Podcast Summary

Supply Chain Now: Logistics With Purpose Crossover

Episode: Dive Into Purpose: Miami’s B Corp Ocaquatics Swim School Making an Impact
Date: March 3, 2025
Host(s): Enrique Alvarez, Christy (Logistics With Purpose/Vector Global Logistics)
Guest: Miran Oka – Founder of Ocaquatics Swim School, Board Member of Florida For Good (Miami), Founder of Ripples of Impact

Episode Overview

This episode explores the journey and purpose-driven impact of Ocaquatics Swim School, Miami’s first B Corp certified swim school, founded by Miran Oka. The conversation delves into Miran’s unique entrepreneurial story, the development of Ocaquatics’ culture, emphasis on leadership and purpose, transitioning to employee ownership, and her broader involvement in Florida’s conscious business community.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miran Oka’s Background & Founding Story

• Resilience and Immigrant Influence

  • Miran grew up in Louisiana with immigrant parents—her father from Spain, mother from Cuba—who ran restaurants: "We got to see what hard work really looked like." (03:30)
  • Originally aimed to become an orthopedic surgeon, her path shifted after an unplanned pregnancy in college led her to Miami, where she launched her business at age 21.

• Pivot to Aquatics

  • Utilized her experience as a competitive swimmer and swim instructor: "Honestly, it was one of the only things I knew how to do that I could make money." (09:16)
  • Built her business while raising her son, prioritizing both personal and professional growth.

2. Building Ocaquatics: Lessons, Leadership & Culture

• Growth from Humble Beginnings

  • Started with outdoor lessons in various Miami pools, eventually building 5 indoor, year-round, warm-water facilities over a decade—a "long overnight success" (10:46-11:50).

• People-First Ethos & Leadership Development

  • Invested in book clubs, staff development, and leadership training: "Leadership is a team sport...growing people and developing them and having them really contribute to the team is really important." (12:13)
  • Prioritized character and values in hiring over prior swim instruction experience: "We hire based on our core values...then we train skill." (14:51)
  • Created a culture of retention in a high-turnover industry, with many staff staying long-term.

• Operational Stats

  • Employs 165 team members, instructs 6,500 swim lessons/week at peak, and is approaching 3 million cumulative lessons—directly correlating to lives saved from drowning risk in Florida (14:51-17:14).

3. The Role of Purpose & Certification

• Purpose-Driven Mission

  • "Our purpose is to make a positive difference for our team, families, community, and planet." (17:14)
  • Focused on both families—making kids safer around water—and team members—growing them through environmental and social responsibility (17:52-19:23).

• B Corp, 1% for the Planet, & Other Credentials

  • Achieved B Corp status despite the difficulty of the assessment: "It gave us a way to measure our impact...When we first did it, we did not score very highly." (19:50)
  • Certifications shape company culture, encourage employee pride, and fuel a sense of mission.

4. Employee Ownership Trust: Transforming Ownership

• Transition to Employee Ownership

  • Ocaquatics is now 100% employee-owned via an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT): "Team members who hit 2,500 hours are owners. They don’t have to buy in with money, they buy in with dedication and time." (28:02)
  • Chose EOT over private equity or traditional ESOP for flexibility and to safeguard the company's values and B Corp status.
  • Profit sharing structure: Half distributed as a check, half invested in 401k for employees.

• Practical Realities and Cultural Shift

  • Emphasized ongoing open-book management, training in financial literacy, and leadership to instill an ownership mindset: "You can't sell your company to a trust...and overnight everybody thinks like an owner." (32:28)

5. Community, Conscious Capitalism, and Environmental Impact

• Involvement in Florida for Good & Conscious Capitalism

  • Helps foster purpose-driven business networks in Florida through board positions and event facilitation.

• Ripples of Impact Nonprofit

  • Launched to extend swimming lessons and environmental stewardship into underserved communities: "It’s the ROI of using your business for good." (38:22)
  • Projects include tuition assistance, environmental education, climate action, and community gardening.

• Sustainability in Practice

  • Instituted green policies (no single-use plastics), voting/PTO encouragement, and innovative, positive civic engagement for kids and families (e.g., swim school presidential elections with mascots; 24:08-27:13).

6. Miran’s Reflections & Practical Advice

• On Engaging and Retaining Employees

  • Purpose and certifications attract talent and increase retention, leading to a healthier bottom line:
    "Team members are coming to work with us and they're staying longer because they see a company that cares about their future and about the environment." (41:19)

• Advice for Companies Considering Similar Models

  • EOTs require commitment—upfront cultural investment and financial education matter.
  • All purpose-driven certifications (B Corp, 1% for the Planet, Conscious Capitalism) pay dividends in employee engagement and long-term success.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Authenticity:
  "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." – Miran Oka quoting Oscar Wilde (02:41)

• On Leadership:
  "Leadership is a team sport. I really did think I had to be the expert and now over time, I've realized that...growing people...is really important." – Miran Oka (12:13)

• On Purpose in Business:
  "Purpose is everything. Purpose is the why. Purpose is why we do what we do." – Miran Oka (17:52)

• On Employee Ownership:
  "We call them co-owners because we don't use the word employee at Ocaquatics." – Miran Oka (28:02)

• On Spreading Impact:
  "We believe in constant gentle pressure and we talk about the same things over and over and over again." – Miran Oka (24:08)

• On Ripple Effect:
  "These little hinges swing big doors...It's a ripple. We're really focused on our team members. I can't teach the entire Miami community yet. We're trying, but I know I can really focus on the team." – Miran Oka (24:08, 41:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Miran’s Early Life & Family Backstory – 03:30
• Founding Ocaquatics (Origin & Growth) – 09:16, 10:46
• Lessons in Leadership & Staff Development – 12:13, 14:51
• Ocaquatics’ Purpose & Impact – 17:52, 19:23
• B Corp & Company Certifications – 19:50, 21:08
• Community Engagement & Environmental Initiatives – 24:08
• Employee Ownership Trust Model – 28:02, 32:28
• Florida for Good & Local Business Networks – 35:33
• Ripples of Impact Nonprofit Launch – 38:22
• Business Case for B Corp/CSR – 41:19

Closing & How to Connect

• Find more: ocaquatics.com, ripplesofimpact.org
• Follow Miran: LinkedIn and Instagram (@mirannoka)

This episode offers a dynamic and transparent look into how a swim school can lead with purpose, uplift young professionals, transform its ownership structure, and ripple positive impact into the broader community. Miran Oka’s story exemplifies conscious leadership and sets a benchmark for businesses aiming to blend profits with principles.