Ask Adam Sayre why he was chosen as his company’s MVP, and he’s very modest.
“I don’t know,” he laughs. “I make sure to talk to [the service technicians] at least once or twice a day. And if they have any questions, I’m always here to help them.”
Sayre may downplay the honor, but the work ethic he described actually earned him the title.
“Adam’s relentless dedication to constantly improve is what makes him my most valuable player,” says Rich Gallo, owner of Pure Swim, a pool/spa service firm in Van Nuys, Calif. “He sees the vision of how Pure Swim is different from all other service companies and [he] is always innovating to keep us on top.”
Sayre’s commitment has shown tangible results. Last year, Pure Swim’s revenue increased 24%, which Gallo attributes to Sayre’s efforts training three new service techs.
In addition, Sayre singlehandedly made it possible for the company to expand into new territory when he brought in a $1.7 million movie-studio account. Not only was it the largest contract in Pure Swim’s history, but it enabled the company to form a new division catering to such clients.
Career switch
Sayre wasn’t always in the pool business. He came to Pure Swim after a chance meeting.
About eight years ago, he was working in a truck and outfitting company when he met Gallo on a business run. As the story goes, Gallo asked if Sayre was interested in working for Pure Swim. He suggested that Sayre take a photo of Gallo’s truck, which had the company’s information on it. When Sayre got home, he looked up Pure Swim on Google, but it showed Gallo’s house instead of his business.
“He said he had an office, but this was a home,” Sayre recalls.
At the time, he wanted the stability of an established company, not someone working out of his house, so he didn’t pursue it.
A year later, they reconnected, and Gallo asked directly why Sayre didn’t call him about a job. After hearing Sayre’s honest answer, Gallo had a good laugh. Once he explained the issues that can arise with Google, and that Pure Swim indeed had an office, Sayre made the switch and hasn’t looked back.
Sayre began with the company as a service technician with 60 pools a week. But his work ethic ensured quick progress.
“I was trying to take in as much knowledge as I could,” he says. “The more I did it, the more I understood [the problem] and solutions.”
He always made it a point to share whatever he learned with the other technicians. His willingness and skill in training others, whether formally or informally, became part of his reputation.
“I train all the guys when they come in, and just really focus on their strengths and weaknesses,” Sayre says.
But then he reframes that last thought, revealing the kind of constructive approach that no doubt has served him and the company well: “It’s not a weakness,” he says. “It’s something we can help them be stronger in.”
Fast progress
Through his history with the company, Sayre progressed from technician to account manager and, eventually, a route manager.
But the titles aren’t important to Sayre. It’s the daily work — being with customers, signing on new accounts, teaching homeowners how their pool equipment works, being outdoors — that drives Sayre. He calls it a “lifestyle.”
In his training capacity, Sayre strives to ensure that each technician understands as much as he does, “not just walking into a backyard like a robot and going through the motions,” he says.
Patience is a key part of the process. It takes baby steps to make sure the technicians understand what they’re doing and why, and to continue to build on that knowledge.
Gallo says Sayre knows having a strong team helps build and grow the company. He’s impressed by how much Sayre lives by this philosophy.
“I never imagined having an employee who would have the same drive and dedication as the owner,” Gallo says. “His tenacity forces me to up my own game. He’s the reason why I still love doing this after 31 years. Truthfully, I wouldn’t be where I’m at without him.”
The company owner says it’s important to look after his employees, and he did so to keep Sayre in the business. When Sayre’s family experienced healthcare issues, Gallo didn’t hesitate to increase the route manager’s insurance coverage and keep him on the payroll while he took leave to care for his family. During that difficult time, Gallo was surprised to see Sayre show up to the office, quietly working, even when he was not expected to be there.
“You invest in people,” Gallo says. “My investment in this kid has been the biggest payout of any investment in my entire life. I still think he’s going to be the best investment of my entire life.”
