Power Women

Lauren Womick
President
Kevin Sparks Signature Pools
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Leading with Faith, Family and Fierce Purpose

Even though Lauren Womick grew up around the pool industry because of her dad’s pool construction company, Kevin Sparks Signature Pools in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, she says it never crossed her mind that it would be her career someday. “When I was little, we had a basement in our home and I turned it into an attorney’s firm, a doctor’s office and a school, so I had all different careers — none of which were swimming pools,” she says. But life had other plans. Today, Womick is the president of Kevin Sparks Signature Pools, which she helped grow from a small family operation into a regional powerhouse known for excellence and integrity.

Womick’s path to the pool industry wasn’t necessarily typical, even for a second-generation business owner. After earning a degree in organizational communication, she spent several years in full-time ministry. “I loved that season, but I felt God telling me it was time for a new assignment,” she says. She considered joining her father’s pool company — but only if it was the right fit. “I prayed, ‘Lord, if you want me to work for Dad, you tell him, and he can tell me.’ ”

Not long after, her father brought up the idea unprompted. “It was clear,” she recalls. “And now I’m all in. I love it.”

She joined the company in 2017 when it had just nine employees and was building about 30 pools a year. Since then, Womick has helped grow the business to a team of over 35, completing up to 100 pools annually, driven by a strong referral base and commitment to quality, values that are deeply embedded in the company’s culture.

For Kevin Sparks Signature Pools, customer satisfaction begins with clarity — one of Womick’s strengths. She believes setting clear expectations from the start is key to building trust.

“We lay everything out on the front end,” she says. “We tell customers, ‘Our company runs off referrals. It’s really important that you feel comfortable referring us to the next person. So what does that look like for you?’ Having those processes and structures in place makes the customer feel safe about their investment.”

That same commitment to transparency extends to the company’s internal culture as Womick strives to make the business a place where people want to work. “Our employees take so much ownership in the company,” she says. “They take pride in wearing and maintaining the brand and making sure we have a good name in the market and that their work reflects that.”

Her leadership style is shaped not just by her business acumen but also her faith and her role as a wife and mother. “My first calling is to my home, but I also love this company,” she says. “Rhythm and routine have been huge to create balance. I try to be present where my feet are, and I give myself grace.” Her team benefits from those boundaries, too. “I tell all my customers that my staff is available from eight to four,” she says. “After four o’clock, they’re coaching baseball or playing Disney princess — being present with their families. We express those boundaries.”

As a woman — and a boss’s daughter — Womick has faced her share of assumptions. In her early days, some customers preferred working with “your dad,” but those comments did not deter her. “I resolved early on that I will be respected because I know who I am,” she says. “I know my worth. I know my competencies. I can always be humble and learn. However, I’ll not be demeaned or disrespected. I have earned a seat at the table, and I deserve to sit in that seat.”

Her confidence is rooted in preparation and knowledge. “One thing that really helped me was learning a couple of key things about swimming pools that maybe the client didn’t know that I could use to show them my knowledge,” she explains. “It was just the surface of everything I knew about their project, but it helped me gain their respect.”

Today, Womick is focused on making pools more affordable. “Everyone deserves a beautiful backyard,” she says. “We’re redesigning our offerings to meet more people where they are.” That includes working closely with manufacturers to develop products tailored to her market’s needs.

For other women balancing multiple roles, Womick recognizes their effort and follows with a simple encouragement: “I see all the roles you play and the expectations put on you,” she says. “You can hold the ‘and.’ You can be a mom and a pool builder. A wife and a customer service rep. When you’re called to multiple things, it is hard and strenuous and exhausting. But the rewards are so beautiful and worth it.”

Adriana Rosas
Region manager
SCP Mexico/POOLCORP
Mexico City, Mexico

Building Bridges Across Borders

In the fast-growing Mexican pool industry, Adriana Rosas is rewriting the playbook. As region manager of SCP Mexico, a division of POOLCORP, Rosas has carved her leadership path with business savvy and cultural fluency.

“I like to say I’m playing at having my own business but with someone else’s money,” Rosas laughs. Her joke reflects the autonomy she enjoys within POOLCORP’s structure, where she’s responsible for five branches spread across Mexico. It’s a job that blends corporate oversight with local nuance, a challenge she thrives on.

