Neva Nicole 

Hey, guys, this is navigating Neva, and I am your host, Neva Nicole, and we have with us co-host Wesley from Wesley King, consulting.

Wesley King00:13

Hello! Happy to be here.

Neva Nicole 00:15

And we are back for season 2 and season 2 is about lifeguard life, certifications, careers, and more.

• And this is not your real series. This is me and Wes doing our brainstorming and real series will
• start next week. All right. That that's our test. So I've got down
• episode one. I think that one's pretty clear cut, and we don't really need any homework. We could just go into it. Talk about it.
• Was there anything you wanted to add to that.

Wesley King 00:46

The lifeguarding one. Let's see

• importance of lifeguarding, I think any, and I mean, I'd just be be pulling data out of my rear end so.
• and maybe not for the exact filming. But
• the idea would be as we get done. Maybe, however long it is. Oh, how long do you want of each one of them to go number one, number 2, putting some substantiation to it. 80% of the pools are one guarded percentage of drownings in lifeguarded pools. So as we go over each subject, even if the end, if there's a couple, you know, blasts of information or a couple cliff notes that said, this is
• why we believe it. This is how we're founding some of the information, etc, relevant to lifeguarding properties, properties that have lifeguards, etc.

Neva Nicole 01:31

I like that?

Wesley King 01:32

Those would be my 2. And then and what's our timeframe that we're hoping to do.

Neva Nicole 01:37

Time is 20 to 30 min. I did that on the last one, because I was trying to make it ideal for a mom to listen to in a Carpool lane.

Wesley King 01:44

I might not be marketing to the same crowd this time, so

Neva Nicole 01:48

Or like you're you're on a cool down. You're at the gym, and you're slow enough to listen like on the treadmill. So this one's really for anybody that's going into the aquatic field now, and they're looking for a job. So

• The one thing I was going to mention I know everything about American Red Cross, almost everything about the Y.M.C.A. I wanted to offer the information on. Is it Lifeguard pro.

Wesley King 02:12

Well, there! There's Lifeguard not! There's Star Guard. There's Ellis.

• there's Usla lifeguarding of America. I think it is there, and then they start to get. And there's lifeguard, pro, I think. And then you start to get into the
• validity and the quality control measures of the varieties of lifeguard certifications. But those are probably the top 5. Usla.
• a Us. Coast guard. Yeah.
• Canadian lifeguarding.
•  

Neva Nicole 02:48

And I believe the Boy Scouts is getting rid of theirs.

Wesley King 02:53

That could be true. Y.M.C.A. Got rid of theirs right. So

Nicole Fairfield 02:57

Got rid.

Wesley King 02:57

I'm I'm not sorry I'm not. They got rid of their saunas. I I got ahead of myself.

• the Lifeguard certification, the Y, the Red Cross
• life center doesn't have one. Jcc doesn't have one.
• Usla, yeah.
• The international Canadian.
• Yeah. Speaking of guests, I can think of a guest that was at Aoap. That would be well versed in this specific
• variety and quality of them. Yeah.

Neva Nicole 03:29

Okay, we might talk about that later. Okay, yes. So I want to go over that for episode one everywhere you can go, and the prices. And why?

• Really in location? Just some, you're always gonna get what you get, because that's what's offered
• and others offer it. That's what you're offered, but then those that are recognized nationally, and then where they are like, you know, Usla is usually the beach, and then.

Wesley King03:52

Star Guards taking over the cruise ships. Ellis is in water parks.

Nicole 03:56

It is. Yeah, it's all of.

Wesley King03:58

Right, right.

Nicole 03:59

Yes, yes, and then the county below us has lifeguard pro. So I think a lot of places that can't get certified. Lgis end up going with Lifeguard pro just because it's easier.

Wesley King04:11

Right. And and each State has different regulations on what's accepted. And yeah.

Nicole 04:16

Yeah, let's cover that because I don't think anybody realizes that when they get it state acceptance. I want to cover the state acceptance.

• Okay? All right. Episode 2 is the swim test and I covered
• what they mean. I for for decades have been conducting swim tests. And I'm on the phone with the mom. And I say, Can your kids swim? And the mom says, Yeah, and then the kid comes to the pool.
• fails the swim test every time. So I thought we could on Episode 2 just break down for the different ones. We talked about the week prior what the swim tests are, and why they vary so drastically. But, of course, why, the standards are what they are and why they're important.
•  

Wesley King05:03

Yeah, and just to be, you know, and this is being recorded too overtly transparent. I am less versed.

