In episode 286 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesus is joined by co-hosts John “JJ Flawless” and Zac “The Pool Boy” Nicholas for a powerful, honest conversation about training, readiness, and real-world skill development in the pool industry.

With trade show season, boot camps, and certifications ramping up, the guys break down the difference between consuming information and being truly prepared to execute in the field. They explore why watching videos and attending classes feels productive—but often falls short when real-life variables, customers, and safety risks enter the picture.

You’ll hear why:

Information alone doesn’t equal competence

Pools are one of the most challenging environments to learn in

Repetition, practice, and hands-on training matter more than ever

“Figuring it out on the fly” has been normalized—and why that’s a problem

The right education now leads to fewer mistakes, more confidence, and more time with your family later

This episode is a must-listen for pool service techs, repair techs, builders, retailers, and business owners who want to stop guessing, sharpen their skills, and approach training with the right mindset in 2026.

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

Big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Pool Pros and helping us keep the education and conversations rolling:

In episode 285 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesús sits down with leadership expert Leanne De Jesús for an in-depth conversation on how pool business owners, service techs, retailers, and builders can grow without burning out, falling behind, or constantly starting over.

What is upskilling?

In the pool industry, upskilling can look like:

Developing leadership and people-management skills

Improving pricing, financial clarity, and decision-making

Learning new equipment, technology, and automation

Building sales and customer communication skills

Training your team so the business doesn’t rely only on you

Reskilling, on the other hand, is learning an entirely new role or function — like moving from service into building, retail, or management.

Throughout this episode, Edgar and Leanne break down why most frustration, burnout, and leadership struggles aren’t people problems — they’re skill gaps. They also explain why access to information alone doesn’t create better leaders, and how structure, mentorship, and intentional learning are what actually drive growth.

Whether you’re a one-truck operator or scaling a multi-location business, this conversation will help you:

Understand when to upskill vs when to reskill

Recognize early signs of burnout and stagnation

Build stronger leaders and more accountable teams

Create growth without chaos

Shift from operator thinking to owner thinking

This episode isn’t about working harder — it’s about thinking differently so your business can grow with clarity and control.

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

A huge thank you to our visionary partners who make Pool Nation education possible:

SPPA – 

US Motors (Nidec) – 

Blu-Ray XL – 

AquaStar Pool Products – 

Natural Chemistry – 

Raypak –

Hayward Pool Products – 

Your support helps us continue to educate, elevate, and strengthen the pool industry.

In episode 284 of the Pool Nation Podcast, we sit down with Rocco Russo, the 2025 Pool Nation Trainer of the Year, to break down what it really takes to become an elite pool professional.

Rocco shares his journey from the HVAC and mechanical trades into the pool industry, how early failures shaped his career, and why confidence, training, and preparation are the true differentiators between average techs and top performers. This is not just a conversation about equipment — it’s about mindset, leadership, and professionalism in the pool service and repair industry.

We dig deep into:

Why most pool techs undervalue themselves

How proper training builds confidence and profitability

The parallels between HVAC, mechanical systems, and modern pool equipment

Why calling tech support is a strength — not a weakness

How trainers and manufacturers can elevate the entire industry together

Whether you’re a new pool tech, a seasoned repair pro, or a business owner trying to level up your team, this episode delivers insight you can apply immediately.

👉 If you care about doing the job right, charging what you’re worth, and building a sustainable pool business, this is a must-listen episode.

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

This episode is brought to you by our Pool Nation Visionary Sponsors, who continue to support education, training, and growth in the pool industry:

SPPA (Swimming Pool Pro Alliance)

Blu-Ray XL

AquaStar Pool Products

Natural Chemistry

Raypak

Heritage Pool Supply

Hayward Pool Products

PoolSide Tech

Pool Brain

Nidec / U.S. Motors

We appreciate your continued commitment to elevating pool professionals across the country.

Pool Nation Podcast Episode 283, a special “best of” style episode packed with real conversations, pool industry insights, and business lessons for pool service, repair, and retail pros.

Edgar, John “JJ Flawless,” and Zac “the Pool Boy” kick things off with a quick reset for the new year, including Edgar’s recap from the BioGuard (BioLab) retailer conference in Tulum, Mexico, plus what Pool Pros should focus on as the season ramps up.

From there, this compilation jumps into some of the most talked-about topics in the industry: marketing and branding, algae prevention and green pool recovery, a full backyard and pool giveaway, and the legal side of hiring and HR that most pool companies struggle to navigate. The episode wraps with a fun behind-the-scenes conversation with Pool Pro Magazine about creativity, industry trends, and what it takes to produce standout content in the pool world.

