The SpaRetailer Podcast

Latest Episodes
Episode #57, From the Ashes with the Michels from Backyard Leisure
Have you ever gotten so frustrated with your business that you threatened to “burn it down?” Earl and Josh Michels from Backyard Leisure don’t recommend it. When a fire destroyed their flagship locati
Episode #56, Helping Retailers through Forced Change with Ted Lawrence from Poolcorp
Ted Lawrence, the corporate category retail manager at Poolcorp, brings a global perspective to hot tub and swimming pool retail and supply chain. Lawrence talks about the successful changes he saw re
Episode #55 from Hot Tubs Direct to an Automatic Cover Lifter with Andy Tournas
Andy Tournas, founder of ThermoSpas, Hot Tub Products and the International Hot Tub Association, joins us on the podcast today to talk about all three. Andy reflects on his time in the industry, and s
Episode #54, The Long Game with Ben Poggemiller
Ben Poggemiller from Urban Life Pools & Hot Tubs joins us again to share what’s changed in his business since we spoke at the beginning of the pandemic. He talks about how they’re handling ordering, s
Episode #53, A Two-Year Building Project, Opening During Covid, with Ronak Shah
Ronak Shah runs Oklahoma-based Galaxy Home Recreation with his sister and extended family. Two years ago they started construction on a new location in Edmond, Oklahoma, an affluent suburb of Oklahoma
Episode #52, The Rep Life with Dennis Gentek, Jacuzzi/Sundance
Dennis Gentek has pretty much seen it all in the hot tub industry. His 32-year career in the industry, spent almost exclusively as a rep for Jacuzzi/Sundance, spans almost every dip, recession and wor
Episode #51, Design with a Purpose, with Vic Walker and Allen Kalkomey from CMP
We’ve all become keenly aware of supply chains in 2020 — from toilet paper, to groceries, to all the things that make a hot tub. Custom Molded Products, or CMP, is one of the vital suppliers for hot tub manufacturers making everything from jets,
Episode #50, The PHTA’s Strategic Action Plan, with Sabeena Hickman
When Sabeena Hickman joined the newly formed PHTA in the fall of 2019, she thought she knew what her biggest challenge would be — continuing to merge two legacy associations. What neither she, or anyone, anticipated was the world being turned upside do...
Episode #49, Surviving a Pandemic as an OEM with Jerry Greer from Core Covers
How he went from being a wild kid, to a star Yellow Pages salesman, to hot tub industry entrepreneur. For every business partnership that’s soured, Greer has the opposite tale. We talk to him about his life in the hot tub industry and what happened to ...
Episode #48, Two Drinks with the Legend
Neither Jeff nor Megan were able to enjoy the libations during this conversation between two industry legends. Haviland graciously recorded a podcast episode for us, and John “Legend” Bokor, who we had on back Episode #39 chats lakeside with longtime H...