E-245 Pool Nation Podcast -This ONE Habit Skyrockets Your Pool Business

The Power of One Game-Changing Habit

In the fast-paced world of pool service businesses, success often comes down to the small, consistent actions we take every single day. The Pool Nation Podcast recently dove deep into this concept, exploring how building the right habits can literally skyrocket your pool business to new heights. As business owners juggling multiple responsibilities, from customer service to equipment maintenance to financial management, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day chaos without focusing on the foundational practices that drive real growth.

The reality is that most pool professionals are so busy "netting and jetting" or "splashing and dashing" that they never take time to develop the systematic approaches that separate thriving businesses from those just getting by. But what if there was one habit—one simple, repeatable action—that could transform your entire operation?

Why Time Becomes Your Most Valuable Asset

As seasoned pool industry veterans Edgar De Jesus and John "JJ" Flawless discussed on the show, perspective on time changes dramatically as you gain experience in business. The frantic energy of wanting everything to happen immediately gradually shifts to a more strategic appreciation for making every moment count.

I've always liked the fast pace and things moving and happening, things happening quicker and quicker. But as you get older, all you want to do is slow things down a little bit, right? Because, you know, every year that goes by is another year you get older and things change and it's almost scary.

— John "JJ" Flawless, Pool Nation Podcast

This shift in perspective makes developing quality habits even more critical. When you realize that time is finite and increasingly precious, you begin to understand that building efficient, repeatable systems isn't just nice-to-have—it's essential for maximizing both your business success and personal satisfaction.

For pool service professionals, this means moving beyond reactive problem-solving to proactive business building. Instead of constantly putting out fires, successful operators develop habits that prevent problems from occurring in the first place.

The Business-Life Integration Challenge

One of the most relatable aspects of the Pool Nation discussion was how completely business thinking permeates every aspect of life for passionate entrepreneurs. Edgar shared a humorous example of how his family constantly teases him about this phenomenon.

So my family always gives me a hard time because they say, your brain is just wired so different because the only thing that you think about is pool nation. But it doesn't matter what we do. It's all pool nation.

— Edgar De Jesus, Pool Nation Podcast

While this total immersion might seem excessive to outsiders, it actually represents something powerful: when you're truly passionate about what you do, the boundaries between work and life become fluid in a positive way. The key is channeling this natural obsession into productive habits that drive results rather than just consuming mental energy.

This integration becomes even more important when you consider that most pool business owners are essentially living and breathing their work. As the hosts noted, their businesses take up the majority of their lives—they live it, breathe it, sleep it, and do everything with it. When your business is this central to your existence, optimizing it through better habits doesn't just improve your bottom line; it improves your entire quality of life.

Building Systems That Scale With Success

The conversation touched on an important reality facing the pool industry: economic pressures are forcing businesses to become more efficient and strategic. With major companies implementing layoffs and businesses across all sectors tightening their belts, developing robust systems and habits isn't just about growth—it's about survival.

Smart pool business owners are getting ahead of these challenges by implementing habits that create resilience and adaptability. This might include:

• Developing consistent communication protocols with customers
• Creating standardized service checklists that ensure quality
• Implementing regular financial review processes
• Building systematic approaches to equipment maintenance and replacement
• Establishing reliable methods for tracking and analyzing business metrics

The beauty of focusing on habit formation is that good systems become automatic over time. What initially requires conscious effort and discipline eventually becomes second nature, freeing up mental energy for higher-level strategic thinking.

The Stress Relief of Systematic Thinking

An interesting insight from the podcast came when co-host Zach Nicholas discussed the relief he felt after finally closing on a rental property sale. His experience illustrates an important principle about how unresolved business issues create ongoing mental drain.

It's not really something that's at the forefront of my time and attention all the time. But for whatever reason, it's just always there. Right. And now it's like, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I don't have to think about having a rental or dealing with any of that. And it's, I feel like this great weight has been lifted off my shoulder.

— Zach Nicholas, Pool Nation Podcast

This same principle applies to pool business operations. When you don't have systematic habits for handling routine tasks and decisions, each item remains an open mental loop that consumes cognitive resources. Developing consistent habits for common situations—from customer onboarding to equipment troubleshooting—eliminates this mental drain and allows you to focus energy on growing the business.

The most successful pool professionals develop habits that address their most common pain points. If customer communication is frequently chaotic, they build habits around regular updates and proactive outreach. If equipment failures catch them off guard, they develop inspection and maintenance routines that catch problems early.

Making Work More Enjoyable and Profitable

Perhaps the most compelling argument for developing better business habits is that they can simultaneously make your work more enjoyable and more profitable. As John "JJ" Flawless noted during the discussion, when you can make your business "funner" and more successful at the same time, you're creating a positive feedback loop that sustains long-term growth.

The best habits for pool businesses tend to be those that solve multiple problems at once. For example, developing a habit of thorough documentation during each service call not only improves customer communication but also creates valuable data for identifying patterns, preventing problems, and building more accurate pricing models.

Similarly, habits around regular equipment education and training don't just improve service quality—they also increase technician confidence and job satisfaction while creating opportunities for additional revenue through equipment sales and upgrades.

Taking Action: Your Next Steps

The Pool Nation team emphasized that developing successful habits requires intentional focus and consistent execution. As they prepare for their upcoming conference and awards ceremony, they're clearly practicing what they preach by building systematic approaches to managing their growing event portfolio.

For pool business owners ready to implement habit-driven growth, the key is starting with one specific area and building consistency before expanding. Choose the aspect of your business that would create the most positive impact if systematized, then develop a simple, repeatable process for handling it consistently.

Remember, the goal isn't perfection—it's progress. Even small improvements in consistency can compound over time to create dramatic results. As the Pool Nation hosts demonstrated through their own business growth, the combination of industry expertise and systematic thinking creates a powerful foundation for long-term success.

Episode Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Host Updates
• 05:30 Economic Signals and Industry Changes
• 12:00 Upcoming Pool Nation Events
• 18:00 The Value of Time and Building Quality Habits
• 25:00 Business-Life Integration Discussion