Before joining the pool world, Rosas spent 14 years in industrial plastics, climbing from assistant to strategic account manager. She was drawn to the pool industry by a former mentor, Peter Arvan, now president and CEO of POOLCORP, who told her, “You’re going to have a lot of fun.” Nearly eight years later, she still is.

“This company takes care of their employees and lets us make our own decisions, like, ‘You have the resources, we trust you, so go and get the results,’ ” she says. “They are open to letting us make it very local here, which has given us tremendous results.”

And those results speak for themselves. Despite running the smallest footprint among her distribution competitors — five branches compared to others’ 10 to 20 — SCP Mexico claims roughly 20% of the market.

But being the bridge between a U.S.-based parent company and a Mexican operation brings its own set of challenges. “When you are Mexican in a very local culture and you try to bond with an American company, it’s difficult, but trying to bond your employees with corporate is so much more difficult,” she says. “Being abroad and working for an American company means we are making a double effort. We must understand two languages. We need to read a lot. We need to learn technical terms in English and then translate in Spanish because the local pool builder does not speak English.”

That balancing act is intensified by geography — her branches are scattered across different cities and time zones — and a deeply rooted male-dominated culture. When Rosas started, she was young, new to the industry and lacked a family background in the pool business — factors that made it challenging to earn respect from others.

Rosas shares stories of being underestimated or ignored in meetings where eyes and questions were directed toward male colleagues instead of her. “You have to do a little bit more so you can gain their trust,” she says.

Her strategy for navigating those hurdles is as thoughtful as it is effective: Listen first. Speak second.

“You need to not only listen to your customers but listen to your team,” she says. “Have the capability to stay quiet. That’s what I did when I joined the pool industry. I was truly listening. I was trying not to give my opinion on anything because sometimes you want to immediately share your experience — and I had been in the distribution business for 14 years — but this is a different industry. Wait for your moment. Wait for them, get to know them.”

That respect goes both ways. Rosas’ commitment to her people is unmistakable. “I like to take good care of my team because they are the ones getting the results,” she says. “I’m backstage. I tell them, ‘You are the rock stars. So come and ask for whatever you want.’ I can get the talent and they know I have the resources. Then people are happy and boom — we are bringing all the customers to us.” The high percentage of employee retention indicates her philosophy is paying off.

She’s also passionate about raising industry standards in Mexico. Through her volunteer work with Asociación de Profesionales de la Piscina, she helps promote safe, high-quality pool construction based on U.S. benchmarks. “We don’t have building codes or policies, but we try to let our customers know how things need to be done because it’s about safety first,” she says.

Looking ahead, Rosas is excited to grow SCP Mexico’s footprint. “I get excited to make more noise in the industry — more noise, more branches, more market share,” she says.

For women considering a career in the industry, her advice is crystal clear: “First, ask yourself if you really want it. What are you willing to do to get it? Have that clear. The plan will come easily if it’s what you want and it’s worth it.”

Krystal Guilhemotonia
Owner/CEO
Aqua Creek Products
Missoula, Montana

Breaking Barriers and Advancing Access

In the heart of Missoula, Montana, Krystal Guilhemotonia is redefining what it means to lead with purpose. As CEO and majority owner of Aqua Creek Products — which manufactures aquatic accessibility equipment — Guilhemotonia has grown a family-founded business into an industry leader.

Aqua Creek started at a dining room table with Guilhemotonia’s father at the helm. “I was in high school when Dad started the company,” she recalls. “I was the fourth paid employee.” She originally pursued a degree in accounting and business management at the University of Montana and never planned on staying in the pool industry. But when the Department of Justice began enforcing pool accessibility regulations, everything changed.

“The company exploded overnight,” she says. “Suddenly, I was managing multiple people because I was the only one who knew [the ins and outs of what we did].” That turning point cemented her place in the business — and lit a fire in her.

In 2020, just before the world shut down, Guilhemotonia stepped into the CEO role. “Trial by fire is how I like to do it,” she jokes. But despite the timing, she’s led Aqua Creek through record growth, nearly doubling sales since she took over. In 2024, she became majority owner.

