Goldfish Swim School Owner Scott Payne Named IFA Award Winner

Columbia MD

14 March, 2022

2:01 PM

Description

Multi-unit Goldfish Swim School owner Scott Payne receives prestigious honor, being named a recipient of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) prestigious Franchisee of the Year Award. The annual recognition honors a select group of franchisees who have demonstrated excellence within the franchise community. The Franchisee of the Year Award, sponsored by IFA’s partner Paychex, recognizes leading franchisees who exemplify at least one of IFA’s “Open for Opportunity” core pillars: Community, Workforce, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Veterans. The winners are presented during the association's annual convention award ceremony, Feb. 28 - March 1 in San Diego, California. Payne owns Goldfish Swim School – Columbia, Fox Chapel, Peters Township, Silver Spring, Superior, Wexford – with his wife Christy, and has become a true empire builder in the system. Their schools have consistently been at the top of the list for reviewer ratings, have hosted numerous charitable events, celebrated team members and the community and go above and beyond to provide members with a Golden Experience. They are committed to making a true difference in all their communities and recently partnered with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, collectively raising $45,000 and granting 10 wishes. When asked about this award, Payne shared, “When we started this journey in 2014, we were determined to provide swim safety skills within our Wexford PA community and offer families peace of mind in and around the water. Now, eight years and seven schools later, we realize that this is about so much more! We are creating confident and independent swimmers, growing water safety awareness and shattering downing statistics through education and prevention, and offering the awesome opportunity to provide emerging professionals full time work in a life-saving industry.” Consistent among Goldfish Swim School franchisees is a commitment to the brand’s core values – Creating a Golden Experience, Providing Wow! Customer Experience, Treating People with Integrity, Compassion & Trust, Meeting & Exceeding Expectations so you see Extraordinary Results and Making a Big Deal Out of Life’s Accomplishments by Remembering to Celebrate. The leading swim school franchise brand looks to its franchisees to incorporate these guiding principles into the daily operations of their swim schools, as well as in their communities. “Scott and his family are beyond deserving of this award,” said Chris McCuiston, CEO & Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. “Their passion and commitment to the brand has not gone unnoticed, and to see them accept this award among franchising’s greatest players is a true honor. From embracing our core values, to volunteering to take on new projects, to adding more schools to their portfolios, they’ve helped set the foundation for continued growth and opportunity while committing to our brand’s lifesaving mission.” Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching children how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay®, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school’s number one focus and main priority is always the same – educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/.