446 Leveraging the Culture Index for Business Success with Danielle Scimeca and Conor Parrish
Release Date: 10/17/2025
475 Inside the Boiler: Inspection, Failure Analysis, and Photography with Cheryl Heiser
Scaling UP! H2O
A boiler failure can create pressure quickly: production is down, emotions are high, and the water treater may be the first person blamed. of . joins Trace Blackmore, CWT, to walk through a more disciplined way to evaluate boiler issues by looking beyond chemistry alone. Why Boiler Failures Need a Broader Lens Cheryl brings field experience from the OEM boiler side, conventional water treatment, and purified tannin boiler treatment. Her perspective is rooted in the idea that no two boilers are the same. Design, operating conditions, fuel, history, circulation, steam...
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474 Questions from the Scaling UP! Nation about Trace
Scaling UP! H2O
Every career in industrial water treatment is shaped by decisions, mentors, credentials, systems, and the willingness to keep learning. In this special mailbag-style episode, Trace Blackmore, CWT, answers questions from the Scaling UP! Nation about how he entered water treatment, why he started the podcast, what professional credentials have meant to him, and what he is still working to improve. This conversation gives water professionals a practical look at the habits behind a long career in the industry: getting involved early, documenting customer conversations, building strong...
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473 From Oil to Water: How the Water Midstream Sector Was Born with John Durand
Scaling UP! H2O
Industrial water professionals often think about water in terms of treatment, compliance, reuse, and operational risk. John Durand brings a different but closely connected view: water as infrastructure, water as a managed resource, and water as a strategic part of energy development. , one of the early pioneers of the water midstream sector and CEO of Magnificent Desolation, LLC, joins Trace Blackmore to explain how produced water moved from a disposal challenge to a large-scale infrastructure opportunity. From Disposal Model to Managed Resource John describes how...
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472 Finding and Fixing the Invisible: Chris MacDonald on Pressure Pipe Inspection and Rehab
Scaling UP! H2O
"Document everything." Spring startup season exposes more than operational stress. It also reveals what happened months earlier when systems were laid up poorly, maintenance steps were skipped, or warning signs were documented but not acted on. In this episode, Trace Blackmore connects that reality to a broader infrastructure problem: hidden damage inside pressure piping systems that operators often cannot see until a leak, rupture, or budget crisis forces action. Why hidden pressure pipe problems are so expensive , CEO and President of , explains why pressure pipe...
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471 Biofilms, Biocides, and TTPC: A Deep Dive with Dr. Jeff Kramer
Scaling UP! H2O
Biofilm is not a fringe issue in cooling systems. As Dr. Jeff Kramer explains, it is a given. That matters because biofilm affects heat transfer, contributes to corrosion, and can serve as a reservoir for Legionella in treated systems. In this conversation, Trace Blackmore and Dr. Kramer examine what experienced water treaters should be looking for when choosing and evaluating a microbiological control program. Biofilm as an operating problem Dr. Jeff defines biofilm as a community of microorganisms attached to a surface and held together by an external polymeric matrix. From there,...
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470 Wastewater Enthusiast: Training the Next Generation Online
Scaling UP! H2O
has built a following by doing something wastewater operators have needed for a long time: making practical technical education easier to access. In Episode 470, he explains why that matters, how he built , and what the industry still gets wrong about training, certification, and knowledge transfer. From test prep to true understanding A major thread in this conversation is the gap between passing an exam and actually understanding plant operations. Shawn reflects on his own early experience with certification prep, where classes helped him recognize test questions but did not always help him...
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469 ABMA: The Oldest Association Meets Today’s Challenges
Scaling UP! H2O
Boiler performance rarely depends on a single decision. It depends on design, controls, maintenance, workforce capability, and, as this conversation makes clear, the quality of water treatment. and explain how is addressing those realities by connecting manufacturers, representatives, suppliers, and field stakeholders around education and practical guidance. Why ABMA still matters in a changing boiler market ABMA has been in place since 1888, but this discussion is not about preserving old structures for their own sake. Scott and Shaunica describe an association that has expanded beyond...
