In the newest episode of the Step Into Swim podcast, hosts Rowdy Gaines and Sabeena Hickman speak with Jillian Wilkins, owner of Lane 4 Swim School and member of the Step Into Swim Champions Board. They discuss the increased access people have to water and the importance of knowing how to be water safe – and it's not just by learning to swim.

Listen to Step Into Swim on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and the PHTA website.

"We are extremely excited to continue and grow our existing partnership with PHTA," says Colin O’Keefe, Co-founder, Merchant Cost Consulting. "Maximizing cash flow is a crucial part of running a business. By partnering with PHTA, we are able to bring members a new, risk-free solution, to decrease the costs associated with their credit card processing companies with no disruption to the current operations."

GENESIS® has a full schedule at the Southwest Pool & Spa Show in San Antonio! We'll be there January 18-22 with the following courses:
—C201: GENESIS® CONSTRUCTION SCHOOL: Concrete Pools
—D265: Master Designer Methods: Kirk Bianchi, Crafting the Outdoor Space as a Living Art Form 
—D111: Small Space Design
—E111: Introduction to Pool Hydraulics and Plumbing
—C308: The Beauty of the Edge – The Definitive, Internationally Acclaimed Vanishing Edge and Water-in-Transit Design
—D235: Mind Reading Your Clients

Registration for the Southwest Pool & Spa Show is filling up quickly, so don't delay!

Be sure to check out the PHTA education being offered at the Southwest Pool & Spa Show in two weeks!
—Certified Pool & Spa Operator (CPO) Certification Course
—PHTA | ICC Present the International Swimming Pool & Spa Code
—RWQC Session: Let’s Clear the Air – Air Quality for Indoor Swimming Venues
—How to Prepare for Federal Pool Pump Regulations That Will Impact Your Business and Boost Sales

We look forward to seeing you in-person in San Antonio!

There are only a few spots remaining for the GENESIS® courses at the Pool & Spa Show in Atlantic City. Register soon to make sure you get a seat!
—C260: GENESIS® CONSTRUCTION SCHOOL: Vinyl Liner/Fiberglass Pools
—D211: Elements of Design
—E345: Examining PHTA Standards
—D123: Trends in Outdoor Design
—D285: Case Study: How I Present to My Clients

PHTA is ready to be back at the Pool & Spa Show in Atlantic City! Visit our booth at the Wall, attend our WAVE Young Professionals event, and participate in our certification and education sessions:
—Certified Hot Tub Technician (CHTT)
—Certified Maintenance Specialist (CMS)
—Certified Service Technician (CST)
—Certified Pool Operator (CPO)
—The VGBA Standard for Drain Covers Has Changed: An Interactive Workshop
—Examining Elevated Pools
—What’s in Your Contract? A Legal Checkup
—How Existing Federal Pool Pump Regulations Impact Your Business & Boost Sales
—Running a Safe & Compliant Workplace
—RWQC: Let’s Clear the Air – Air Quality for Indoor Swimming Venues

Understanding architectural styles will enable you to coordinate details and relate the water elements back to the surrounding environment in an appropriate way. When the pool is designed to match the home's architecture, the effect can be breathtaking and add value to the property. GENESIS® instructor Paul John Boulifard teaches this and more in D271: Architectural Styles, taking place virtually February 14, 15, 21, and 22.

GENESIS® E245: Standards, Codes, and Ordinances: A Builder's Guide to Proper Implementation differentiates between these three types of documents. Instructor Terry Brannon, P.E., will examine what these documents require of all parties affected by them and conclude with providing background and intent on the provisions within these documents. Codes, standards, and ordinances are updated frequently, so it is important to stay up-to-date in the new year. Join us virtually February 23-24 for this course.

You have two weeks left to watch all 28 sessions from the 2021 World Aquatic Health Conference! Some of the most-watched sessions are: Keynote Presentation featuring Jessica Long; Trending Aquatic Facilities: Splash Pads, Spray Parks, Artificial Lagoons; A Critical Review of Publications Relevant to Disinfection and Public Health; and A Re-Examination of the Pinellas County Pool Study. Log in to watch today!

We're creating the schedule for our 2022 Webinar Series, and we're eager to hear your ideas! Do you have a topic that you'd like to present? Please send the title, description, learning objectives, and speaker bio to Katie Junkers, PHTA Director of Education, at kjunkers@phta.org.

Stay on top of what others in the industry are talking about. This week in the myPHTA Online Community, the newest discussions are about:
—Solutions for Quartzscapes / Stonescapes streaking after plaster
—Top Business Issues
—Need Help Please! (feature wall on a vinyl liner inground pool)

PHTA is looking for seasoned industry professionals who want to give back to the industry by sharing their knowledge, experiences, and advice with another PHTA member through our unique, members-only mentoring program. Your level of commitment is in your hands – you can select your start and end dates, identify how many mentees you’d like to accept, and approve or decline requests from prospective mentees. View our Mentor Toolkit to learn more about this new program.

Aquatics International
GENESIS® instructor Scot Hunsaker offers tips on succession planning. Transferring your company’s institutional knowledge and business savvy to the next generation requires commitment.

Pool Magazine
Build a roadmap for retaining key employees who are important to the success of your business.

PoolPro
When it comes to navigating the B2B relationship with homeowners associations, understanding the role a HOA plays in the pool-building process is a must.

Pool Magazine
After a career as a health inspector and regulator for Florida Health, Lauren Broom decided that education would be her new career path. As a PHTA Certified Pool Operator instructor, she started her own business, the Space Coast Pool School.

Pool and Spa News
The 2021 Pleatco Perfect Pool Guy and Gal discuss their pool/spa careers, from starting their businesses to growing as entrepreneurs. They were honored at a ceremony held at the 2021 International Pool | Spa | Patio Expo in Dallas, Texas, which was co-sponsored by GENESIS® and the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance.

Pool and Spa News
Every December, certain manufacturers designate the next Color of the Year. Experts including GENESIS® instructors Feras Irikat and Kate Wiseman discuss what these designations mean for backyard designers.

Pool Magazine
Identifying certain stain colors can help you locate the source of the problem so you can fix the maintenance issue creating the stain.