British Swim School Names New President as Brand’s Growth Soars
We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Ashley Gundlach has been promoted to President of British Swim School! Ashley joined the British Swim School team in 2019 as the Director of Marketing, and has done a fantastic job leading all efforts on the marketing front, including navigating franchise owners through and beyond the pandemic. Ashley is taking the reins from Brian Garrison, who has been serving as the brand’s president on an interim basis since the brand acquisition in 2019. For the past two years, Ashley has devoted her time to supporting and strengthening the franchise system as a whole, proving she’s more than capable of exceeding expectations in her new role.
Hear from Ashley on the Future of British Swim School
We sat down with Ashley to get her perspective on the time she’s spent with the brand so far, and to hear her excitement on the future of British Swim School.
What does the British Swim School brand mean to you? To me, the core of our brand is about saving lives. Few people realize that drowning is a leading cause of death for children and a legitimate risk for people of all ages – but the great news is that formal swim lessons like ours can reduce the risk of drowning by almost 90%. It’s so easy to feel great about the work we do when we’re making such a notable difference for those that we teach – which I have experienced firsthand with my own boys’ enrollment in our program!
What has been one of your most meaningful accomplishments since joining the British Swim School team? As it was for everyone everywhere, the pandemic hit our system hard, with our locations closed from coast to coast for several months. That said, I’m incredibly proud of the work we did to keep our customers engaged and most importantly, to support our franchisees, many of whom saw their only source of income go away. Our brand team really came together as a “swim family” which has made our subsequent rebound that much sweeter!
What is one thing you are excited about for where British Swim School is heading? As our system continues to mature, more and more of our owners are realizing financial independence and realizing dreams they never knew were possible…and that group is only going to grow in the coming years! On the operational front – and given my background in marketing – I’m also jazzed up to work through the increasing role of technology in our business…from communicating with our parents to providing critical water safety information in the communities where we teach.
What is some of your favorite franchising or BSS memories to date? I loved every minute of our first franchisee convention after British Swim School joined the Buzz Franchise Brands family which, coincidentally, was just weeks before the pandemic hit. The enthusiasm of our franchise owners is tangible – what a fun group of people! These folks know how to have a fun time but at the same time, their commitment to creating safer swimmers is contagious. It was also so rewarding to enroll my three boys in our program when our local franchisee launched near our HQ in Virginia Beach. The perspective I gained was invaluable and it allowed me to authentically and passionately speak to our programs. (Plus, my then 3-year old really helped those newly-trained instructors learn how to motivate stubborn children….)
What is one book or podcast you have read/listened to lately that you would recommend? I’m currently reading 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam, who takes the approach of looking at the time we all have on a weekly basis (vs. a 24 hour approach) and focusing on what matters most in a less conventional way. Even more, she aims to debunk the myth that individuals need to choose between having a great career or being great parents…a message that resonates for me as someone who adores her family but is professionally driven!
Congratulations Ashley! We are so excited for you to continue thriving in your new role as President of British Swim School! You’ve more than proven you’re the perfect person for the job, and we look forward to seeing you continue to grow alongside the brand.