E-235 Pool Nation Podcast - Scaling Your Pool Business: Mastering Leadership, Team Building & Operational Efficiency

The Reality Check: When Hiring Your First Employee Doesn't Solve Everything

Picture this: You're running 80-90 pool routes, juggling repairs, taking customer calls, managing billing, and basically doing everything in your pool business. You're exhausted, overwhelmed, and thinking, "If I just hire someone, all my problems will be solved." Sound familiar? If you're nodding your head, you're not alone – and you're about to discover why this mindset might be setting you up for more chaos than relief.

The scaling phase of a pool business is one of the most critical yet challenging transitions entrepreneurs face. It's the stage where you evolve from a solo operator to a team leader, and as the Pool Nation Podcast hosts reveal, it's rarely as straightforward as simply adding another body to your workforce.

Understanding the Scaling Phase: More Than Just Adding Bodies

The scaling phase typically begins when pool service companies reach around 130 pools – with the owner still servicing 80 pools while a new employee handles approximately 50. But here's the kicker: your workload doesn't decrease; it transforms entirely.

I hired somebody. I thought it was going to solve all my problems. And then it just it ended up bringing more chaos because I wasn't ready for it.

— Edgar De Jesus, Pool Nation Podcast

This phase introduces a completely new set of challenges that many pool business owners aren't prepared for. You're no longer just responsible for cleaning pools and fixing equipment – you're now responsible for training, managing, and retaining employees while maintaining the same level of service quality your customers expect.

The transition brings several key challenges:

• Training and managing employees effectively
• Maintaining consistent service quality across your team
• Developing systems and processes to streamline operations
• Shifting from working in the business to working on the business

The Leadership Challenge: From Technician to Team Leader

Perhaps the most significant shift in the scaling phase is the evolution from technician to leader. This isn't just about delegating tasks – it's about fundamentally changing how you approach your business and your role within it.

Everyone at this point has gotten a handle on that. They should have a good understanding of it. And now they have to start shifting that focus into learning to lead because you can only grow your business so big by yourself and you're going to have to start bringing people on to do this.

— Zach Nicholas, Pool Nation Podcast

The challenge is that there's no universal "leadership school" for pool business owners. Unlike technical skills, which can be learned through hands-on experience and industry training, leadership skills require intentional development and often involve stepping outside your comfort zone.

Effective leadership in the scaling phase starts with being the example. Your first employee will likely shadow you during training, absorbing not just technical knowledge but also your work habits, customer interaction style, and attention to detail. If you cut corners or rush through certain procedures, expect your employees to do the same when they're working independently.

Building and Retaining Your Dream Team

One of the biggest frustrations pool business owners express during the scaling phase is employee retention. The common refrain "nobody wants to work" often masks deeper issues with hiring practices, training programs, and company culture.

One of the things that I hear at this stage in building that strong team is you get people going, oh, nobody wants to work. Right. Like people don't want to work. And most of the time it's you got to take a step back and you got to look at it and you might be the problem.

— Edgar De Jesus, Pool Nation Podcast

The reality is that pool service work can be isolating. Employees spend most of their day alone, moving from property to property with limited social interaction. As a business owner, you need to create systems and culture that combat this isolation and keep employees engaged.

Successful team building in the scaling phase requires:

• Comprehensive onboarding processes
• Clear training protocols and expectations
• Regular check-ins and feedback sessions
• Competitive compensation and benefits
• Opportunities for growth and advancement
• A positive company culture that makes employees want to stay

Systems and Processes: The Foundation of Scalable Growth

As your team grows, the informal processes that worked when you were a solo operator become inadequate. The scaling phase demands the development of formal systems and processes that ensure consistency, quality, and efficiency across your entire operation.

This systematic approach needs to cover every aspect of your business:

Service Delivery Systems: Standardized procedures for pool cleaning, chemical balancing, equipment maintenance, and customer communication ensure that every pool receives the same level of care regardless of which team member services it.

Customer Management Systems: Centralized customer information, service histories, and communication logs help maintain the personal touch that customers value while enabling multiple team members to serve each account effectively.

Quality Control Systems: Regular inspections, customer feedback mechanisms, and performance metrics help maintain service standards and identify areas for improvement.

Administrative Systems: Streamlined billing, scheduling, inventory management, and reporting processes free up time for higher-value activities like business development and strategic planning.

The Financial Reality: Managing Cash Flow and Profitability

Adding employees significantly impacts your financial picture, and many pool business owners underestimate the true cost of scaling. Beyond wages, you're now responsible for payroll taxes, workers' compensation insurance, equipment, vehicles, and other employee-related expenses.

You really need to start focusing a little bit more on strategy. They need to focus on what I talk about all the time, knowing your numbers, that financial management.

— Edgar De Jesus, Pool Nation Podcast

Understanding your numbers becomes critical during the scaling phase. You need to know:

• The true cost per employee (including all benefits and overhead)
• Revenue per pool and profit margins by service type
• Break-even points for new employees
• Cash flow patterns and seasonal variations
• Key performance indicators that drive profitability

This financial awareness enables you to make informed decisions about pricing, hiring, and business growth strategies.

Navigating the Transition: Working ON vs. IN Your Business

The ultimate goal of the scaling phase is to transition from working in your business to working on your business. However, this transition doesn't happen overnight, and attempting to rush it can be disastrous.

During the scaling phase, you're likely still carrying a significant service load while simultaneously trying to develop leadership skills, train employees, and build systems. This dual responsibility can be exhausting and overwhelming, but it's a necessary step in the evolution of your business.

The key is to gradually shift responsibilities while maintaining oversight and quality control. Start by delegating routine maintenance tasks while retaining responsibility for complex repairs, customer relationship management, and business development. As your team develops competency and your systems prove effective, you can gradually transfer additional responsibilities.

Conclusion: Embracing the Chaos to Build Your Empire

The scaling phase of pool business growth is undeniably challenging, but it's also the foundation for building a truly successful enterprise. Unlike the foundational phase, where you had time to focus on customer experience, or the balancing act phase, where you wore every hat in the company, the scaling phase requires you to evolve into a completely different type of business professional.

Success in this phase isn't measured by how quickly you can step back from daily operations, but by how effectively you can build the systems, processes, and team culture that will support sustainable growth. Every challenge you face – from employee training to financial management to leadership development – is preparing you for the next phase of growth.

Remember, as the Pool Nation Podcast hosts emphasize, every business owner goes through these phases, and each phase brings its own unique set of challenges and learning opportunities. The pool business owners who successfully navigate the scaling phase are those who embrace the complexity, invest in their own development as leaders, and build the foundational elements that will support their future empire.

The scaling phase may feel like you're adding responsibility after responsibility without relief, but each system you build, each leadership skill you develop, and each successful hire you make is an investment in your business's future. Your empire awaits – but first, you must master the art of scaling.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Phase Overview
• 05:30 The Four Phases of Pool Business Growth
• 12:15 Defining the Scaling Phase
• 18:45 Leadership Transition Challenges
• 25:20 Building and Training Teams
• 32:10 Systems and Processes Development
• 38:50 Financial Management in Scaling