Today in Episode 267 of the Pool Nation Podcast we drop a big announcement: Pool Nation and SPPA are partnering to unite more than 7,200 pool pros under one roof — the largest member-based program our industry has ever seen. Edgar and Zac sit down with Danielle, CEO of SPPA, to unpack what this means for you: a revamped Pool Man University platform, a Pool Nation Water Chemistry Certification path, quarterly business mastermind groups, member perks, rebates, and resources, plus mini-course learning tracks you can implement the next day.

We also preview the $10,000 Pool Pro Challenge finals at PSP/Deck Expo Las Vegas, the Pool Nation Awards, and the two-day Pool Nation Conference (Business, Technical & Hands-On tracks). If you care about profitability, customer retention, leadership, safety, and chemistry, this episode is your new playbook for 2026.

Chapters & timestamps

• 00:00 – Intro, sponsors, and… finding a nickname for Devon
• 02:40 – Zac returns; quick banter & show setup
• 06:45 – $10,000 Pool Pro Challenge (PSP Expo: Oct 22 qualifiers, Oct 24 finals)
• 07:50 – Pool Nation Awards + Conference overview (Oct 24–25; 3 tracks)
• 08:45 – Big headline: Pool Nation × SPPA strategic partnership
• 10:00 – Why this partnership? Mission alignment: protect & make pool pros financially successful
• 12:45 – Customer experience & SPPA service mindset (Ashley/Bailey shoutouts)
• 16:10 – Scale matters: uniting 7,200+ members to drive ROI
• 17:10 – What’s rolling out: revamped LMS/PMU, water chemistry certification, perks & resources
• 19:30 – The 5 core pillars: Business/Profit, Chemistry, Safety, Leadership, Customer Experience/Retention
• 23:05 – Practical training you can implement the next day
• 24:05 – From “motivated” to executing: one-page action plans & success stories
• 26:05 – One-stop shop vision: all the training in one place
• 26:55 – Perks, rebates, promos at scale (prices keep rising—here’s help)
• 33:00 – Education Fund: lowering the barrier for new/smaller companies
• 50:45 – 2026 launch preview: Water Chemistry Certification with levels, quizzes, in-person options
• 55:00 – Quarterly Business Mastermind Groups (free year one for SPPA members); first topic: Turning Pools Into Profits
• 1:01:00 – Mini-courses / tracks: deep dives on one topic (e.g., Profitability, Hiring, etc.)
• 1:08:00 – Not just a platform — an ecosystem (Nation of Pool Pros)
• 1:08:45 – Roadmap & timing: emails, registration link, staged rollouts, early rebates
• 1:11:00 – Where SPPA sees members in a few years: faster growth through access & community
• 1:26:30 – Final thoughts: alignment, mission, and how we lift the industry together
• 1:31:30 – What’s next: watch your inbox for the registration link to activate benefits

Thanks to our visionary partners & sponsors

Huge thank-you to our partners who make this possible: SPPA, Blu-Ray XL, AquaStar Pool Products, Natural Chemistry, Raypak, Heritage Pool Supply, Hayward Pool Products, Poolside Tech, Pool Brain, and U.S. Motors (Neptune Variable Speed Motor) — plus everyone supporting the Pool Nation Conference, Awards, and the $10K Pool Pro Challenge.