When Joel Davis left a long career in telecommunications and engineering, he wasn’t chasing a hobby. He was looking for a system he could trust, a brand with standards and technology that would let him build something durable for his family. He found it in America’s Swimming Pool Company, opening ASP’s location in Frisco, Texas, in 2019. 

Davis’ pivot away from corporate life was deliberate. After years with major carriers and “climbing the ladder,” he started exploring small-business ownership, even launching a frozen-yogurt venture before deciding he “wanted more.” He sampled the industry with a competing pool company, then moved to ASP because of the company’s polish, high expectations, and industry-specific tech stack. The draw, he said then, was an established system and mentorship that would help him serve customers the right way from day one. 

Frisco proved a smart bet. Davis’ franchise opened as the city surged with corporate relocations and residential growth. The local factors that made headlines — from new employers to a strong rate of homeownership — have also been tailwinds for pool service demand. 

What makes the business work for Davis today is the shift from doing every task himself to leading people and processes. “Today, I work on my business, not necessarily in it every day,” he said. “So for me, day-to-day operations is making sure my books are straight, looking at my numbers, making sure I’m meeting my own personal goals, working with my business coach here at ASP, talking to customers, talking to vendors, anybody and everybody that we can do business with, as well as just managing the day-to-day operations with my teams and making sure they’re getting everything covered.”

That perspective was earned the hard way. “In the beginning, you wear multiple hats, from taking out the garbage to cleaning pools, to doing sales calls, to doing renovation calls,” Davis said. “It’s stressful, but at the end of the day, you look back and you’re building your business.” The workload still flexes — “Some days, I’ll put in 12, 13 hours. Other days, I may put in less,” — but it now reflects the discretion he wanted. “All depends on what I need to get done and so forth, but there’s more freedom as an owner because now I’m running the business. I’m not working in it. I can do more.”

Family is woven into that evolution. Davis’ son, Hunter, joined at launch and “today he is my service manager, takes care of all the service work.” ASP Frisco’s team page lists Hunter as service manager, underscoring the father-son dynamic that keeps the operation humming. “So it’s not solely pulling on my shoulders,” Davis said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that if I’m not here, the business is still operating 100%.” 

The local shop is built on fairly simple promises — responsive service, clear communication and a technician team that shows up ready to solve problems — but Davis also credits the franchise infrastructure. Early on, he leaned on ASP’s training and operating playbook, including the brand’s technology that standardizes scheduling and customer updates. “I chose ASP because they had high standards, are technology-focused, and I didn’t want to reinvent the wheel,” he said when the Frisco location opened. “The system has already been tested by over a hundred owners, and I wanted to hit the ground running.” 

Davis’ story has resonated beyond North Texas. ASP’s parent company, Authority Brands, has spotlighted his journey, including how franchise structure helped him move from grinding through daily tasks to running a company with leverage — the precise balance he went looking for when he left corporate life. 

What’s next is both practical and personal. On the practical side, Davis is focused on the fundamentals he outlined — clean books, clear metrics, consistent execution — the quiet work that keeps a service business healthy. On the personal side, he’s thinking in decades, not quarters. “It’s allowing me to leave a legacy to give something to my son when I’m done, on a personal as well as a business level,” he said. With Hunter leading the service, Davis can step back when needed. “So more time for family, travel a little bit more. In corporate America, you couldn’t do this, but as an owner, I mean, this is great stuff. I love it.”

Davis still talks to customers and vendors, still jumps in where he’s needed. But the goal he set when he chose ASP — a durable, family-run business that serves its community and outlasts any one person — is taking shape in Frisco. If you ask him why it works, he’ll tell you plainly: build a team, follow the system, mind your numbers, and keep your eyes on what matters after the long days. The business is better for it. So is the life around it.

To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool.