Meet Eric Freitag | Pool Cleaning Service

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eric Freitag and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eric, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was 16 years old and I had a problem… There I was, at a grocery store in Oregon, and I’d just landed my first job. I thought I was going to be rich! Then reality hit, and within the first hour I realized I had very little motivation to go beyond the minimum expectations of the job. I was paid hourly and there was nothing I could do beyond watching the clock to make more money. I kept showing up to that job and many others, but I hated it! There was just no motivation.

I’ve always felt that there should be a direct corelation between the effort I apply to my work and the results I get out of it. I also love to build things and manage my time efficiently. All of that led me to believe that starting my own business could be a worthwhile venture. The idea that I can set up systems to bring value to my community, jobs to my employees, and money to my pocket blew my mind and it was almost impossible to stop thinking about starting a business.

I then looked around at the area I lived in to see how I could help. I live in San Diego now, and with such beautiful weather comes beautiful pools! Surprisingly, I also heard how it’s tough to find a good pool service since they just don’t communicate. Being fairly tech savvy and having studied communication/business in college, I felt that I could be of service. So I started Garibaldi Pools, a pool service company that revolves around consistency, transparency and communication.

What should our readers know about your business?
Garibaldi Pools is a pool cleaning company which focuses on clear communication, transparency, and consistency. Many of the problems I heard about before starting, revolved around a lack of professionalism in the industry. So I wanted pool owners to feel safe and secure when hiring us. I wanted them to not only receive good service, but to know what they got by clearly communicating expectations and results. We did this by providing cleaning agreements, text alerts, service reports, and more.

One of the biggest challenges has been to find the right customers. Growth has been much slower than originally anticipated, but as money started to flow it’s been easier to apply those funds toward the purchasing of leads. We have been able to convert those leads well because of the solutions we bring to the industry.

The main lesson learned has been about perseverance. Martin Luther King Jr. had an inspiring quote which reads, ““If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” I think that this is a great lesson to learn in business. It is so easy to get discouraged, especially when comparing yourself to others or even your unrealistic expectations, but in the end it’s all about growth, even if that growth comes slowly.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
San Diego is such a great place to show off! They don’t call it America’s Finest City for nothing and you really get a feel for it right when you leave the airport. As soon as you drive out, you’re hit with the sparkling San Diego Bay with the epic skyline right behind. It’ll give you chills, literally chills!

I’d start the trip off with a walk around Balboa Park. It’s got beautiful architecture, manicured gardents, and people watching galore! Then wrap up the day at Seaport Village with dinner and a view.

You’ve got to enjoy a beach day at Mission Bay. You can either splash in the waves on the ocean side or go paddle boarding on the bay side. When the sun sets, you should absolutely grab some corn dogs and ride the roller coaster at Belmont Park.

Golf day is next! Head on over to Coronada for some of the most beautiful golf and views you can imagine. Then after that pop back over the bridge toward downtown for a night of music and drinks at The Shout! House. You’ll be blown away by how talented these musicians are.

If you’re not too worn out by now, I love to take my friends on some of our inland hiking trails. Mission Trails will keep you busy with all sorts of difficulty levels. My personal favorite trail is Cowles Mountain… which is more of a hill and less of a mountain, so don’t be scared.

Wrap everything up in Old Town where you can get a taste of San Diego history. There are old timey shops and Mexican food that will most certainly bring you back in a few months.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are three people who deserve a shoutout.

One is my brother, Scott. He has been a realtor for several years and has also started a few other businesses. He’s always encouraged me to build a business of my own.

Second is an old coworker of mine, Lisa. She is one of the most encouraging people I know and dedicated to the success of others. She has also recently started her own business helping social media influencers succeed in their business.

Third is a longtime friend and was the best man in my wedding, Uriah. He, myself, my wife, and a few other friends traveled to Cambodia in 2015 to start a Christian non-profit English school and training center for young people. He has been a great mentor and friend of mine over the years.

Website: https://garibaldipools.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garibaldipools

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Garibaldi-Pools/61566027390220/