This is the one where Kelli & Dan take a critical eye to the growing number of women in the pool industry and what it means for the future of pool service.
Dan: It was one of those days. This week has been just a rough one with issues on all kinds of different levels that occasionally we have to put in extra hours, and tonight was one of those. Still, tomorrow will be another day, and the sun will come up, and we’ll start all over and take a deep breath and plug on.
Kelli: I know Monday and Tuesday were kind of rough for me, actually, I even worked on Sunday, which usually is my hardcore not working, yeah, but since I was flying out to Texas, where I’m at now in Houston, let me tell you I and humidity don’t mix, and as soon as I got off the flight I’m like oh my God I can’t breathe
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0:09You know our wonderful Chicago
1:08weather so yesterday it was like 86 and
1:11humid and hot, like you know it one of
1:14those days that it feels like it’s 100
1:16even though it’s not
1:17and uh, and then today, I think our eye
1:20was like 62. it’s like
1:23this well
1:24what two weeks ago, we had a
1:29head at home, it was raining
1:31like pouring rain for three days
1:34and then I come here, and it’s 100 and
1:37something degrees with humidity all
1:39right Welcome to Texas
1:43I I saw you were at the Johnson Space
1:46Center today or was that today you were
1:48there yeah, it was so much fun. I took my
1:51nephew he got to ditch school for the
1:53day
1:54he’s uh six years old, and so he went
1:57with me, and it was a lot of fun. We got
2:00to see the test area where they put
2:03the astronauts into these big huge white
2:07Contraptions so they can feel like
2:09they’re in space and get used to it and
2:11train
2:13um got to see some of the testing things
2:16are they have for their upcoming
2:18missions to the Moon
2:21cool
2:22um
2:23that’s that’s cool you
2:25know the do they have a space
2:28shuttle there, right do they or am I
2:31thinking no they do it’s a mock
2:34one but the plane that it flies on is
2:37the real thing
2:39oh okay the 747 that they they
2:43launched them from to test, right yeah
2:47that’s cool
2:49um and then, uh what else we saw Rockets
2:52now if you follow me on social media
2:56you’ll see these things are massive like
2:59whole football field if not more
3:03and so it’s really cool to see it and
3:05like when I take pictures of him in
3:06front of it you could see like he’s like
3:09a little Ant and the rocket is like
3:13me yeah yeah our our son uh just
3:18graduated in may I may have said this
3:19before from uh University of Alabama in
3:22Huntsville and Huntsville is Rocket City
3:25it’s uh the home the U.S Space and
3:27Rocket Center and they had have they’re
3:31they’re refurbishing it now in a
3:33multi-year thing but they had
3:35the um trying to think of oh Pathfinder
3:39who’s the space shuttle Pathfinder which
3:42is
3:43it never flew it was it was a a mock-up
3:46that they built just to make sure it
3:49would clear roadways and things like
3:51that as they’re transporting it from
3:53here to there and all that kind of stuff
3:55so
3:57um it it but they they got that put
4:00there and it sits well when it was in
4:03place it’s it’s down now being
4:04refurbished like I said but it sits on
4:06top of actual
4:08uh boosters I think they’re actual
4:10boosters that that you know launch the
4:13thing up in the space and yeah pull up
4:15pull up in the uh next to this thing and
4:18look at how big all uh like you’re
4:20saying the Rockets just how big they are
4:22it’s amazing and you know they they
4:25strap two or three people on the nose of
4:27those things and say you know light the
4:29fuse let’s go
4:32not not me I know that’s uh that’s
4:34that’s it’d be cool in a you know like a
4:37Star Trek or Star Wars kind of thing put
4:39me on the Millennium Falcon let me go
4:40into in the hyperdrive and I’m all for
4:42for that but strapping me on the top of
4:45one of those things is a little bit
4:46daunting
4:47yeah and then but yeah over the weekend
4:51and then earlier this week I was trying
4:54to get everything
4:55I think done that I needed to before I
4:57left it didn’t help we had those storms
4:59so like
5:01my startups not all of them but the ones
5:04where they have a lot of construction
5:06going on in their yard the Landscaping
5:10tore them up like one one pool has
5:14probably a good inch of dirt in it
5:17uh the other one it was like a hazy
5:20green but I was able to clear that
5:22pretty fast but it’s like and then the
5:24customers are like what’s wrong with my
5:26pool and I’m like well you see your yard
