How James Broderick Built JB's Pool Care Without Spending a Dollar on Marketing

James Broderick didn't follow a predictable path into pool care. A former college baseball player whose athletic career was cut short by a car accident, he spent years as a recreational therapist working with Alzheimer's patients before managing a swim school. When the pandemic hit in 2020, it wiped out his job overnight. What happened next turned into one of the pool industry's most remarkable referral-based success stories.

Five years later, JB's Pool Care in Franklinton, North Carolina has grown entirely through word of mouth. When Broderick was nominated for PoolPro's 30 Under 40 award, the response from his customers was unprecedented.

"I have never had so many customers write in as they did for James. We had a ton of his customers reach out and say what a great job he does and how much they love him. I have never seen anything like it."

— Megan Kendrick, PoolPro Magazine, Pool Nation Podcast

From Swim School to Pool Service

Before starting JB's Pool Care, Broderick was the general manager at Goldfish Swim School, teaching children from four months to 14 years old how to swim. The role gave him his first real exposure to pool systems.

"I used to be a general manager at a swim school called Goldfish Swim School. That's where I fell in love with learning about pools and automatronics and salt cells and all the chemistry and all the things that kind of came with it."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

But when COVID-19 hit, swim schools weren't considered essential businesses. Broderick and his wife Jennifer, who also worked at the school, suddenly found themselves without income. They made the difficult decision to sell their house and move in with his parents while figuring out their next move.

Then a friend reached out. She had recently lost her husband and didn't know what to do with her green pool. Broderick's only experience was with indoor commercial pools, but he figured he'd give it a shot.

"I had a couple of local friends that were like, hey, man, you take care of a pool, right? And I'm like, yeah, an indoor pool. And they're like, can you help me with my pool? My pool's turning green. I can't get service people to come out here. And I was like, yeah, I'll come out there."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

That friend was so impressed with his work that she bought him his first car magnet to advertise his services. That one job snowballed into others, and JB's Pool Care was born.

The Zero-Dollar Marketing Strategy

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of JB's Pool Care is how it's grown. In five years of business, Broderick has spent almost nothing on advertising. When pressed on the Pool Nation Podcast, he put a specific number on it.

"I'm proud to say I've never spent that $1 on any marketing for my business. Everything's just come through referrals and holding myself with integrity and building, having compassion for the people that I'm working for and building trust with people. That's my motto within the business."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

In his PoolPro interview, he clarified he's spent exactly $5 total on advertising since starting, relying entirely on word of mouth and occasional social media posts.

His approach is simple: show up, do great work, and treat people like family. For pool pros struggling with marketing costs, Broderick's story proves that exceptional service can be its own marketing engine.

The Two-Person Team

JB's Pool Care is a true husband-and-wife operation. While Broderick handles the fieldwork, his wife Jennifer manages the business side.

"I'm a one man show. The team that I have when we call it JB's, it's James Broderick and Jennifer Broderick, who's my wife. She does a lot of the billing and I tell everybody she's the brain. I'm the broad. I'm six-five, 300 pounds. And I just go out there and work like a horse."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

During busy seasons, the Brodericks bring in reinforcements. His parents, who affectionately call themselves "aqua donkeys," help with pool openings and closings. Family friends and their kids pitch in during peak times.

The lean operation allows Broderick to maintain the personal touch that's made his business successful. He handles about seven pools a day during peak season, working six days a week when needed.

Serving Those Who Need It Most

One of the most distinctive aspects of Broderick's approach is who he serves. Many of his clients aren't just customers, they're people who genuinely need his help.

"A lot of the people that I work for, they need my help more than want my help. I have some sweet little ladies that unfortunately husbands have passed and other scenarios like that, that just lead me to have doing what I do."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

This orientation toward service comes from his background. As a recreational therapist, Broderick specialized in helping Alzheimer's and dementia patients through non-pharmaceutical interventions. That experience strengthened his ability to connect with people and understand their needs beyond just pool chemistry.

Knowing His Lane

Broderick offers a wide range of services, from regular maintenance to liner installations and above-ground pool setups. But he's also honest about his limits.

"I'm a jack of many trades, but a master of none. I stay within my lane and stay in my space, especially when it comes to a lot of the more powerful electricity and things like that. Until I can feel comfortable within that side, I stay away."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

This willingness to acknowledge limitations and refer out work he's not comfortable with has built trust with customers who know he won't take on jobs he can't handle well.

Faith, Chance, and Hard Work

When asked about the early days of the business, Broderick is candid about the uncertainty involved.

"It's been a journey. A lot of this was chance, a lot of this was faith."

— James Broderick, PoolPro Magazine

He and Jennifer often prayed for guidance during those uncertain early days when they'd sold their house and were starting from scratch. Their faith, combined with hard work and a supportive community, has helped the business grow organically.

Building Relationships That Last

Five years in, Broderick has watched his customers' families grow up. The relationships he's built go far beyond transactional service calls.

"When I found out [about the nomination], I was so overwhelmed with love and appreciation and gratitude. These people, when I first started this whole journey, it was very much just on a limb. And here I am five, six years later now and got people. I've watched little kids now grow up and babies and life actually move on with some of these people. So it's been definitely a blessing for sure."

— James Broderick, Pool Nation Podcast

This long-term relationship focus is central to his customer retention. In PoolPro, he put it simply: "I'm very happy with my customers — they love me, and I love them."

What's Next for JB's Pool Care

Broderick has big dreams for the future. After attending his first major industry event, the Pool Nation Awards at the International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo, he came away with a new perspective.

"I had no idea what we were getting ourselves into," he told PoolPro. "It opened my eyes to so many things."

He hopes to bring innovative approaches he's seen in markets like California and Texas to North Carolina, offering clients a more modern, high-tech pool care experience. Someday, he'd love to open a pool supply store.

More immediately, he's driven to address what he sees as a gap in the market: reliable, responsive service. "I've come in too many times [to fix someone's] shoddy work or [hear about other servicers] not calling customers back," he says. "I want to be part of changing that."

Lessons for Pool Business Owners

Broderick's story offers several takeaways for anyone building a pool service business:

Referrals Can Be Your Entire Marketing Strategy

If your service is exceptional and you build genuine relationships, customers will market for you. Broderick's near-zero advertising spend proves it's possible to grow entirely through word of mouth.

Lean Operations Create Personal Service

Running JB's Pool Care as a two-person operation with occasional family help means every customer gets personal attention from the owner. This builds the kind of loyalty that generates referrals.

Transferable Skills Matter

Broderick's background in recreational therapy and swim school management gave him people skills and pool knowledge that transferred directly to his business. Whatever your background, look for skills that apply.

Know Your Limits

Staying in his lane on electrical work has built trust with customers. It's better to refer out work you can't do well than to damage your reputation trying.

Serve People, Not Just Pools

Many of Broderick's customers need his help because they've lost a spouse or can't maintain the pool themselves. Approaching the work as service to people, not just pool maintenance, creates deeper connections.

Related Resources

If James's story has inspired you, here are some resources to help you build your pool business:

• How to Start a Pool Service Business: Complete Guide
• Pool Service Marketing Strategies
• Case Study: Alyssa Serrano's Journey to 787 Serrano Construction
• Best Pool Podcasts — Including Pool Nation Podcast where James was featured
• Cost Per Pool Calculator
• Customer Lifetime Value Calculator