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  • Busy Doesn’t Mean Profitable: Put Down the Price Gun and Know Your Numbers

    Busy Doesn’t Mean Profitable: Put Down the Price Gun and Know Your Numbers
    2026/10/18

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    Link to The Pool Shop Coach’s ‘KNOW YOUR NUMBERS’ CALCULATOR : www.thepoolshopcoach.com.au/knowyournumbers

    Your shop is packed, the service trucks are rolling, and bags of salt are flying out the door. So why does the profit disappear?

    On this episode of Mondays Down Under on the Talking Pools Podcast, Lee Salisbury, The Pool Shop Coach, and Nick in Brisbane tackle the expenses quietly eating away at pool business profits. From merchant fees and surprise freight charges to fuel, wages, and electricity, those “little” costs can turn a busy season into a whole lot of work for very little return.

    The conversation kicks off with a spirited discussion about Australian card payment surcharges before getting into the bigger question: When did you last review your prices against what it actually costs to run your business?

    Lee explains why adding a few cents to your prices might fall short, how discounts take a bigger bite out of gross profit than owners realize, and why value-added offers deserve a closer look.

    In this episode:

    • Merchant fees and the hidden cost of getting paid.
    • Why a 10% discount can cut gross profit by 20% in the example discussed.
    • Markup versus margin—and why a 50% markup produces roughly a 33% gross margin.
    • Accounting for overhead, including a wage for the owner.
    • Using store incentives to encourage return visits.
    • Identifying products that may be losing money.
    • Why a healthy bank balance doesn’t necessarily mean a profitable business.
    • Preparing for summer with prices grounded in your actual costs.

    Featured resource: Lee introduces her free Know Your Numbers calculator, designed to help owners understand overhead and what each sale needs to contribute before the business earns a profit.

    The episode also opens with a heartfelt message of support for Shane and his family following the loss of his mum. Our love is with them.

    The takeaway: Before you sell another pallet of salt, make sure you know whether those bags are helping pay the bills—or adding to them.

    Sponsor: This episode is brought to you in part by Pool Brain, helping pool professionals run smarter, more efficient, and more profitable service businesses.

    Questions or topic suggestions? Email talkingpools@gmail.com.





    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
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    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    43 分
  • Fear of Facebook, Part 1: 14 PSI Says Enough Is Enough. Lincoln Reflecting Pool Failure Analysis

    Fear of Facebook, Part 1: 14 PSI Says Enough Is Enough. Lincoln Reflecting Pool Failure Analysis
    2026/10/16
    Ask a question hereOn this Floc It Friday episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz sits down with Shawn Davis and Dan Chiles, two former admins of 14 PSI Industry Lounge, for a candid conversation about toxic Facebook groups—and the responsibility that comes with helping shape their culture.But first, breaking news on the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The Washington Post reports that a contractor-commissioned inspection identified at least EIGHTY-FIVE failures in the pool’s new blue coating following its fourteen-point-seven-million-dollar renovation. In their October fourteenth investigation, reporters Meg Kelly, Klara Auerbach, and Amy Brittain describe buckling along eight of ten interior expansion joints, nearly forty blistered areas, and peeling in nearly two dozen locations. According to the inspection, contributing factors included materials unable to accommodate joint movement, possible application errors, and insufficient curing time. Photographs showed crews applying coating shortly before — and after — refilling began, despite a seventy-two-hour curing requirement. While President Trump and administration officials have repeatedly blamed vandals, The Post reports that this inspection did not identify vandalism as a cause of the coating failures. A separate Park Service assessment identified four locations where vandalism was considered possible. The Interior Department says the contractor is obligated to repair the pool, and the company has said repairs would be covered under warranty. The inspection’s central recommendations: Follow curing requirements and test coating products before application.The dark side of Facebook groups and an effort to correct courseYou came to ask about a pool repair. Somehow, you’re defending your intelligence, your business, and three generations of your family against a guy whose profile picture is a cartoon shark.Welcome to the comment section.Shawn and Dan acknowledge their own roles in an atmosphere that sometimes rewarded tearing people down. They discuss moving toward more education, better advice, and a community where pool professionals can contribute without preparing for a digital barroom brawl.The conversation gets uncomfortable, funny, and refreshingly direct. There’s still plenty of profanity. The question is whether we can keep the personality while putting down the virtual barstools.In this episode:When roasting shuts down learning: Why knowledgeable professionals stop posting and valuable experience stays hidden in private messages.Community versus combat: The friendships and professional support the group has fostered alongside its rough reputation.Taking responsibility: Recognizing harmful behavior, discussing apologies, and acknowledging moderation decisions that went too far—or didn’t go far enough.Generational differences: How language, expectations, and humor collide online.Lost in translation: Why the sarcasm you hear in your head can land very differently on someone else’s screen.Correcting dangerous advice: Bringing qualified voices into a discussion without making someone afraid to learn.The hardest three words: Why “I was wrong” might do more for the industry than banning every F-bomb.Doing versus teaching: Whether being skilled at pool work automatically makes someone qualified to teach it.The takeaway: Pool professionals should be able to ask questions, challenge advice, and admit mistakes without becoming the afternoon’s entertainment. Education works better when people are willing to participate.Tune in next Friday for part two and the conclusion of Fear of Facebook. It’s time to leave the barroom brawl and dive deep into education.Also featuredA reminder from our mental health episode: the people answering calls and taking care of everyone else sometimes need support themselves. If you missed that conversation, go back and listen. You are allowed to have help.Music credits🎵 “How Life Goes” — Wendy LucasUsed with permission. Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your music with Talking Pools.Listen to “How Life Goes” on Spotify.🎵 “Kings and Queens of the Game” — Rick Stone of Lion Heart PoolsAI music credit to Rick Stone. Thank you for contributing music celebrating the pool professionals who keep this industry moving.Sponsor appreciationThank you to PoolBrain, Service Industry News, BlueRay XL, AquaStar, and Jack’s Magic, featured in this episode.We also recognize our 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Mentor Award sponsors: Title Sponsors BlueRay XL and United Chemical; Gold Sponsor LaMotte; Silver Sponsor Revved Up Apparel; and Supporting Sponsor AquaComfort Water Group.Content note: Explicit language and discussion of online bullying, PTSD, grief, and mental health. Support the showThank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:FacebookInstagramTik TokEmail us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    42 分
  • Popped Pools, Leaking Profits & the Commercial Account From Hell

