Navigating Neva

Shalene Hill

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Navigating Neva, Neva Nicole sits down with guest Shalene Hill for a conversation about swim instruction, child development, courage, and changing the way we teach children around water. Neva and Shalene talked through Shalene’s journey into aquatics, when she first began teaching swim lessons, how her philosophy has grown over time, and the work she is doing now with both students and instructors. They also discuss Shalene’s books, including The Caterpillar’s Song of Courage, her instructor education work, and the updated guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics around swim lessons and drowning prevention. This episode is for parents, swim instructors, aquatic professionals, and anyone interested in building water confidence through developmentally appropriate, emotionally safe, and skill-focused instruction. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/support] 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. 💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook. ❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com. 📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield [https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolefairfield]. 📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content! 🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!

Meredith King

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/fan_mail/new] On this episode of Navigating Neva, we welcomed Meredith King as our guest. Meredith has spent years teaching swimming lessons and building relationships with families through aquatics. In this conversation, we discussed her journey from corporate America back to the pool deck, how she built her swim lesson business, the students and families she serves, and why she ultimately chose purpose and passion over the traditional corporate path. This episode highlights the reality that aquatics is more than a job for many professionals — it is relationship-building, confidence-building, and meaningful community work. Meredith shares honest insight into entrepreneurship, teaching, and creating a career that aligns with your values while making a direct impact on others through swimming and water safety. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/support] 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. 💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook. ❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com. 📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield [https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolefairfield]. 📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content! 🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!

Selena Willows: Week 7

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/fan_mail/new] In this final week with Selena Willows, we move from teaching philosophy into the real work of building, rebuilding, and scaling a swim program with intention. We talk about what needs to be in place before taking clients, how to protect the quality of your program as it grows, and why fear-mongering should never be the foundation of parent education or swim school marketing. This conversation is for swim instructors, swim school owners, and aquatic leaders who want to grow without losing the trust, safety, and values their program was built on. https://www.instagram.com/swimtosafetybyselena/  [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbTlrX0NaSHNfb0xQVjFtb0ZiOFFLdmN1c295QXxBQ3Jtc0ttYUw0c0d6NGV6SWt1N252QjhKNEJXWUhWVE5tcGQ5QTNLMnY3d2J3bmQtdGFKRDJ2OFB4MUp3cEZiWUhMVG5IMDV1cXZhY19OdXhKWnhKemZlRnBqQ3BPMlZJRzNLZUYxZEhmODFjOFpDSy1zLW53aw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fswimtosafetybyselena%2F&v=gi3PL3Xn78k] https://www.swimtosafety.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbjZ0Q1dnSGpRWDdiNDJyUWtqN25Cd0Vtb1ZYUXxBQ3Jtc0trazM0djBhUFoyQ3BDTlE0R2RmNWEzbW02OUdjd2lfbWRtSXc2ZkduVXctdG4yUzQ2M3B5cU9GUDVsOTNjblFjZUhXSDFQaEpna212SlRDU2NQQVJfRzFTbmtjWlUzS2ZWdFQxMTB1UTNtc2xmWmVERQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.swimtosafety.com%2F&v=gi3PL3Xn78k] https://www.linkedin.com/in/selena-grinham-willows/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbkVyUVZSUlltVHZMWXpQdktONTd5REZ6N1J0UXxBQ3Jtc0tuOWNqR2J3U2dGaUZfajNxUDhXUUlEdml0cFk4SGhzcmNKRldKMHFGR09LY2xxVV9FbERqeWp2Y2lBQWVBU3hUemRzUzdwd3NNLVIzR1h1YjJ6Tzh6RktwTnVoLWJOWDNDWTQ4QXNzY1E2eVhFTDFHbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fselena-grinham-willows%2F&v=gi3PL3Xn78k] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/support] 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. 💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook. ❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com. 📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield [https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolefairfield]. 📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content! 🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!

Megan Owens

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/fan_mail/new] Megan Owens of Bluesky Recreation Consulting joins Navigating Neva to talk about parks, recreation, camps, aquatics, nonprofits, and what it really takes to build strong organizations from the inside out. In this episode, Megan shares why seasonal jobs still matter, especially for teens and young adults, and how lifeguarding, camp counseling, and recreation work can become the foundation for confidence, leadership, and long-term careers. We also discuss organizational alignment, staff culture, retention, and the leadership lessons aquatics can teach the wider recreation field. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/support] 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. 💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook. ❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com. 📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield [https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolefairfield]. 📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content! 🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!

Selena Willows: week 7

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/fan_mail/new] In this episode of Navigating Neva, Nicole sits down with Selena Willows for a thoughtful conversation about what confidence in the water really looks like—and who owns the process. They discuss the “confidence loop,” how parents and instructors can recognize when to proceed, pivot, or pause, and why crying in swim lessons should never be dismissed without context. The conversation explores trauma, safety boundaries, parent-created fear, and the way children can absorb fear from the adults around them. Nicole and Selena also answer listener questions, reflect on themes from Selena’s Instagram content, and preview next week’s discussion. This episode is for swim instructors, parents, and aquatic professionals who want to build safer, more emotionally aware swim learning environments—without sacrificing skill, safety, or progress. https://www.instagram.com/swimtosafetybyselena/ https://www.swimtosafety.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/selena-grinham-willows/ Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/1961195/support] 🔴 Follow Your Host on TikTok: Stay connected and see behind-the-scenes content by following me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield. 💬 Find Wesley King on Facebook: Get expert insights and connect with Wesley at Wesley King Consulting on Facebook. ❓ Got Questions?: Have questions about today’s episode or upcoming topics? Reach out to me at navigatingneva@gmail.com. 📚 Check Out My Books: As an author, I have books available on Amazon under Nicole Fairfield [https://www.amazon.com/author/nicolefairfield]. 📲 Follow Me on TikTok: You can also find me on TikTok at @NicoleFairfield for more content! 🔔 Show Support: Enjoy the podcast? Please come back each week, or add Lifeguard Life: Certifications, Careers, and More to your favorites so you never miss an episode!