Episode Summary: Today, we sit down with Aaron Witt, CEO of BuildWitt, a media, and software company dedicated to telling stories of life in the dirt world. Aaron believes that construction and the trades as a whole can be—and are—as exciting as sports if only more people knew the stories behind the people in the industry. He has dedicated his career to telling those stories in an insightful and engaging way. He describes infrastructure development as fundamental to society alongside food, water, and shelter. We take it for granted, particularly in the West, because we’ve always had these things. Through his content, Aaron hopes to educate society on the work that goes into these foundational building blocks of our society and to celebrate the men and women who make all of these conveniences possible. Topics Discussed: 03:15 - Construction can be just as exciting as sports 12:02 - An introduction to Aaron and BuildWitt 18:24 - How the trades contribute to the happiness 22:31 - Aaron’s impact on the construction world 24:52 - About excavators and skid steers 31:02 - The difference between tracks and wheels 34:41 - How to get started with a career in the trades 38:54 - Aaron on his software company 45:31 - Capturing great content on construction sites Sponsors: Skimmer Leslie’s Primate Connect with Guest: Website Instagram Facebook Podcast TikTok LinkedIn YouTube Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: A fallacy in the construction industry is, “We need to make the trades ‘cool’ again.” And I always sit there and say, “No, we don’t need to make this ‘cool’ again. It’s just cool. But we need to tell people about it.” We need to get the word out about it and let the work sell itself. We’re not going to automate our way out of building infrastructure, that’s for sure. Human beings have evolved to create and build things. What is more satisfying and attractive than quite literally shaping the Earth? We didn’t evolve in a digital world. We evolved in a world where we touch things and shape things.
Episode Summary: In this edition of Business Tip of the Month, we’re joined by NPP’s Regional Director Of Operations for Texas Justin Gormley. Listen in as Justin discusses why it’s so important for every leader within an organization to ensure workplace safety and why this subject is often taken for granted despite how fundamental it is to any business. He speaks on identifying workplace safety hazards, creating safety policies, and training your team to adhere to these safety standards. Because a lack of strong safety standards can cost your company, both directly and indirectly, it’s vital for leaders to promote a culture of safety, and to ensure that those standards and best practices are followed without compromises. Ultimately, Justin believes that ensuring workplace safety comes down to embracing personal responsibility, no matter one’s position in the company. Topics Discussed: 00:54 - Defining safety in the workplace 03:11 - How to start improving workplace safety today 05:45 - How much ignoring safety can cost your company 08:07 - Making safety a priority early on, and often 11:23 - Maintaining a good safety culture Connect with Guest: Website Facebook LinkedIn Resources Mentioned: OSHA Safety Pays DOT Safety OSHA Safe + Sound OSHA Trainer Presentations FMCSA Safety NSC Safety Training Saves Lives Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: [Workplace safety encompasses] elements that can cause any harm, any accident, or any other negative outcome in the workplace. They can be in one of two different categories: occupational health and safety, or commercial vehicle safety. When you don’t take a few steps on the front-end to protect your people and your organization, there are so many direct costs and indirect costs. As leaders, we have got to be willing to do things that are necessary to transform our organization. If we don’t live that, speak that, and walk that, our team never will. If you want to start making real changes, avoid compromising. The easy path is not always the right path. Personal responsibility: At the end of the day, it is vital for everyone, regardless of their position or job, to make a personal commitment to safety.