    Popped Pools, Leaking Profits & the Commercial Account From Hell
    2026/10/15

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    Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne
    Hosts: Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich
    Insurance Interlude Guest: Pat Grignon

    That commercial pool account looks impressive on your client list—but is it making you money, or slowly eating your business alive?

    Steve and Wayne dig into the realities of commercial pool service: unpredictable chemical demand, marathon equipment-room visits, failing valves, and bids that leave customers wondering why you charge so much. Steve explains why pricing a hotel pool like a backyard account can turn a big opportunity into a very expensive mistake.

    In this week’s Insurance Interlude, Pat Grignon joins Steve to discuss pool pop-ups, chemical spills, acid-wash damage, and what happens when a claim exceeds the coverage available. Steve also shares a balancing-tank disaster from earlier in his career—a story involving a missed valve, a flooded equipment room, and one deeply uncomfortable meeting.

    Then it’s back to leak detection, a historic hotel’s relentless equipment problems, and the business skill that keeps showing up in every conversation: communicating before a frustrated customer starts shopping for your replacement.

    In this episode:

    • Commercial bidding: Accounting for labor, travel around large properties, chemical use, and the residential work you could complete in the same time.
    • Facebook’s useful side: How answering a stranger’s questions helped Steve build one of his biggest client relationships.
    • Insurance limits: Pat discusses coverage examples, sublimits, and potential exposure when repair costs exceed available insurance.
    • Leak-detection training: Why buying a hydrophone doesn’t automatically make you a leak detector—and how confirmed leaks can become training opportunities.
    • A hotel equipment nightmare: Elevated water, equipment far below, substantial pressure, hot water, and recurring valve failures.
    • Owning service mistakes: How Steve handled missed visits, algae, and the cost of making things right.
    • Mentoring without stopping production: Supporting students and technicians while giving employees room to do their jobs.
    • Route efficiency: How repeated trips to the truck quietly steal time from your day.

    The guys also discuss Leslie’s store-closure news as understood at recording and give a shout-out to the standout pool projects featured in AQUA.

    The takeaway: A busy route doesn’t guarantee a profitable business. Price the actual work, understand your coverage, train your people, and keep your customers informed.

    Questions for Steve and Wayne?
    Email talkingpools@gmail.com and direct your message to either host. Your question could become part of a future episode.

    Contains explicit language.


