Colby Smith, 33

Sales manager
Southern Leisure Spas & Patio
Flower Mound, Texas 

Colby Smith’s career in the spa industry started with a hands-on role as a hot tub delivery team member at Galaxy Home Recreation in Oklahoma City. He moved up to delivery team leader and eventually became the operations manager of the store. Recognizing his talent for connecting with customers, Smith transitioned into sales, where he learned from the best in the company and soon became one of the top salespeople.

Smith’s ability to simplify complex information for customers caught the attention of Southern Leisure’s owner, who was impressed by Smith’s sales approach. This led to Smith relocating to Dallas in 2018, not only to be closer to his son but also to take on the store manager role at Southern Leisure in Arlington.

With the opening of additional stores, Smith’s role evolved into a full-time sales manager. He now oversees sales operations across all five locations, dedicating his time to training and mentoring the sales team.

Two aspects of his job bring Smith the most joy: teaching and customer education. He relishes sharing his knowledge with his sales team, helping them to not just sell spas but to assist customers in finding the perfect spa for them. Smith also takes pride in educating customers.

“When customers come into our stores, sometimes they are already tired of shopping just from information overload,” he says. “We strive to break it down and simplify the buying process so that our customers can understand what to look for and what to buy. Even if they don’t buy from us, we want them to be happy with what they ultimately end up with.”

Looking ahead, Smith dreams of helping Southern Leisure grow to 10 or more stores across Texas. He also wants to see his sales team achieve their goals, whether it’s through promotions within the company or by hitting new sales milestones.

Honesty is the cornerstone of Smith’s sales philosophy. He believes in full transparency with customers, providing clear pricing and unbiased information about different brands. He also advocates for manufacturers to list MSRPs on their websites to prevent price inflation and ensure fairness for consumers, a practice he views as essential for maintaining trust in the industry.

“I teach my sales team that honesty is the best policy — even if the customer doesn’t buy from us, we will be 100% transparent about pricing and the pros and cons of each of our brands,” he says. “We will not bash our competition to try and earn a customer.”