What keeps her committed to this niche of the pool industry isn’t just the business itself. It’s the impact. Aqua Creek specializes in accessible lifts and equipment that allow people with limited mobility to experience the joy of swimming — something most take for granted.

“We get to make such a unique product that genuinely helps people,” Guilhemotonia says. “That drives us to better quality and excellence. It’s such a feel-good product. For those who might typically be excluded from water, this changes their experience. That’s what gets me up every day.”

A recent trip to Hawaii underscored that mission. On vacation with her family, Guilhemotonia noticed a woman struggling to use a broken pool lift. It wasn’t Aqua Creek’s equipment, but Guilhemotonia couldn’t ignore the situation. “I spent over an hour with the hotel’s maintenance guy,” she says. “I explained what ADA compliance really means and showed him how to troubleshoot the lift. That woman got to swim on the last day of her vacation. She told me, ‘If I won the lottery, I’d do this every day.’ That was her million-dollar wish.”

Moments like these remind Guilhemotonia why her work matters. “Pools are fun, and water is healing,” she says. “When that’s been denied to people because of access, it is such an improvement on their quality of life to experience joy in water. Let’s get them there, too.”

At Aqua Creek, she leads a team of nearly 70 employees and fosters a culture rooted in community. “We’ve got brothers working here, a father-daughter duo,” she says. “This business is part of Montana, and we’re proud to keep it here.”

As a woman in leadership, Guilhemotonia is used to being underestimated. “I’ve been mistaken for the secretary,” she says. “But being unassuming is an opportunity. People will be more open and honest with you.”

Her advice to other women entering the pool industry? “Find strong supporters — men and women,” she says. “These can be your coworkers, your friends, your mentors, your spouse. And beyond just asking for their support, inspire their support by showing your passion and your drive and what you strive to be.”

Guilhemotonia encourages businesses to be intentional about hiring women, even in nontraditional roles. At Aqua Creek, she has brought on top-performing female welders who were the only women in their class. “Give that woman a chance and hire her in those entry-level positions,” she says. “We can support women throughout their whole career. They’re not going to be mediocre — they’re going to strive to be above their counterpart knowing that they are not who typically would have been hired for this role.” That drive not only benefits the women themselves but also elevates their teams. “Let’s get those women in here because they actually push the rest of the staff,” she adds. “Women approach things differently than many of our male counterparts, and that makes us a better, well-rounded business in every aspect, top to bottom.” 

Karen Larson
Co-founder
Soake Pools
Pembroke, New Hampshire

Redesigning Relaxation

When Karen Larson and her husband decided to design and install a small, precast plunge pool in their backyard in 2013, they didn’t know they were leaping into a new career.

With zero background in swimming pools and a whole lot of curiosity, Larson launched Soake Pools in 2014. Based in Pembroke, New Hampshire, the company now ships to 42 states and employs 20 full-time staff with a mission to provide beautiful, precast plunge pools that meet the needs of modern homeowners — no massive yard or six-figure price tag required.

“At that time the gunite builders in the area weren’t interested in building small pools,” she says. “And understandably, because they have to send out all the same resources for a small pool as they did for a large pool, so the cost didn’t come down. We didn’t want a big pool. So my husband developed the product, and I took it to market.”

What started as a practical solution has become a category-defining brand in a relatively new space. But for Larson, the journey was as much about doing things differently as it was about building pools.

Her background in design and textiles gave her a sharp eye for aesthetics, but she quickly realized she needed to learn the technical side, too — everything from plumbing to low-voltage wiring. “Knowledge is power,” she says. “Early on, I asked people to show me how to do things. I would practice at home. I went to all the trainings. I knew everything myself, so that as we grew the
company, I knew what people were talking about.”

Learning by doing is now woven into the fabric of Soake’s company culture. “Every single person in this company — whether they’re answering the phone on the tech team or in sales — they all know everything I know and have all done hands-on training,” she says.

Larson didn’t grow up in the industry, but that didn’t stop her from earning the respect of long-time veterans. “In the beginning, every person I worked with was probably a man, but I didn’t really think about it that way,” she recalls. “I looked at them as veterans in their industry and if I was intimidated, it wasn’t because of their gender but because I didn’t know very much and they knew a lot.”

