Talking Pools is an information sharing Facebook Group, administrated by Rudy Stankowitz, a 30-plus year industry veteran and President/CEO of Aquatic Facility Training & Consultants, LLC.

Stankowitz says that the main thrust of the group is to share tips of the trade, providing both rookies and veterans with answers to everyday problems.

One of the aspects Stankowitz enjoys about Talking Pools is that the information doesn’t just trickle down from seasoned professionals to newbies, but also trickles up from fledgling service techs who may have a better capacity to think outside the box.

“It’s a reminder that old dogs can learn new tricks. If you look at something for 30 years you might get a little bit of tunnel vision but when bright new eyes come in, they can find unique solutions since they are looking at it from a whole new perspective,” Stankowitz said.

The Talking Pools information sharing platform began over the confusion surrounding the definition of “essential service.”

“When Covid started, it was unclear whether the pool industry was essential. We had to work together to get pool service companies to stay open. Without these kinds of pool groups, we wouldn’t be able to help one another as much because we wouldn’t be aware of what was going on. We had folks from all over the country reaching out to one another,” Stankowitz said.

Stankowitz said that’s when the group became a platform for the tens of thousands of industry professionals to have a voice.

“In states where they were told that they were not essential, we had construction stop at mid-point. There were jobs that were half done, pool retail stores closing and swimming pool service companies unclear about whether to got to work or not. Here in Florida and many other areas across the country, it was said point-blank that pool service was not essential. We helped get that legislation turned around,” Stankowitz said.

Talking Pools has also provided industry professionals with a sense of normalcy by hosting virtual trade shows, which are still available to watch on the Talking Pools Facebook page.

“We had one in May and one in August with a focus on education and water chemistry,” Stankowitz said. “I can’t wait to see what I learn from the group every day.”