When most people picture a business interview, they don’t imagine the franchisee floating on a pool raft. But that’s exactly where Carrie Waltman, owner of America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) in Knoxville, Tennessee, took her first call with 1851 Franchise.
“It’s hot in Knoxville. I’m literally in the pool,” Waltman said.
For Waltman, the pool isn’t just where she relaxes — it’s where she rebuilt her career and her life. A former property manager and history instructor at the University of Tennessee, she found herself ready for a change after years of managing condo communities. That’s when fate — and a trusted vendor — stepped in.
“I was so glad to get out from behind the desk I was working at and help him grow his business. I just loved him. We hit it off immediately. We were kindred spirits and close friends from the day we met,” Waltman said. “He didn’t even look for anybody else. He was just like, ‘As soon as I can afford to hire you, I’m going to.’ And he did. It worked out really well for both of us.”
Waltman eventually took over the Knoxville America’s Swimming Pool franchise in 2022.
The growth of the business under Waltman’s leadership has been remarkable.
“In the beginning, it was just about getting off the ground. Each year we saw steady, significant growth, and by 2020, things had really started to take off,” she said. “Since then, we’ve continued to expand year after year.”
What was the secret? Waltman says it’s surprisingly simple.
“Answer the phone. Show up. Do what you say you’re going to do. That’s really it,” she said. “There are so many people that don’t show up. Contractors don’t return calls. People don’t trust contractors around here. Knoxville especially — there are a lot of good old boys who aren’t very organized. We just had to answer the phone and show up.”
That straightforward approach — combined with ASP’s established systems — has allowed Waltman to scale quickly while keeping customer service at the heart of everything she does.
If Waltman has a motto, it’s this: “We’ll figure it out.”
“I knew how to operate a pool from a health department standpoint — what needed to be done, how it should be. But then I just learned everything I could,” she said. “We did our first deck overlay together. We did our first full deck together. We found good subs and guys I knew from working in commercial properties, and it’s been rolling ever since.”
That mindset carried her through one of her proudest projects: renovating a decades-old commercial pool for a state-run housing complex.
“The pool was built in the early 80s and had to be brought ADA compliant to 2024 code,” she said. “We put in a lift chair — never done that before. We had to redo everything, basically take it down to the shell. We added steps, worked with the health department and just wrapped that job. We’ll figure it out — that’s our motto.”
When permits stalled, Waltman personally went to city offices to explain the project. “Once I went down there, the permit got pushed through,” she said. “Stuff like that — you just have to figure it out.”
Waltman describes herself as a mom first — to her three children, and also to her all-male team of pool technicians.
“I want my guys to stick with me,” she said. “Hourly labor is the hardest part of owning this business, so I pay them well. I bring them breakfast once a month. My son got married last week and there was leftover wine — so everybody got some wine.”
It’s a leadership style rooted in care but grounded in accountability. “I want to have the same guys long-term,” she said. “That consistency matters for customers and for us.”
While Waltman’s grit and leadership fuel her success, she’s quick to credit the support system that comes with franchising.
“I really like my business coach. We meet monthly, and they help me look at things I hadn’t thought of,” she said. “ASP has a help line, and all my guys use it if we need it. There’s always someone who answers the phone that can help us in the field.”
She also values the hands-on training ASP provides. “I recently participated in a training where we put in an inground pool,” Waltman said. “They sent owners from Tulsa and a new ASP in Tennessee, and we did this install together. They’ve been great.”
ASP, part of Authority Brands, is structured to give franchisees like Waltman the tools they need to grow their business — whether that’s technology for faster service, marketing and lead generation, or ongoing education at “pool school” in Georgia.
Despite her success, Waltman has no plans to chase expansion into nearby counties.
“It’s an hour away. The traffic is terrible. I don’t want any part of that,” she said. “I’m just trying to keep us all going and expand a little at a time, not outgrow what we can do.”
And when it comes to the future? Waltman says legacy matters most.
“I’ll probably sell it all and move one day,” she said. “My son actually works for Play It Again Sports in Knoxville, and my youngest works with him. I think they’d rather sell baseball bats and gloves than clean pools. But I want to leave something behind that makes life better for my kids — and maybe even their kids one day.”
For more information on franchising with ASP, visit: https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool.
America's Swimming Pool
SPONSORED
How one Knoxville mom took a chance on herself, transformed a pool business, and is building a community-first legacy — one crystal-clear backyard at a time.