    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
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    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    58 分
  • Stop Blaming the Pool Guy! Plaster Myths & Industry BS with Greg Beard — Part 2

    Stop Blaming the Pool Guy! Plaster Myths & Industry BS with Greg Beard — Part 2
    2026/10/14

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    The plaster looks like hell, and somehow the guy holding the net is already the prime suspect. Case closed? Natalie Hood and Greg Beard have a few follow-up questions.

    On this Wednesday Mythbusting Session of the Talking Pools Podcast, Natalie welcomes Greg back for part two of their conversation about plaster problems, hands-on mentorship, and an industry that occasionally treats collaboration like somebody suggested sharing a toothbrush.

    With more than 35 years of pool experience, Greg shares his perspective on what can happen before a pool is filled, why documentation matters, and how helping another professional solve a problem can accomplish more than another social media pissing contest.

    In this episode:

    • Plaster problems before the fill: Greg discusses water-to-cement ratios, application practices, and the work of John Temple.
    • Water chemistry and the blame game: Looking beyond an automatic verdict against the service professional.
    • Acid-wash timing: Natalie challenges the idea that washing new plaster sooner always produces a better finish.
    • Mentorship that sticks: Teaching someone to troubleshoot instead of handing them an answer—or encouraging another expensive round of parts roulette.
    • Knowing your worth: Building the knowledge and confidence to answer a homeowner’s questions.
    • Community over turf wars: Sharing experience, supporting newcomers, and learning from other businesses.
    • The business behind the route: Long-term customer relationships, the work Greg’s wife contributes, and his own struggle to find balance.

    Somewhere along the way, there’s a stubborn pool-light cord, a boating challenge, and a pizza discussion that takes an unnecessary but thoroughly on-brand detour through the bathroom.

    Also in this episode: A clip from our mental health conversation and a welcome to Tru in the Loop with Truman, the newest Tuesday show on Talking Pools. If you missed Truman’s debut, go back and give it a listen.

    Sponsor appreciation

    Thank you to PoolBrain, Revved Up Apparel, and H2Flow Controls, featured in this episode.

    We also recognize the sponsors of the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Mentor Awards: BlueRay XL and United Chemical as Title Sponsors, LaMotte as Gold Sponsor, Revved Up Apparel as Silver Sponsor, and AquaComfort Water Group as Supporting Sponsor.

    Music credit

    “How Life Goes” by Wendy Lucas. Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your music with Talking Pools.

    🎵 Listen to “How Life Goes” on Spotify.

    Listener note: Contains adult language and a mental health excerpt referencing PTSD and grief.

    Keep challenging the myths, keep learning, and keep sharing what you know.

    Spotify music credit verified. Spotify

    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Tik Tok

    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    58 分
  • Tru in the Loop Premiere: Stop Eating Repair Costs, Charge Your Worth & Hire with Purpose

    Tru in the Loop Premiere: Stop Eating Repair Costs, Charge Your Worth & Hire with Purpose
    2026/10/13

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    Meet Truman, “Pool Boy Tru,” the newest voice on the Talking Pools Podcast. An Air Force veteran, former basketball coach, and Tampa-area pool business owner, Tru grew from a purchased route of 17 pools to 60 pools and an employee in two years. Now he’s bringing his lessons, questions, and industry connections to Tru in the Loop.

    For his first episode, Tru welcomes Mike the Mechanic, owner of Swimming Pool Mechanics, the mentor who sold him his original route. They talk troubleshooting, expensive mistakes, and why understanding how equipment works beats memorizing fixes.

    Tru also shares a painful early lesson: paying for a $120 repair before having an honest conversation with the customer—and getting fired the following week anyway.

    In this episode:

    • The “I touched it, so I broke it” trap: Why assuming responsibility before investigating can cost you money.
    • Repairs versus weekly maintenance: Why Mike shifted his business toward equipment work to create more flexibility for family.
    • Protecting pumps: Low water levels, leaks, and valve positions that can lead to costly equipment damage.
    • Finding suction-side air leaks: Mike explains his approach to narrowing down problems around pump lids, fittings, and valves.
    • Understanding the system: Learning what the water and equipment are doing so you can diagnose the actual problem.
    • Raising rates without panic: Tru runs the numbers on a 12% increase—and shows how a smaller route can still produce more revenue.
    • Hiring with purpose: Part one of a four-part business series starts with defining your company’s core values before adding employees.

