What does it take to become a Goldfish Swim School franchise owner? There isn’t one perfect answer.

Goldfish franchisees come from a wide range of professional and personal backgrounds. Some have spent years operating franchises. Others have built careers in healthcare, finance, education, or other industries that may have nothing to do with swimming. What connects them is what they’re looking for next: the opportunity to build a business, lead a team, serve their communities, and get behind a mission that matters. Their stories are proof that you don’t have to come from the swim industry to explore a Goldfish Swim School franchise opportunity.

From Franchise Experience to Swim School Ownership

Katie and Lars Grisley already understood what it meant to operate a franchise business before discovering Goldfish.

Katie had spent about a decade in the franchise industry, while Lars owned and operated his own company. But their introduction to Goldfish wasn’t through a franchise expo or business opportunity. It was as parents looking for swim lessons for their own children. After experiencing Goldfish as customers, they began looking at the brand through an entirely different lens: as a potential business opportunity. Today, they own and operate three Goldfish Swim Schools in Utah. Their story shows that experience in franchising can be highly transferable. Understanding how to lead teams, follow a proven system, deliver a consistent customer experience, and grow across multiple locations can provide a strong foundation.

From Dance and Education to Goldfish

Gina Jacobs Thomas’ story shows just how different the path to franchise ownership can look. Before becoming a Goldfish franchise owner, Gina was a professional modern dancer and college-level dance instructor. Her personal experience with swimming also shaped her connection to the Goldfish mission. After wanting her own children to learn to swim at an early age, Gina and her husband, Jon, ultimately opened the first Goldfish Swim School in Florida.

What started with her own family’s experience became an opportunity to help thousands of other families give their children an essential life skill.

From Business Ownership to Community Leadership

For Anthony Pistilli and Greg DeRise, Goldfish ownership is about more than operating a business. They’ve spoken about the pride that comes from bringing professional swim lessons and water safety education to their communities. That impact also extends to their teams, where creating opportunities for employees to learn, grow, and build careers is a part of the bigger picture.

Jeffrey and Larisa Posner bring that same people-first mindset to their schools through a hands-on approach to ownership. By working closely with their management teams and prioritizing training, customer service, and community involvement, they demonstrate another important part of the franchisee role: building the people and culture behind the business.

What Do Goldfish Franchisees Have in Common?

Their resumes may look different, but their reasons for becoming franchise owners often have a common thread.

Goldfish looks for franchisees with proven experience in business and managing teams, along with qualities such as leadership and customer service skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, high standards, and a genuine connection to the mission of helping children become safer and more confident in and around the water.

That diversity of experience is part of what makes the Goldfish franchise network unique.

You don’t need a background in swim instruction. You need the drive to build a business, lead a team, and make a difference in your community.

Could Your Background Lead You to Goldfish?

Whether you’re an experienced franchise operator, corporate professional, educator, or entrepreneur ready for your next chapter, there’s no single career path that leads to Goldfish ownership. The question isn’t whether you’ve worked in the swim industry.

It’s what you could build with the right brand, model, and mission behind you.

Ready to see where your experience could take you? Explore Goldfish Swim School franchise opportunities.