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Business Podcast With Poolwerx CEO & Founder John O’Brien

CEO John O’Brien’s interview with top business podcast Fear and Greed is now live. Learn about how Poolwerx has grown into the world’s leading pool service franchise, along with plans for expansion and the benefits of being part of the franchising industry.

Fear And Greed is the business podcast that sets you up for a successful day. Every weekday morning, get all the business news you need to know in less than 20 minutes from economist and one of Australia’s most respected journalists, Sean Aylmer.

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Protect Your Little Pool People and Join April Pools Day Poolwerx has partnered with Australian Red Cross for April Pools Day to equip more Australians with lifesaving CPR skills. This year, April Pools Day offers 4,000 Australians free online CPR for Babies and Children training, a new course from Red Cross. From 1 April to 15 April 2022, Australians can sign up at AprilPoolsDay.com.au and will receive access to the free online course from the Australian Red Cross valued at $100. Following completion of the online unit, individuals can also save 20% if they want to complete either a Red Cross certified First Aid or CPR course; or more comprehensive First Aid for Babies and Children course (all available as either blended/live or virtual). Drowning is known as ‘the silent killer’, which is why Poolwerx has crafted a Spotify playlist with songs from every decade, to allow Australians to pick their favourite 110 beats per minute song – the recommended rate to perform chest compressions. Did you know? Since launching April Pools Day in 2016, Poolwerx has provided CPR training to more than 15,000 Australians, with participation growing every year. Why should you register? Life is full of surprises so it’s important to be prepared for the unexpected. This year, Olympic gold medallist and water safety advocate Libby Trickett is teaming up with Poolwerx and the Australian Red Cross to encourage more Aussies to sign up to learn CPR. “When my daughter had her own near-drowning experience, I remember the sense of helplessness that washed over me, so knowing now that I’m armed with CPR training, I feel like I can take control and make a difference in a bad situation,” Mrs Trickett said. “You don’t need CPR until you do, and to think we could potentially save nearly 300 lives if more Aussies had CPR training, it’s a no-brainer to sign up to the free online course.” Australian Red Cross first aid trainer Deb Lowe reiterated Libby Trickett's stance that water safety is everyone’s responsibility and CPR is a part of that. “Knowing that in the time of need you can safely and accurately deploy CPR and potentially save a life is a great feeling and we need more every day Aussies equipped with these life-saving skills,” Ms Lowe said.

Top Tips For Your Pool During La Nina Weather Don’t let La Niña ruin your summer of poolside fun! With predictions of a long, wet summer ahead, this can have serious complications for your pool. Heavy rainfall means leaves, dirt and algae spores get delivered into your pool. Phosphates get deposited into the water and chlorine, salt and minerals are diluted. Combined with sunlight, these conditions are perfect for algae to grow and turn your healthy pool, into a green pool. It also affects the water’s pH, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and other chemical levels. What is La Nina? The Bureau of Meteorology has warned Australians to expect a La Niña summer, which is set to bring mass wet weather across the nation – with backyard pool owners warned to prepare for a whirlpool of challenges. What are the effects of La Niña? Typically during La Niña seasons, there is above average rainfall for eastern, northern and central parts of Australia, with extra rain, some storms and possibly even flooding expected. Poolwerx Founder and CEO John O’Brien says the effects of this excess rain are pretty significant on your pool and could have a huge impact on backyard summer fun. “It is pivotal for pool owners to prepare in advance, and work with their local Poolwerx team to manage these effects during and after the season, to ensure they still have a healthy pool to create backyard family memories in. The solution is simple - prepare in advance and take the necessary steps to avoid greater cost and energy to remedy the situation after summer.” La Nina & Your Pool The effects of this excess rain can have a significant impact on your pool’s health if you don’t look after it properly. Along with the usual culprits that accompany heavy rain, such as debris, garden runoffs, overflow and contaminates, La Niña brings additional long-term consequences – the dilution of pool chemicals, green pools, and increased risk of mosquito-borne viruses. Below is our easy guide to help you maintain a healthy pool during La Niña.

