OVERVIEW

As a pool technician and business owner in Southern California, Brandon Reed spends day in and day out at your neighbors’ swimming pool. But he’s not just lounging around, nor does he deserve to be referred to as simply “the pool guy”. Brandon has become a master in all things pool-related - from building, installing remodeling, maintaining, and repairing pool equipment. This fascinating profession requires a jack-of-all-trades, borrowing skills from electricians, plumbers, construction, and more to serve America’s favorite and often overlooked home luxury. Listen in as Jeremy sits down with Brandon to learn the ins and outs of owning a business in the pool industry, building and repairing pools, how he found his career, and much more.

ABOUT BRANDON

Shortly after graduating high school, Brandon started working for his father’s HVAC company for much of his early adulthood. However, during the housing market crash in the late-2000’s, business began to dwindle significantly as crucial accounts sought ways to cut costs. With a career change already in mind, he met a family friend one day, who was making ends meet in the pool business. One thing led to another and Brandon found himself cleaning pools, and eventually building them from scratch.

“So I talked to that guy for a little bit and next thing I knew I was working for him, you know, low wages, I wasn't making anything but to me, which is fun, learning a new trade. And then from there, it just went from hanging out with that guy for a little bit then all of a sudden, that same guy, his name was Robert we started building pools together.”

Over the years, Brandon has become a master of all things pool-related. Applying elements from several trades, he often finds himself doing plumbing, HVAC, construction, and electrician work all at once. He is on the job 365-days a year as a pool technician and business owner based in the sunny state of California. Compared to HVAC work, Brandon has found that being a self-employed pool technician is a significantly higher maintenance trade.

“When I install a five ton condenser unit I'm not seeing that customer again for another five or 10 years. With a pool I'm seeing my customers every four to six months because there's constantly always something breaking and there's always something going on”

Working through the pandemic, Brandon has also experienced an unprecedented boom in the pool industry due to families quarantining and dumping money into their at-home environment.

“Yeah, the pandemic happened. And I'm going okay, I'm gonna have to go back in the air conditioner or something because you know, in my opinion, people are gonna be smart, we're gonna save money because they don't know what's going to happen. And the exact thing opposite happened. People stayed home, they didn't know what to do with their kids, so everybody wanted a pool now.”

Transitioning as a worker in his father’s company to a business owner himself, Brandon has gained context over the years for being self-employed. Having now experienced both sides of the same coin, he can now understand many of the struggles his father went through.

“I could see a lot of things that he had to go through now that I'm on the other end of the stick as well… it's not as easy and the grass isn't always greener. On the other side, it's a lot of stress. Owning any type of business, in any industry by yourself, man, you feel like you got to constantly be working, because you don't know if there's going to be more work.”

From working in HVAC as a young adult, to learning a completely new trade and making a business out of it, Brandon has brought himself to the forefront of the pool industry through a mix of trial-and-error, experience, and hard work.