As facilities slowly came back to life, something unexpected happened in my world. I started connecting with people I never would’ve met otherwise. Folks like Chris Engler of Cyber Grapes, who showed me that yes — there are genuinely good, helpful people in the tech space. And Nicole Fairfield, who showed early interest in collaboration and community-building.
During that time, I used the All Things Aquatics Facebook group the same way I had used conferences before the pandemic — as a virtual handshake. A way to check in, stay grounded, meet new people, and see who else out there cared about aquatics the way we do.
And those simple check-ins, those conversations, those “Hey, can we talk for 10 minutes?” messages…
They eventually led to the first in-person All Things Aquatics event.
Something I never imagined when I created the group.
The truth is… none of this happened because of a master plan.
There was no dramatic movie montage.
No big ah-ha moment.
No step-by-step blueprint taped to the wall.
It was just figuring things out piece by piece:
- figuring out how to invite people I knew into the group
- figuring out how to set up a Calendly link so I could talk with them
- figuring out how to guide discussions
- figuring out how to be myself online —
a sincere blend of humor and humility,
focused on helping aquatic professionals learn, grow, and feel supported,
all sprinkled generously with movie quotes and sports references
And it was all built around this simple intention:
Help the next person connect.
Help someone feel less alone.
Help aquatic professionals have a safe place to ask honest questions.
About that phrase you’ve seen me use — “Here to help.”
It’s not a slogan.
It’s not branding.
And it’s definitely not a joke.
It’s something I type intentionally, especially when anonymous posts appear — because the anonymity didn’t disappear after COVID. In fact, some questions became more vulnerable:
- “I just got put in charge of the pool… where do I start?”
- “Is this a drowning risk?”
- “Can someone look at this situation and tell me if I’m doing it right?”
Amid all of this, my own professional world was expanding. I was hired as an aquatic industry expert. I oversaw more than a dozen facilities in a major city. I spoke at conferences I’d never even attended before. I built new workshops and training materials.
And still — the questions in the group kept coming.
But the tone had shifted.
They weren’t just coming from aquatics professionals anymore.
They were coming from people outside the field, suddenly responsible for pools.
In my humble opinion, with almost 30 years in aquatics, two major things happened after COVID:
1. Aquatic professionals were given new responsibilities.
Many “aquatic department heads” suddenly found other departments placed under them — often with fewer staff and higher expectations. In other places, the pool got reassigned to someone who wasn’t trained in aquatics at all.
2. Inexperienced staff were put in charge of pools.
People with recreation, programming, or safety backgrounds found themselves responsible for “the pool,” even if they’d never run one. They were trying hard — but they needed support.
Add in workforce shortages, rising wages, and the reality that more people are watching TikTok than reading lengthy articles… and it makes sense why our questions have grown louder, not quieter.
(And yes — drowning rates haven’t magically improved either.)
Through all of this, something important came into focus.
As I kept telling the story of All Things Aquatics, I started to understand just how powerful community truly is in our industry.
Community.
Networking.
Relationships.
Partnerships.
Aquatic pros helping aquatic pros.
These aren’t buzzwords — they’re survival tools.
They’re the difference between someone struggling alone and someone finding the answer they needed in five minutes from a stranger who’s been there before.
I’m genuinely grateful for everyone who’s been part of this journey —
for those who tolerate my puns, smile through my movie quotes, and seem mildly entertained by my sports references.
More importantly, I’m grateful for the way you all continue to show up for each other.
Because this community was never built for me.
It was built for all of us.