456 The 12 Days of Scaling UP! H2O 2025
Scaling UP! H2O
A year-end recap is more than a highlight reel—it’s a practical reset. In this New Year episode, Trace Blackmore walks through 2025 using a “12 Days of the Scaling Up Nation” format, tying together performance, community growth, listener engagement, and the sponsor support that keeps the podcast and its companion tools available at no cost. Year-end by the numbers Trace explains how he used to track every stat closely—and how that shifted into an unhealthy measure of self-worth—so the team now uses numbers as feedback, not validation. He notes the...
info_outline
455 Mentors, Mindset, and the CWT: Owning Your Water Career with Nella Fergusson
Scaling UP! H2O
“So one thing I never do is try to start giving remediation or advice before I truly have understood and diagnosed the problem.” Mentorship and certifications don’t replace experience—but they can accelerate it when paired with the right mindset and a disciplined approach to learning. (District Manager, Southern California, ), lays out what “growing up” in industrial water treatment actually looks like: repeated exposure to real problems, strong diagnostic habits, and a willingness to keep learning long after year one. Learning that keeps...
info_outline
454 Water Recycling, Innovation, and Industry Wisdom with Dr. Kelle Zeiher
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial cooling is one of the biggest levers industrial facilities can pull on water use—and it’s getting harder to ignore as data centers and other high-heat operations grow. Returning guest (Project Manager at ) breaks down what water reuse looks like when you move past slogans and into the realities of pretreatment, concentrate management, footprint, and cost. Cooling water reuse: the scale of the opportunity Dr. Zeiher reframes “drought” beyond rainfall, emphasizing aquifer recharge and the limits of focusing only on household restrictions. She...
info_outline
453 Water Risk, Governance, and Community Engagement with Dr. Annette Davison
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water professionals sit at the intersection of risk, regulation, and community trust. In this episode, (“the water risk doctor”) joins Trace Blackmore to show how disciplined governance, clear supply chain thinking, and community engagement can turn fragmented water systems into coherent, defensible risk management frameworks. Water risk from source to customer Annette starts with a simple question most customers never ask: “Where’s your water coming from?” She walks through a conceptual supply chain from source to end point—collection, transfer, treatment,...
info_outline
452 UV Innovation and Whole-Building Water Safety with Ron Blutrich
Scaling UP! H2O
Entamoeba histolytica nearly ended Ron Blutrich’s scientific career. Instead, it pushed him to rethink how we protect people in multi-family buildings, senior facilities, and dense urban centers from invisible microbiological risks in their drinking water. In this episode, he joins host Trace Blackmore to unpack what whole-building UV can (and can’t) do for Legionella, biofilm, and real-world water safety. When One Bad Cup of Water Redefines a Career In the middle of his PhD in molecular genetics, Ron drank from an under-sink reverse osmosis tap at an Airbnb and...
info_outline
451 Building a Culture of Innovation and Customer Service with Frank Lecrone
Scaling UP! H2O
What happens when you build a company around one niche, listen obsessively to customers, and never stop improving? In this episode, host Trace Blackmore finally sits down for a full-length conversation with , Founder, President, and CEO of . What started in a small 60' x 60' space in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with three employees, maxed-out credit cards, and endless Staples runs has grown into a 300+-person organization serving industrial water professionals around the world. Frank shares how AquaPhoenix became “the booth everyone wants to be next to” at...
info_outline
450 Wastewater Advocacy and Innovation with Robin Deal
Scaling UP! H2O
“The More You Know” - Robin Deal A million-gallon-a-day perspective, distilled into actionable steps. , AquaPure Product Manager at unpacks how seasoned pros can squeeze more performance—and less sludge—out of industrial wastewater systems without compromising compliance or plant uptime. From “clear water in a jar” to stable discharge in the field Robin details a practical jar-testing workflow: start from upstream processes, target pH using hydroxide/sulfide solubility curves, choose the right coagulant (aluminum, iron, calcium, lanthanum, or organics),...
info_outline
449 Michael Bourgeois on AWT Partnerships and Professional Growth
Scaling UP! H2O
Get stuck in – Michael Bourgeois, CWT How do standards get written in ways that working water treaters can actually meet? In this conversation, AWT Past President, current Related Trade Organization (RTO) Committee Chair, and Chemco Products Company Operations Manager, , explains how AWT’s liaisons collaborate with peer organizations, so guidance reflects field reality—operations, risk, and achievable compliance. From Field Bags to Board Rooms: Why RTOs Matter Bourgeois outlines the purpose of AWT’s RTO structure: volunteer liaisons track and influence work at groups...
