When Patricia Thierry and her husband Fabien moved from California to Charlotte, North Carolina, five years ago, she was coming from a career in accounting and finance. After settling in, she also became a pool owner and quickly realized how much work it took to keep a pool clean and safe. Seeing that many families faced the same challenge, she decided to explore franchising with Pool Scouts as a way to use her skills while helping her community.

Now, Thierry runs her business with a focus on professionalism and dependable service. With the number of pools in Charlotte continuing to grow, she saw that homeowners needed a trusted company with trained experts — not just one-person operations. Pool Scouts gave her that framework, and it has allowed her to bring reliable pool care to families while building a business she’s proud of.

1851 Franchise spoke with Patricia Thierry about her franchising journey with Pool Scouts and her plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Patricia Thierry: We moved to Charlotte five years ago after living in California. My background is in accounting and finance, working across several industries. When we became pool owners ourselves, I realized how difficult and time-consuming it was to maintain a pool. That experience, combined with a desire to serve our community, inspired us to explore opportunities in the pool industry. We found that Pool Scouts offered the perfect way to combine both passions.

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Thierry: From the outside, you look for a team that provides structure and support, and we’ve truly found that with Pool Scouts. Operating a pool business is highly technical — there’s real science behind it — and the training and education the franchise provides has been invaluable. The brand, marketing and ongoing support have made the experience a wonderful one, and we feel fully supported while still being able to adapt to our local market in Charlotte.

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Patricia: There was a clear gap in the Charlotte market. Most of the industry here is made up of single operators without brand recognition. Families need professionals they can trust to come into their homes each week. Pool Scouts gave us the chance to bring that professionalism and consistency while also leveraging a recognized national brand. The growth opportunity is tremendous — over 10,000 pools have been built in the Charlotte area in just the past three years.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Patricia: We began in the Lake Norman area and expanded into greater Charlotte. Our plan is to continue growing neighborhood by neighborhood, providing professional service, marketing and branding as we go. Beyond maintenance, there’s also a major demand for pool repairs, which we’re expanding into as part of our growth strategy.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Patricia: As a mom and a female business owner, I’m very focused on making sure pools are safe, balanced and ready for families to enjoy. For me, it’s not just about clean water — it’s about creating a safe place where kids can swim and families can spend time together. That’s something I really take to heart.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming franchise owners?

Patricia: If you’re an entrepreneur who wants to leverage a team of professionals, franchising makes a big difference. With Pool Scouts, we’ve had access to legal, training, marketing and branding support that would have been very difficult to build alone. We purchased a business that had already been operating for five years, which meant jumping on board at full speed. Having the franchise team behind us has made that transition far smoother than it would have been otherwise.

ABOUT POOL SCOUTS:
Founded in 2012 and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Buzz Franchise Brands is a fast-growing multi-brand franchising organization that builds companies that get people talking. The organization's first brand, Mosquito Joe, was sold to Neighborly in late 2018 after growing to almost 300 locations. Buzz Franchise Brands currently operates pool cleaning and maintenance company Pool Scouts, residential cleaning company Home Clean Heroes, swim lesson company British Swim School and holiday lighting company Wonderly Lights. The company has been named among the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc's Best Workplaces list for several years in a row. For more information about Buzz Franchise Brands, visit https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/. 

ABOUT BUZZ FRANCHISE BRANDS
Founded in 2012 and based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Buzz Franchise Brands is a fast-growing multi-brand franchising organization that builds companies that get people talking. The organization's first brand, Mosquito Joe, was sold to Neighborly in late 2018 after growing to almost 300 locations. Buzz Franchise Brands currently operates pool cleaning and maintenance company Pool Scouts, residential cleaning company Home Clean Heroes, swim lesson company British Swim School and holiday lighting company Grand Illuminations. The company has been named among the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc's Best Workplaces list for several years in a row. For more information about Buzz Franchise Brands, visit https://www.buzzfranchisebrands.com/.