Building a Stronger Pool Industry Together: Our Experience at the 2025 Hayward Partner Summit
At Discount Pool Mart, we believe that success comes from more than just offering top-quality pool products and services – it comes from partnerships, collaboration, and continuous learning. That’s why we’re proud to share our experience attending Hayward's 2025 Partner Summit, a dynamic three-day event dedicated to networking, team building, and shaping the future of the pool industry.
Hayward, a trusted leader in innovative pool equipment and technology, brought together pool professionals from across the country to connect, exchange ideas, and strengthen the foundation of our industry. The summit reflected Hayward’s ongoing commitment to supporting businesses like Discount Pool Mart and enhancing the customer experience for pool owners everywhere.
A Focus on Growth, Leadership, and Connection
Hayward CEO Kevin Holleran with keynote speaker John "Gucci" Foley.
The summit wasn’t just another conference – it was a catalyst for inspiration. One of the standout moments was the keynote address by former U.S. Navy Blue Angel pilot and leadership expert John "Gucci" Foley, who shared powerful insights based on his bestselling book, Fearless Success. Foley emphasized that elite teams – whether they’re flying jets or operating businesses – succeed when they enter what he calls the "High-Performance Zone," a space built on four key elements: belief, briefing, trust, and debriefing.
Keynote speaker John "Gucci" Foley sharing insights on Mindset, Mission, and Methods at Hayward's 2025 Partner Summit.
His message deeply resonated with our Discount Pool Mart team, reinforcing that mindset is the most crucial factor in achieving excellence. It’s not just about skills or resources; it’s about adopting a growth-oriented mentality, fostering trust within your organization, and consistently reflecting and improving on performance. Foley encouraged all attendees to focus on three essential team dynamics: Connection, Alignment, and Commitment. Whether we’re working with suppliers like Hayward or helping customers maintain their dream pools, we know that these values drive meaningful results.
The Diamond Performance Framework by John Foley, outlining the core elements of the High Performance Zone.
Lessons from the Field: Embracing Challenges and Staying Focused
Beyond Foley’s impactful keynote, the summit also explored other leadership philosophies and motivational tools designed to help businesses thrive in competitive markets. A recurring theme was resilience – the ability to stay strong and push forward even when faced with obstacles.
Brent Gleeson discussing key lessons from his book Embrace the Suck on leadership and resilience.
This theme was explored in-depth through discussions about Embrace the Suck by Brent Gleeson, a Navy SEAL combat veteran turned leadership consultant. Gleeson’s book highlights how successful individuals and organizations don’t just tolerate adversity – they lean into it, adapt, and grow stronger. This is a message that rings true in the pool industry, where seasonality, economic shifts, and supply chain disruptions often present unexpected hurdles. At Discount Pool Mart, embracing challenges and maintaining focus on our customers has always been part of our company DNA, and Gleeson’s principles aligned perfectly with our mission.
Erik Qualman presenting on focus, productivity, and leadership from The Focus Project.
Another standout book featured at the summit was The Focus Project by Erik Qualman, also known as "Equalman." His research and insights into simplifying tasks, eliminating distractions, and staying laser-focused on priorities were timely reminders for all of us to take a step back and ensure we’re spending our energy on what truly matters – serving our community and strengthening industry relationships.
Expanding the Conversation: Sales, AI, and Modern Customer Engagement
Another compelling topic discussed during the summit was how the art of selling is rapidly evolving with advancements in AI and customer behavior analysis. One reference point was Victor Antonio, a leading sales expert known for his Amazon Prime and Paramount+ series Life or Debt, and author of 16 books on sales and leadership. His book, The Future of Selling, explores how AI and data analytics are reshaping the sales landscape. Back in 2018, Antonio highlighted early AI applications like recommendation engines or basic automation ("Ex Machina" level concepts), but today’s environment—with tools like ChatGPT—has drastically shifted the playing field, offering human-like interactions, real-time personalization, and the ability to guide customers through complex decisions.
Victor Antonio speaking on AI-driven sales and lessons from The Future of Selling.
Another standout from the summit was the discussion on The JOLT Effect, a modern sales methodology that encourages sales professionals to proactively "jolt" customers by raising potential objections before they do. This tactic helps reduce indecision and improve closing rates. Combined with technology like Tethr, a platform that analyzes thousands of conversational attributes by reviewing sales calls and customer interactions, businesses now have actionable insights to improve their sales processes.
For us at Discount Pool Mart, these lessons are highly relevant, whether we’re helping a customer choose the right Hayward automation system or supporting a large-scale commercial pool upgrade. By blending traditional relationship-driven service with cutting-edge tools like AI and customer analytics, we can continue to offer our community an unmatched level of expertise and confidence at every touchpoint.
Strengthening Our Industry Ties with Hayward
Hayward’s Partner Summit wasn’t just about leadership lessons; it was about building stronger bonds across the pool community. As a long-time Hayward partner, we at Discount Pool Mart recognize the critical role Hayward plays in providing cutting-edge pool solutions, from pumps and filters to automation and cleaners. Their commitment to innovation and sustainability aligns with our own goals of delivering high-quality, efficient, and eco-friendly pool systems to our customers.
Pictured left to right: Hayward’s Nicholas LaCouture, John "Gucci" Foley, and Discount Pool Mart's Vince Karabekyan at Hayward's 2025 Partner Summit.
By participating in this event, we deepened our connection with Hayward and gained valuable insight into upcoming trends, new product launches, and strategies that will help us better serve pool owners throughout California and beyond. The opportunity to network with other pool professionals and share our experiences further solidified our role as a leader and resource in the local pool industry.
Discount Pool Mart's Ongoing Commitment to Excellence
Attending Hayward’s 2025 Partner Summit reaffirmed our dedication to the values that have guided Discount Pool Mart for decades: teamwork, service, and continuous improvement. We are more committed than ever to helping homeowners create safe, beautiful, and enjoyable pool environments. By leveraging the lessons learned from industry leaders and thought-provoking authors, we are positioning ourselves – and our customers – for success, season after season.
We’re grateful to Hayward for organizing such an impactful event and look forward to applying these leadership strategies and innovations to strengthen our business and the community we serve. Together with partners like Hayward, and through the shared commitment of the pool industry, we’re confident that the future of swimming pools looks brighter than ever.
Learn More About the Pool Community and Our Partners:
- Discover more about Hayward Pool Products
- Explore John Foley’s Fearless Success framework
- Dive into Embrace the Suck by Brent Gleeson
- Learn from The Focus Project by Erik Qualman
Stay tuned as we continue to implement what we learned at the summit and bring new, innovative solutions to pool owners everywhere. Whether you’re upgrading your pool system or looking for expert advice, Discount Pool Mart is here to help you every step of the way.
