Talking Pools Podcast
von Rudy Stankowitz
Chemical Washing, Callbacks & Charging What You’re Worth
Über diesen 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.
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- Chemical Washing, Callbacks & Charging What You’re Worth · 42 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1111Ask a question here A stained pool gets the phone ringing. Knowing whether it needs a wash or a complete resurface is where the experience comes in. This week on Tru in the Loop…
- New Pool Standards, Old Habits, and Expensive Mistakes · 39 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1110Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Mondays Down Under A water test gives you numbers. Knowing what to do with them is where the job starts. Lee continues the…
- Room to Grow: Earning Respect and Looking Beyond LSI · 24 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1109Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Floc-It Friday with Rudy Stankowitz If we tell people to do better, we have to leave them somewhere to go when they try. After several…
- When a Free Estimate Becomes Free Consulting · 55 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1108Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne You spend hours inspecting a commercial pool, identifying problems, calling suppliers, and building a…
- Hot Tubs Can Kill: Biofilm, Bad Habits & Vacation Rental Risks with Dr. Roy Vore · 46 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1107Ask a question here That vacation rental has a hot tub. Great. When did somebody last test the water? Natalie Hood welcomes microbiologist Dr. Roy Vore back to the Talking Pools…
- Six Months of Free Pool Service. One Expensive Lesson · 39 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1106Ask a question here Three raffle entries. One winner. Six months of pool cleaning True wishes he hadn’t given away. This week on Tru in the Loop, True shares how a holiday…
- Pool Standards Stuck in 1989? Inside the AS 3633 Rewrite · 52 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1105Ask a question here Pool equipment has changed. Water testing has changed. So why has Australia’s pool water quality standard taken so long to catch up? On this episode of…
- Same Pool, Different Math: Rudy & Eric Knight, Part 2 · 58 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1104Ask a question here Rudy Stankowitz and Eric Knight of Pool Brain continue their three-part crossover conversation with a question that gets uncomfortable fast: How can the same…
- Know Your Numbers, Protect Your Business · 45 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1103Ask a question here Are you making money on every pool, or just staying busy? This week on Thursdays with Wayne & Steve, the guys get back to business basics for pool…
- Hot Tubs, Germs & the Microbial Badass - Dr. Roy Vore · 30 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1102Ask a question here Hot tubs may be small, but the problems hiding in them can be anything but. In this episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Natalie Hood sits down with…
- Standalone Spas, Lost Accounts & Hiring the Right People · 28 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1101Ask a question here A clean pool wasn’t enough to keep the customer. In this episode of Tru in the Loop, Pool Boy True shares a hard lesson he learned when a customer asked for…
- Your Pool Business Has Procedures. Does Anyone Actually Follow Them? · 36 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1100Ask a question here When the schedule fills up, shortcuts start looking pretty reasonable. A missing job note here, a skipped photo there. Then a customer calls, a pump won’t…
- Fear of Facebook, Part 2: Less Bloodsport, More Pool Knowledge · 24 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1099Ask a question here Can a Facebook group keep its edge without making every question a public execution? Rudy Stankowitz rejoins 14 PSI’s Shawn Davis and Dan Chiles for the…
- Stop Feeding the Skimmer: Wayne’s Pool Service Pet Peeves · 41 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1098Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Wayne & Steve Wayne Ivusich is flying solo, and he’s brought a list. Welcome to “Pissed-Off Wayne Thursdays,” where…
- From Malibu Pools to Ocean Solutions: Terry Tamminen on Mentorship · 42 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1097Ask a question here Before he worked with Arnold Schwarzenegger or led ocean innovation initiatives, Terry Tamminen was servicing swimming pools in Malibu. And when he couldn’t…
- Stop Collecting Pools. Start Making Money. With Pineapple Pool Boyz · 1 Std. 13 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1096Ask a question here Tru in the Loop | Talking Pools Podcast Host: Truman Guest: Zach of Pineapple Pool Boyz, Arizona Truman bids a one-day cleanup that turns into a four-day…
