50: Resilience and Strategic Partnership, with Chris DeJong

Stories from Franchisees & Founders In this episode, we're with Chris DeJong of Big Blue Swim School. Coming from a competitive swimming background, Chris started the swimming school and eventually partnered with a multi-unit franchisee that brought the team franchising experience as they looked into growing the business as a franchise. Chris built the swim school using a fascinating technology to give the best experience to clients and also built a great business model that gives the best service to the franchisees. Listen in and let's learn as Chris shares to us some of the brilliant principles and tips in starting and growing the franchise. What we talk about: Chris' background in competitive swimming and how he started the business  "It's okay to give up a thousand times, as long as your feet never stop moving." Toughness is measured in your resilience Finding ways to relax and recover It's how you go hard intelligently How Big Blue started Building a viable business model What Big Blue is Building the pool that is perfect for the purpose Attention to little things to give the best service "None of us is smarter than all of us." The relationship to the franchisees Keeping a good partnership long before and long after the opening Bringing into the team the franchise experience through partnership Having a data-driven approach in decision making How the partnership looks like from day-to-day Bringing in people who are great in a specific area of the business Recognizing who to listen to, when to listen to Every location is very important for the brand Really probing what you have been promised Seeing it as a partnership Making sure that you can work with each other from the very beginning   What we mention: Big Blue Swim School Talk With Erik