Episode Summary: Today, we once again speak with Rich Gallo, the Founder and CEO of Pure Swim Inc., a second-generation swimming pool maintenance and repair company based out of Valencia, CA. As we emerge from the pandemic, Rich looks back on how Pure Swim was able to continue to thrive in spite of the many challenges that the last two years presented. He also talks about changes across the industry in general, such as the explosion of demand for pools as the work-from-home culture became the norm. Rich explains the importance of understanding the new economy (ex. inflation) in order to stay ahead of common “chokeholds” and limiting beliefs that hold many business owners back. He also discusses why every business owner needs to have structure so that they do not get derailed both when chasing new opportunities or navigating times of hardship. He goes on to add that it pays to have a roadmap for the future; otherwise, you risk wasting your potential for growth. Finally, Rich speaks on his upcoming apprenticeship program and gives his general thoughts on mentoring the next generation of business owners and tradespeople, all the while expressing gratitude for an industry that has grown to be more transparent and collaborative over the decades. Topics Discussed: 01:06 - How Pure Swim emerged from the pandemic 07:10 - The importance of understanding the current economy 12:02 - Breaking free from common business owner chokeholds 22:49 - The current state of the industry 29:21 - Modeling your business for growth 32:00 - Selling the benefit of your company 38:36 - Charging what you’re worth 49:18 - Having a roadmap for the next couple of years 57:30 - Rich’s upcoming projects Sponsors: Skimmer Leslie’s Primate Connect with Guest: Website Instagram Facebook Resources Mentioned The Road Less Stupid by Keith Cunningham PSATC Apprenticeship Program Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: What’s happened over the past two years is a shift in demand of people wanting and needing a swimming pool, and how much the home has become a sanctuary and an escape from everything. If you don’t have structure, opportunity turns to chaos. When you see an absence of fulfillment with achievement, that’s a major problem. We know we’re the best. We know we can be the best. But we have to take a step back and always think about how we can be better. Whether you’re a single guy with five pools or a guy that has 500 customers, every company should always sell the benefit of them in their backyard. As souls, we’re all equal. We just differ widely in the marketplace as business persons.
Episode Summary: Today’s special episode is the June edition of our “News & Notes” series, in partnership with Pool Pro Magazine. After touching on the most interesting pool-related news of the month, Megan goes over recent industry news and the first quarter annual reports for Fluidra and Latham. Finally, Megan shares Pool Pro Mag’s newest article by Katie Crysdale, “End-Capping the Pool Experience”. Topics Discussed: 03:13 - Madison Pool Equipment Fire 04:25 - Good Samaritan rescues driver 05:56 - Lifeguard shortage 07:55 - $100,000+ pool donated to a grandma 10:01 - Pool Noodle Fight 13:32 - Hayward moves to NC 14:51 - Ultra Pool Care Squad signs first two franchisees 16:03 - POOLCORP A Splash of Joy 16:51 - Pool Troopers acquisitions 17:17 - CamerEye meets ASTM F2208-08 standards 18:12 - Leslie’s learn to swim program 18:28 - Jandy TruDose Chemical Controller 20:24 - Olympic Hot Tub Event 21:20 - Industry movers and shakers 21:54 - Fluidra and Latham’s quarterly earnings report 23:16 - Pool Pro’s story, “End-Capping the Pool Experience” 26:20 - Get access to Pool Pro Magazine Connect with Guest: Website Instagram Facebook Twitter Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon
Episode Summary: In this edition of Business Tip of the Month, we’re joined by NPP’s President of Texas Hal Denbar. Listen in as Hal breaks down the important but often misunderstood distinction between making a profit and paying yourself as a business owner. He also explains the advantages of having an accountant and how to build a healthy pool business using the profit-first model. Topics Discussed: 01:14 - Defining the problem 02:37 - Profit versus owner’s salary 04:29 - The advantages of having an accountant 05:12 - Misconceptions around profit and salary 07:18 - Making it a habit to check your numbers 10:57 - Using the profit-first model 15:55 - Determining how much to pay yourself 18:18 - What counts as a “healthy” pool business 20:32 - The consequences of failing to grasp the differences Connect with Guest: Website Facebook LinkedIn Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: The owner’s salary, ideally, should be something that the owner specifies for themselves as a W-2 salary that’s realistic. We don’t often take the time to look at our numbers in a true business sense, not just in a tax sense. The profit-first model encourages you to determine how much profit you want out of your business, then to build your business around achieving that level of profitability. If you want to be a healthy business in this industry, you should be looking for a 10-20% profit margin.
