Let's Hear It From: Lucas Congdon

If you’ve ever watched Animal Planet’s three seasons of “Insane Pools: Off the Deep End,” you’ve seen the jawdropping creations of Lucas Congdon. His creativity, ingenuity and attention to detail have transformed the pool design industry. His elaborate projects are literally a dream come true for his clients, featuring everything from cascading waterfalls, hidden caves and lush landscaping to state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, stunning outdoor kitchens and thrilling waterslides.

Lucas Lagoons grew from one pool renovation in Florida to a portfolio of 150 properties around the world with 25 people on his crew and $15 m in annual billings. The award-winning designer and reality TV celebrity dishes on how he got into the business, what keeps him motivated, and why landscaping and pool design is a dream job.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity

I grew up in Vermont, and after my parents’ divorce, my mom started a landscaping business to support herself. I was around 12 and just grew up helping mom. I started cutting and crafting stone and we did dry-laid patios and walkways. We did a couple of waterfalls, but it was mostly landscaping and gardening. I went off to Montana State—I was going to do landscape architecture, but school made me quickly realize I was a handson person, so I moved to Florida. I worked for a tree service company for six months, then a landscaper for six months, and knew I had to do my own thing.

I had started my own landscaping business down in Florida and had an opportunity to do a pool remodel. I had the idea to put the natural stone I grew up working with on the pools—all the pools in Florida were all just concrete boring pools. We incorporated the landscaping and the rock work around the pool. The first job came out beautiful.

I love building pools because it’s such an intimate thing. People get in the pool, they have fun, they’re totally immersed in your creation. That’s what really excites me, thinking about how much people will enjoy it. And I just love water. It’s so calming. It’s kind of like building waterfront property for people. Not everyone can afford to live on the ocean, but we can build that environment in someone’s backyard, and it’s really cool.

It’s always an issue. There are always unforeseen issues, no matter how good you get at it. When we travel for jobs, there are more expenses to consider, the housing costs for our crew for example. A new construction project we’re doing right now got delayed by two years. We’d already submitted the contract but now prices have gone up.

One of the biggest obstacles in any business is building the awareness and getting out the brand of who you are. And there’s the struggle of finding big, creative, fun projects, and finding people with the budget to do them. I like to challenge myself, and I’m always searching for the bigger and better jobs. The show has really helped with that.

Animal Planet came to me after seeing some of my work on YouTube. I started making YouTube videos about 10 years ago. I was hoping we would one day have a show, but I never in my wildest dreams imagined it would happen. I had actually thought about going to school for film production, so with the show, I’ve been able to combine both my passions.

We’ve been really proud of the show. But the hardest part was juggling someone else’s production schedule while still getting our jobs done. My guys aren’t actors, we’re just real people working hard to complete projects for our clients. And, of course, the good part has been the awesome exposure. Even before the show, clients saw my videos online and they were able to see my work, see who I was, how passionate I am, my attention to detail; so, when I went in to meet with them for the first time, instead of feeling like I was on an interview, they’d give me a hug, and it felt like they knew me forever. They already trusted me. I don’t have to give them the hard sell because they’ve already been sold. I can really just enjoy listening to what they want and be creative.

Well, one of the best parts has been getting drawings of pool designs from kids who’ve watched and who want to show me their work. I love being able to inspire their creativity and reach a new generation.

Everyone makes mistakes, especially when you’re doing something you’ve never done before, there’s a learning curve. We’re all human, but as long as you put your clients and your projects first, you’ll come out on top. The work is fun and creative but it’s also really hard.

I couldn’t imagine having a job where I had to stare at the clock all day. With this, 12 hours goes by in an instant because we’re so focused and having fun. The time flies. Working with your hands and being out in nature, it’s pretty awesome.

www.lucaslagoons.com