Talking Pools Podcast
If you’ve ever stared at a test kit like it personally insulted your family… welcome home.
Talking Pools Podcast is the pool industry’s “pull up a chair” show—part shop talk, part field manual, part therapy session—built for people who actually live on pool decks: commercial operators, service techs, builders, facility managers, and anyone responsible for water that can’t afford to go sideways. The network was created to level up the pool industry with real-world conversations on water chemistry, filtration, troubleshooting, construction, safety, and the business side of keeping pools open and budgets intact.
Here’s the hook: it’s not theory-first. It’s experience-first—a roster of seasoned pros (with 250+ years of combined “been there, fixed that” wisdom) turning complicated problems into practical moves you can use the same day. And it’s not one voice, one vibe, one corner of the industry: it’s a network of shows designed to reflect how diverse this work really is—different regions, different specialties, different personalities.
Also worth saying out loud: women aren’t “special guests” here—they’re on the mic as hosts, from the beginning, with an intentionally balanced roster. That matters, because the best ideas in this industry don’t come from one lane—they come from the whole road.
If you want a podcast that can make you laugh and make you better at what you do—without pretending the job is easier than it is—Talking Pools is the one you queue up before the first stop, and keep on when the day starts getting weird.
Talking Pools Podcast
Hell Month Hustle: Surviving the Summer Madness Down Under
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Introduction:
- Peter welcomes back Lee and Shane, ribbing them for leaving him to go solo last week.
- Shane shares the Australian Phrase of the Day: "Running around like a blue ass fly," symbolizing the frantic pace of the busy season.
- The trio discusses the approach of "Hell Month," the peak of summer madness for pool service professionals.
Key Topics Discussed:
1. Preparing for the Holiday Rush
- Advice for Regional Listeners:
- Order Christmas stock early as suppliers and freighters often shut down over the holidays.
- Lee emphasizes the importance of having all “ducks in a row” for the Christmas-to-New-Year period.
- Holiday Challenges:
- Lee shares a story of rescuing a 450,000-liter commercial pool during the holidays by sourcing a replacement pump—a “Christmas miracle.”
- Peter reflects on the difficulties of being on call for emergency repairs during the shutdown.
2. Southern Hemisphere Struggles
- Being in peak summer during the holidays creates unique challenges for Australian pool professionals, with back-to-back holidays like Australia Day and Chinese New Year.
- Peter expresses envy for the slower-paced Northern Hemisphere winters during Christmas.
3. Black Friday Sales: Yay or Nay?
- Team Consensus:
- Discounting isn’t ideal and trains customers to expect lower prices.
- Value-add promotions (e.g., offering 10% more instead of 10% off) are more profitable and better received by customers.
- Examples of Value-Adding:
- Offering a $300 voucher on a $3,000 cleaner instead of a $300 discount saves the business half the cost.
- Lee advocates for creating offers that benefit both the customer and the business.
4. Maximizing Supplier Deals
- Strategies for Early Buys:
- Peter and Lee share tips for leveraging supplier discounts on chemicals, equipment, and more.
- Buying seasonal stock in bulk can yield significant savings, but it’s crucial to have storage space and check insurance policies for stock limits.
- Creative Promotions:
- Lee describes marketing kits like:
- Summer Rescue Kits (algaecide, granular chlorine, clarifier, etc.)
- Winterizer Kits (algaecide, calcium sequestrant, filter cleaner)
- Spring Startup Kits (tile cleaners, phosphate removers, etc.)
- These kits not only boost sales but also prevent customers from turning to competitors during closures.
- Lee describes marketing kits like:
5. Marketing Insights
- Lee’s Marketing Calendar:
- A 12-month roadmap for promotions, tailored for both retail and service clients.
- Offers to share the template with listeners—email requests to talkingpoolsmail.com.
- Networking for Referrals:
- Peter credits his success to referral-based marketing and emphasizes its effectiveness in urban areas.
- Lee highlights the differences between small-town and city-based marketing approaches.
Thank you so much for listening! You can find us on social media:
Email us: talkingpools@gmail.com
