Brian Menzies, 35
Operations support manager
Clearwater, Florida
Brian Menzies can trace his pool career all the way back to age 10, when he helped a family friend distribute flyers in exchange for chicken salad sandwiches. By high school, he was working at a Pinch A Penny store for $6.55 an hour, filling bleach jugs alongside his best friend. The store’s owners became mentors, teaching him every part of the business — from water chemistry and cleaning to repairs and installations — and encouraging him to think bigger.
At 23, Menzies purchased his own Pinch A Penny location, a struggling store he grew by more than 100% in three years. “Being able to purchase my own existing location at 23 years old and then the following year win the award for highest growth in central Florida [was a defining moment],” he says. Though he narrowly missed out on the company’s prestigious Franny Award, that near-win motivated him to push even harder in his career.
Menzies later sold that store, gained experience helping launch a pool construction company and eventually returned to Pinch A Penny in a corporate role. Today, as operations support manager, he serves as a business coach to more than 300 franchise locations across seven states. “My favorite part about being with Pinch is that I get to work with amazing franchisees all across the country,” Menzies says. “Being able to help the families and individuals who truly want better and to grow is my why.”
Like many in the industry, Menzies faced his toughest professional test during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty over whether stores would remain open, how to protect employees and how to serve customers safely forced him and his peers to innovate quickly. “We banded together to implement curbside shopping, drop-off water testing, chemical and supply delivery and many more services for our customers,” he says. Those adaptations not only sustained business during shutdowns but also drove growth and market share gains that Pinch A Penny held onto well after restrictions eased.
Menzies wants to continue serving as a mentor to his team and a guide to franchisees. He also hopes to see equipment compatibility improve across the industry. “Apple HomeKit accepts 50 different brands of home automation accessories, but we can’t get certain automation systems to talk to certain pumps,” he notes. He believes open-source equipment would push innovation forward and benefit both businesses and customers.
Menzies competes in adult kickball leagues and tournaments, loves traveling and exploring new foods and began a new adventure earlier this year: marriage.