• knowledgeable on the specific qualities of every type of swim test from each governing body, red Cross, Ellis, etc. And I'm more versed on taking those components, whatever they are, we'll read them, we'll recite them and then applying it to a consistent methodology at your pool. In 60 seconds or less. One of the biggest challenges I've seen, and I've actually had paid clients that I've helped with. This is
• creating a standard process of your swim test just like you're in service from where you start to test where you end the test, the markings, the signalings, the size, the space, the lane, the words you use, the body language you have, you know. Is it a really toss? 6 foot 5 lifeguard, that's, you know, introducing a 5 year old girl? Well, you're already off to the wrong track. Are we getting on one knee? Are we looking eye to eye? So really creating an entire methodology behind whatever the national local
• protocols are to make it functional in your body of water to make sure functional in your space with your staff, that you can rinse and repeat it over and over
• to make all the way back to the beginning. Almost 60 seconds is everybody has the standards. Nobody learns how to apply them in a manner that can be repeated. So when I say, my kid can swim or pass the test, how are we maximizing that efficiently and equally every time.

Nicole06:32

I love it.

Wesley King06:34

So just to tell you, and then again. So if we pull them up next week, and we say, Hey, Wes, this is the standard. This is the standard and we have in front of us. Then I would turn it into examples and say, If you have a deep water pool, if you have a splash pad, if you have, you know, open water, body. Blah! Blah! How do you take these? If you have one guard, if you have 5 guards, etc.

Nicole 06:54

I agree. I wrote that down so that we're gonna cover it.

• So almost 1 min I yell, I've got
• Why swim test requirements exist the common misunderstandings, and oh, oh, so the common misunderstandings aren't the swim test requirements. But when people are registering for your class, they're like I already have. Cpr. Do I have to stay for that part.

Wesley King07:17

Right. It's the same.

Nicole 07:18

Yeah.

• And I'm like.

Wesley King07:19

I've already passed what I have to do good! I already have the blue bracelet. Why do I need the green bracelet? Well, not everybody else has a blue bracelet, so.

Nicole 07:26

Right. I already ate my breakfast. Can I just have dessert right? Right? No.

Wesley King07:31

Because your breakfast is different than mine.

• and you pass your test in 3 feet of water, anyway.
• But I do think to the to your last point of why do we have them is as important as how we do them. We have them so that we can
• reduce our rescues we have, anyway. But you get the idea. So actually, we're doing a swim test, and the kid moves on, and we never do anything with it. Then why are we doing this? They should be doing it so we can use it to make our Lifeguards better make our swimmers better make our ability to scan the water more efficient because this whole group of kids pass the test, and we can anyway, sorry next next week. Sorry.

Nicole 08:08

So episode 4 is our library duties versus management duties.

• And I don't know if you saw the comment I put on Facebook earlier. But the guy anonymously posted. This is why people drowned at pools. And I was like, I really feel it's management, because I've been in management.

Wesley King08:24

Yeah.

Nicole 08:25

Feel like it's everybody but management, everything he was nitpicking on. I'm like a good manager

• would not have let those things occur.

Wesley King08:37

It's I'm trying to pull up the rest of your cause. I only pulled the

• I only screenshot of the 1st 4 weeks. Where's your email? Where I'm looking for your screen share? Yeah, I'm looking for your email that has all of the weeks.

Nicole 08:53

I won't.

Wesley King08:54

Perfect. Okay, let's do that, then. Okay.

• let me see that. Let me figure out how to do that. Yeah, again, I'm learning. I've never in my life used.
• my other hope. While this is all being recorded and and knowing your fancy editing skills is that even as we're recording tonight you can take 1020, 30 seconds of Hey week 2 is going to be this, and I gave you a good answer. Hey, week 4 is going to be this, and I give you a good answer. Ideally, you can take
• something, and then we can use it to promote.

Nicole 09:23

I? Yes, I hope so. We can't. I can't. Hey? How do you screen? Share.

Wesley King09:28

Go to your options at the bottom, where it says more. No go to go to apps.

