Podcasts

Episode #148 Building a Business in a Pandemic: Jeremy Lucovich’s Southwest Spas Adventure

ByMegan Kendrick October 14, 2026October 13, 2026

On the SpaRetailer Podcast, host Megan Kendrick interviews Jeremy Lucovich, new-ish owner of Southwest Spas in Arizona and a new second location, Queen Creek Hot Tubs. Lucovich, originally from Pittsburgh, spent years in sales including regional sales manager for a wire manufacturer before being laid off at the end of 2019, which led him to buy the spa business in early 2020, using money intended for building a house. He describes learning retail and hot tub sales during the early COVID uncertainty, modernizing an older operation, and growing sales significantly in the second half of 2020 while Arizona stayed open. He later switched from Dimension One to Hydropool, earning new dealer and dealer of the year awards, and opened the Queen Creek showroom to reduce brand confusion and tap a fast-growing market. He emphasizes follow-up, referrals, marketing support and expanding service operations, and shares lessons about limited due diligence, long hours and focusing on key business podcasts.

Show Notes with Timestamps:

00:00 Meet Jeremy Lucovich
00:15 From Pittsburgh to Phoenix
01:21 Sales Career Before Spas
02:21 Layoff Sparks Ownership
04:08 Buying During COVID Uncertainty
07:27 Modernizing an Old-School Shop
10:54 Retail Sales Mindset Shift
13:13 Phoenix Market and Competition
14:34 Staff Transition and Headbutting
19:39 Switching Brands to Hydropool
21:38 Second Store and Rebrand
22:21 Marketing SEO and Spa Surge
24:09 Marketing Wins With HydroPool
24:42 New Store Growing Pains
26:49 Location Strategy And Showroom Plan
28:27 Building The Right Team
29:13 Expansion Goals And Family Plans
30:34 Service Revenue Focus
32:50 Sales Experience And Referrals
36:25 SpaRetailer Five Begins
37:54 Lessons From Buying The Store
44:27 Podcasts And Closing Thoughts
46:16 Industry Improvement And Wrap Up