Today we’d like to introduce you to Tammy, Gabriella, and Jennifer Yttrie.
Hi Tammy, Gabriella, and Jennifer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
We have always been a family of swimmers. Jennifer got hired at our local Y as a lifeguard and I subbed as a water aerobics instructor. One Saturday our boss talked us into getting trained as swim instructors and we did. For a few years, we happily taught lessons and Jennifer was lifeguarding. Then we decided to become Red Cross trainers, Jennifer as a lifeguard instructor and Tammy as a CPR, AED, and First aid instructor. Jennifer also got WSI certified.
Jennifer was lifeguarding when a man had a medical emergency and she performed CPR that night a lovely older gentleman who died of a heart attack while swimming at the Y. Even though he didn’t drown that incident profoundly affected Jennifer, but not in a bad way. It prompted her to want more out of life. She had been going to college for nursing. She married that education with her aquatic’s education, and God-given knowledge, and decided she wanted to teach swimming lessons outside the box. Jennifer with her mom Tammy who has a child development and childcare background decided to start Education for All Squid School.
Thank you to Monica’s Monkeys Childcare for giving squid school its first big break by enrolling her entire childcare into squid school lessons. Along with a few families that hired them for private lessons. In March 2016 they went to San Diego and got certified in swimming with autism. Using area hotel pools they started teaching a variety of special needs kids to swim with a focus on drown prevention skills. They train area lifeguards as well. They became members of the United State Swim School Association, the summer of 2017 was the next big break when a local organization offered free group swim lessons at the lake.
Over the next couple of years, squid school continued to offer private, semi-private, and small group lessons out of area hotel pools and lakes, and trained area lifeguards. They also continued to pursue training in everything from water massage to infant toddler certificates. 2018 Gabriella joined the family in teaching swimming. She got certified in water massage and Special needs swim lessons. 2019s high point was Tammy and Jennifer speaking at the national/international swim school convention. They spoke on managing water anxiety. 2020 was shaping up to be a great year of growth and the pandemic stopped squid school in its tracks. They did manage to offer some lessons in a backyard pool in the summer of 2020. Minnesota weather limited that option. 2020 ended with no pool availability. In 2021 pools started to open up and squid school was back in business. Spring of 2021 brought squid school a huge break.
Squid School got hired to train lifeguards for the community of Parkers Prairie MN which parlayed into offering group swim lessons in the local hotel pool and community pool. Squid School still trains Parkers Prairie lifeguards and offers group swim lessons in the community pool. In recent years squid school has continued to get training and education as well as perfect its swim program. They offer lifeguard training to area businesses and communities.
Squid School has had families from all over Minnesota and 11 different states come for their lessons. Families say there is nothing like it in their area. Squid school goes any place there are enough kids and pool access. They also continue to serve the special needs community by offering their unique drowning prevention lessons to everyone who wants them. Tammy, Jennifer, and Gabriella continue to look for speaking opportunities and training opportunities.
They have to expanded into more communities and plan write some children’s books.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It is not a smooth road for any new small business. The pandemic added new hurdles. Family-run businesses always have the extra challenge of figuring out each person’s role and what lines to not cross. When you offer something new and unique you add an education piece to your marketing. Small businesses often have to do big things with a small budget to get noticed. We don’t own the pools we use so there for we don’t control the pools we use.
Educating people on the difference between our drowning prevention swim lessons and the typical leisure lessons that are routinely taught. Sadly many of us live the not me, not my child life until a tragedy happens, and it is too late to make a different choice. Our lessons need families to make a different choice before tragedy happens. Being mobile and equipment-heavy adds a layer of interest too.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
We teach drowning prevention swim lessons. All our clients learn the rough basics of typical swim strokes. With a focus on learning the skills, they can use to save themselves or stay safe while they await help in an unexpected water emergency. We work with clients who are typical and those with challenges.
We are known for our unique personalities, our commitment to learning, our knowledge, our fun equipment, unique solutions, outside the box thinking and our willingness to work with parents and let them choose their level of involvement. We are super proud that 4 kids are alive today following a water emergency because of the skills we taught them. We are proud of the fact that we have grown a successful business out of what people told us was a hobby.
We take risks every day as we don’t own the pools we use. We have gotten sick from pools and lakes. We work with medically complex kids, with nonverbal autism, and our kids are swimming in a variety of clothing which adds a layer of risk.
Working with family is a risk as families have broken up after trying to work together. We have spent time and money on ideas that failed. We work and live outside the box which comes with known and unknown risks.
Contact Info:
- Website: squidschoolmn.com
- Instagram: @educationforallsquidschool
- Facebook: Education for all squid school
- Youtube: educationforallsquidschoolMN
