We had the good fortune of connecting with Shaun Erwin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shaun, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?

“One peice of conventional advice that I disagree with is that a college degree is always a better path to success than learning a trade. ”

25 years ago, a college degree combined with the ability to understand and use an excel spreadsheet would put you on a direct path to an amazing “office job”. If you had a college degree on your resume, the other people entering the work force that could compete with you were few and far between……but does this path still exist today? 

According to the National Center of Educational Statistics, in 1998 16% of American Adults between the ages of 25-29 had a bachelors degree or higher. As of 2021, 39% of American Adult’s between the ages 25-29  have a bachelors degree or higher. Thats nearly a 150% increase!

So why do these statistics matter? Let’s take a look at one of the most basic fundamental concepts of business:

Basic Economics – Supply and Demand 

Where there is a large supply and a small demand, there is an excess.
Where there is a large supply and a large demand, there is an equilibrium.
Where there is a small supply and a small demand, there is again an equilibrium.
Where there is a small supply and a large demand, there is an OPPORTUNITY.

As an experiment, text 10 of your friends under the age of 50 and ask them if they could teach you how to input data on your laptop using an excel spreadsheet?

Ask those same 10 people if they can teach you how to swap out a blown GFCI in your bathroom, or cut out/replace a leaking pex pipe in your ceiling?

Im guessing the number of people that can teach you how to use an excel spreadsheet is drastically higher than the number that can teach you about electrical or plumbing.

This experiment is obviously rudimentary in nature, and it’s not meant to be a knock on pursuing a higher education for yourself. If you have a career in mind that requires a bachelors degree, go for it! Do whatever makes you happy! This experiment is simply to show that the knowledge base of our country has skewed away from the trades, and as the baby boomer generation continues to exit the work force, I think there is a large OPPORTUNITY on the horizon.

As Wayne Gretzky once famously said, “I skate to where the puck is going, not to where it’s been.”

For me, I believe the puck is headed towards a society that lacks a workforce with the skillset needed to keep up with the repairs that our homes will demand as they continue to age.

Simply put: Lack of supply or skill creates a demand. Fill that demand and your business will prosper.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I’m from the Midwest originally and pools were never on my radar as a viable business opportunity. I had no idea it was even a career field until 2018. However, after learning about the field of Pool Service, I chose to pursue this path as the start of my Home Service adventure because it requires you to obtain and utilize a large swath of information: Water Chemistry, Water Hydraulics, Plumbing, Electrical, etc. I think that in pool service having a core knowledge base in multiple trades gives you the opportunity to be more effective within your speciality.

Good Life Pool and Spa Care isn’t a splash and dash company that throws 4 chlorine tablets in your pool floater each week and hopes that the residual chlorine levels and extra run time on the pump are enough to keep the algae at bay. We have spent countless hours researching and testing the best ways to care for and maintain a healthy swimming pool. When I say that we care, I truly mean it. Our customers and their experience with us is a huge driving factor in the way we do business. We are a service based company, and our first priority needs to be customer service.

Good Life Pool and Spa Care began to exponentially grow in 2021 when we became the 1st Pool Service Company in the nation to be certified under the “Google Guarantee” program. This was huge for us as it really solidified Good Life as dominate player in the East Valley.  Sometimes this fast growth can be tough to handle, but I have an amazing team, and I’m truly thankful for them.

We are Fully Licensed with the State of Arizona ROC, and service both residential and commercial properties here in the East Valley (Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, Apache Junction). We offer weekly service, equipment repairs and equipment upgrades. Take a look at our pictures for a few before and afters!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Most of the time when someone comes to visit, they want to do a ride-along on a pool route to see what this industry is all about. Like I mentioned before, I’m from the midwest and pool service is basically unheard of there, so I think people enjoy getting to experience a day in the life of a Pool Tech! Aside from that we would likely go check out a few good restaurants (Cocina Madrigal, Mastro’s, Crackers & Company, The Hub, etc..)

For an adventure we usually take our SXS up to the mountains to do some exploring and site-seeing. We like to go up towards Crown king, Prescott and Flagstaff!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?

On a personal level, my family has always been amazing supporters of my business. Having a solid family foundation behind me has made all the difference in the world. Morale support when times get hard can determine a businesses success or failure. Shout out to my Mom, Dad, Shilee, Grandma Little and my fiancé Chelsey!

On a professional level, there is one shout out I’d like to make and that is to the owner of A1 Garage Door Service here in Arizona…Tommy Mello. I have spent countless hours studying his books, his podcast series, and his business model. He started out in the same boat as most of us small business owners… as a one man show just trying to make a name for ourselves. After what I’m sure has been countless struggles, his business has grown into a juggernaut in the Home Service Industry. I would love the opportunity to meet him someday and thank him for all the help he has provided me.

Website: https://www.goodlifepoolcare.com/

Instagram: @goodlifepoolcare

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodlifepoolcare

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