info_outline
448 2025 Halloween Special
Scaling UP! H2O
Holidays don’t usually line up with release day—but this year they did. In this Halloween special, Trace uses the horror-movie trope of the “scary boiler room” to deliver practical, field-tested reminders for safer sampling, clearer thinking, and better decisions in high-heat, low-light spaces. Boiler Rooms, Myths, and Real Risks From Nightmare on Elm Street to Tower of Terror, pop culture loves dim steam, tight corridors, and clangy pipe-labyrinths. Trace contrasts that imagery with what matters to pros: light, ventilation, a stable work surface, and time for...
info_outline
447 Unlocking Team Potential with Culture Index with Randi Fargen
Scaling UP! H2O
Hiring in industrial water is slow, specialized, and expensive to get wrong. In this conversation, executive advisor explains how a two-question, 5–7 minute Culture Index survey becomes an ongoing management and coaching system—not just a hiring screen—so owners cut turnover risk, speed onboarding, and improve day-to-day communication. From “assessment fatigue” to a usable language Most teams dread long assessments. This survey takes minutes and measures four primary traits—autonomy, sociability, pace/patience, conformity—plus three...
info_outline
What gets measured gets improved. But without a process, how do we know what to improve?
In this brand-new episode, Trace Blackmore, the host of Scaling UP! H2O Podcast and the CEO and Founder of Blackmore Enterprises, dives deep into the power of processes in industrial water treatment. Learn why creating and documenting processes is essential for consistency, collaboration, and success. Hear Trace's personal journey of process discovery, practical steps for implementation, and how processes can make your work more efficient and fun. Plus, a new "Water You Know" segment by James McDonald challenges your water treatment knowledge. Don't miss this insightful episode filled with actionable takeaways!
Trace Blackmore introduces the value of processes, sharing his love for procedures and why they are vital for the industrial water treatment community. From his early experiences at McDonald's to his current role, Trace illustrates how processes drive consistency and success.
The Power of Processes in Water Treatment
Discover how processes are the backbone of efficiency in the water treatment industry, guiding consistency and measurable improvements across daily tasks and large-scale operations.
A Practical Framework for Success
Learn actionable steps to create, document, and refine processes that save time, enhance accuracy, and drive collaboration within your team or solo operations.
Lessons from Episode 397: Categorizing for Clarity
Explore Trace's approach to categorizing and establishing testing procedures, from Episode 397, and see how small tweaks can yield significant efficiency gains.
From McDonald’s to Water Treatment: The Art of Rigor
Trace shares personal anecdotes from his first job at McDonald’s, revealing how the company’s focus on procedural rigor inspired his passion for creating and following efficient workflows.
Behind the Scenes of Scaling Up H2O
Get a rare glimpse into the processes that power the Scaling Up H2O podcast. From pre-recording preparation to publishing episodes, see how structured workflows ensure quality and consistency.
Why Everyone Needs Procedures—Even Solo Professionals
Trace busts the myth that procedures are only for teams. Learn how structured processes can help solo professionals work smarter, not harder, and achieve consistent results every time.
Trace emphasizes that processes are the backbone of success in water treatment and other industries. He encourages listeners to take actionable steps in documenting one procedure this week and to celebrate improvements.
Processes transform chaos into clarity. By embracing structured methods, you not only improve operations but also create opportunities for growth and collaboration.
Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
04:37 -The power of sharing ideas at water industry events.
08:13 - Water You Know with James McDonald
10:51 - Trace's love for procedures and his McDonald's experience.
16:49 - The importance of measuring processes for improvement.
28:28 - Steps to create and document a process.
46:27 - Closing thoughts: Processes bring fun and efficiency to the workplace.
Quotes
“Because of my love of procedures, I've been able to create things and enlist the help of others to work collaboratively, ensuring we're all on the same page” - Trace Blackmore
Connect with Scaling UP! H2O
Submit a show idea: Submit a Show Idea
LinkedIn: in/traceblackmore/
YouTube: @ScalingUpH2O
Click HERE to Download Episode's Discussion Guide
Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
Submit a Show Idea
The Rising Tide Mastermind
398 Water Treatment Project Success: Essential Steps for New Facilities and Expansions
397 Pinks and Blues: How to look at your tests
Water You Know with James McDonald
Question: At atmospheric pressure, a pound or kilogram of water that is converted to steam will expand by approximately how many times?
2025 Events for Water Professionals
Check out our Scaling UP! H2O Events Calendar where we’ve listed every event Water Treaters should be aware of by clicking HERE.
