Scaling UP! H2O

Folks, I know that I call every episode of the podcast special, but this episode is extra special because today is my 47th birthday! It amazes me that not only do I get to spend this very special day with my wife, my family, and friends but also with the Scaling UP! Nation. It is my hope that you enjoy this special day with me as you listen to this episode. And, if you haven’t wished me a happy birthday yet, now is your opportunity...

I can't believe that we are now in the last week of April! Time sure flies fast, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for the Scaling UP! H2O podcast and the Scaling UP! Nation. I also cannot wait to introduce my lab partner in today’s episode. She is a colleague, friend, and member of the Rising Tide Mastermind, Jill Cavano.

Jill Cavano is the owner of Scranton Associations, AWT’s Supplier of the Year...

Today, I invited Aaron Walker AKA “Big A” back on the podcast to talk about his experience when he went on a two-month Sabbatical in 2021. 

As a business owner, Big A founded 14 companies over the past 42 years, and going on a Sabbatical was a difficult thing to consider. But with the persuasion of many of his Mastermind group members and his doctor, he went on a Sabbatical on November 1st, 2021, completely unplugging from everyone...

Five years ago, I recorded Episode 1 with my Bluetooth headset and sent it off for approval on Apple Podcasts. My primary goal when I made the first episode was to create something that industrial water treaters could listen to while they drove from account to account. I wanted to make something that would help water treaters expand their general water treatment knowledge. What I didn’t expect when I launched Episode 1 was that thi...

I’ve always said that the water treatment industry is the best industry in the world. The opportunities in the water industry are endless. If you work in the water treatment industry, you know that you’ll be secure for the rest of your life. Businesses will always need water treaters, everyone will always need clean water. In today’s episode, my lab partner is someone who's worked in the water treatment industry for 42 years: J...

Scaling UP Nation, I will talk about something that I personally don’t gravitate to, and maybe you have been putting it on the back burner as well: Marketing. That is why I invited Marketing Professional Mark Robinson, the co-founder of LeadPillar to teach us different Marketing Techniques so we can create our own Marketing Plan. 

Mark calls himself a “Marketing Nerd” or “Marketing Addict”. One of the things he likes doing most is ...

Happy World Water Day! We’ve been celebrating World Water Day since 1993, and this year we are celebrating in an extra special way. My guest today is someone whom I introduced on Episode 236 when I interviewed Reid Hutchison; it’s none other than Steve Spear of Team World Vision. 

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to combat poverty and injustice...

On episode 221, I hosted a Raw Materials Supply Chain Update Roundtable with Mike Standish of Radical Polymers, Jill Cavano of Scranton Associates, John Zibrita of Zibex, and Gary Garcia of Masters Company. We talked about Supply Chain issues, and how it is affecting the water treatment industry. Since then, I’ve received numerous questions about something that is concerning many water treaters right now: Price Increases.

People in...

I met my lab partner today a couple of years ago at an AWT panel of Young Professionals in the water industry, and I was impressed with the things he does and how he has engineered solutions to problems that many water treaters face. A few years later, he now has his own company that provides bacteria testing, test kits, buffers, and digital refractometers. I’m proud to introduce to you Landon Markes, owner of Fluid Maintenance Sol...

My lab partner today is someone the Scaling Up Nation can  learn a lot from: Michael Byerley of Global Water Technology, Inc. I met Michael several years ago, and I was instantly amazed by how put together and intelligent he was. His ability to learn and listen made a strong impression on me, that when I started the Rising Tide Mastermind, Michael was one of the first people I reached out to!

Michael Byerley started in the water tr...

On the last Pinks and Blues episode, Episode 237, we had a listener ask about “all things Cooling Tower cleaning”. Well, in true Trace Blackmore fashion, I took you on the scenic route, and we never got to talk about actually how to clean a Cooling Tower; instead, we focused on WHY we clean Cooling Towers, what they are, and how they work. If you haven't listened to episode 237 yet, I encourage you to go back and listen to that...

Throughout the years, selling has developed a negative connotation, and there are even salespeople who don’t admit that it’s their job! Don’t get me wrong; I love that I am a salesperson. I love that I get to connect others with the potential solution that I can offer them. So in this episode, I invited someone who will redefine what you think of sales: Bob Davis.

I met Bob in one of the classes I attended, in which he was the trai...

Today, a very special colleague of mine came to the show: Charlie Heineman, CWT. Charlie and I first met when we took the Certified Water Technologist (CWT) Exam in Atlanta back in 2002. To date, Charlie is still an active member of AWT in the CWT and Business Resources committees. 

With more than 40 years of experience in the water treatment industry, Charlie started his water treatment career with Nalco Chemical Company (Basic In...

Nation, welcome to 2022’s very first Pinks and Blues episode. For all of our new listeners, at least once a month, the Scaling UP! H2O podcast answers YOUR questions, and we call these episodes “Pinks and Blues”. 

In today’s Pinks and Blues, I start answering a very interesting question from one of our listeners: “What are the dos and don’t of cleaning a Cooling Tower?”. Before I can answer that question, it is important to know wh...

In today’s episode, we are bringing back Reid Hutchison of HOH Water Technology in Palatine, IL to talk about what YOU, as a professional water treater, can do to change the world. I know that sounds like a lofty goal, and maybe that sounds too high-reaching, but hear me out… industrial water treaters can change the world. Reid is proof that if you prioritize the right things today, you, everyone around you, and the world will be b...

I asked Michael Loewenstein on the podcast today to talk about his trailblazing presentation at AWT on Legionella Testing, and thankfully, he generously agreed to come on the podcast as my lab partner today. After listening to our cutting-edge conversation, I have a feeling you are going to want to learn more about the Cultural Method vs. the Rapid Method and submit Legionella samples to Michael for the next phase of his study so w...

We’ve talked about what Legionella bacteria is and how to prevent Legionella from developing in your clients’ systems on previous podcast episodes (see list of episodes below), but what do you do when your building does test positive for Legionella bacteria? Over the past few months, the Scaling Up Nation has submitted dozens of questions on this topic, so on today’s episode, we’re answering your questions covering everything from ...

Darrell Amy knows how to help businesses grow. Rolling up his sleeves, he works behind the scenes with executives, sales leaders, and marketing professionals to develop and execute revenue growth strategies. He knows what works and what doesn’t, and he is sharing this information in his new best-selling book, Revenue Growth Engine: How To Align Marketing and Sales to Accelerate Growth. 

Over the past 27 years, Darrell has been a le...

This is the podcast where we “Scale up on knowledge so we don't scale up our systems.” I’m your host, Trace Blackmore, and today, I want to motivate you to be your best self this year. 

Before we dive in, I want to ask you a couple of questions: