“The brand. The model. The curriculum. It’s the best out there.” says Katie Grisley, co-owner, alongside her husband Lars, of three Goldfish Swim School locations in Utah. The duo wasn’t looking for a new franchise opportunity when Goldfish fell into their lap, but now, they say they’re on the hunt for another location to add to their portfolio.

Katie was no newbie to franchising. She owned and operated in the franchise industry for a decade before deciding to make a brand change and pulling Lars, who owns and operates his own company as well, into the mix. Katie was looking for swim lessons for their children and reached out to her sister for a recommendation when her sister referred her to Goldfish Swim School – where she was taking her children and having a Golden Experience. The couple looked into lessons and happened upon the franchising opportunities portion of the website and it got their gears turning.

Katie was on board first, ready to dive into a multi-unit deal. “There is no way I am opening a swimming pool”, Lars contested. “I agree”, says Katie, “I think we should do at least four.”

After pulling data and numbers, Katie presented them to Lars and convinced him that this was an opportunity worth exploring, and they’ve not looked back.

Work-life balance was a primary driver for the couple in opening their first location. They wanted to be able to spend time with their family and to no longer miss their kids’ activities, and Goldfish gave them that ability. What kept them going? They were covering costs in their first location after only being open and operating for 30 days. The results were enough to propel them forward and they quickly opened not one but two more locations. They knew the hard work had been worth it and that the process was repeatable, but didn’t want the opportunity and the effort they’d put into their market to go to someone else. They’d done the work and they were going to be the ones to open more locations and see the success!

The key to success, they say is executing. “It’s our job to deliver the product they’ve (Goldfish Swim School) created for us. Which is why I love franchising. The hard work was done. You have to execute. And if you do that, it will be successful”, says Katie.

Looking for your key to work-life balance? Chat with our team about franchising opportunities to see if Goldfish Swim School may be a perfect fit for you! We have opportunities throughout the state of California, in Dallas, TX, and in Canada.