We interviewed Wasim Tifflin, the Global CEO at Pool Academy Aquatics. He is an inspirational leader with a sheer willingness to attain the best and a self-made entrepreneur with exceptional experience operating multiple businesses.
2011 was the beginning of his idea to provide swimming lessons through his company Pool Academy Aquatics. The company is based In UAE, India and South Africa. As a visionary leader, Wasim thinks of his team as the company’s backbone and has a significant role in the company’s success.
His company is an international Aquatics Club providing swimming and water polo programs. They even have a social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, & Instagram.
Let’s learn more about Wasim Tifflin and his company through our interview below.
How did you start your entrepreneurship journey? Do you have some advice for beginners?
My entrepreneurship journey began in 2011- this was also my first year in university.
At the time, I needed funds to pay for my university fees, so I thought, what better way than to start a business that I have a serious passion for and could be done part-time?
Pool Academy then started at my friend’s residential pool, where I coached, did the admin work and managed all operations.
My advice to beginners is that no dream is too little or impossible. Work smart, and you will get there!
What do you believe is the most crucial part of continuing business seamlessly?
Ensuring staff is constantly trained, spoken to by senior management and motivated. This will ensure all divisions of the business work in perfect harmony.
What are your goals through your companies, and how do you plan to help individuals with them?
Yes, I have multiple companies in different countries to highlight that swimming coaching is a career path one can pursue and be successful in.
The other goal is to ensure that every person in the world can swim and has access to affordable lessons for the common man/ woman.
Describe yourself in one word.
Visionary
Do employees’ energy and enthusiasm have a hand in business success? How do you plan to motivate your team to go the extra mile?
As previously mentioned, the staff are the backbone of any business, and I keep my staff motivated in 3 ways: Money, Benefits or Performance Bonuses.
Money – with the cost of living today, it is only fair to keep salaries fair and competitive.
Benefits – ensuring staff members have proper health care plans, plan for retirement and personal savings.
Performance Bonuses – as we are in multiple countries, upon excellent performance, we give staff an all expenses paid for work holiday to the country we are located in.
This ensures staff always go over and above.
How would you describe your leadership style?
My leadership style is quite inspirational. I believe motivating staff shapes the business’s success – so I share my story with staff members to help them understand that I built the business from scratch without any financial resources.
Did you face any challenges during your career span? If so, how were you able to overcome them?
There are always challenges in business. Heated pools in some countries are a major concern, and for our business to be operational all year round – we take on new venues and heat these venues to ensure operations throughout the year.
Are you adapting to digital transformation? How is it helping your business?
We use an online system for bookings, payments, registrations, tracking attendance and tracking of progress of clients.
This online system is also available via a mobile application, making all information live and accessible to staff and clients.
Do you use innovative ideas to be unique?
We believe business is constantly changing, and to remain current, we always have constant training, and our management style is flexible – observing the latest trends.
Where is your leadership going? What benefits do your clients get from your company in this competitive world?
Our business is becoming a multinational and multi-continental company.
In saying this, our goal is to provide quality lessons at affordable prices.
When clients join us, they have a program that has been tried and tested over many years, and besides this, all information is available live on our online system.
Connect with Wasim Tifflin on LinkedIn.
Check out the websites of Pool Academy Aquatics in UAE, India, & South Africa