Keeping Ducks out of the pool Archives - Aquatic Facility Training and Consultants

¡Saca el pato de mi piscina!

Post author:Rudy
Post published:October 3, 2020
Post category:Noticias de piscinas españolas

[responsivevoice_button voice="Spanish Female" buttontext="Listen to Post"] ¡Saca el pato de mi piscina! Los patos y los gansos se sienten atraídos naturalmente por el agua, especialmente si consideran que…

5 Secrets to Keeping Ducks out of Your Swimming Pool

Post author:Rudy
Post published:May 26, 2019
Post category:Pool News Pool Service Tips

[responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Male" buttontext="Listen to Post"] Get the Duck out of my Pool! Ducks in Swimming Pool Ducks in a Swimming Pool Can Make You Sick Ducks and…

Talking Pools Podcast

If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home.

Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact.

Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day. And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities.

Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster. That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road.

If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird.

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What really separates a good pool company from a great one?

This week, Natalie Hood sits down with Leslie Elliott, Founder and CEO of Poolie, one of the fastest-growing pool service companies in Texas. Leslie's journey into the industry didn't begin with decades of pool experience—it began with a green pool, poor customer service, and the realization that the industry had room to improve.

Together, Natalie and Leslie tackle some of the biggest myths surrounding pool service businesses, leadership, customer service, company culture, growth, technology, and artificial intelligence. Whether you're an owner, manager, technician, or someone thinking about starting a pool company, this conversation offers practical lessons that apply far beyond the swimming pool industry.

In this episode:

How a green swimming pool launched one of Texas' fastest-growing pool service companies.
Why customer service is often a bigger competitive advantage than technical expertise.
The difference between running a pool route and building a scalable business.
Why growth creates as many challenges as it solves.
The importance of systems, standard operating procedures, and consistency.
Why not every customer is worth keeping.
Protecting employees while maintaining company values.
Leadership lessons from growing from one route to more than 4,500 customers.
The importance of training, mentorship, and creating career paths for technicians.
Why people—not pools—are often the biggest challenge in business.
How AI is changing customer service, operations, scheduling, and business management.
Why the pool industry still has opportunities to modernize through technology and professional development.
Building a company culture that employees actually want to be part of.
Why success doesn't make leadership easier—it simply changes the challenges.

Key Takeaways

Great pool companies are built on leadership and customer experience—not just chemistry knowledge.
Growth without systems creates chaos.
Company culture is demonstrated through daily actions, not mission statements.
Investing in employee training pays dividends in customer satisfaction and retention.
AI should be viewed as a productivity tool that frees people to focus on higher-value work.
Consistency is often more valuable than constant innovation.
The future of the pool industry depends on raising professional standards together.

Featured Guest

Leslie Elliott
Founder & CEO, Poolie

Leslie shares how her background in management consulting and business operations helped her build Poolie into a multi-market service company focused on exceptional customer service, scalable systems, and investing in people.

Hosted By

Natalie Hood
Director of Education & Events, The Grit Game

Sponsored By

BlueRay XL
United Chemical
LaMotte Company
RevdUp Apparel
Aqua Comfort Water Group

Connect

Learn more about Poolie at Poolie.com and follow their continued growth on social media.

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to the Talking Pools Podcast, leave us a review, and share it with another pool professional who's committed to raising the bar for our industry.

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

Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com