trade groups Archives - Water Shapes

‘Big Easy’ Bound

I'm almost ready to board a plane for my trip to New Orleans and the 2019 International Pool|Spa|Patio Expo, and I have to say I haven't been this curious about what's going to happen at a trade show for many, many years. Change is definitely in the wind these days - with

Friends Indeed

I've always believed that one of the keys to happiness is enjoying what you do for a living and savoring each day in one way or another. Yes, we all want to make good money and have the sense that we've risen to a place of status and respect within our profession and, yes, we all know that meaningful work provides many different types of rewards, but for me, the greatest of these accrue to those who don't simply work to live, but instead live to work. When I get up in the morning and assume my role as a watershape designer, I invariably greet each day and its tasks with joy. And it's not simply that I love this business (which I do); more important, it's that I genuinely, honestly appreciate my

Friends Indeed

I've always believed that one of the keys to happiness is enjoying what you do for a living and savoring each day in one way or another. Yes, we all want to make good money and have the sense that we've risen to a place of status and respect within our profession and, yes, we all know that meaningful work provides many different types of rewards, but for me, the greatest of these accrue to those who don't simply work to live, but instead live to work. When I get up in the morning and assume my role as a watershape designer, I invariably greet each day and its tasks with joy. And it's not simply that I love this business (which I do); more important, it's that I genuinely, honestly appreciate my

In Search of Community

Through the past 50 years, the watershaping industry has evolved from a small, elite group of contractors serving the needs of a small, elite group of consumers to become a vast industry whose services are in demand across a wide range of socio-economic levels. In fact, it's probably fair to say that in these most recent years of prosperity, watershapes are being sold to more people across broader economic bandwidths than ever before. Yet for all this demand and the innovation that's been happening, I don't see unity. Instead, I see a massive, diverse "industry" (definitely in quotation marks) with scores of niche organizations, geographic enclaves and specific interests, each moving forward without the