Overcoming adversity as a female entrepreneur in the pool industry

4. Remember what is important

Businesses do not only succeed just because of the name on their door—businesses like Water Works Pool & Spa thrive when employees and customers are treated with respect, leadership is not afraid to adapt to market changes, and employees are given the opportunity and encouragement for self-reflection and growth.

The pool industry is all about providing customers with fun, splash-filled memories that will last a lifetime. With a pool business, pool professionals are selling fun, wellness, and an active lifestyle.

White is proud of how her business has grown over the years and she has become a true trailblazer, seeing as 70 per cent of small businesses fail to pass the 10-year mark;³ however, Water Works Pool & Spa has succeeded for almost four decades.

“I wouldn’t have made it this far without the hard work I’ve put in, the personal changes I’ve committed to, the culture I’ve established, and the business decisions I’ve made throughout the years to keep up with the industry,” says White. “One thing I’m sure of, however, is there is a place for everyone, including women, to find success and grow in the pool industry.”

Notes

¹ See “The Great Resignation or The Great Retention?” published online by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) on Oct. 20, 2021. For more information, visit www.hrpa.ca/hr-insights/the-great-resignation-or-the-great-retention.

² See “Implicit Bias” published online by the Perception Institute. For more information, visit https://perception.org/research/implicit-bias.

³ See “The True Failure Rate of Small Businesses,” by Timothy Carter and published online Entrepreneur Media Inc., on Jan. 3, 2021. For more information, visit www.entrepreneur.com/article/361350.

Author

Mike Echols is the southeast/mid-Atlantic regional manager for Pentair Pool. He has been with the company for more than two decades. Echols started in the pool industry in 1987, working in retail and servicing pools, and has since worked in various other roles in the aquatics sector. In 2018, he joined the Georgia chapter of the Pool and Hot Tub Alliance’s (PHTA’s) board of directors and has since been named president of the board. His passion and love for the industry has spanned his entire 35-year professional career