5:28it fell in the pool and this is also the
5:31first rain we’ve had in a really long
5:34time
5:35and we’ve had a fire like I told you so
5:37I’m like everything in the air has
5:39fallen in your pool
5:41and that just I was out on Tuesday until
5:43eight o’clock
5:45which is really late for me
5:47sure now one thing that was really weird
5:51is my phone goes off all day long
5:54and yesterday as I’m traveling I really
5:57I had maybe one or two calls and then
6:00today I had like nothing
6:03my phone died
6:05so I had to put on the charger I turn it
6:07back on and oh my God that thing just
6:12lit up with text messages from people
6:14and I’m just like oh my God now it’s
6:17like you know hey the person you were
6:20who you’re gonna have come help me today
6:22didn’t come you know when’s this other
6:25person coming and it’s like oh my gosh
6:27uh or this isn’t working can you come
6:30out it’s like I’m in Houston there’s no
6:32way I could come out but hey what about
6:34video chat
6:35that is
6:37I have a I struggle with ignoring people
6:39when I’m on vacation I even have a
6:42separate phone number with a separate
6:43voicemail yeah
6:45yeah it’s it’s hard when when you know
6:48it’s it’s your business it’s uh it’s
6:50your
6:51your passion and and to try to turn it
6:55off I I can’t remember the last uh last
6:59vacation I had that I wasn’t still
7:02connected to everything yeah and uh
7:05we’re gonna try real hard we’re gonna be
7:07actually heading down to Revere Maya in
7:11a little over a week for a week
7:13with some friends and and uh I hope to
7:17be able to disconnect the good portion
7:19of the week that we’re down there but
7:21it’s hard you know you want to make sure
7:23things are still going right and and for
7:25you so while you’re gone
7:27you have uh a network of people to help
7:31you take care of things while you’re out
7:32of town or how do you handle that
7:36it comes to
7:38don’t have a route
7:39so that helps right when it comes to my
7:42startups most of the time I communicate
7:44with my plaster companies and my
7:46Builders hey I’m going to be out of town
7:47this this duration of time and we will
7:51plan around that now if there is a
7:54there are startups that I got calls for
7:57today
7:58they’re like hey we’ll be plastered on
8:00Friday can you come out you they
8:02recommended you to come out and it’s
8:04like
8:05sorry I’m not back till Sunday
8:07and so obviously I have to pass those up
8:09which is kind of hard for me too
8:13um but
8:15um I have one Builder that I let her
8:17know when my vacations are and she
8:18plasters around my vacation time that’s
8:21awesome yeah that’s very cool shows
8:25shows how uh
8:27in in demand I guess is the right word
8:30you are but that people will rearrange
8:32their their schedule their routines to
8:35make sure that they get
8:37the the top gal in there to take care of
8:41those startups that’s great yeah so that
8:43that really let I luck out in that
8:45aspect and like the other companies you
8:47know
8:48they mainly what they do is they just
8:50give a list here call one of these
8:52people
8:54um unless I do have one plaster company
8:56that will specifically recommend me
8:58especially to women
9:00so
9:01um because you know women are more
9:03comfortable with another woman there you
9:05know they also know I’m very like
9:07detail-oriented so sometimes when
9:09there’s a little bit more of a higher
9:10maintenance customer but yeah I’m gonna
9:13miss those couple that called this week
9:15but they’ll send me more later and yeah
9:17so but you know it’s it’s funny you say
9:21the the you know women more
9:22detail-oriented
9:24um I’ve found through the years that
9:26tends to be the case so often that the
9:30uh I know in recent episodes I talked
9:33about a a woman who who worked for us
9:35named Frankie who is extremely
9:38detail-oriented
9:40um
9:41I and they’re obviously in in a company
9:44like we’ve got we’ve got all kinds of
9:46different positions and and men and
9:49women both that are that are doing
9:51different things but I love having uh
9:55women out in the field doing uh doing
9:58maintenance doing service doing
9:59technical stuff
10:01um
10:02they it I don’t know what it is and you
10:05know it’s this is my wife as well if if
10:08she didn’t keep me on task and and keep
10:11the lists for me and and you know make
10:14sure that I was doing everything I was
10:16supposed to uh I don’t know
10:19[Music]
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11:30[Music]
11:39it’s it’s interesting I I think it’s a
11:42an area that certainly the industry is
11:44is
