In the home services industry, reliability and professionalism often determine whether a customer makes a one-time call or builds a long-term relationship. For The Pool Butler, a Georgia-based pool service company, those qualities are not just goals — they are the foundation of the business.
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.
When asked about Blue Moon Pools, owner Lupe Mariscal always goes back to the beginning — long before the company existed, and before he even had a full-time job.
A family tradition gave Steve Easland an early start in the pool industry.
“It began when I was a kid, 12 or 13,” Easland says. “I would want to go out and ride my bike with my buddies on the weekends, but my dad said, ‘No, we’ve got to clean the pool first.’ ”
Growth with employee-first acquisitions and a mission to modernize pool service
Had it not been for his daughter, Sophia, or son, Justin, pool owners in Upland, California, might never have met Gilbert Campos.
James Broderick didn’t follow a predictable path into the pool care business. When he started JB’s Pool Care in Franklinton, North Carolina, it wasn’t because of a family legacy or summer job turned career.
Jay Eaton didn’t know much about pools when he started in the business. In a tale as old as time, Eaton’s father-in-law, Gordon Schmeiser, began a pool store and commercial chemical service company in 1974. Eaton had just gotten engaged to Schmeiser’s daughter, Barbara.
“How did you take a $1 million office and turn it into an $8 million office — in five years?” It’s a familiar question asked of Ryan Vaughn, owner/operator of California Pools – Orange County South in San Clemente, California.
Pedro Paloalto started in the industry in 2002 helping his father-in-law clean pools. That experience eventually led to Paloalto starting Coachella Valley Pools and sharing advice as Pete the Pool Guy on Instagram.
Before 2019, Tina and Doug George found solace in their backyard pool, using it as a sanctuary from the stresses of their health care careers.
At the outset of his career, Jacob Grozier’s path seemed uncertain. He had a hunch he wanted to run his own business but was unsure what that might mean.