We All Win with Learn2Swim Poolwerx’ Learn2Swim Week returns nationwide for its eighth year 25 Sep - 3 Oct Tragically, in Australia 25 children under 5 lost their lives prematurely from drowning in Australia in the last year, a 108% increase on last year and a 9% increase on the 10-year average, with 8 of these incidents happening in swimming pools. In New Zealand, three children under the age of four lost their lives last year. This is why Poolwerx and Kids Alive are back again this year with Learn2Swim Week, offering free swimming lessons for children under five from Friday 25 September to Sunday 3 October, in an effort to reduce childhood drownings. Over the course of a week, swim schools across Australian and New Zealand will offer free swimming lessons to children under the age of five as part of the water safety initiative, with registrations still open for swim schools to sign up for the annual event. Despite water safety remaining top of mind for many families, new research from Poolwerx reveals around 15 percent of parents surveyed still know someone who had, or directly encountered, a near-drowning experience – highlighting the importance of teaching little ones basic water skills to make swimming safe and fun for parents and toddlers. Further, over 30 percent of parents whose children participated in Learn2Swim Week in 2020 enrolled their children in ongoing swim classes after the week was over2, highlighting the impact that Learn2Swim Week has on both children and the parents enrolling them. Ex-Olympian swimmer Libby Trickett, alongside former Australian Olympic swim coach and Kids Alive founder Laurie Lawrence, has partnered with Poolwerx to support the initiative, urging all parents to sign up for Learn2Swim Week this year and get their kids enrolled in lessons. Libby Trickett said, “As a mum myself, I’m really proud to be championing Learn2Swim Week for Poolwerx this year. I know just how important it is to develop swimming skills when you’re young, and really capitalise on the opportunities our beautiful climate gives us to enjoy time in the water here in Australia. Former All Blacks centre, now Crusaders and Wellington (NPC) Assistant Coach Tamati Ellison, has also partnered with Poolwerx to support the initiative, urging all parents to sign up for Learn2Swim Week this year and get their kids enrolled in lessons. “I’m really proud to be supporting Learn2Swim Week for Poolwerx this year. Growing up my siblings and I spent a lot of time around the water which helped us develop key swimming skills plus build amazing memories. Learning how to swim and feel confident in the water is important at all ages. For us Kiwis, it allows you to enjoy the New Zealand summer and keep whanau safe in and around the water,” says Tamati. “Tamaiti akoana ki Te kaukau, noho haumaru ki Te wai, Tau Ana. Okea ki a Urorotia ako ki Te kaukau I tenei rā (A person who learns to swim is safer in the water. Give it your best, learn to swim today),” he adds. Poolwerx COO Nic Brill reiterated Poolwerx’ commitment to water safety, encouraging parents to take advantage of these free classes. “Swimming is a way of life for most Kiwis and Aussies, but sadly we’re still seeing backyard drownings. That is why it is crucial to introduce kids to water safety as early as possible. As Australasia’s largest pool servicing brand, we feel that we have both an opportunity and a responsibility to promote safe water practices in our community,” Brill said. “Nearly 2.7 million Australians and 58,000 Kiwis live in a house with a swimming pool, and with people staying at home more over the last eighteen months through COVID, we know this number is rapidly increasing. That makes Learn2Swim Week an even more vital initiative, and one which we are proud to pioneer.” To locate your nearest participating swim school and sign up for a free class, visit www.learn2swimweek.com. Swim schools can still register to participate at www.learn2swimweek.com/register-your-pool/ [1]Royal Lifesaving Australia National Drowning Report 2021 [1]2020 Provisional Drowning Report [1]Independent study of 275 responses, carried out by Poolwerx

Business Podcast With Poolwerx CEO & Founder John O’Brien

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