We were lucky to catch up with Amanda Shaftel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

We had recently moved into our new house in South Austin and we had a decent amount of backyard space, a blank slate. Some friends asked if we were going to get a pool. I kind of laughed and said something like, No way! I don’t want to take care of a pool let alone pay for it. They suggested, why don’t you get a stock tank pool? and proceeded to show us photos. I was immediately blown away and delighted by these cool little pools.

So we started researching these pools and learning how to build our own and kind of got bogged down with research. We didn’t want to do it wrong and it felt overwhelming. Eventually we started working on our own. There was a lot of trial and error, we learned a lot, and we came up with a method that we felt was the most clever and efficient way to do it. We had the idea of turning this into a convenient service for people; a real business, because it wasn’t really being done. At that time, my partner Aaron and I were both pretty busy with our own projects and we couldn’t give this the attention we knew it deserved. So when Covid hit, and everyone was stuck inside their homes and we were out of work, it was now or never, and we need to do it right from the get-go. So we hired friends to help us with branding, our website, legal and marketing help. These things are so important.

We launched our instagram and started getting some attention. Once we finally had our first batch of pools to sell, word had already gotten out, and we sold out immediately. Ever since, it’s been a wild ride and an incredible learning experience. We just maintain focus on stellar customer service and quality products and services, along with keeping an excellent and motivated team, and make decisions based around that. We figure out the rest as we go.

Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My background is mainly in marketing and partnerships, though I wouldn’t say I’ve had much formal training in either. My partner in life and business, Aaron’s background is in filmmaking, but he’s the kind of guy that can figure anything out.

When I moved to Austin after college, I just wanted to surround myself with live music. So I worked jobs that would put me in close proximity to music, eventually landing in various marketing roles. First in more fun, casual environments in live music and events, then with an environmental conference and a nonprofit. This helped me think strategically about how marketing and partnerships can be leveraged for the benefit of the company’s mission. And now that I’ve co-founded a business that I’m quite passionate about, I get to do things my way, which is honestly the only way I know how. I’m not sure if I was ever a great employee, but finding my drive in my own business has opened up my creativity and confidence in all sorts of ways.

Aaron and I make a great team, offering each other a sounding board for ideas and different qualities we bring to the table. Having a partner and team you trust has been absolutely crucial in the success of this business. We come at things with an attitude of “How can we do better? How can we keep our customers happy and provide the utmost quality experience?” Being flexible, collaborative and not too hung up on profits has helped keep us on track for success as well.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think our customers appreciate the experience they have with our brand. From our social media presence and the interactions with our team, to the process of getting their pool installed, it is an enjoyable and lighthearted experience all around.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth has been huge for us, especially in the beginning. We make sure to keep our customers satisfied and get reviews and testimonials when possible. We also utilize social media and online advertising which we’ve found to be successful along with keeping prospects interested with things like fun email campaigns, along with engaging and informative content.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cowboypools.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cowboypools/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cowboypools/

Image Credits
Cristina Fisher, Dani Dazey, Ben Yanto and Kristian Alveo