Lady Wimbledon Editor interviews Marjan Moosavi, the founder of Blue Wave Swim School.
With a background of competitive swimming, decades of experience in sports science, coaching and teaching swimming, plus a one-year sabbatical in the U.S. to join a very strong swimming community, Marjan was inspired to start her own swim school in southwest London in February 2010. After ten successful years of building pupils of all ages and abilities strength and confidence in the water; Blue Wave Swim School are celebrating their 10th anniversary.
Children swimming underwater in a Blue Wave Swim School lesson
Editor: What was your background before starting a business?
Marjan Moosavi: I come from a competitive swimming background. Like most club swimmers, after I turned 18, I went on a course and became a swim teacher and started teaching smaller children to swim and coaching more junior swimmers at my swim club. I kept teaching and coaching swimming when I was at university and kept myself up-to-date by going on more trainings to teach babies and toddlers and coaching at higher levels.
After finishing my masters in Sport Sciences at Brunel University in London, I became an academic and lectured at two major U.K universities in sport sciences and exercise physiology. After 8 years I left academia, I went to the U.S. for a one year sabbatical where I could join a very strong swimming community- no need to add that swimming in America is a really popular sport! I taught swimming at a local YMCA in the state of Virginia and at a Swim America swim school as well as coaching the age-group swimmers (13-15 year olds) at a very respectable swimming club (Tide). On my return from the U.S., I set up Blue Wave Swim School in 2010.
“With all the skills that I had acquired over the years, specially with one year invaluable experience that I gained in the U.S., I had all the knowledge, expertise and passion needed to start my own swim school.”
– Marjan Moosavi
Marjan in 2010, when she started Blue Wave Swim School
Editor: What made you want to be an entrepreneur?
Marjan Moosavi: I have always valued education and loved working in the education sector but, over the years I found academia a bit too dated. With the massive growth of the internet in the 21st century, Entrepreneur life became more appealing to me 10 years ago since it was obvious it could be a better match with the fast changing life. Being an entrepreneur gives you more freedom – which I always wanted – about when, where and how to work and what to focus on.
Editor: What gave you the idea to start your own swim school?
Marjan Moosavi: On my return from the U.S., I noticed there was a gap in the market for a quality-focused swim school in southwest London. Also, with all the skills that I had acquired over the years, specially with one year invaluable experience that I gained in the U.S., I had all the knowledge, expertise and passion needed to start my own swim school.
Editor: What research did you do once you realised you wanted to start or improve your swim school?
Marjan Moosavi: I had been living in southwest London for several years before starting my swim school and worked as a very part-time swim teacher for different providers in the area. Many face-to-face interactions with parents and first-hand experiences over the years, I noticed the major concern for the majority was how good swim teachers were and consistency in services. So, from the get-go my focus was and has been on quality teaching and keeping our customer experience consistently pleasant.
“From the get-go my focus was and has been on quality teaching and keeping our customer experience consistently pleasant.”
– Marjan Moosavi
One of the teachers with at Blue Wave Swim School
Editor: How did you build your team?
Marjan Moosavi: I strongly believe teachers are the most important part of any learning process. From day one, I was only keen to attract and have reliable and enthusiastic swim teachers to join my team who were interested in teaching and self-improvement. Great teachers are enthusiastic learners themselves and teachers who join my team receive plenty of mentoring and learn from me and more senior members of our team. Lots of swim schools struggle with workforce turn over, not us though. Because, I encourage my teachers and lifeguards to communicate clearly, get to know to each other and we even socialise together. I promote an environment for my team to form healthy and trusting relationships and a good understanding of how we must operate as a team. All of these factors make Blue Wave Swim School a nice place to work for.
Editor: Where, and who do you teach swimming lessons to?
Marjan Moosavi: We teach swimming lessons in Wimbledon (SW19) and Putney (SW15). We teach everyone from babies at 16 weeks old upwards – there is no upper age limit! At the moment, the oldest swimmer we have is 76 years old who is having private swimming lessons.
“We teach everyone, from babies at 16 weeks old upwards – there is no upper age limit!”
– Marjan Moosavi
Marjan, founder of Blue Wave Swim School
Editor: What do you wish someone had told you about becoming an entrepreneur?
Marjan Moosavi: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Editor: What is your favourite part of your job?
Marjan Moosavi: There are so many, but looking after Blue Wave Swim’s community is rewarding. When I see our parents having friendly chats on the poolside every week for many terms when their kids move from complete beginners to a stage that they get confident swimmers is really rewarding. It gives me a pure joy to see a true sense of community that we have created at Blue Wave.
Editor: This month you are celebrating 10 years. Do you feel proud of your success and how will you be celebrating?
Marjan Moosavi: It is so joyful to see how far we have come. Exactly 10 years ago, I started out with a handful of children and one swim teacher. After a decade and going through many ups and downs, I have a dedicated group of families (some families have brought 3 children to my swim school) and a great teaching team, Blue Wave Swim School has come a long way. To celebrate our 10th year, we have a competition. Lovely prizes to be won by just entering the prize draw via this link: www.bluewaveswim.co.uk/contact/10th-birthday-prize-draw
“It gives me a pure joy to see a true sense of community that we have created at Blue Wave.”
– Marjan Moosavi
Contributor: Blue Wave Swim
Website: www.bluewaveswim.co.uk
Facebook: @BlueWaveSwimSchool
Instagram: @BlueWaveSwim
Twitter: @BlueWaveSwim
Contact: For more information, contact Marjan Moosavi on info@bluewaveswim.co.uk or 020 8090 1415
Written By: Eyes of Lady Wimbledon | Editor
Facebook: @LadyWimbledon
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