Episode Summary: Today, we sit down once again with AquaStar Pool Products COO Todd Pieri and Director of Science and Compliance Steve Barnes. Founded in 2000, AquaStar grew to become a vertically-integrated company that offers a variety of products such as spa jets and fittings, skimmers, ozonators, chlorinators, cleaners, and—as we talk about at length in today’s episode—pipeline filters. Our guests reveal what sets AquaStar’s filters apart from the competition, outperforming units twice it's size and making pool ownership easy with its intuitive design. They also speak on upcoming products in the company’s pipeline. Topics Discussed: 01:12 - About the pipeline filter and its competitive advantage 07:35 - ANSI pool standards for operation and maintenance 13:08 - The filter’s NSF testing data 19:48 - Features and benefits 32:51 - How often to clean the filter 34:55 - AquaStar’s rep coverage 37:46 - Upcoming products in the pipeline Sponsors: AquaStar Pool Products Skimmer Leslie’s Primate Pool Tools Connect with Guest: Website Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: What does the label say on the filter that you’re servicing or going to replace? Compare that to what your pool operating flow rates are, and select a filter based on that, because a lot of these giant filters have no higher flow rating and that’s why we open them up and find them half-clean. ~Steve You cannot ignore basic hydraulics. The hydraulics are the hydraulics, and we’ve made a unit superior relative to size than anybody else out there at this point. ~Todd Everything AquaStar focuses on is, “What is it like to own this product?” ~Todd Our goal is to make the pool industry successful and pool ownership easy. ~Todd
Episode Summary: Today, we speak with Jody Underhill of Rapid Hire Pro, a digital marketing agency that focuses solely on recruiting for home service companies. Jody discusses the unique challenge of getting your ad seen, encouraging business owners to take care in making sure that the ad is visible across all relevant high-traffic platforms. As he explains, Rapid Hire Pro’s nurture sequence offers a frictionless experience to job seekers who click on their ads, helping them reach the point where they can make the most informed decision possible. He goes on to talk about why it has become so difficult to hire technicians across the board lately. He addresses the efficacy of performance pay, the difference between recruiting and hiring, and what it means to provide a career versus a job. Jody also speaks on what causes employees to leave, and how you can fine-tune your business—especially when it comes to the pay, culture, life balance, and other benefits that you offer—in order to attract A-players to your company. Topics Discussed: 01:03 - An introduction to Jody and Rapid Hire Pro 07:42 - How Rapid Fire Pro seamlessly guides job seekers 15:49 - Why it is so difficult to hire technicians 17:47 - Performance pay done right 25:50 - Recruiting versus hiring 32:19 - Providing a career versus providing a job 33:20 - Why employees leave their company 36:33 - Why it is so difficult the hire from job boards 44:43 - The speed of the recruiting process 47:29 - What A-players typically look for in a company 52:02 - Compensation, insurance, benefits, etc. 53:24 - About the company’s ridealong forms 54:52 - The most common mistakes employers make Sponsors: Skimmer Leslie’s Primate Pool Tools Connect with Guest: Website Facebook YouTube LinkedIn Resources Mentioned Go For No Monday.com Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: We find that over 74% of job seekers are what are referred to as “passive job seekers”, meaning that they’re not actively going on job boards. They’re seeing a job as they’re scrolling through social media. They didn’t go looking for it. Simply making the request for a response changes how many people show up for an interview. As long as you’re providing the best service and the best solution, you have an unlimited upside potential. Do not institute performance pay if you have not done sales training with your team. They need to understand how to sell these upgrades and how to do it in such a way that the clients or the customers feel that they’re doing them a favor by sharing the solution with them. Recruiting is bringing the leads and qualifying them. Hiring is when you decide to give them an offer letter. Time kills deals and time kills candidates.