If you want a single episode that covers pool business growth, pool marketing, algae troubleshooting, hiring compliance, and industry community, this one delivers.

00:00:00 Welcome to Pool Nation + January reset, season ramp-up, and BioGuard conference recap in Tulum

00:05:00 Crystal Rael (SMP + Ultra Lift): marketing, branding foundations, and leading two companies

00:16:00 Alicia Stephens: why algae is worse this year, chlorine costs, prevention strategy, and treatment approaches

00:33:00 Sponsor break

00:43:00 Josh Sherwood: his story in business and the backyard + pool giveaway (how nominations work)

00:53:00 Leanne: HR and the legal side of hiring, compliance resources, and how to protect your business decisions

01:03:00 Sponsor break

01:07:00 Megan Kendrick (Pool Pro Magazine): behind-the-scenes content creation, industry trends, and the shoot stories

01:14:40 Closing message + where to find Pool Nation, Pool Invoice, and Pool Man University

Big thank you to our sponsors for supporting Pool Pros and helping us keep the education and conversations rolling:

In Episode 282 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar breaks down why financial clarity—not activity—is what actually creates control in your pool business. If you’ve ever felt stressed, overwhelmed, or unsure why your business feels heavy even when it’s growing, this episode will hit home.

Edgar explains the illusion of control that many pool pros live in and walks through the three numbers every pool business owner must know to build a stable, profitable operation:

This episode is designed specifically for January, when pool businesses finally have breathing room to slow down, think clearly, and make intentional decisions before the busy season hits. Edgar shares real-world lessons from his own journey—from running routes himself to scaling a business—and explains why avoiding your numbers doesn’t eliminate problems, it only delays them.

If you’re serious about building a pool business that pays you, protects you, and doesn’t rely on constant hustle to survive, this episode will help you reset how you think about money, growth, and leadership in 2026.

🎯 This episode is for:

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

🤝 Thank You to Our Sponsors

A huge thank you to the visionary partners who make the Pool Nation Podcast possible:

Your continued support helps Pool Nation deliver real-world education, business clarity, and leadership insights to pool pros across the industry.

In Episode 281 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesus dives into a topic most pool business owners aren’t prepared for - what really happens after you raise your prices.

You’ve done the hard part. You ran the numbers. You sent the email. You raised your rates.

This episode focuses on the first 90 days after a price increase, breaking down the emotional, financial, and leadership shifts pool pros experience during this critical window. Edgar explains why post-increase anxiety is normal, how to avoid self-sabotage, and how understanding your true cost per pool transforms pricing from an emotional decision into a leadership strategy.

You’ll learn why losing a few customers isn’t failure, how margin creates stability (not just profit), and how aligned pricing leads to calmer leadership, better customers, and a stronger business long-term.

If you’re a pool service owner, repair pro, or business operator who wants to raise prices with confidence and keep control of your business after you do - this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Topics include:

The psychology of pricing after you hit “send”

Why silence after a rate increase feels dangerous (but isn’t)

The difference between emotional vs intentional pricing

Understanding true cost per pool and margin protection

Why fewer pools can actually mean more profit

How pricing affects leadership, stress, and customer retention

What to do with new margin (and what NOT to do)

Why strong businesses wait 90 days before reacting

This episode is part of the Pool Nation Winter Business Series and is designed to help pool pros stop surviving — and start leading.

Pool Nation 27th Dec Episode Tr…

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

01:10 – Today’s Topic: You Raised Your Prices… Now What?

03:40 – Why the Silence After a Price Increase Feels So Uncomfortable

06:30 – Intentional Pricing vs Emotional Pricing

10:05 – Fear Source #1: Being Underpaid for Too Long

12:00 – Fear Source #2: Emotional Attachment to Customers

14:30 – Fear Source #3: Equating Customer Loss With Failure

17:00 – Why Margin Is Protection, Not Extra Money

20:10 – Understanding True Cost Per Pool

24:00 – Why One Billing Cycle Never Tells the Whole Story

28:00 – Sponsor Break

31:30 – Real Customer Behavior After Price Increases

35:00 – Filtering vs Losing Customers

38:20 – Why Better Customers Matter More Than More Customers

42:00 – How Aligned Pricing Changes Leadership

46:00 – What To Do With Your New Margin

52:30 – Leadership, Strategy, and Long-Term Pricing Reviews

59:00 – Final Thoughts & 2026 Outlook

A huge thank you to our Visionary Partners for supporting the Pool Nation Podcast and the pool pro community:

SPPA (Swimming Pool Pro Alliance)

Blu-Ray XL

AquaStar Pool Products

Natural Chemistry

Raypak

Heritage Pool Supply

Hayward Pool Products

PoolSide Tech

Pool Brain

US Motors / Nidec

Your continued support helps Pool Nation deliver real education, real tools, and real results for pool professionals everywhere.

