Episode 141: Dakota Sweeney - Overcoming Adversities to Start Her Own Pool Service Business
b'
Episode Summary:\\xa0
Dakota Sweeney is the owner of Swimming Bear Pool Services, a pool service company in Hesperia/Victorville, CA. For those that have listened to the podcast for a while, you know that\\u2019s some of our old stomping grounds.\\xa0
Our conversation focused on Dakota\\u2019s inspiring journey which began with a challenging childhood that included divorced parents and an initially alcoholic adoptive father, as well as an early adulthood working for steady paychecks at Wendy\\u2019s, Chipotle, 7 Eleven, and Outback Steakhouse.\\xa0
A turning point in Dakota\\u2019s life came when her adoptive father encouraged her to \\u201cfind a trade\\u2014find skills that no one else can take away from you so that you always at least have a job.\\u201d He referred Dakota to his pool guy, which led to her getting hired on the spot in her first interview. Thankfully, she found a welcoming SCP community who patiently taught her the ins-and-outs of the trade.\\xa0
At one point, Dakota became determined to own her time, master the trade, and make the transition from technician to owner/operator. Going down the rabbit hole of \\u201cYouTube University\\u201d and other low-to-no-cost solutions to educate herself in the industry-led Dakota to meet the Pool Chasers team. This eventually led her to traveling across the country to start her own business, which brings us to this moment.\\xa0
Topics Discussed:\\xa0
- 01:25\\xa0- The 2,222-mile journey from Florida to California\\xa0
- 09:48\\xa0- The opportunities and challenges of doing pool service in the High Desert.\\xa0
- 12:05\\xa0- Growing up in Vero Beach, Florida\\xa0
- 20:56\\xa0- Building a strong-willed, no-excuses mindset out of a challenging upbringing\\xa0
- 29:12