What does it take to build a business that can thrive beyond its owner? Lauri Armstrong, Founder & Owner of Little Fins Swim School, joins the Colorado Business Podcast to share the water-safety mission, one-on-one teaching model, and team culture behind the Colorado Springs business. Lauri explains how Little Fins grew from a small swim-lesson idea into a larger operation, why water safety matters for Colorado families, and how a difficult family season forced the business to develop stronger leadership systems. The conversation also covers community involvement, training young team members, and the communication skills that help a service-driven organization grow. Lauri Armstrong is the Founder & Owner of Little Fins Swim School in Colorado Springs. Little Fins provides one-on-one swimming lessons and water-safety programs for children, adults, and families. TOPICS IN THIS EPISODE Water safety and survival-swim foundations Why one-on-one lessons are central to the Little Fins model Scaling a service business without losing culture Building a team that can operate beyond the owner Community involvement and Hope on the Rocks Training young employees to communicate, serve, and lead LINKS Little Fins Swim School: https://littlefinsswimschool.com/ Hope on the Rocks tickets and donations: https://givebutter.com/hopeontherocks2026 GUEST Lauri Armstrong Founder & Owner Little Fins Swim School CHAPTERS 00:00 Water safety, growth, and building the team 00:44 Colorado Business Podcast intro 00:54 From lifeguard to Little Fins 03:50 Why one-on-one swim lessons matter 05:50 Water safety for Colorado families 11:55 Scaling Little Fins without losing the mission 15:25 Sponsor: Diamond 19:18 Building a team beyond the owner 35:15 Hope on the Rocks and community impact 50:38 Sponsor: Bellwether 53:50 Culture, service, and developing young leaders 1:07:45 The call-a-thon and teaching communication skills 1:24:34 Outro ABOUT THE COLORADO BUSINESS PODCAST The Colorado Business Podcast features entrepreneurs, founders, builders, and leaders shaping Colorado’s business community. Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ColoradoBusinessPodcast Explore more episodes: https://coloradobusinesspodcast.com/ What would change in your business if the team could run it without you? Share your perspective in the comments. #ColoradoBusinessPodcast #LauriArmstrong #LittleFins #ColoradoSpringsBusiness