The Texas-based pool company is building a business designed for life  

Like many entrepreneurs in the pool industry, Jonah Gonzales started with a side gig — waiting tables, doing manual labor and playing music — just trying to make ends meet in south Texas. Everything changed when his neighbor and founder of AllPro Pools, Rick McKinney, showed him what was possible.

In the early 2010s, Gonzales watched McKinney help his son build a $60,000 pool route in a single season. “When you’re in your early 20s and you see someone making what at that time was a good amount of money, … it was like, ‘Hey man, show me,’ ” he says. He started with just 10 pools, learned through experience and quickly realized how rewarding the industry could be for someone willing to work hard.

Blue Whale Pool & Spa grew steadily from there, one pool at a time. Gonzales remembers hitting 27 pools by his second season and confidently telling his wife they could reach 100 if they stayed the course. But growth came with challenges — long days, no downtime and the realization that being good in the field wasn’t enough to build a sustainable company.

That’s when his wife, Amanda, became essential to the business.

“Without me, there’s no pool service,” Gonzales says. “But without her, we are not where we are now.” Amanda handles the administrative side of Blue Whale — billing, systems, organization — while also working a full-time job and raising their children. Her business background helped bring structure to what Gonzales admits was his first experience making “any substantial money.”

“She was like, ‘Hey, we need to be doing this properly or we can’t scale,’ ” he recalls. That early push toward organization laid the foundation for how Blue Whale operates today, including something many small companies skip: a formal set of standard operating procedures. Every new hire receives a copy outlining expectations, service steps and even scripts for common customer interactions. “They get a binder with essentially their how-to at every single stop,” Gonzales explains. From equipment issues to customer complaints, the SOP manual gives techs a road map before escalating problems to management.

Today, Blue Whale operates with four technicians, including a dedicated day-to-day service manager who focuses on quality control and coaching. Gonzales has intentionally structured the business so he can focus on equipment installs, bids and long-term planning rather than being stretched thin across every role.

Hiring, he says, is about more than technical ability. “I’m trying to hire guys who are very similar to me: proactive problem solvers,” Gonzales says. He’s found particular success with technicians who have families — people who value stability, communication and long-term growth.

Those same values extend to customers. Blue Whale’s attrition rate is under 3%, something Gonzales attributes to honesty, expectation-setting and de-escalation. “I validate their concerns,” he says. “And I come with a solution.” 

Rather than trying to be everything to every customer, he focuses on finding a good fit from the beginning. “I’m looking at customers who are compatible with me,” he says. From the first meeting, Blue Whale sets the standard for what service looks like — especially in south Texas, where oak pollen, heavy debris and extended swim seasons can surprise or overwhelm first-time pool owners. By managing expectations early and being up-front about what’s realistic, Gonzales has built customer relationships based in trust.

But for Gonzales, trust isn’t just about communication — it’s about ownership. If something breaks and it’s Blue Whale’s fault, he is clear about how it’s handled: “We would replace it. It’s as simple as that.”

That mindset of reliability and honesty over quick wins has helped Blue Whale retain customers for over a decade in some cases. It’s also allowed Gonzales to build a business that supports the life he wants now, not just someday.

“We’re at the point in our lives where family is the most important thing,” Gonzales says. “Our kids are at that age where they’ll remember the things we do right now.” Rather than chasing nonstop expansion, Jonah and Amanda are focused on balance — building a profitable, well-run company that allows them to be present with their children today, not waiting for retirement to enjoy the payoff. “We’re only this young and able-bodied for a short amount of time,” he says.

Balance is about more than time off for Gonzales — it’s about what his children are learning by watching their parents build something together. “They’re not just seeing mom and dad punch a nine-to-five,” he says. 

Instead, his kids are already thinking creatively about what’s possible. One daughter talks constantly about starting businesses of her own, from crocheting to art. “You can have whatever you want if you put the time and work in,” Gonzales says. Whether his kids eventually join the family business or choose a different path, he’s proud that they’re growing up seeing ownership, initiative and effort modeled every day.proximately 600 or 700.” The growth, like the company, has been steady, disciplined and — as he puts it — “legit.”

Blue Whale Pool & Spa

Jonah Gonzales

San Antonio, Texas