• share. There should be an up arrow. Yep, and it should say, up screen share.
• Got it? Yeah.

Nicole 09:46

And then just hit share.

Wesley King09:49

And then pick whatever screen. If you have, like a million tabs, open.

Nicole 09:52

Can you see it?

Wesley King09:53

Yeah, there, we go.

Nicole 09:55

Do you? Only I have, like 4 screens open. Do you see the one.

Wesley King09:58

I see the I don't see the one with the guy in the Bikini.

Nicole 10:02

Okay. I've got.

Wesley King10:03

She's like well, you blushed a little too much there, but that's fantastic.

Nicole Fairfield10:07

Yeah, okay. So you see, the life for duty ones. Is that right?

Wesley King10:11

Yes.

Nicole 10:11

I've been on other people's. It does not show it to me like I thought it would. Okay, all right. So we are talking about for lifeguard duties versus management duties. And I threw in what I put on Facebook, which is obviously not on my screen. So what lifeguards are really responsible for. And then, I think, a big thing for parents or lifeguards coming to the job, they get confused on

• what they're responsible for and what their managers are responsible for, and then it also goes facility to facility. I mean, some guards are responsible for the towels, and some aren't, and some are responsible for the water, and some aren't, but in bigger facilities. You know, you've got the management level where they're really taking care of you. And then little facilities like where my son works.
• There's just 3 Lifeguards. There's not even management. There's the owner of the.

Wesley King11:01

1st of all.

Nicole :01

And then.

Wesley King11:02

But.

Nicole 11:02

3. Lifeguards.

Wesley King11:03

1st of all, there's no way you're old enough to have a son that works. Is that what you just said out loud.

Nicole 11:07

I do, and he cut he, I have his headset on. Yeah, I don't know where he went.

Wesley King11:11

That's fantastic. Both.

Nicole Fairfield11:13

Come out!

Wesley King11:14

I don't blame him. I'm sitting in the corner of our bedroom. I would never have guessed that that's good for you. Second, what I have done before in this exact mantra. I have shown the clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger in kindergarten cop, where he blows the whistle to get the, and I've used it to say that it's okay to be a lifeguard like Arnold Schwarzenegger kindergarten cop.

• It's okay to use a whistle. And again, most of the people that reference would be lost on your son, but you get it, and the next generation of managers won't get it. But I don't even care. I care that it takes this principle and allows people to understand that it's okay to be forceful. It's okay to say, no. I have to watch the water. It's okay to use all the Gen. X. Terminology and go to I. But.
•  

Nicole 11:56

Yeah.

Wesley King11:57

You also have to understand that when you're done lifeguarding to your point, Nicole, you might have to fold a towel.

• You can only play that card when you're standing in front of water. It does not give you an excuse to remove yourself from every other duty and responsibility that comes with this job. So it's a double-edged sword when the younger crowd gets involved. And anyway, so those are my 2 sides of the kindergarten cop whistle. But also the you have to know that your time is not in the water now, and you're going to do some garbage, and you're going to hose a deck.
•  

Nicole 12:29

All right, right.

Wesley King12:30

So there's a it's a it's really clearing that deck and understanding the flip side.

Nicole 12:34

Yeah.

• and then I think we could throw some laws in there, big big ones, not the little ones, but the States that have really drastic changes. Just so if we do have military families that move from state to state, and their kid didn't do that. And now their kid does. They might not know that
• now their kid does do that. You know what I mean.

Wesley King12:52

And and why not? Why and where, you say, where is this state doesn't require Lifeguards? Well, I want to have a lifeguard. All right well, are we budgeting for it? Well, I can't get a job. Well, this State needs me to have every guard. So you're absolutely spot on and understanding those needs and requirements.

Nicole 13:09

Yeah. Alright, we're gonna scroll.

Wesley King13:12

5. Yep.

Nicole 13:13

I love Episode 5. And I think you do, too, because I've heard you talk about it. A lot. Tons of kids come in every year, and they think that this is just a summer job, and then they're gone.

• But as you and I know you can stay in aquatics forever.

Wesley King13:29

Can on the record on a voice record. Can I tell you that you used a full letter word?

• You just swore KIDS.
• If you call them that they act like that, I've done a 45 min presentation on. They are my staff, they're my youths, they are my youths if I want to quote my cousin Vinny, but I don't call them kids because I won't allow them to see themselves as that.

