Talking Pools Podcast
Talking Pools Podcast
Rudy Stankowitz
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. 
One-Star Tribunal: Pool Pros vs. People Who Shouldn’t Have Wi-Fi
Ask 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 match: cool off, check the service records, own genuine mistakes, correct false claims with facts, and know when to stop replying. Then court is in session for the One-Star Tribunal. On the docket: a contractor blamed for a Category 5 hurricane, a complaint aimed at the wrong pool company, a review campaign over $139.99, a...
Sep 25
41 min
When Water Goes Where it Shouldn't
Ask 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 pool professional’s nightmare: a hose left running at a hillside pool, followed by evacuations and damage below the property. They discuss the risks of draining pools, what hydrostatic relief valves do, and why suspected structural problems call for an engineer. Steve also gets into the business side of service: settin...
Sep 24
38 min
Ancient Pool Warrior: John Poma on Mentorship, Machinery and Alum
Ask 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 honoree. John shares how a summer job pouring precast main drains became a decades-long career spanning commercial pool construction, service, plumbing, equipment installation and heavy machinery. He explains why the best field professionals must sometimes become their own engineers, how mentorship has evolved from gu...
Sep 23
55 min
Workplace Safety: It’s Not a Problem Until It’s a Problem
Ask 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 equipment rooms every day. On this episode of Mondays Down Under, Lee Salisbury is joined by Shane Sneddon and Nick Day to discuss the safety practices every pool and spa business should have in place. From PPE, chemical segregation and spill containment to SDS registers, vehicle storage, staff induction and mental wel...
Sep 20
44 min
Cancel Me: Gen X, Cancel Culture and Knowing When to Shut the F*** Up
Ask 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 is a serious discussion about accountability, professional communication and knowing the difference between telling an uncomfortable truth and simply acting like an asshole. Rudy takes on cancel culture, trigger warnings, political correctness and the challenge of communicating like an actual human being in a cu...
Sep 18
25 min
Jeff Hampe: Mentorship, Mosaic Mastery and Pool-Tile Myths
Ask 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 known for his all-tile pools, artistic glass mosaics and uncompromising attention to detail. Jeff shares how he progressed from repairing hot tubs in New Jersey to cleaning pools, repairing equipment, performing leak detection and eventually becoming a licensed pool contractor and sought-after mosaic specialist. He also ...
Sep 16
50 min
Can Your Pool Business Survive Without You?
Ask 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 to discuss Shane’s unexpected six-week absence and how his pool service business continued operating while he was overseas. From trusting an employee with 65 regular clients to managing emergencies across a 12-hour time difference, the conversation offers an honest look at delegation, communication, and building a comp...
Sep 13
38 min
Reflecting Absence: The Engineering Behind the 9/11 Memorial Pools
Ask 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. Rudy Stankowitz remembers the 2,977 people murdered that day, the passengers and crews who fought back, the first responders who ran toward danger, and the survivors and recovery workers who carried the physical and emotional consequences home with them. The episode then examines Reflecting Absence, the two enormous memo...
Sep 11
22 min
Chemicals in the Skimmer, Insurance Gaps & the Pool Guy Who “Feels” the Water
Ask 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 down the risks of feeding acid, calcium chloride, chlorine tablets, and other products through the skimmer—and discuss the limited situations where manufacturer directions may call for it. Steve also speaks with Pat from the California Pool Association about liability coverage for residential, commercial, and high-end aq...
Sep 10
46 min
Mentorship, AI, and Common Sense with Peter Wiedermann
Ask 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 shaped his career, and the technicians he helped develop along the way. Peter explains why a mentor should build independence rather than dependence, why trust is essential, and why challenging someone’s thinking is sometimes the greatest help a mentor can provide. He also shares how recognizing burnout led him away fr...
Sep 9
1 hr 1 min
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