RETAILING
Mentorship...the Ship that Will Keep the Industry from Sinking – by Tom Leaird & Brooke Speedy, Manager, Tom Leaird’s Underwater Service, Muncie, IN
We must recreate ourselves. If you think you are going to live forever, think again. I am age 85, and am beginning
wealth of knowledge. Brooke is now becoming involved in DEMA, contributing to our industry. She is an assistant instructor and is beginning to work on full instructor. All
to look at, perhaps, the 10 years I have left. I have sold off several holdings and am now look- ing at our staff at Underwater Serv- ice in Muncie, In- diana. I am not
of this from her be- ginnings as an intern. Another past intern that is currently working as a Dive Safety Officer for a local zoo will be join- ing Brooke in the in- structor institute.
giving up by any means. I intend to keep diving and contributing to our
Keeping fresh blood in our business is absolutely critical. These interns constantly have questions and comments that make us think about the many changes we must con- sider to keep our dive center strong. We even receive feed- back from our customers making us think about our offerings. In an ever-changing world and industry, adapt- ability and growth are not optional for survival, it is critical.
industry. For more than 15 years we have had a relationship with our local college, Ball State University. During those years we have had interns from the school spend from 80 to 100 hours during a semester at our store learning everything it
takes to make the ship float. We have from two to six each semester, currently two. During the time at our store, these students do not receive pay but receive many benefits including free gear rental and discounts for purchases. If they have interest in any of our classes, a discount is earned. Our Equipment Service class is given free. If the stu- dent is a sophomore, in the coming years they can take and complete Divemaster training if it fits into their grand plan after graduation. Each semester we start off by asking them what they want to learn during their time with us. We make sure to cover those items and expand on them as much as we can during our time together. We have many of these past interns involved in many of the possible professional careers that in- volves scuba and aquatics. As an example, Brooke Speedy was an intern perhaps 14 years ago, she went on to manage a dive center in another state, came back to us as an employee, went to an aquatic facility for a few years teaching kids to swim, and returned to Leaird’s Underwater Service as Store Manager. We are lucky not only to have her return, but more importantly, she comes back with a
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