The SpaRetailer Podcast

The SpaRetailer Podcast


Latest Episodes

Episode #111, Building a Creative Succession Plan from Within with Ron Perkins
May 29, 2024

Ron Perkins joined Seven Seas Pools and Spas intending to own the business eventually. COVID fast-forwarded that plan and Perkins outlines how he and his boss developed a purchase plan that benefited

Episode #109, Store Design Do’s and Don’ts with Mario Maichel
May 01, 2024

Mario Maichel, dealer development manager at Watkins Wellness, is passionate about store design. As an addendum to our recent feature on the topic, Maichel chats about the biggest mistakes he sees hot

Episode #108, Alex Granlund with King Technology
April 17, 2024

Alex Granlund, product marketing manager for King Technology joins The SpaRetailer Podcast to talk about the companys latest innovation FROG @ease for Swim Spas and how products go from idea to c

Episode #16 RECAST, Launching an ESOP with Jim Van Fleet, Pt. 2
April 03, 2024

In honor of our ESOP feature in the April/May 2024 issue of SpaRetailer, we revisit an old podcast with Jim Van Fleet. Van Fleet was the first hot tub retailer to convert his company to an employee st

Episode #15 RECAST, Launching an ESOP with Jim Van Fleet, Pt. 1
April 03, 2024

In honor of our ESOP feature in the April/May 2024 issue of SpaRetailer, we revisit an old podcast with Jim Van Fleet. Van Fleet was the first hot tub retailer to convert his company to an employee st

Episode #107, Under Private Equity Ownership and Loving It with Kathi Belcourt
March 20, 2024

Kathi Belcourt rejoins the podcast, this time to discuss the Aqua-Tech Pool, Spa, and Whole Home Renovation journey. In 2021, Aqua-Tech was sold to a private equity firm, Kathi and Megan discuss what

Episode #106, Hot Tub History with Alice Cunningham
March 06, 2024

Alice Cunningham and Blair Osborn, founders of Olympic Hot Tub, graced the cover of the very first issue of SpaRetailer in 2007. The couple started the business in 1977 and grew to become one of the t

Episode #103, Hot Tub History with JP Parent
January 24, 2024

In 1983, Zodiac hired Jean Pierre Parent, an aeronautical engineer, to work in its aeronautics segment. But he eventually made his way to their pool division and has spent the rest of his career in th

Episode #102, Hot Tub History with Mike Dunn
December 27, 2023

Mike Dunn retired in 2021 after 42 years in the hot tub industry, 27 of which were spent at Watkins Wellness. He shares his hot tub history and memories of the industry from his teenage years helping

Episode #100, Expo Recap with Michael Coleman
November 29, 2023

For our 100th episode(!) we chat with J. Michael Coleman about the 2023 Pool | Spa | Patio Expo. Both Megan and Mike were recovering from their post-show illnesses, but we managed to chat about trends