11:46grasping more and more the acceptance
11:49you know certainly in in our talking
11:51pools group we’ve got you know three of
11:54the most fantastic women I say in the
11:56country as as part of our team right and
11:59no I don’t I don’t mean Rudy for those
12:01that way
12:03um but you and and Heather and Andrea
12:06it’s it’s it’s just uh you know you’re a
12:09great representation of all that uh that
12:13women are in our industry and and
12:17hopefully a lot of those that are just
12:19starting out or maybe even considering
12:21this as an industry that they want to
12:24jump into we’ll we’ll look at you and
12:26others like you and say hey this is a
12:29thing I can do it’s it’s not just a you
12:32know typical male driven environment so
12:35well I I found that it works great for
12:38women especially Young new moms or
12:41single moms uh because it is a great
12:44income that you can make once you get
12:46established it’s something that can your
12:49business can grow quite quickly if
12:51you’re in the right areas and I’m still
12:54able to make it to doctor’s appointments
12:57for my kids or next Tuesday
12:59unfortunately I have to have a meeting
13:01with the principal not because of my son
13:06um
13:07and I’m able to be like okay what time
13:10I’ll be there
13:11stuff like that you know even with Max’s
13:14schedule Monday Tuesdays and Wednesdays
13:16I have to drop them off and pick him up
13:19and he goes to school at 8 55 and gets
13:21out at 3 20 which gives me what four
13:24hours to work
13:25but this industry gives that option
13:30and not and then understand that because
13:32I get a lot of crap from them sometimes
13:34they’re like you don’t start work till
13:3510 well I have no choice
13:38yeah you know and I’ve I’ve been a dream
13:41of mine and I I don’t know if I’ll ever
13:43be able to to accomplish it
13:46um
13:46you know we have a
13:48some single moms that are working for us
13:52and when uh things happen kids get sick
13:57or need to go to the doctor or dentist
13:59or all that you know we’re extremely
14:01flexible with everybody but um you know
14:04they all know that uh in fact the our
14:07service office manager it’s a woman
14:09who’s named Melanie she uh tomorrow
14:13morning has to take her daughter to I
14:15think it’s a dentist appointment and and
14:17she’s got some other things going on in
14:19the afternoon so she’s going to work
14:20around that
14:22um she being in an office position she
14:24has the ability of doing some stuff
14:25remote so she’ll kind of do that as she
14:28can and and you know keep things moving
14:31along for the day from wherever she is
14:33but it you know we try to be flexible to
14:37to meet those needs but I I would love
14:40and and it probably like I said it’ll
14:43never happen but I think it would be so
14:44cool if we had our own daycare facility
14:47yeah that um you know the the moms and
14:50dads can if you know it’s all about
14:55opportunity and and some of those
14:59benefits and things like that
15:01that uh finding people finding quality
15:04people isn’t real easy for anyone right
15:06now and the the more that we can do to
15:10help people that way by being flexible
15:12letting them go when they need to to
15:15whether it’s kids or or whatever to take
15:17care of them
15:19um you know if they’re if they’re good
15:20at what they’re doing they’re they’re
15:21getting the job done it’s real real easy
15:24to say you know what take what you need
15:26because I know you’re gonna pick up and
15:28and make up for it and and all the rest
15:31of it so it uh I don’t know I I would I
15:35would love to have
15:37a whole bunch of women in the Chicago
15:40area looking to work in pools call me
15:42tomorrow
15:44I know you because I because I’ll tell
15:45you child care is probably one of the
15:47hardest things
15:48it
15:49it’s very expensive you know it costs
15:52more than my rent
15:55um and the hours are limited and usually
15:58when I find someone and I like them they
16:00you know they only last for so long
16:03that’s you know and I’m the type of
16:05person you tell me the price I’ll pay
16:06you
16:07but
16:08you know kids kids aren’t easy I come
16:11from an education background working
16:13with autistic kids and working in
16:15preschools and elementary schools and
16:18yeah it’s it can get tiring when those
16:20little guys don’t want to cooperate
16:23yeah you know our uh sales manager his
16:27uh Steve is his name his
16:29he’s got a little boy and he his wife is
16:33a school teacher and you know there are
16:35oftentimes that he’ll stay at home with
16:37Thomas and you know if Thomas can’t go
