper. With her second location, Bayshore WI scheduled to open in March of 2022, she is excited to be able to create new growth opportunities for her team. “We’ve worked so hard to build a strong reputation here in Milwaukee and are blown away by the response for Bayshore.”
With more than 700 students enrolled at Bayshore pre-opening, Casper could not be more excited to do more for the community and teach children how to be safe in and around the water. She is grateful that the franchise team has continued to strengthen their brand, improve operations, invest in technology and enhance training programs. And while she doesn’t have to spend as much time re-learning the system, Casper is brushing up on her training, both in the water and at the front desk. “It helps that I’m bringing a group of amazing and experienced leaders from Brookfield because as someone who was brand new to the franchising game, it took me a long time to figure things out. I made a lot of mistakes, shed a few tears, and put in long days and nights, but I worked through it and am ready and excited to do it all over again!”
When asked what piece of advice she’d offer others considering a Goldfish Swim School franchise, she suggested, “Reach out to the Franchise Team, of course. They are wonderful and always there to help. Also, lean on other owners. The big ones, the veterans, the newer ones and listen to different perspectives.”