Nicole 13:55

Oh!

Wesley King13:56

If and and I know a ton of wonderful older women who

• are the mother hen of their pools. I know older men that are the mother den hens straight lesbian.
• male, old, young, black, white. I know a ton of people in all races and creeds and color that take so much pride in being the den, parent or familiarity of the of the pool.
• and I want people to come to me and I want people to. I want to be their bartender and be their barbershop, and I want to be there for them. Great.
• Don't call them kids.
• and that's why I believe Number 5 is so exciting for me because A, that principle but B is when you show up to work.
• I'm not going to let us believe that you're a child anymore.
• It's anyway. But so that's to give you some, you know, behind the scenes, as I always say, I was behind the curtain. There's a insider baseball free. But that's 1 of the reasons why I believe that is, I'm going to treat you that from day one, and if you're not ready for it. That's cool.
• Well, I got no beef for that.
• But kids is a full letter word
• Oz. Behind the curtain. You got it.

Nicole 15:07

Yeah, I'm gonna have to keep that for later.

• Okay? Anything else from? Well, where they can take you, we're going to talk about what your stuff is. And and definitely the lifeguard ladder every everywhere you can go. It's not really a ladder. This doesn't go up. It goes.

Wesley King15:23

No, I would say, it's more of a you ever seen the ocho where they have the slippery stairs competition, and they have to climb the stairwell and just full of like grease and slime. And you just can't actually climb the stairs. Just keep falling down, I would say, that's more of what is that? Is there a way to describe that in the.

Nicole 15:41

I mean, that's just management in a.

Wesley King15:43

Right.

• That's Bingo.

Nicole 15:45

That's not the ladder to to success, though, because the latter.

Wesley King15:48

There!

Nicole 15:48

So you can kind of hop like Lily.

Wesley King15:51

Right, it does not. And so I think what I would say, for this is getting your body getting out of the swimsuit and into khaki pants.

Nicole 16:00

Yeah, true. I like that.

Wesley King16:01

I've done a whole 45 min presentation. And it's literally, you know how you have the human growth guy with the monkey and the ape, and he turns into a human. I have that same grid where you're in your swimsuit. Then you're in a polo shirt. Then you're in khaki shorts. Then you're in a polo shirt and khaki shorts. Then you're in khaki pants. So it shows you that same like

• evolution chart. But it leads the human to see that in time you can get out of a swimsuit, and you can be, you know, belt and polo, if you want or dress, and you know, whatever the I don't know, whatever the ladies wear.

Nicole 16:32

We're gonna let people know that you can offer that class, and maybe somebody will take you off on that.

Wesley King16:36

Amen!

Nicole 16:37

Your teaser.

Wesley King16:39

Fair yes, keep going.

Nicole 16:41

Episode. 6.

• A roundtable discussion on Lifeguard training and industry insights.

Wesley King16:52

So my, my immediate takeaway is, I've I don't certify anymore.

• but so I guess my my thought here is, if we build out time we could bring in somebody that is like a David Eckert or Ryan. Anybody you anybody that is actively teaching. There's a long list of people that could give the insider real time perspective.
• Well, I could potentially give the now that you've taught class, or now that you're teaching a class, how can you make it yours without breaking the curve. How can you apply those lessons in your property so marrying somebody who's teaching the current curriculums, and is real up to date with the idea of
• thinking about the next steps in real time.
•  

Nicole 17:36

So

Wesley King17:36

Does that make sense.

Nicole 17:37

It does. I currently teach Red Cross. I teach a lot like, I boom instructor research, this weekend.

Wesley King17:44

So maybe we have somebody.

Nicole 17:45

Directors.

Wesley King17:46

We have somebody, Mc. This episode, and you and I do what I just said.

Nicole 17:52

We could, or I was thinking we could bring in another person. That is.

• for the roundtable discussion that is either teaching Star Guard or yeah.
• or in the industry that's maybe higher, like facilities that don't have a me where they hire a me, we can count some questions off like that. So that when there's.

Wesley King18:14

People that do that for a living. They just follow around and certify all day long.

Nicole 18:18

Right.

Wesley King18:19

Yeah.

