The aquatics industry is vast with many different avenues. Those involved are diverse and have proven to be some of the most constructive and creative people I have every met. From the geeky most analytical engineer to the most whimsical designer, there is much talent in this industry. Most of the people that I have met are passionate about what they do. As a member of Tributary, I have been able to meet with various companies that service our industry, and I see passion. I see a direction that they have taken that shows that they want to serve. For the most part, they are in it for all of the right reasons. This has been a powerful feature of Tributary; being able to see, first hand, that there are manufacturers/producers that care about the end user. This same mentality is prevalent in Genesis, which has been such a powerful force in the aquatics field. Responsible for elevating the industry to new heights by bringing the arts of engineering, construction, and design together. This vision has allowed many in our industry to broaden what they do and how they do it. Creating a culture of “aiming for perfection” has made an influence on my business and my life, and I attribute that mentality to my mentors in both Genesis and Tributary.

So, all of this is great but, how are we converging our education with our expertise, and how do we inform the consumer? How much effort are we putting into our business’? Are we telling the story of how we have made mistakes, learned from them, learned from others, and now we should be respected as an expert in our local market because of those experiences? How much time do we spend refining our vision or the culture of our business? We have taken so many steps and put so much effort into becoming better, but have we put the same effort into refining the look and appeal of our business, and the message we want to convey?

I don’t claim to be an expert in business and marketing, but I do know when it is time to make a change. Some of you may know that I have recently re-branded. Bloom Outdoor Environments was the business name that I started with when we decided to move from Arizona to Tennessee in April of 2014. I didn’t really love the name, but it sounded okay and I just rolled with it. Initially, I was going to focus on landscaping but soon realized that the market was quite saturated with so-called landscape companies. I couldn’t compete. Swimming Pools became the sole focus. So, as Bloom, I attacked the local market with advertising and began attracting business almost instantly. I wasn’t closing every job, thankfully, but I was definitely creating a little buzz. It was great and within a couple of years, I had established Bloom as a solid name with people that I felt mattered here in Nashville. One of the things I noticed though, was that we were getting calls, almost daily, about landscaping. Many of you might say that I failed to exploit that opportunity due to the influx of inquiries, but I have no passion for the landscaping side. The frequency of calls for landscaping told me that the message I was conveying was wrong and unfocused. I created a marketing situation that was confusing for the public and I needed to make a change.

Time for the Re-Brand. Brainstorming began in the fall of 2017. What do we name the company now? How do we overcome this misguided brand? We needed to take a look at what was driving people to Bloom and how we could convert that same message of quality to the new vision.

After several months of coming up with ridiculous names, I landed on Basin. Basin felt right to me. It felt like a name that was carried by a craftsman or artisan in the industry. It had that freshly baked bread feel. Some of you may remember the Color Theory class with Ferras? The feeling of nostalgia that was conveyed by the fields of wheat, warm stones, green grass, and blue sky, was what I was really going for. What was being conveyed by color is what I wanted to convey in my name. With Basin, I am happy. I feel like I have a vision of the company that really exudes quality and craftsmanship.

This energy and contentment are perceived by my potential clients through my energy and my story. Business practices are not limited to how we construct. We must look beyond and always be evolving, Allowing the company vision to stagnate will, over time, have a negative influence on business. Rebranding has allowed me to dial in the vision of my company. It has taken some time and it seemed daunting when I first pulled the trigger, but over time, it gets easier and the consumer base will understand completely if you share your vision. I encourage you to look at your business. Look at the mission statement. Look at the message that you are conveying. Don’t be scared or intimidated by rebranding or enhancing. If anything, just sitting down to take a look at your business will benefit you and your business health.