What does it take to build a thriving company in a competitive industry—and keep it growing for more than a decade? In this episode of Small Business Matters, host Tim Fulton and co-host Taylor Fulton sit down with Zac Nicklas, President & CEO of The Pool Boys in League City, Texas. Zac shares how he turned a small family-run pool service into a trusted, 15-employee operation that’s earned a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and integrity.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Zac’s story is packed with insights about scaling smart, leading well, and finding balance between growth and personal priorities.
Episode Highlights:
• What Matters to Small Business? [03:36]
• Leading Like a CEO [06:32]
• Sustaining a Long-term Business Partnership [10:53]
• A Big Mistake Changes Everything [15:09]
• Building a Loyal, Low-turnover Team [15:36]
• Industry Involvement As a Growth Accelerator [18:37]
• Hiring a Second-in-command [23:09]
• Rapid-fire [25:55]
• Takeaways [29:06]
• Contact Information [30:58]
• SBM News [31:15]
About the Guest
Zac Nicholas is the President & CEO of The Pool Boys, a full-service pool maintenance and repair company based in League City, Texas. Founded in 2011, the company has grown from a two-man operation into a respected local brand known for its commitment to customer care and continuous improvement. Zac’s leadership philosophy centers on integrity, teamwork, and investing in people—principles that have helped him build a sustainable business with strong community roots. Tune in to hear how one small business owner built not just a company, but a culture of professionalism, trust, and purpose.
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What does it take to build a thriving company in a competitive industry—and keep it growing for more than a decade? In this episode of Small Business Matters, host Tim Fulton and co-host Taylor Fulton sit down with Zac Nicklas, President & CEO of The Pool Boys in League City, Texas. Zac shares how he turned a small family-run pool service into a trusted, 15-employee operation that’s earned a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and integrity.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Zac’s story is packed with insights about scaling smart, leading well, and finding balance between growth and personal priorities.
Episode Highlights:
• What Matters to Small Business? [03:36]
• Leading Like a CEO [06:32]
• Sustaining a Long-term Business Partnership [10:53]
• A Big Mistake Changes Everything [15:09]
• Building a Loyal, Low-turnover Team [15:36]
• Industry Involvement As a Growth Accelerator [18:37]
• Hiring a Second-in-command [23:09]
• Rapid-fire [25:55]
• Takeaways [29:06]
• Contact Information [30:58]
• SBM News [31:15]
About the Guest
Zac Nicholas is the President & CEO of The Pool Boys, a full-service pool maintenance and repair company based in League City, Texas. Founded in 2011, the company has grown from a two-man operation into a respected local brand known for its commitment to customer care and continuous improvement. Zac’s leadership philosophy centers on integrity, teamwork, and investing in people—principles that have helped him build a sustainable business with strong community roots. Tune in to hear how one small business owner built not just a company, but a culture of professionalism, trust, and purpose.
In 2021, Alina Lee founded Your Ad Attorney, LLC which serves as outside general counsel to companies in the marketing, tech, retail, utilities, and consulting spaces. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Alina was Senior Corporate Counsel for several corporations including Mailchimp and Southern Company Gas, worked as a corporate transactional attorney at Morris, Manning & Martin (MMM) in Atlanta, and practiced corporate transactional law for almost two years at Rogers & Hardin.
Alina graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she received Academic Excellence Awards in Comparative Law and Immigration Law and Policy. She attended the University of Georgia for her undergraduate degree in History while playing on UGA's varsity women's golf team, which was ranked top five in the nation. In her sophomore year, Alina became the youngest medalist of a NCAA Division I golf tournament when she tied for first place (no play-off) at the Ladies Puerto Rico Classic.
Show Notes:
In this episode, Tim and Taylor welcome Atlanta attorney turned entrepreneur, Alina Lee to the podcast. Alina discusses her journey from golf prodigy to attorney to business owner. Realizing unprecedented growth, Alina shares her surprise by the early success of her new law firm, the benefits of providing true work-life balance, and helping small businesses protect their intellectual property.
Episode Highlights:
• What Matters to Small Business [0:03:03]
• Getting Started [0:03:31]
• A Unique Market [0:05:00]
• Leading the Firm [0:07:32]
• Intellectual Property: Protecting Your Brand [0:08:27]
• Surprising Success [10:11]
• Learning on the Job [0:12:10]
• Leveraging Lessons Learned through Golf [0:13:24]
• Accountability in a Flexible Workplace [0:16:28]
• Ideal Employee Profile [0:18:56]
• Best and Worst Mistake [0:20:33]
• What’s Next? [0:23:03]
• Maintaining Your Mental Health [0:24:24]
• Rapid Fire [0:26:10]
• Contact Information [0:30:00]
• SBM Announcements [0:31:01]
Small Business Matters
What does it take to build a thriving company in a competitive industry—and keep it growing for more than a decade? In this episode of Small Business Matters, host Tim Fulton and co-host Taylor Fulton sit down with Zac Nicklas, President & CEO of The Pool Boys in League City, Texas. Zac shares how he turned a small family-run pool service into a trusted, 15-employee operation that’s earned a reputation for professionalism, reliability, and integrity.
Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, Zac’s story is packed with insights about scaling smart, leading well, and finding balance between growth and personal priorities.
Episode Highlights:
• What Matters to Small Business? [03:36]
• Leading Like a CEO [06:32]
• Sustaining a Long-term Business Partnership [10:53]
• A Big Mistake Changes Everything [15:09]
• Building a Loyal, Low-turnover Team [15:36]
• Industry Involvement As a Growth Accelerator [18:37]
• Hiring a Second-in-command [23:09]
• Rapid-fire [25:55]
• Takeaways [29:06]
• Contact Information [30:58]
• SBM News [31:15]
About the Guest
Zac Nicholas is the President & CEO of The Pool Boys, a full-service pool maintenance and repair company based in League City, Texas. Founded in 2011, the company has grown from a two-man operation into a respected local brand known for its commitment to customer care and continuous improvement. Zac’s leadership philosophy centers on integrity, teamwork, and investing in people—principles that have helped him build a sustainable business with strong community roots. Tune in to hear how one small business owner built not just a company, but a culture of professionalism, trust, and purpose.
