“I joined the Swim Stars adventure for the duality of the business and social aspects of the activity”
Ishem Zerzour opened the first Swim Stars swimming school in Normandy! Located in the heart of downtown Rouen (76), the opening took place on September 5, 2021. Discover the profile of Ishem, a young entrepreneur and franchisee.
Practice beyond theory
Swim Stars : Hello Ishem and thank you for your time. Can you tell us who you are, where you come from? What is your background?
Ishem Zerzour: My name is Ishem I am 21 years old. I was born and raised in Normandy in Barentin near Rouen
with my parents and my sisters. So it’s very natural that I wanted to open my swimming school here!
After a Baccalauréat ES, I decided to enter a DUT in Marketing Technology; I learned a lot on the theoretical level and it is also from this moment that the idea of entrepreneurship started to mature in me! We had a lot of projects in parallel with the courses, such as internships, tutorials or even student associations, and I was more fulfilled on these “side” projects. I had the chance to go and live in Norway for 6 months during my studies, and it was an incredible experience.
There, I was able to improve my English and my ability to adapt. When I came back, I managed to get my DUT, but I didn’t find any training that corresponded to me afterwards. I took a year off with the objective of traveling and giving myself time to reflect. However, the sanitary conditions were not favorable to my trip. It was a blessing in disguise, because it is thanks to all these events that I am now part of the Swim Stars family .
From studies to entrepreneurship
What made you want to join the Swim Stars adventure?
What made me want to join the Swim Stars adventure was the duality of the business and social aspects of the activity. Having the power to respond to an important issue like drowning gives me the feeling of being useful to others.
With the Swim Stars model, I can easily manage my business and travel in parallel
What did you like or find interesting about the Swim Stars franchise model?
What motivates me in my daily life is to travel and live unique experiences. With the Swim Stars model, I can easily run my business and travel on the side.
The importance of time for oneself
Is it incompatible to undertake and keep time for your passions, your family, your loved ones?
I think that entrepreneurship is completely compatible with all this. I would go even further, I think that people who decide to be entrepreneurial refuse the idea of choice. For me, having both is visceral. Entrepreneurship requires a lot of dedication, failures, doubt and questioning, but the rewards surpass all that.
After all, we are in a swimming school! What aquatic species would you be?
I knew I would get a question like this! If I had to name only one, it would be the hippocampus. It is an animal that is still far too underestimated in my opinion.
A final word?
I’ll end with a very telling phrase from Mark Zuckerberg who says
“The only strategy that fails is not taking risks.”
Thanks to you Ishem !
Ishem answers other questions in his video portrait to be found on Youtube :
For all the information about Swim Stars swimming lessons in Rouen, go to the Swim Stars Rouen page. And to discover the other portraits of franchisees, go to the Swim Stars Blog.
