Reflecting on 2025: Growth, Momentum, and the People Who Made It Possible

Some of the team at our Grand Opening event at Nashville Shores Marina on Percy Priest Lake. From Left to Right: Alex Bakhurst, David Drake, Angie Scott, Mariah Lawrence, Jason Evans, William Sheriff, Eli Sledge, and Gary Redic.

As I look back on 2025, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride, not just in what we accomplished at Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee, but in who accomplished it.

We entered this year with strong momentum from 2024. At the Freedom Boat Club Forum in February 2025, our team was honored with the Franchise of the Year award, along with three location-specific awards recognizing excellence at the local level. Those awards mattered because they reflected consistency, teamwork, and a shared commitment to doing things the right way. They also set the tone for 2025 and challenged us to keep raising the bar.

Throughout the year, we continued growing across Tennessee in a way that felt intentional and aligned with our values. We opened two new locations: Nashville Shores Marina and Fort Loudon Marina. Expanding access across both Middle and East Tennessee. Growth has never been about adding locations for the sake of it; it’s about ensuring each one enhances the overall experience for our members and supports the teams that operate them every day.

Behind the scenes, our team supported more than 12,000 completed reservations in 2025. Every one of those reservations represents time our members chose to spend on the water with us. Boats didn’t just appear ready; people made that happen. Early mornings, long weekends, peak-season pressure, and the unseen work that turns a busy dock into a smooth, stress-free experience.

My mentor, Bill Sheriff, always said, “You are nothing without your people.” That belief continues to guide how we build this business. In 2025, we doubled down on investing in our team through training, leadership development, competitive wages, and benefits... because taking care of our people is how we take care of our members.

What I’m especially proud of is how our members continue to rate their experience. In 2025, we maintained a Net Promoter Score of 90 and an average Customer Satisfaction score of 4.84. Those numbers aren’t about perfection; they’re about trust, consistency, and a team that genuinely cares.

As we look ahead, my focus remains unchanged. We’ll continue growing responsibly, building on the momentum created by our people, and staying grounded in the belief that great experiences start with great teams.

To our team — thank you for everything you do, often behind the scenes.

To our members — thank you for trusting us with your time on the water.

And to those considering joining us — we’d love to welcome you into a community built on people first, always.

Here’s to everything we’ve built together and everything still ahead.

Mariah Lawrence

Chief Operating Officer & Partner

Freedom Boat Club of Tennessee