Nicole 18:19

You know they they want to know. I mean we. I've been an American Red Cross instructor trainer since oh, 5, and I refuse to lose it, because

• God bless you, it's.

Wesley King18:29

Get it

• I
• I remembered. I remember the 1st time I will work for the Red Cross, and I could get my anyway. So it's you are smart.

Nicole 18:37

Yeah, a long time, a long time, and I don't let it go. Yeah.

• okay. I became an instructor in O. 5. It then took me 6 years of praying and begging to get.

Wesley King18:49

The t.

Nicole 18:50

Yeah, yeah.

Wesley King18:51

Yeah, nobody gets the T, so, but I think you're spot on to give perspective. And again for me. And this is your baby for me. This episode is less about how you teach a 40 h class and how you teach it through the Cpr. It's more about how you think about it, and how you understand what happens within this timeframe.

• And once you sign that license, what else have you done to prepare them? Now I realize you can't go into property, and I know you realize. But how am I thinking about what's beyond this, anyway? So
• if that if that makes sense.
•  

Nicole 19:27

To us that makes perfect sense.

Wesley King19:29

And I don't know about you. I mean again. I've been out of the teaching realm for too long, but I can tell you, as I got

• quote unquote, better as a teacher, I became much less worried about how I was reading the exact thing on the Red Cross document or the other document and more worried about, how are they going to interpret this and apply this when they walk out the doors?
• It probably made me a worse teacher to be honest. But if you anyway.

Nicole 19:57

I don't think it made you a worse teacher. I honestly enjoy teaching. I like much more.

Wesley King20:03

I love it, but.

Nicole 20:04

Teaching in service, so I would rather.

Wesley King20:07

Yes.

Nicole 20:08

To the book, and I would rather come in and do your in-house like at the Y. We did. We had 8. We had 8 in our association, so we called them a rodeo. So our preseason was, we would all come together. And we would

• basically just like a big in service preseason training. Now 3 pools were open all year, so it wasn't new for us. But the other 5 did. They just do.

Wesley King20:30

Oh, I love it! That.

Nicole 20:32

That was great

Wesley King20:34

The yes.

Nicole 20:36

And then there's a private club who the lady knows nothing about aquatics. It's a it's probably like where tanner works, and they have a tennis.

Wesley King20:44

Yeah.

Nicole 20:44

Club that's there all year, and she calls me, and she had. I gave her an it. He was actually an it that taught for me, and he just poofed and left and went to the army one day. So after I gave them an it, they came back to me again. So this is going to be my 3rd year going to train them. But what we do with them I do train their staff, but I come on a day, and new stuff and old stuff we all get together, and she doesn't know aquatics. She does hire us a summer. I don't know a deck supervisor will.

• I don't know how they structure it at the club, but

Wesley King21:16

Can help him figure it out.

Nicole 21:17

Their training. Yeah, I do their training for the day, and that is what's fun.

• Oh, you and I are so part.

Wesley King21:23

Yeah, and and again.

Nicole 21:25

Worlds.

Wesley King21:26

Yeah, and and A, maybe this is a recordable moment. But B, this could be, for when we get into the subject specifically, is, there comes a point, I think, for any instructor who really loves teaching where they have to figure out how

• for attached, or how deeply attached they have to be to the book, to the word forward.
• and how much can they make it their own without without crossing a line, without influencing the requirements? Without, you know, and I'm not saying anything against anybody's policies and procedures. But
• the more experience you get, the more you realize that that book just doesn't cut it.
• And these students, not kids. These students are going to apply the training you gave them. And it's probably not going to be the property you did it, and it's probably not going to be with the team. They did it. It's probably going to be with the boss. They did it, or with the equipment they did it with. Maybe it is, and if it is, that's phenomenal and good for you. But most likely they got certified or retrained in a in a location that they're not going to be working in.
• And so that's why I'm really passionate about this specific pieces, because it it has an opportunity to carry over into real life.
•  

Nicole 22:37

I agree. I hear you. I'm going to end the recording so we can keep talking. But I'm going to tell everybody that's listening. Our 1st real episode episode. One is going to be next week, February 26, th and then we're going to go weekly, ending April second with our last recording, getting everybody ready for the summer with a good spring start. So we'll see you guys back next week.

Wesley King22:58

Thanks, everybody.