For many, we’ve never looked forward to a new year as much as 2021. The problems of 2020 did not magically go away upon the Times Square ball drop, but a new year represents a clean slate. Even if it’s just symbolic, I’ll take it. That being said, I think most anticipate 2021 looking quite…
What a difference a year makes. This time last year, I had a weeks-old baby and never would have imagined sending my kindergartener to school wearing a mask. I’ll admit that I don’t love change. I like plans and stability. A year as unpredictable as 2020 was not easy for me to navigate. But what…
This was supposed to be our first commercial-focused issue of PoolPro, and while much of the content focuses on the commercial pool sector, it’s much more of a mishmash than I originally intended. In this strange year, the residential market is booming but the commercial side remains mixed. Many public pools have stayed closed this…
When I re-read my last column, I can’t help but laugh. If I’d only known what was ahead. We were gearing up for a crazy busy season, but never in my wildest dreams would I have envisioned this. The way COVID has affected business differs for each company, city and state, but fortunately for our…
Deep breath, everyone — there are still a few more weeks before another frenetic pool season begins. I think our schedules are on opposite trajectories because we frontload as much of our work as possible, so that when your busy season hits, we aren’t bugging you for story quotes and information. I’ve worked in the…
I can hardly believe that 2020 is upon us. 2019 was an eventful year, to say the least: As many of you know, I welcomed another daughter on October 10. I appreciate all the well-wishes that were sent my way and your graciousness as I care for an infant while running a business. We’ve got…
I am so excited to share PoolPro’s inaugural 30 Under 40, where we honor the underrepresented next generation of swimming pool industry leaders with much-deserved recognition. Some of these will be familiar faces, and others will be as new to you as they were to us. I hope you see yourself in their stories — either…
We’ve really been on a theme kick in 2019, and for this issue it’s safety. The interesting thing about our industry is that when you talk about safety you’ve got two areas to cover — workplace safety and customer safety. When I started working in the industry back in 2008, I remember learning quickly to…
Further, we are FINALLY talking about portable vacuums. I’m not sure there’s a topic or product I see discussed more on industry forums. We did our best to round up what’s available, and cover the pros and cons of each. Another story I’ve wanted to do for awhile is about cultivating and maintaining relationships with…
I recently read a quote that I can’t stop thinking about, from the book Widgets by Rodd Wagner: “Your people are not your greatest asset. They’re not yours, and they’re not assets.” That’s probably something many of us have said, in all sincerity, to point toward how much employees mean to our organization. But, wow,…
Happy new year from all of us at PoolPro. We appreciate your support in 2018, and hope 2019 is great for you personally and professionally. We’ve never before done a themed issue of PoolPro, but we’re starting 2019 with an issue all about retail. If you don’t have a swimming pool retail store, don’t put…