    The rate-increase example

    A route of 50 pools at $150 per month produces $7,500 in monthly revenue. Raise the rate to $168 and retain 48 pools, and monthly revenue becomes $8,064—an additional $564 per month, or $6,768 per year, while servicing two fewer pools.

    Business tip of the week: Know your core values before you hire

    Drawing from Traction, Tru explains how to identify the traits that already define your business and use them to guide hiring and customer service.

    His company’s five core values:

    • Service first
    • Uncompromising integrity
    • Detail obsessed
    • Growth mindset
    • Ownership mentality

    Your homework: Identify three to five values that reflect how you actually operate. Bring them back next week for the next installment.

    Episode chapters

    • 00:00 — Meet Pool Boy Tru, his journey, and the $120 repair lesson
    • 08:51 — Why Mike chose repairs over a maintenance route
    • 09:45 — Expensive mistakes and protecting pool pumps
    • 12:08 — Troubleshooting suction-side air leaks
    • 16:26 — Understand the system; don’t just memorize fixes
    • 18:46 — Connecting with Mike
    • 19:54 — PoolBrain sponsor message
    • 20:06 — Mail Time: raising rates and defining core values

    Connect with the guest

    Find Mike on Instagram: @swimmingpoolmechanics_fl

    Join the conversation

    Follow Tru on Instagram and leave your questions or comments for a future Mail Time segment.

    Sponsor

    This episode is brought to you in part by PoolBrain, helping pool professionals run smarter, more efficient, and more profitable service businesses.

    Stay in the loop. Stay blessed.

    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Tik Tok

    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    29 分
  • Forgot the Hose? Water Damage, Floating Pools & the Chlorine Merry-Go-Round

    Forgot the Hose? Water Damage, Floating Pools & the Chlorine Merry-Go-Round
    2026/10/11

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    A hose left running. A pool that drains overnight. A concrete shell pushed out of the ground. Water has plenty of ways to turn an ordinary service visit into somebody’s very expensive problem.

    On this episode of Mondays Down Under, Lee, Shane, and Nick share firsthand stories about water damage, forgotten taps, unexpected siphoning, and pools affected by groundwater pressure. Lee’s hidden dishwasher leak kicks off a conversation about the damage you don’t see until it’s already done—and the reminders that might keep a simple top-up from becoming a disaster.

    Then the crew tackles the chlorine question: Are you choosing what the pool needs, or just using what’s in the truck? They compare liquid chlorine, calcium hypochlorite, and stabilized chlorine, discussing how water-test results, surface materials, calcium hardness, and cyanuric acid influence their choices.

    In this episode:

    • Forgotten hoses, overflowing pools, and practical reminders to shut off the tap.
    • Unexpected siphoning, balance-tank failures, and disappearing pool water.
    • Groundwater pressure, heavy rain, and stories of pools lifting out of the ground.
    • The strengths and limitations of different chlorine products.
    • Chemical application mistakes that can damage liners, finishes, and surrounding surfaces.
    • Chemical storage, handling, and the importance of following product instructions.
    • Lee’s “chlorine merry-go-round”: letting the water test guide the product choice.
    • Why green-pool cleanups need testing before treatment—and at every return visit.

    A moment for mental health

    This episode also includes a clip from our October 9 discussion about mental health in the pool industry. Pool professionals share experiences with trauma, grief, and the emotional weight of continuing to show up for everyone else.

    If that conversation hits close to home, remember: you are allowed to have help.

    Content note: The mental health segment includes discussion of trauma, grief, emotional distress, and explicit language.

    Episode chapters

    • 00:00 — PoolBrain sponsor message
    • 00:12 — Mondays Down Under welcomes Lee, Shane, and Nick
    • 01:19 — Hidden leaks and the damage water can cause
    • 04:43 — Tips for remembering to turn off the hose
    • 06:39 — Siphoning and pools that unexpectedly empty
    • 08:59 — Groundwater pressure and pools lifting
    • 17:35 — Mental health episode excerpt
    • 20:36 — Choosing your chlorine
    • 26:08 — Application mistakes and surface damage
    • 31:55 — Vinyl liners and chlorine choices
    • 36:43 — Storage, handling, and the chlorine merry-go-round
    • 41:41 — Green-pool treatment: test before you treat
    • 44:08 — Wrap-up

    Music credit

    “How Life Goes” by Wendy Lucas. Used with permission. Thank you, Wendy, for sharing your music with Talking Pools and helping us give this conversation the space it deserves.

    🎵 Listen to “How Life Goes” by Wendy Lucas on Spotify.

