The Pool Pros Podcast

Ryan Flannery helped build a pool company from zero to 700 accounts in just 18 months—without buying routes. The primary growth engine was paid advertising, and in this episode he breaks down the marketing and sales playbook behind that growth. 

We cover:

• Google Ads vs. Meta Ads for pool companies
• Why some pool markets are much harder to grow in
• Using video and the owner’s face to lower lead costs
• What makes a pool service ad actually convert
• Why Ryan prefers price anchoring over discounts
• Speed-to-lead and why most companies follow up too slowly
• When to hire a dedicated salesperson
• The follow-up cadence Ryan recommends
• Automation vs. human sales follow-up
• Turning old leads into new customers

If you want to grow your pool route organically instead of relying solely on acquisitions, Ryan lays out a highly tactical approach to generating—and actually closing—more leads.

Off the Deep End Pool Service has grown to 650 maintenance customers—and now the goal is to build a company that can thrive without depending on its owners. Angie Reinhardt shares how they’re creating the systems, team, and structure to make that happen. 

We cover:

• Creating career paths that retain great technicians
• Using objective testing and performance reviews
• Compensation, commissions, bonuses, and employee benefits
• Building maintenance and repair departments
• Managing overhead while continuing to grow
• The KPIs Angie watches every week
• Using route density to improve efficiency
• Identifying more repair opportunities
• Building systems that replace the owners
• Creating a business that can eventually be passed down or sold

If you want to build a pool company that operates like a real business—not just a job that depends on you—this episode is packed with practical ideas. 

Tom Walsh left a 20-year corporate IT career, bought a 72-pool route, and eventually built Integrity Pool Service to 500 accounts. His approach isn't growth at all costs—it's building a simple, efficient, profitable company that can eventually operate without him. 

We cover:

• Going from single-pooler to building a team
• Getting through the difficult "toddler stage" of growth
• Buying small routes at attractive multiples
• Targeting acquisitions that improve route density
• Transitioning acquired customers and raising prices
• Why repairs now generate nearly half of company revenue
• Flat-rate repair pricing and margin targets
• Hourly technician compensation and guaranteed hours
• Using a warehouse to improve operational efficiency
• Building the business into a retirement asset

If you're trying to grow beyond the owner-operator stage without unnecessarily complicating the business, Tom offers a practical blueprint for doing it.

Parker Conley and I are both newcomers to the pool industry—but we’re approaching it from very different angles. He’s building pool service software with Pool Dial, while I’m acquiring and operating pool companies with Best Day Pools. 

In this episode, we compare notes on:

• Why we both chose the pool industry
• Building a business without a technical pool background
• The opportunity for better software in pool service
• Why Nashville is an attractive market for pool companies
• Acquiring routes vs. growing organically
• Hiring and building a strong technician culture
• What makes the pool business attractive to entrepreneurs
• The advantages of being an outsider to an established industry
• Why there’s no single “right” way to build a pool company

If you’re new to the pool industry—or considering jumping in—this is a candid conversation about what we’re learning, what we still don’t know, and why we’re both betting on the industry.

Brian Cox has quietly built one of the most impressive pool service businesses in Alabama—not by chasing acquisitions, but by creating exceptional systems and executing them consistently. Today, Blue Water Pool Service manages more than 450 weekly pools while running a highly organized operation built around quality, efficiency, and custom software. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Growing to 450+ pools without buying competitors
• Why premium pricing beats competing on price
• The 4-day workweek for technicians
• Hiring for character over experience
• Technician bonus structures that actually work
• The importance of the first 6 months of the customer experience
• Building custom software (“Flow”) to run the business
• Margin targets every operator should know
• When to invest in systems—and when not to

Brian also shares why many owners build sophisticated systems too early and what he would do differently if starting over today. 

Rich O’Neill has built one of the most technology-forward pool companies in the country by combining acquisitions, automation, AI, and creative marketing systems.

In this episode, we explore how Happy Pools uses technology to generate leads, improve customer experience, and help technicians work more efficiently. 

We discuss:

• Growing through acquisitions and seller financing
• Why Google Local Service Ads outperform other channels
• Automated postcard campaigns for new homeowners
• Instant online pricing and AI-powered lead capture
• GoHighLevel and Pool Brain integrations
• Using AI voice agents after hours
• Customer sentiment tracking with AI
• Technician tools and AI troubleshooting assistants
• When to build custom software—and when not to
• Turning internal systems into a SaaS product

Rich shares a practical look at how AI is already changing pool service operations—and where operators can use it today to save time and grow faster. 

Gianluca Carella entered the pool industry with no technical background, scaled a company to nearly 900 pools in just over a year, and then sold the business before pivoting into software. 

In this conversation, Gianluca shares the marketing, operational, and leadership strategies that fueled that rapid growth.

We discuss:

• Scaling from startup to nearly 900 pools
• Why acquisitions can become a bottleneck
• Building a premium brand instead of competing on price
• Meta Ads vs. Google Ads for pool companies
• The “Free Month” offer that converted customers
• Reducing churn through better onboarding
• Growing repair revenue proactively
• Why customer lifetime value changes marketing decisions
• Building Splash to replace disconnected pool software
• Creating Pool Service Academy to elevate the industry

If you’re trying to grow quickly while building a business that’s valuable at exit, this episode is packed with practical ideas. 

Craig Sears has spent decades building one of the Southeast’s leading commercial pool management companies, and many of the lessons apply just as well to residential operators.

In this episode, we discuss professionalism, pricing, specialization, and why raising industry standards benefits everyone. 

We discuss:

• Residential vs. commercial pool service
• Why specialization creates better businesses
• Building trust through professionalism
• Flat-rate pricing for repairs
• Creating scalable pricing systems
• The importance of insurance and risk management
• Hiring and retaining seasonal employees
• Why continuing education matters
• Working with HOAs and commercial clients
• Raising the reputation of the pool industry

Craig also shares why trying to serve every customer often limits growth—and why the best companies choose a lane and become exceptional at it. 

Most pool companies don’t have a lead problem—they have a marketing and sales process problem.

Garrett Preston joins me to discuss the marketing systems, sales strategies, and operational decisions that help pool businesses grow. From Google Business Profiles and Local Service Ads to customer retention and lead nurturing, this episode is packed with practical advice for operators looking to add accounts consistently.  

We discuss:

• Why Google Business Profiles outperform most marketing channels
• Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads
• The importance of long-term lead nurturing
• Converting more estimates into customers
• Why technical expertise beats high-pressure sales tactics
• Building a marketing foundation before spending on ads
• Standardizing service across acquired routes
• Chemical markups and profitability
• Hiring and training technicians
• Common mistakes operators make when scaling

Garrett also shares lessons from building, growing, and ultimately selling his own pool company—and what he wishes he knew earlier.  

Buying a pool route is one thing. Successfully integrating it is something entirely different.

Mikenzie Ryan has spent years helping scale pool businesses through acquisitions, including the integration of routes involving hundreds of accounts at a time. In this episode, she shares practical lessons on customer retention, team integration, systems, and operational growth.  

We discuss:

• The first 30–60 days after an acquisition
• How to minimize customer churn during transitions
• Managing relationships with selling owners
• Retaining top technicians and leaders
• Creating incentives that actually drive performance
• Why transparency matters during change
• Building SOPs that support growth
• Scaling beyond 100 pools without chaos
• Leadership lessons from private-equity-backed operations
• Aligning systems, people, and culture during growth

If you’re buying routes—or planning to—this episode provides a practical roadmap for successful integrations.