Still, being a woman in a male-dominated space had its unique quirks. As the majority owner of the company, Larson discovered some unexpected and practical advantages — like smoother access to SBA loans. “They’re more willing to take a chance on you,” she says.

But she’s the first to say she’d rather talk about her work than her gender and is not interested in negative narratives. “I surround myself with positivity and positive people,” she says. “When the conversation is positive and about how can we elevate ourselves as females, I like that.”

For Larson, growth isn’t just about scaling the business. It’s about preserving the company’s values as it expands. “We want to grow at a pace that’s manageable and also a pace that we can give a great customer experience,” she says.

She’s also passionate about listening — especially when it comes to customer feedback. A client once mentioned that their information felt disorganized, to the point where she had to create her own binder to keep track of everything. That feedback prompted the team to develop an official customer binder and completely revamp the onboarding process. “We listened carefully to our customer and made a huge improvement to our process as a result,” she says.

Looking ahead, Larson is excited about advancements in pool equipment — particularly in electric heating and cooling technologies. Reaching a point where pools can be heated efficiently without relying on propane or natural gas will be a major breakthrough, she says.

Whether it’s improving processes or exploring new technologies, Larson finds fulfillment in knowing that her work goes beyond just building pools — it’s about enhancing the lives of her clients.

“I feel lucky that we are part of this,” she says. “It’s that moment when the customer calls you or sends you a picture of them in their pool and how their life has changed because they now have this gathering space in their backyard that they didn’t before. It brings me a lot of joy when you realize the impact you’re having on a life. It’s pretty cool that we get to do this.” 

Leslie Elliott
Founder/CEO
Poolie
Austin, Texas

Bringing Big Vision to Backyard Business

As a career executive with a background in management consulting and operations, Poolie CEO and founder Leslie Elliott jumped into the pool industry in 2021, not just starting a business but launching a fast-growing residential pool service platform.

Elliott’s interest in pools sparked when, like many during the pandemic, she had one installed. After cycling through multiple service providers, she dug a little deeper into the industry. “I kept coming back to looking at these pool routes for sale,” she says. “There seemed to be a big need for [good service]. The industry seemed to be growing. And it had all the markers of a space that could professionalize and standardize and start to see some bigger players in it.”

Elliott acquired a 180-pool route and immersed herself in the business. “I did all of the jobs — billing, repair quoting, new service quoting,” she says. “And I built my technical pool knowledge.”

That hands-on approach paid off. Within a few years, Poolie had grown to 850 pools. Soon after, Elliott connected with Unity Partners, a private equity firm that offered her the opportunity to build a pool platform from scratch. “I could’ve joined a big player and been acquisition No. 32, but [I wanted to] drive the strategy,” she says. Now, Poolie has 5,000 weekly service customers across five Texas cities.

The desire to shape and build is evident in everything Poolie does, from standardizing processes and embracing new tech to building a company culture that values its people. “Our techs are W-2 employees, they get benefits and they have an opportunity to be basically an owner in the company now too,” she says. “We’re building a workplace that gives folks opportunity and a career path but also is a great place to work.”

When it comes to work-life balance, Elliott takes a flexible, long-term view. A mom of four — ages 13 to 19 — and a marathon runner, she has learned to think about balance in terms of weeks or months, not moments or days. “Maybe this week I’m not the rock star mom because it was the end of the month or we had a board meeting and I needed to lean more into work, but next week I’m going to lean a little more into the personal side of things, and that’s OK to do, too,” she says.

She also reminds people that prioritizing well-being is vital for lasting success. “If you’re not taking care of you, then you can’t actually do all the things that you want to do for everybody else,” she says. “And it’ll never all get done. Decide what time you need to block out for yourself, and focus on what you did get done, not what you didn’t.”

Elliott credits much of her success to one underrated skill: asking for help, especially from fellow entrepreneurs. “Use your network, and phone a friend because they’re going to have insights and thoughts from a different perspective that you’re not getting because you’re in the day-to-day just trying to grind through everything,” she says.

Looking ahead, Elliott sees massive potential in the pool industry, particularly in terms of professionalism, technology and operations. “We’re going to continue to see so much opportunity to redefine and level up the space, both from a company and a customer perspective,” she says. “I’m passionate about providing a better opportunity and better culture.”