In episode 280 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesus is joined by co-host Zach “The Pool Boy” Nicholas for Part 5 of the Winter Business Series, where they break down one of the hardest decisions pool service business owners face: how to raise prices with confidence — without losing customers.

Raising prices can feel uncomfortable, emotional, and risky — especially when you’ve worked hard to build your route. Edgar and Zach walk through the real math, the mental hurdles, and the practical strategies pool pros need to protect their margins, improve profitability, and build a sustainable business in today’s changing economy.

You’ll learn:

Why waiting to raise prices actually makes it harder later

How to communicate price increases clearly and professionally

What customers really care about (hint: it’s not just price)

Why losing a few low-margin accounts can actually grow your business

How profitability, consistency, and service quality drive customer retention

This episode is packed with real-world examples, mindset shifts, and actionable advice for pool service business owners who want to stop underpricing their work and start running a business that supports their life — not drains it.

👉 Next week: Edgar and Zach continue the conversation with a deep dive into customer retention and value-based service.

00:00 – Christmas intro & end-of-year reflection

01:30 – Why raising prices feels so uncomfortable for pool pros

05:45 – The hidden cost of not knowing your numbers

10:15 – When is the right time to raise prices?

14:30 – Why waiting actually makes price increases worse

20:00 – How to communicate price increases clearly and confidently

26:30 – What customer pushback really looks like

33:00 – Losing customers vs. building a healthier business

41:00 – Real-world math: fewer pools, more profit

48:00 – Handling common objections (“I can find someone cheaper”)

54:00 – Fixed-income customers & tough emotional decisions

59:00 – Why customers actually leave pool companies

1:05:30 – Final thoughts & preview of Part 6 (Customer Retention)

A huge thank you to our Pool Nation Podcast sponsors for supporting pool pros and helping us deliver real education to the industry:

SPPA (Swimming Pool Pro Alliance)

Blu-Ray XL

AquaStar Pool Products

Natural Chemistry

Raypak

Heritage Pool Supply

Hayward Pool Products

Poolside Tech

Pool Brain

Nidec / US Motors

Your continued support helps elevate education, professionalism, and profitability across the pool industry.

In episode 279 of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesus is joined by co-hosts Zach “The Pool Boy” Nicholas and John “JJ Flawless” for Part 4 of the Winning Business Series, diving deep into one of the most misunderstood — and most important — topics in the pool industry: profit margins.

This conversation goes far beyond “raise your prices.” Edgar and Zac break down why margin is the real indicator of business health, how to calculate your true cost per pool, and how to build pricing that actually supports growth, stability, and long-term success.

You’ll learn why dollar profit alone is fragile, how thin margins quietly destroy pool businesses, and how the Good / Better / Best pricing model can protect your margins while giving customers choice — especially in a market where consumer confidence is tightening.

The episode also covers:

How hidden leaks like drive time, chemical creep, and non-billable labor eat away at profits

Why knowing your numbers removes fear from price increases

How to prepare your routes and customers before raising rates

Why winter is the best time to fix your pricing for the year ahead

If you’re heading into 2026 without absolute clarity on your pricing, margins, and profitability, this episode is a must-listen for pool service owners, repair techs, and business leaders who want to stop guessing and start building intentionally.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps

[00:00:00] Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast & show intro

🙌 Thank You to Our Sponsors

A huge thank you to our visionary partners who make the Pool Nation Podcast possible:

SPPA (Swimming Pool Pro Alliance)

AquaStar Pool Products

Blu-Ray XL

Natural Chemistry

Raypak

Heritage Pool Supply

Hayward Pool Products

Poolside Tech

Pool Brain

Nidec / US Motors

Your continued support helps us bring real business education to pool pros everywhere.

In Episode 278 of Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar and Todd broadcast straight from the AquaStar Studio in Ventura, California, where they sit down with two incredible industry leaders: Michelle Watson (Shell’s Pool & Spa) and Max O’Brien (Ventura Pool Pro & IPSA Region 2 Officer).

In this powerful, conversation-driven episode, Michelle and Max open up about their journey as pool professionals, navigating growth, scaling challenges, commercial vs. residential service, hiring, California compliance, and the moment every pool pro faces — letting go and trusting a team.