When most people picture a business interview, they don’t imagine the franchisee floating on a pool raft. But that’s exactly where Carrie Waltman, owner of America’s Swimming Pool Company (ASP) in Knoxville, Tennessee, took her first call with 1851 Franchise.
“It’s hot in Knoxville. I’m literally in the pool,” Waltman said.
For Waltman, the pool isn’t just where she relaxes — it’s where she rebuilt her career and her life. A former property manager and history instructor at the University of Tennessee, she found herself ready for a change after years of managing condo communities. That’s when fate — and a trusted vendor — stepped in.
“I was so glad to get out from behind the desk I was working at and help him grow his business. I just loved him. We hit it off immediately. We were kindred spirits and close friends from the day we met,” Waltman said. “He didn’t even look for anybody else. He was just like, ‘As soon as I can afford to hire you, I’m going to.’ And he did. It worked out really well for both of us.”
Waltman eventually took over the Knoxville America’s Swimming Pool franchise in 2022.
The growth of the business under Waltman’s leadership has been remarkable.
“In the beginning, it was just about getting off the ground. Each year we saw steady, significant growth, and by 2020, things had really started to take off,” she said. “Since then, we’ve continued to expand year after year.”
What was the secret? Waltman says it’s surprisingly simple.
“Answer the phone. Show up. Do what you say you’re going to do. That’s really it,” she said. “There are so many people that don’t show up. Contractors don’t return calls. People don’t trust contractors around here. Knoxville especially — there are a lot of good old boys who aren’t very organized. We just had to answer the phone and show up.”
That straightforward approach — combined with ASP’s established systems — has allowed Waltman to scale quickly while keeping customer service at the heart of everything she does.
If Waltman has a motto, it’s this: “We’ll figure it out.”
“I knew how to operate a pool from a health department standpoint — what needed to be done, how it should be. But then I just learned everything I could,” she said. “We did our first deck overlay together. We did our first full deck together. We found good subs and guys I knew from working in commercial properties, and it’s been rolling ever since.”
That mindset carried her through one of her proudest projects: renovating a decades-old commercial pool for a state-run housing complex.
“The pool was built in the early 80s and had to be brought ADA compliant to 2024 code,” she said. “We put in a lift chair — never done that before. We had to redo everything, basically take it down to the shell. We added steps, worked with the health department and just wrapped that job. We’ll figure it out — that’s our motto.”
When permits stalled, Waltman personally went to city offices to explain the project. “Once I went down there, the permit got pushed through,” she said. “Stuff like that — you just have to figure it out.”
Waltman describes herself as a mom first — to her three children, and also to her all-male team of pool technicians.
“I want my guys to stick with me,” she said. “Hourly labor is the hardest part of owning this business, so I pay them well. I bring them breakfast once a month. My son got married last week and there was leftover wine — so everybody got some wine.”
It’s a leadership style rooted in care but grounded in accountability. “I want to have the same guys long-term,” she said. “That consistency matters for customers and for us.”
While Waltman’s grit and leadership fuel her success, she’s quick to credit the support system that comes with franchising.
“I really like my business coach. We meet monthly, and they help me look at things I hadn’t thought of,” she said. “ASP has a help line, and all my guys use it if we need it. There’s always someone who answers the phone that can help us in the field.”
She also values the hands-on training ASP provides. “I recently participated in a training where we put in an inground pool,” Waltman said. “They sent owners from Tulsa and a new ASP in Tennessee, and we did this install together. They’ve been great.”
ASP, part of Authority Brands, is structured to give franchisees like Waltman the tools they need to grow their business — whether that’s technology for faster service, marketing and lead generation, or ongoing education at “pool school” in Georgia.
Despite her success, Waltman has no plans to chase expansion into nearby counties.
“It’s an hour away. The traffic is terrible. I don’t want any part of that,” she said. “I’m just trying to keep us all going and expand a little at a time, not outgrow what we can do.”
And when it comes to the future? Waltman says legacy matters most.
“I’ll probably sell it all and move one day,” she said. “My son actually works for Play It Again Sports in Knoxville, and my youngest works with him. I think they’d rather sell baseball bats and gloves than clean pools. But I want to leave something behind that makes life better for my kids — and maybe even their kids one day.”
For more information on franchising with ASP, visit: https://1851franchise.com/america-swimming-pool.
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