On a recent episode of “The Franchise Woman Podcast” with Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa, Pool Scouts franchisee Tiffiny Consoli shared the winding path that led her to become the brand’s first franchise owner — and, in 2024, the first in the system to surpass $3 million in annual revenue.
Consoli’s entrepreneurial streak started in her 20s, when she left a mutual fund office job in Houston to follow a friend to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and launch a plantscaping business. They grew flowers in her friend’s family greenhouses, then serviced high-end properties in Aspen. The venture gave her an early, hands-on education in ownership. “That was my first taste of owning our own business,” she said. “It was very small, but we made enough to each make a living and kind of enjoy life in our 20s.”
When that chapter ended, Consoli returned to Houston and moved into outside sales for a payroll company, knocking on doors and building relationships one cold call at a time. The work was tough, but it built resilience. “I was in charge of my success, responsible for my own success,” she said.
A major personal turning point followed. In her early 30s, Consoli came out as gay and sought a life more connected to the outdoors. She joined REI, starting as a footwear specialist making near minimum wage and quickly rising to assistant store manager, then running stores and later working in human resources. REI’s inclusive culture, she said, gave her space to become a more authentic leader. “Being at a company that supports who you are, no matter who you are, that was huge for me,” she said. “You’re leading people and needing them to believe in you, but when you’re not able to fully share yourself, it doesn’t allow you to be everything that you can be as a leader.”
Still, the pull toward business ownership never left. When she discovered Buzz Franchise Brands and its new Pool Scouts concept, the model — outdoor, service-based, semi-seasonal — clicked. Her wife, a self-described non–risk taker, tried to “poke holes” in the opportunity at Discovery Day, but the couple left confident in the team behind the brand. Consoli became Pool Scouts’ very first franchisee in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Those early seasons were grueling. She learned pools from the ground up, often coming home soaked and exhausted. Growth came as she added trucks, hired technicians and leaned into her strengths in customer service and relationship-building, while also learning to set boundaries as a recovering people pleaser.
Today, with a multimillion-dollar operation and a fleet of vehicles, Consoli has recently hired a
general manager so she and her wife can reclaim more time and consider what comes next — possibly coaching other franchisees. Her advice to women considering entrepreneurship is simple but hard-earned: listen to the voice that tells you to go. “If you think you have a calling to do something, listen to that, trust it and go after it,” she said.
Watch the full podcast here.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts.
Pool Scouts
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From plantscaping in Colorado to leading Pool Scouts’ first franchise in Raleigh, Tiffiny Consoli’s journey weaves risk, authenticity and hard-won leadership lessons.
On a recent episode of “The Franchise Woman Podcast” with Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa, Pool Scouts franchisee Tiffiny Consoli shared the winding path that led her to become the brand’s first franchise owner — and, in 2024, the first in the system to surpass $3 million in annual revenue.
Consoli’s entrepreneurial streak started in her 20s, when she left a mutual fund office job in Houston to follow a friend to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, and launch a plantscaping business. They grew flowers in her friend’s family greenhouses, then serviced high-end properties in Aspen. The venture gave her an early, hands-on education in ownership. “That was my first taste of owning our own business,” she said. “It was very small, but we made enough to each make a living and kind of enjoy life in our 20s.”
When that chapter ended, Consoli returned to Houston and moved into outside sales for a payroll company, knocking on doors and building relationships one cold call at a time. The work was tough, but it built resilience. “I was in charge of my success, responsible for my own success,” she said.
A major personal turning point followed. In her early 30s, Consoli came out as gay and sought a life more connected to the outdoors. She joined REI, starting as a footwear specialist making near minimum wage and quickly rising to assistant store manager, then running stores and later working in human resources. REI’s inclusive culture, she said, gave her space to become a more authentic leader. “Being at a company that supports who you are, no matter who you are, that was huge for me,” she said. “You’re leading people and needing them to believe in you, but when you’re not able to fully share yourself, it doesn’t allow you to be everything that you can be as a leader.”
Still, the pull toward business ownership never left. When she discovered Buzz Franchise Brands and its new Pool Scouts concept, the model — outdoor, service-based, semi-seasonal — clicked. Her wife, a self-described non–risk taker, tried to “poke holes” in the opportunity at Discovery Day, but the couple left confident in the team behind the brand. Consoli became Pool Scouts’ very first franchisee in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Those early seasons were grueling. She learned pools from the ground up, often coming home soaked and exhausted. Growth came as she added trucks, hired technicians and leaned into her strengths in customer service and relationship-building, while also learning to set boundaries as a recovering people pleaser.
Today, with a multimillion-dollar operation and a fleet of vehicles, Consoli has recently hired a
general manager so she and her wife can reclaim more time and consider what comes next — possibly coaching other franchisees. Her advice to women considering entrepreneurship is simple but hard-earned: listen to the voice that tells you to go. “If you think you have a calling to do something, listen to that, trust it and go after it,” she said.
Watch the full podcast here.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/poolscouts.
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