The Pond Digger Podcast Eric Triplett

We all know there were shortages of products like toilet paper in 2020 - and this year we are now experiencing shortages of plastics and labor needed to create ponds! In the meantime, demand for ponds has increased with people spending more time at home. It has created quite a unique situation and Eric is joined by swimming pool industry veteran Michael to discuss it.
 
Eric and Michael share their insight on:
There have been plastic and resin shortages making it difficult to get supplies to finish pond projects. Michael’s background in the pool industry and experiences building ponds. How the recent freeze in Texas damaged hundreds of thousands of pools and ponds, causing a boom in demand. Recent chlorine shortages after a chemical plant in Louisiana burned down. Ports overseas and at home are experiencing shortages in labor and shipping containers so materials can’t be traded quickly. How Amazon has made people expect to get things within a day or two, causing impatience in the customer base. How many contractors trying to get permits to start projects are faced with a 2-3 months wait right now. The need to communicate this situation fully to your clients so they understand why their projects are taking so long - and why you should do this before signing the contract. Predictions on how all of this will affect the industry into the future. Eric’s current struggle to get enough pond liner to complete all of his jobs. Michael’s experience building a pond, his advice to go bigger, and his long-lived koi! How this year has been both amazing in terms of demand, but also scary in terms of supply.  
Links to resources:
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

Get ready, because this episode may shock you and shake you up a little bit! It’s all about how working on ponds is a practice requiring trial and error. Hopefully it will inspire you to get your hands dirty, try new things, and finally take that leap you’ve been thinking about!
 
Eric shares his insight on:
Getting into ponds from his start caring for fish and everything he had to learn along the way. Pushback Eric ran into from people who didn’t understand why he wanted to try to make money from his hobby. “Practicing” ponds when you come up against something tricky. How Eric’s cancer treatment involved some trial and error, advice from other doctors, etc. It truly was a practice and how this means it’s ok that you won’t know the answer right away for a pond issue. Each time it involves some experimentation. If you’re interested in doing something, get out there and learn! There’s a good possibility you could learn enough to start making money from it. How you need to use investigative techniques to get info out of clients who might hide information The value of practicing things, getting your hands dirty, and failing in order to learn and grow. How Eric’s success with the Helix pond skimmer came from persevering despite the haters and practicing different techniques.  
 
Links to resources:
 
The Helix Pond Skimmer
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

It’s been a crazy year and people have been living very differently. All this extra time at home has meant people are spending more time in their backyards and wanting to create special pond oases to enjoy. This has led to five cool pond trends so far this year!
 
Eric shares his insight on:
Remodels - such as adding extensions to make current ponds bigger or upgrading filtration systems. Restorations - getting non-operational, neglected ponds back up and running. This one can often take quite a bit of work! Retrofits - mainly for filtration, it makes the pond maintenance easier and more efficient. Maintenance - people now finally have time to maintain their ponds which they let slip before the pandemic when they were busier and away from home more. Gratitude - people are so happy to have their backyard oases during  this crazy time of working and schooling from home. The amount of gratitude they've been showing has been truly heartwarming!  
Links to resources:
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

Why does attention to detail matter? Today, Eric is joined by both his wife and Tyson to chat about how attention to detail is important in every aspect of life - and especially, in your business.
 
Eric shares his insight on:
Why you need people on your team who are strong at big picture thinking as well as people who are strong at attention to detail What attention to detail means to Tyson and why it can be critical. How a lack of attention to detail comes down to sloppy craftsmanship - which means integrity is lacking in your work. How your level of attention to detail sets the tone for your whole crew. Why you might need to employ greater attention to detail in your work than you care about in your personal life because you’re a service provider, and details can matter to clients. Examples of how attention to detail is critical when dealing with animals and often involves paying attention so you can truly see them and read their behavior. Examples of attention to detail in craftsmanship and how it can be an art form. Experiences working with and working for different personality types in regards to level of attention to detail.  
Links to resources:
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

A lot of clients tend to compare the prices of their pool guys to their pond guys. To them, it seems like a similar job, and they can’t understand why their pond guy is so much more expensive! This can lead to some awkward conversations, and it’s a topic that needs to be addressed. Give it a listen and you’ll be better prepared the next time this subject comes up with a client!
 
Eric shares his insight on:
How route density is the biggest difference between pool companies and pond companies. Because so many more people have pools than ponds, pool companies save time and money traveling to service pools. How amount of use is another big difference - you do not swim in a pool constantly, but ponds have plants, fish, turtles, etc. in them 24/7. So there is more of a burden on pond filtration systems, and thus more for the maintenance person to need to work on. How time on location is another factor. Pools tend to be quicker to service than ponds. Some examples of number crunching for pool company charges vs pond company charges.  
Links to resources:
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!

It’s time for the next episode in our Craftsman Series, with guest Tyson. A lot of craftsmen will at one time be an apprentice or have apprentices under them. There’s a specific mindset that goes along with being an apprentice, and you must develop it so you can learn what you need to know on your journey to becoming a craftsman.
 
Eric and Tyson share their insight on:
How our culture puts pressure on people so everyone feels like they should be an expert right away. Why people with experience can be reluctant to teach others because they’re coming from a scarcity mindset - they don’t want the competition. How apprentices need to have a healthy respect for the work they are doing because any job can be dangerous or cause expensive damage. Why apprentices need to have a mindset of a sponge, not a know-it-all. Why “fake it ‘til you make it” is NOT a motto that applies to contracting. The importance of awareness. How an apprentice - even when tasked with something “menial” - can observe others around them and take small steps to show that they’re ready to climb the ladder (such as seeing what kinds of tools and supplies the other workers have and then showing up with their own). How attention to detail and proactiveness are incredibly important for contractors. Apprentices who practice them will be able to move up the ladder faster.  Apprentices need to be mentally present, not just physically present. You cannot bring baggage or outside worries to work. Why apprentices need to realize that there will be tension at times and they need to be able to approach that without sensitivity. Why apprentices need to truly want to be there, doing what they’re doing, even though being an apprentice isn’t their end career goal. Why you need to use common-sense to show up to your new apprentice job with basic preparedness: like lunch, water, work boots, a tape measure, etc. Why everyone - not just apprentices - should remain curious and keep asking questions.  
Links to resources:
 
The Pond Digger
 
If you’re looking for inspiration and tips for your pond, be sure to follow The Pond Digger’s Instagram!
 
Check out The Pond Digger’s products at http://helixpondfiltration.com/
 
And follow his adventures in the pond world at:
Instagram @theponddigger
Facebook @theponddigger
 
Please rate, review, and share the podcast if you get value out of it!