Episode Summary: Today’s special episode is the May edition of our “News & Notes” series, in partnership with Pool Pro Magazine. After touching on the most interesting pool-related news of the month, Megan goes over recent industry news and the first quarter annual report. Finally, Megan calls for new faces to be featured on Pool Pro Mag’s 30 Under 40 and talks about their new story, “Safety is Always in Season”. Topics Discussed: 05:59 - Jury awards $17.5 million to widow 07:57 - Berlin to reduce pool temperatures 08:46 - Charlotte Sanddal 500 Freestyle 09:47 - Boy gifted the pool of his dreams 11:16 - Woman saves son from drowning mid-plunge 14:03 - Pinch A Penny store opens in Davenport, FL 14:30 - (NPC) now offers their course in Spanish 15:16 - Skimmer expands support for Colin's Hope 15:57 - Rowdy Gaines win NDPA President's Award 16:32 - Marquis grant 1000th wish 17:23 - AquaStar hires Devin Cahn Associates 18:18 - Bob Moore retires from the hot tub industry 18:56 - Phil Leslie passes away at 87 19:48 - First quarter annual report 20:52 - Get featured in Pool Pro Magazine’s 30 Under 40 23:15 - Pool Pro’s story, “Safety is Always in Season” Connect with Guest: Website Instagram Facebook Twitter Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Resources Mentioned: In the News Jury Awards $17.5 Million in Bayshore Boulevard Lawsuit Berlin Reduces Pool Temp 99-Year Old Charlotte Sanddal 500 Freestyle 12-Year Old Boy Gifted Pool of Dreams Woman Saves Son From Drowning Industry News Pinch a Penny New Store Skimmer Expands Support for Colin’s Hope Rowdy Gains wins NDPA President’s Award Marquis and Make-A-Wish Partnership Bob Moore Retires Phil Leslie Passes Away at 87 First Quarter Earnings Reports Hayward Pentair Leslie’s POOLCORP PoolPro Article 30 Under 40 Nominations Safety is Always in Season
Episode Summary: Today, we speak with Nick Ghiz and Jim Goettl of PUL Products. Nick and Jim have a clear passion for and purpose to what they do, both being sons of successful men in the pool business: Nick (son of Lewis “Buzz” Ghiz) hails from a generation of keen entrepreneurs while Jim comes from a line of highly creative product developers and innovators (his father John has over 100 patents in the pool industry). The pair do a deep dive into the disruptive products offered by PUL Products, particularly the PUL Conekt, which takes inspiration from tried-and-true in-floor pool cleaning solutions and incorporates current technologies to help their products stand above the noise. Unlike most in-floor cleaning systems that use a one-size-fits-all design, PUL Products offers technology that “contours” to your individual pool. Listen in as they share how both dealers and homeowners can benefit from PUL Products’ in-floor system customer portal and how they intend to continue innovating in this space like their fathers before them Topics Discussed: 01:05 - An introduction to Nick and Jim 04:55 - About PUL Products 09:11 - The capabilities of the app 14:18 - Disrupting the in-floor pool cleaning space 16:42 - Addressing the most common in-floor concerns 24:24 - Innovating for dealers via the customer portal 37:19 - How the homeowner benefits 42:42 - A description of each component of the product 47:25 - The future of PUL Products 53:51 - Upholding their family’s legacy Sponsors: Skimmer Leslie’s Lyon Financial Connect with Guest: Website Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: [Our products] take the heritage of what’s worked extremely well in in-floor pool cleaning and what’s been tested over decades, but really bringing it up to current technology and leapfrogging what’s out in the market right now. ~Jim Even the very best in-floor systems in the market have been largely the same in the last 25 years. There really hasn’t been any technology advancement at all. So, while this seems like an enormous leapfrog in technology in what our system can do, it’s really bringing it up to what current standards are in the swimming pool industry. ~Jim In-floor was never able to be sold as a true cleaning system because it’s randomized and it’s not a cleaning system—it’s just agitation. So, I think the main concern with in-floor prior to PUL Connect and PUL Products was that in-floor was really just an agitation system. It’s a decent way to clean the pool, but it’s not the very best way to clean the pool. ~Nick With our competitors, it’s cookie-cutter—it’s one-size-fits-all. With us, your pool is customized for you. ~Nick We believe that in-floor is a very interactive process with the builder, and it has to be highly supported. We believe that we can do that better than anybody in the market because this is all we do. ~Jim Whoever thinks they’re the best at everything is the first guy that’s going to fail. ~Nick
Episode Summary: In this edition of Business Tip of the Month, we’re joined by Harry Geller, former Co-Owner of Magnolia Pool and Spa and current Vice President of Human Resources for National Pool Partners. Listen in as Harry describes the different elements that make up company culture and how to optimize yours in order to cultivate a sense of belonging among your team members. He also shares how to properly and continuously communicate culture to your employees, even in such cases as company mergers. Topics Discussed: 02:07 - Why company culture is so important 04:15 - Cultivating a sense of belonging 05:16 - Creating a great company culture 08:26 - Communicating culture to your people 09:40 - How culture can maximize performance 12:02 - Maintaining a solid and consistent culture 13:52 - Books on building company culture Connect with Guest: Website Facebook LinkedIn Connect with Pool Chasers: Website Instagram Facebook Facebook Group Twitter YouTube Patreon Key Quotes from Episode: Culture is culture. How you design culture really makes a huge difference in the organization. Company culture is the foundation for what the company will ultimately accomplish. The model of culture really starts at the top [of the organization]. The biggest thing for communicating culture is to demonstrate; to live it every day; to talk about it.