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

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 

 

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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

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 
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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

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 

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 
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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 

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

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 

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