    Sponsor: PoolBrain

    Questions or topic suggestions? Email talkingpools@gmail.com.

    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Tik Tok

    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    47 分
  • You never know what someone is carrying when they show up to work

    You never know what someone is carrying when they show up to work
    2026/10/10

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    This trailer offers a glimpse into “You Are the Storm—and You Are Allowed to Have Help: Mental Health in the Pool Industry,” released Friday, October 9, 2026, on the Talking Pools Podcast.

    Join Rudy Stankowitz, Jacobi Truman, Chris Felmer, and Zarah Littlejohn for honest, firsthand conversations about PTSD, grief, bullying, and the struggles that don’t disappear when the workday starts. About checking on your people—and allowing yourself to ask for help, too.

    🎧 The full episode is available now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and everywhere great podcasts can be found.

    🎵 Music: “How Life Goes” by Wendy Lucas, used with permission. Thank you, Wendy, for helping us give this conversation a voice.
    Listen on Spotify.

    Content includes discussions of PTSD, suicide, grief, and bullying.

    #TalkingPoolsPodcast #MentalHealth #PoolIndustry #PTSDAwareness #StopBullying #YouAreNotAlone #WendyLucas

    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
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    • Tik Tok

    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    5 分
  • You Are the Storm - and You Are Allowed to Have Help: Mental Health in the Pool Industry

    You Are the Storm - and You Are Allowed to Have Help: Mental Health in the Pool Industry
    2026/10/09

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    Content note: This episode includes discussions of PTSD, suicide, grief, childhood bullying, and strong language. Listen at your own pace and take a break whenever you need one.

    We spend a hell of a lot of time talking about what goes into the water. Today, we’re talking about the person standing next to it.

    In this special Floc-It Friday episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz opens an honest conversation about mental health and the struggles that don’t disappear when somebody puts on a work shirt.

    Truman of H2O Pool Cleaning shares his experience living with PTSD after military service, including how an ordinary sound on a pool route can bring the past rushing back. He discusses the routines that help keep him grounded, the people he trusts, and his experience seeking therapy.

    A deeply personal conversation with Chris Felmer about loss explores grief, humor, and the difficulty of processing the death of someone you love.

    Zara of C&H Pool Builders in Melbourne, Australia, shares her family’s experience with childhood bullying—and what it means to keep running a business while worrying about your child’s safety. She discusses advocating for her daughter, finding a more supportive school environment, and reaching out to Dolly’s Dream.

    Rudy also shares his own experience with diagnosed PTSD and asks the industry to make room for honest answers when we ask, “How are you doing?”

    In this episode

    • PTSD, unexpected triggers, and working alone on a pool route.
    • Friendship, family, pets, and the value of having people you can be vulnerable with.
    • Grief that doesn’t always look the way people expect.
    • The effects of bullying on children, parents, and the wider family.
    • Financial and scheduling obstacles to getting help.
    • Checking on someone without waiting for them to make the first move.
    • Respecting privacy when a coworker shares a mental health struggle.
    • Supporting employees when they cannot safely finish their workday.
    • Why “you are the storm” doesn’t mean you have to be invincible.

    You don’t owe the whole industry a confession. You deserve someone who can hear an honest answer—and support before you reach a breaking point.

    Music credit

    Special thanks to Boston singer-songwriter Wendy Lucas, who gave permission for her song “How Life Goes” to be featured in this episode.

    • Listen to “How Life Goes” on Spotify
    • Follow Wendy Lucas on Spotify
    • TikTok: @wendylucasmusic

    Support resources

    United States: Call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for crisis support. You can also contact the Lifeline if you’re concerned about someone else.

    Veterans and their loved ones: Call 988, then press 1, text 838255, or visit the Veterans Crisis Line.

    Australia—bullying support: Call 13 DOLLY (13 36 55) or visit Dolly’s Dream for confidential bullying support.

    Immediate danger: In the United States, call 911. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency services. Support services and emergency numbers vary by country; find the resources available where you live and save them in your phone.

    This episode shares personal experiences and encourages awareness. It does not provide diagnosis or replace professional mental health care.

    Sponsor acknowledgment

    For this episode, regular commercial breaks have been set aside. Thank you to PoolBrain, Service Industry News, Jack’s Magic Products, AquaStar Pool Products, and BlueRay XL for helping support Talking Pools.

    You are the storm. And you are allowed to have help.


    Support the show

    Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Tik Tok

    Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
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    50 分