Michelle shares how she built a thriving business, her passion for doing things the right way, and how she balances entrepreneurship with surfing three times a week. Max dives into his 24-year pool career, commercial expertise, IPSA leadership, and his unbelievable work with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Underwater Search & Rescue Team, including helicopter deployment training and real recovery missions.

This episode is full of leadership, inspiration, business insight, and a deep look at the people elevating the swimming pool industry every single day.

Perfect for pool pros who want to grow, lead, and take their business to the next level.

00:00 – Welcome to the Pool Nation Podcast

01:00 – Golden Ticket Event & First Laughs

03:00 – Edgar Discovers AquaStar’s Hidden Detail

05:00 – Shoutouts & Getting Started

05:30 – Introducing Michelle Watson

07:00 – Michelle’s Journey: From Solo Operator to Scaling a Team

10:00 – Residential vs. Commercial Pools

13:00 – Surfing, Balance & Burnout Prevention

16:00 – Family, Business & Raising Hard Workers

18:00 – The Psychology of Scaling a Pool Business

20:00 – Building a Model That Works Anywhere

23:00 – Introducing Max O’Brien

24:00 – How Max Got Into the Industry

26:00 – Operating a 130-Pool Service Company

28:00 – Max on Education, IPSA & Training the Next Generation

31:00 – Inside IPSA Ventura: The Most Active Chapter in California

34:00 – Tech-for-Tech Stories That Define the Industry

39:00 – Max’s Second Life: Underwater Search & Rescue

41:00 – Jumping Out of Helicopters

43:00 – Recoveries, Emotions & Mental Resilience

47:00 – Final Thoughts from Michelle & Max

50:00 – Closing Words from Edgar & Todd

A huge thank you to our amazing sponsors who make the Pool Nation Podcast possible and continue supporting education, innovation, and professionalism within the pool industry:

AquaStar Pool Products

Blu-Ray XL

Raypak

Poolside Tech – The Attendant

Heritage Pool Supply Group

Biolab

SPPA –

Pool Brain

Nidec

Your support helps us bring powerful stories and industry-changing conversations to pool pros everywhere.

In this episode of the Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar continues the Winter Business Series with Part 3: uncovering the hidden leaks that silently destroy profitability in your pool service business. If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than ever but your bank account doesn’t show it, this episode is for you.

Edgar breaks down five of the biggest hidden profit leaks in a pool route: drive time and windshield time, chemical creep (especially in summer), non-billable labor and callbacks, bad route design, and overlooked office and equipment costs like tires, brakes, laptops, phones, software, and printers. He walks through real-world examples using cost-per-pool and burdened labor rate so you can see exactly how “small” inefficiencies quietly erase thousands of dollars in profit every year.

You’ll learn how to tighten your routes, track true chemical costs per stop, factor in non-billable time, and build office/vehicle replacement cycles into your pricing so unexpected breakdowns don’t become financial emergencies. This episode sets you up for the next part of the series, where Edgar will dive into margins, good–better–best pricing, and how to build new rates for 2026 based on your real cost per pool.

Whether you’re just starting your pool route or you’re scaling with multiple trucks and techs, this is a must-listen if you want to price profitably, protect your margins, and avoid burnout.

[00:00:00] Intro & Welcome – Winter Business Series Part 3

[00:01:00] Recap of Cost-Per-Pool & Why Hidden Leaks Matter

[00:04:30] The “Invisible” Profit Killers in a Pool Service Business

[00:05:30] Hidden Leak #1 – Drive Time & Windshield Time vs. True Labor Cost

[00:13:30] Hidden Leak #2 – Chemical Creep, Summer Usage & Per-Stop Chem Costs

[00:20:30] Hidden Leak #3 – Non-Billable Labor, Callbacks & Burnout

[00:30:30] Sponsor Break

[00:34:30] Zach’s “Micro Tasks” Concept & How It Ties Into Profit Leaks

[00:36:00] Hidden Leak #4 – Bad Route Design & Route Density Fixes

[00:44:00] Hidden Leak #5 – Office, Trucks & Equipment Leaks (Tires, Brakes, Laptops, Phones, Software)

[00:56:00] Final Sponsor Break

[01:00:30] Final Thoughts, Next Episode Teaser & Encouragement for Pool Pros

[01:04:15] Outro – Pool Man University & Where to Learn More

A huge thank you to our visionary partners for supporting the Pool Nation Podcast and the Winter Business Series:

The SPPA – 

Blu-Ray XL – 

US Motors / Nidec – 

AquaStar Pool Products – 

Natural Chemistry – 

Raypak – 

Heritage Pool Supply

Hayward Pool Products –

Poolside Tech

Pool Brain

Thank you for your continued support of education and profitability for pool pros.