- Busy Doesn’t Mean Profitable: Put Down the Price Gun and Know Your Numbers · 43 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1095Ask a question here Link to The Pool Shop Coach’s ‘KNOW YOUR NUMBERS’ CALCULATOR : www.thepoolshopcoach.com.au/knowyournumbers Your shop is packed, the service trucks are…
- Fear of Facebook, Part 1: 14 PSI Says Enough Is Enough. Lincoln Reflecting Pool Failure Analysis · 42 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1095Ask a question here On this Floc It Friday episode of the Talking Pools Podcast, Rudy Stankowitz sits down with Shawn Davis and Dan Chiles, two former admins of 14 PSI Industry…
- Popped Pools, Leaking Profits & the Commercial Account From Hell · 58 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1094Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne Hosts: Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich Insurance Interlude Guest: Pat Grignon That commercial pool…
- Stop Blaming the Pool Guy! Plaster Myths & Industry BS with Greg Beard — Part 2 · 58 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1093Ask a question here The plaster looks like hell, and somehow the guy holding the net is already the prime suspect. Case closed? Natalie Hood and Greg Beard have a few follow-up…
- Tru in the Loop Premiere: Stop Eating Repair Costs, Charge Your Worth & Hire with Purpose · 29 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1092Ask a question here Meet Truman, “Pool Boy Tru,” the newest voice on the Talking Pools Podcast. An Air Force veteran, former basketball coach, and Tampa-area pool business owner…
- Forgot the Hose? Water Damage, Floating Pools & the Chlorine Merry-Go-Round · 47 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1091Ask a question here A hose left running. A pool that drains overnight. A concrete shell pushed out of the ground. Water has plenty of ways to turn an ordinary service visit into…
- You never know what someone is carrying when they show up to work · 5 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1090Ask a question here This trailer offers a glimpse into “You Are the Storm—and You Are Allowed to Have Help: Mental Health in the Pool Industry,” released Friday, October 9, 2026…
- You Are the Storm - and You Are Allowed to Have Help: Mental Health in the Pool Industry · 50 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1089Ask a question here Content note: This episode includes discussions of PTSD, suicide, grief, childhood bullying, and strong language. Listen at your own pace and take a break…
- Leslie’s Restructuring: What It Could Mean for the Pool Industry · 52 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1088Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Thursdays with Steve & Wayne Hosts: Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich Insurance Interlude Guest: Pat Grignon, California Pool…
- Answer the Damn Phone: Greg “Beard Man” Beard on Real Mentorship | Part 1 · 32 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1087Ask a question here What does mentorship look like when you’re standing in a customer’s backyard, staring at equipment you can’t figure out, and someone answers your call?…
- “I Just Test the Water” Won’t Cut It: Entrapment, Bad Plumbing & Professional Responsibility · 53 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1086Ask a question here A pool can look immaculate and still have a dangerous suction system. A renovation can deliver a beautiful finish while leaving the same hazardous plumbing…
- Pool Pros Deserve Better: Industry Politics, Product Claims & Corporate Bullshit · 27 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1086Ask a question here WARNING: INTENTIONALLY ABRASIVE If you want to know what pool professionals need, ask the person in the fucking truck. This week on Floc-It Fridays, Rudy…
- Pool Pros Need More Regulation - and Fewer Facebook Assholes · 57 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1085Ask a question here A truck, a pole, and a Facebook opinion: is that enough to call yourself a pool professional? This Thursday on Talking Pools, Steve Sherwood and Wayne Ivusich…
- A Floating Liner, a Family Business, and the Advice Chris Cavanaugh Wishes He Took Sooner · 51 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1084Ask a question here Talking Pools Podcast | Mythbusting Wednesday with Natalie Hood What do you do when heavy rain turns a vinyl liner into a waterbed? Chris Cavanaugh has a…
- “Chlorine-Free” With a Chlorinator? SPASA Takes on Pool Sanitizer Claims · 44 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1084Ask a question here What does freshwater mean when a pool system has a chlorinating cell? On Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury, Nick and Shane welcome Ben Makepeace, SPASA’s…
- One-Star Tribunal: Pool Pros vs. People Who Shouldn’t Have Wi-Fi · 41 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1083Ask a question here A one-star review can damage a reputation built over decades. Rudy breaks down how pool pros can respond without turning a bad review into a public cage…
