Authority Magazine: Chris DeJong Shares 5 Things He Wishes Someone Told Him Before He Became a Founder

In a recent interview with Authority Magazine for the “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became A Founder” series, Big Blue Swim School founder and president Chris DeJong spoke about what he wished he knew prior to leading a company.

DeJong’s journey as a competitive swimmer began at eight years old, and he continued swimming all throughout high school, college, and post-college. He also competed in both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic trials. DeJong decided to create Big Blue Swim School after he narrowly missed making the Olympic team by three-tenths of a second.

“The resilience and perseverance that I learned in swimming have been a huge piece of my life as a founder,” DeJong told Authority Magazine. “When you’re practicing any sport competitively, you set your mind on something and then have a singular focus until you achieve that goal.”

According to DeJong, starting a business is not much different. If a business is built on a strong foundation with a mission, long-term vision, and a set of core values, you can start to move toward set goals.