16:40to daycare because he’s
16:41you know woke up with a cold or or
16:44whatnot and uh or or he’ll run him to
16:48the doctor because it’s we’re more
16:51flexible than uh his wife is able to be
16:55with teaching and at the school so
16:59um you know I think the more that people
17:01are flexible with stuff like that the
17:02easier it is to to attract and and
17:05hopefully retain employees for those of
17:08us that have employees out there well
17:10it’s nice to hear that there are
17:12companies out there that actually care
17:13because I hear a lot of them you know
17:15and I get it they they’re having trouble
17:18finding people too and they they have so
17:20much work that needs to be covered but
17:22you know
17:24you still got to have a little bit of
17:26yeah reasonable flexibility
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17:31so and I will say it’s pretty incredible
17:34in the almost two years is it two years
17:38one two oh we’re almost going our third
17:41year with the women’s group that I help
17:43with and it’s amazing to see the
17:46response we’ve gotten from the industry
17:49uh you know people being very receptive
17:52to it and encouraging it and and not
17:56be bashing what we’re doing and you know
17:59yeah I get this couple
18:00that’s sexist we can’t sit we can’t have
18:03it all guys Club but you can have a
18:05Mormons club and I was just like well
18:08you kind of already do but yeah
18:11or if I wear a wig in a dress can I come
18:14to your trainings and it’s like okay but
18:19today that’s
18:21far-fetched is it yeah that is true hey
18:26when he said I was like what does your
18:28ID say
18:29you know now that you can change on the
18:32ID to identify how you feel
18:34that is
18:36the qualification
18:38so so after you know a few a few more
18:42years of you working with the pool girl
18:44pool girl Pro sorry Tongue Tied there
18:47we’ll we’ll have you have to start like
18:50uh what the tree
18:52the pool tree Pro group or something for
18:55those who identify as trees well I guess
18:58so
19:00I just hope we don’t get a bunch of pool
19:02pool guys that are tree tree lovers and
19:05telling us so don’t cut our cut the
19:07trees can’t cut the trees around the
19:09yard
19:11so but that’s a part of why you’re in
19:14Texas right I mean I know you’re
19:15visiting family right but the the main
19:18reason for you going down there is
19:19because of your uh
19:22yep to to meet more women in our
19:26industry talk with them see what their
19:28challenges are and what their successes
19:30are and how we can grow the group to
19:34help even more women as much as possible
19:37that’s very very cool so that’s uh
19:40tomorrow is when you guys are getting
19:42together yes tomorrow right tomorrow and
19:45Saturday and by tomorrow I know everyone
19:47is listening to this on Tuesday but
19:49we’re referring to tomorrow as being the
19:51last uh well what is Friday the 23rd
19:54right of September yeah by the time
19:57everyone hears this it will have already
19:59happened and and we’ll probably have a
20:01podcast that touches on a recap of it
20:04right yeah and uh we want and we had a
20:08lot of people women saying they wanted
20:09to do it that were in Florida so we are
20:13there’s going to be something in Florida
20:15soon
20:16um you just have to figure out what and
20:19how and where and all that but I just
20:23love that we’re getting to other places
20:25than just where I live that’s fantastic
20:29that is uh that is really really cool I
20:31I love that so pretty soon you’re going
20:34to be you know at home working on pools
20:37like a couple of weeks out of the month
20:39and the rest of the time you’re gonna be
20:41you know so Texas pretty nice then
20:44Florida you’ll probably have to head up
20:46to to the Northeast at some point right
20:48oh yeah well we are um considering
20:51turning it into a non-profit and we
20:54would love to have a board that has a
20:57bunch of ladies that represent the
20:58different aspects of the industry ah and
21:02you know grow it from there
21:04um
21:05thanks to LinkedIn
21:07uh I’ve met a lady that works for
21:11Leslie’s who has his uh background of
21:14making non-profit organizations in
21:16mail-driven Industries
21:18and so she’s going to help us with that
21:22as well
21:23that’s
21:24that’s amazing that I you know what I am
21:27all behind you on that whatever whatever
21:29we can help with uh I am I’m there for
21:34you
21:36[Music]
21:37Kelly and Dan will be back next Tuesday
21:39with part two of women in the pool
21:41industry
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