In this episode of Business Under Fire, host Tommy sits down with Hobart Doyon, owner of HD Pools & Landscaping, to talk about his journey from earning a Master's Degree in Accounting to building a successful landscaping and pool construction business.

Hobart shares how a side hustle mowing lawns grew into a full-time career, why he left the corporate world behind, lessons learned from scaling a service business, the realities of the pool industry, hiring and retaining employees, networking, sales, and what it really takes to succeed as an entrepreneur.

Whether you're a business owner, contractor, tradesperson, or someone thinking about taking the leap into self-employment, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world experience.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Hobart Doyon & HD Pools & Landscaping
01:10 – Leaving accounting to work for himself
02:25 – How mowing lawns became a business
04:00 – Growing from a few yards to dozens of customers
04:43 – Turning hobbies into businesses
05:17 – Lessons learned in the landscaping industry
07:34 – Managing seasonal business challenges
08:20 – Why landscaping installations became the focus
09:08 – The process of a landscaping project
10:09 – Using ChatGPT for landscape design and estimating
11:35 – The biggest challenges in landscaping
14:27 – How Hobart got into pool construction
15:25 – Building his first pool from scratch
16:06 – Pool automation and water chemistry
17:08 – Continuing education in the pool industry
18:33 – Winning business by showing up and moving fast
19:24 – Landscaping vs. pool construction today
21:31 – Finding new customers and staying busy
23:48 – Why Hobart still loves building pools
24:23 – Pool renovations and modern pool trends
26:47 – What the pool-building process looks like
28:18 – The real cost of adding a hot tub
30:33 – Pool maintenance and warranty work
31:11 – The hardest part of the pool business
33:33 – Construction labor and workforce challenges
37:02 – From janitor to accountant to entrepreneur
38:05 – Observations from Orlando and business growth
43:47 – Why success starts with showing up
45:16 – The power of networking and relationships
48:18 – What entrepreneurship has made possible
50:00 – The biggest challenges of working for yourself
52:00 – Setting boundaries as a business owner

📢 Connect with Hobart Doyon & HD Pools & Landscaping

Website: High Definition Pools & Landscaping
Phone: (210) 632-0576
Email: [email protected]

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