- When Water Goes Where it Shouldn't · 39 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1082Ask a question here A storm strips sand from Steve’s Long Beach neighborhood, tears up the boardwalk, and forces nearby residents to evacuate. That leads Steve and Wayne into a…
- Ancient Pool Warrior: John Poma on Mentorship, Machinery and Alum · 55 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1081Ask a question here Natalie Hood continues her conversations with the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Top Ten Mentors with John Poma—the “Ancient Pool Warrior” and a two-time Top Ten…
- Workplace Safety: It’s Not a Problem Until It’s a Problem · 44 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1080Ask a question here Workplace health and safety is not optional—especially when your team handles hazardous pool chemicals, works outdoors in extreme heat and enters unfamiliar…
- Cancel Me: Gen X, Cancel Culture and Knowing When to Shut the F*** Up · 26 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1079Ask a question here This episode is intentionally and unapologetically Gen X, slightly abrasive and definitely not safe for the easily rattled. Beneath the profanity and sarcasm…
- Jeff Hampe: Mentorship, Mosaic Mastery and Pool-Tile Myths · 51 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1078Ask a question here Natalie Hood continues her conversations with the 2026 Talking Pools Podcast Top Ten Mentors by sitting down with Jeff Hampe, a longtime pool professional…
- Can Your Pool Business Survive Without You? · 39 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1077Ask a question here What happens when a family emergency forces you to leave your business with almost no warning? This week on Mondays Down Under, Lee, Nick, and Shane reunite…
- Reflecting Absence: The Engineering Behind the 9/11 Memorial Pools · 22 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1077Ask a question here Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, this special episode of the Talking Pools Podcast is presented without commercial interruption…
- Chemicals in the Skimmer, Insurance Gaps & the Pool Guy Who “Feels” the Water · 47 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1076Ask a question here This week on Thursdays with Wayne and Steve, Wayne climbs back onto his favorite soapbox: your skimmer is not a chemical-dispensing system. The guys break…
- Mentorship, AI, and Common Sense with Peter Wiedermann · 1 Std. 1 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1075Ask a question here Natalie Hood welcomes 2026 Top Ten Pool Industry Mentor Peter Wiedermann for a conversation about his 31 years in the swimming pool industry, the people who…
- Training Today Builds a Stronger Pool Industry Tomorrow · 47 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1074Ask a question here Hiring new employees is only the beginning. If pool and spa businesses want knowledgeable technicians, loyal teams, confident customers, and fewer unqualified…
- Pool Remodels: What Lies Beneath the Plaster · 31 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1073Ask a question here A pool remodel is rarely as simple as replacing the tile and plaster. Once the old surface comes off and the ground is opened, contractors can uncover…
- Ten Things Wrong with the Pool Industry · 31 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1074Ask a question here This episode is intentionally abrasive. The pool industry wants the respect, credibility, and compensation of a skilled trade. But are we willing to…
- Selling Your Pool Business? Protect Yourself Before You Sign · 12 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1071Ask a question here Private equity has entered the pool industry, and companies looking to acquire thousands of service accounts are knocking on the doors of independent pool…
- Calcium Nodules, Mentorship, and 50 Years of Pool Industry Wisdom with Jerry Wallace · 1 Std. 0 Min. · Staffel 5 Folge 1070Ask a question here What does nearly 50 years in the swimming pool industry teach you? According to Jerry Wallace, there are no shortcuts, you never stop learning, and sometimes…
- The Biggest Pool Technology from Down Under · 57 Min. · Staffel 6 Folge 1069Ask a question here For this special Mondays Down Under episode, Lee, Shane, and Nick are finally together in the same room after two exhausting days walking the floor at SPLASH!…
- Rudy asks Education or Sales Pitch? Know Who’s Teaching You · 26 Min. · Staffel 6 Folge 1968Ask a question here WARNING: This episode is intentionally abrasive. It contains strong language, blunt opinions, and an alarming lack of patience for sales pitches disguised as…
- 1099 or W-2? The Expensive Difference Pool Companies Cannot Ignore · 17 Min. · Staffel 6 Folge 1067Ask a question here Calling someone an independent contractor does not automatically make them one. In this Insurance Interlude, Steve Sherwood and Pat Grignon of the California…
- Is There Too Much Pool Industry Education? · 36 Min. · Staffel 6 Folge 1066Ask a question here In the conclusion of this two-part Mythbusting Wednesday conversation, Natalie Hood sits down with Erik Knight to discuss his move from Watershape University…







