We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jonathon Rhinehart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathon, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I’m not certain if I have a definitive answer, but it’s evident that watching my parents grow up played a significant role. While we weren’t considered “poor,” we certainly lived paycheck to paycheck and relied heavily on credit cards. I had a strong belief that if I earned enough money, there would be no issues.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I provide full-service repairs for virtually anything on a swimming pool. The only thing I don’t do is build brand-new pools. What makes my work exciting is the transformation—no matter the starting point. Whether it’s cleaning up a storm-damaged pool or replacing pipes and valves, I have the skills and experience to get it done.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Qualities That Matter in Pool Work
The most important qualities in this business are integrity and trustworthiness. When someone needs new equipment and you hand them a $5,000 estimate, they have to believe in you. If they don’t, you won’t get the job—simple as that.
People skills are helpful, but not mandatory. What really matters is knowing how to handle power tools, wrenches, and sockets. If you can do that, you’ll be fine.
When I first started out, the biggest game-changer was learning water chemistry. Once I understood how to keep pools clean and blue, I could hold down steady work while I figured out the more complex repairs. That foundation kept me employed long enough to build real skills.
Advice for Newcomers
If you’re just starting out, find an owner-operator to learn from and keep your expenses low. Don’t worry about getting the newest truck or the flashiest gear. When I started, I was running jobs with a two-door Wrangler and a rack hitched on the back. Now I drive a Tacoma—but it took time and steady work to get there.
Same with tools: I started out with cheap aluminum poles, and today I use a carbon fiber one. The difference is huge, but I only upgraded once the work paid for it.
Bottom line: don’t fall for shiny object syndrome. Do the job. Learn the trade. Then reinvest the money you earn into better equipment.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
All In: My Turning Point
At heart, I’m a gambling man. I believe you go all in instead of spreading your talents thin. In my experience, things either work or they don’t—so you might as well give it everything you’ve got.
When I got recruited into pool service, I was working as an auto tech at Carvana. I had just gotten a raise from $13 to $15 an hour, and on paper, it was a solid job. The benefits were good, and with a baby on the way and a family already depending on me, it seemed like the safe path. The problem was—I didn’t know a single thing about pools other than how to swim.
Still, something told me this was my turning point. Pool service offered $30 an hour, but there were no guarantees. I had to take out my own taxes, there were no benefits or retirement plans, and the extra miles on my car meant higher gas and maintenance costs. Honestly, I had no idea what I was walking into.
But I kept my eyes on the bigger picture. And being a gambler at heart, I bet on myself. I took the leap—and I ran with it.
In May 2021, I left Carvana to begin a new adventure. By October 2021, I had officially launched my own business, starting an LLC that I named after the child we were about to welcome into the world the very next month—Kaycee’s Pools LLC.
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