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468 Born into Water Treatment: Tom Brandvold on AWT’s Origin Story and a Life in the Industry
Scaling UP! H2O
Tom Brandvold, CWT, has lived industrial water treatment from the inside out. In this conversation, he traces that path from sweeping floors and running sample bottles as a kid to leading Premier Water and Energy Technology and serving as a former president of . The result is not just a career story. It is a useful look at how credibility, collaboration, and standards are built over time in this industry. How Association of Water Technologies (AWT) was formed One of the most valuable parts of this discussion is Tom’s explanation of how Association of Water Technologies (AWT) began. The...
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467 From PhD to Pump Rooms: Jake Elliott on Wastewater, Efficiency, and Saying “Yes” Wisely
Scaling UP! H2O
What happens when a water chemist leaves the lab and heads to the pump room? knows firsthand. A former PhD researcher who studied resource recovery from trade‑waste customers, Jake now manages accounts at in Melbourne, working with cooling towers, boilers, chemical dosing rigs and wastewater treatment systems. He joins host Trace Blackmore to discuss how rigorous research, regulatory compliance and process automation translate into practical field work for industrial water treatment professionals. From PhD Research to Industrial Practice Jake’s academic background informs the way he...
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466 Stories, Math, and “Never Again” Moments: Inside AWT Technical Training with Dan Merritt (Part 2)
Scaling UP! H2O
AWT’s in‑person technical training is a keystone for developing competent water treaters. Yet classroom knowledge only matters when it survives the drive home and emerges later in the field. In this second conversation with —National Sales Manager at and head of AWT’s education committee—Trace Blackmore uncovers how stories, math, and memorable mistakes turn theory into intuition. Why training keeps evolving Dan explains that the rewrites courses every year. Instructors refine content, delivery and demonstrations, not for novelty’s sake, but because...
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How do you make “right person, right seat” a repeatable system—not a hope?
Fact Water Co’s Danielle Scimeca (President) and returning guest Conor Parrish (Chief Growth Officer) share how the Culture Index became a decisive tool for coaching, hiring, and a company-wide restructure. If you lead field service, customer service, or operations in industrial water, this conversation offers practical patterns you can apply the next time a role feels misaligned or a 1:1 stall on surface-level updates.
From intuition to instrumentation
Trace opens with the origin story and quickly moves to why Danielle and Conor adopted the Culture Index. Conor outlines the survey’s core traits (A, B, C, D), EU (energy units), logic, and ingenuity—and how those readings map to daily work. The team now enters 1:1s with data, not guesswork, and uses pattern shifts (e.g., crossing the bell-curve center line) as objective prompts to discuss burnout risk, disengagement, or role fit.
Coaching that respects how people actually work
Quarterly surveys provide a shared language for conflict and pace. Danielle and Conor show how “high-D vs. low-D” disagreements de-escalate when both sides name the pattern and adjust the level of detail or speed. The same framework helps leaders spot “quiet quitting” signals (e.g., EU changes) early, address them with empathy, and—when necessary—make seat changes with clarity.
Hiring with a C-Job—and holding the line
For open roles, they build a “C-job” (ideal pattern) and filter applicants by percentage match before reading résumés. That slows the front end but saves cycles by preventing mis-fit first interviews, reduces turnover, and improves team performance. The hardest lesson? When they ignored the pattern and hired outside the profile, they regretted it.
Restructure at scale—faster, with fewer re-hires
Armed with data, Fact Water accelerated a difficult restructure (significant field and customer-service turnover) and refilled seats against the right patterns. Outcomes included better alignment, happier team members, and fewer escalations. The same insights even improved communication at home—proof the temperament model applies beyond work.
Tools don’t lead—leaders do. The Culture Index gave Danielle and Conor the transparency and conviction to act sooner and coach smarter.
Listen to the full conversation above. Stay engaged, keep learning, and continue scaling up your knowledge!
Timestamps
02:24 - Trace Blackmore shares Industrial Water Week recap & #IWW25 highlights
13:37 - Water You Know with James McDonald
14:53 - Upcoming Events for Water Treatment Professionals
21:22 – Interview starts: Danielle Scimeca & Conor Parrish of Fact Water Co
24:46 – Why Culture Index
26:16 - Culture Index Overview
36:11 – Coaching Use: Data-Drive 1:1s and pattern shifts
44:36 – Hiring Use: C-Job Profiles
47:49 – Slower Hiring vs. Lower Turnover: lessons learned
53:46 – Real Example: High- D vs. Low-D communication conflict
Quotes
Conor Parrish: "High level culture index is a tool that we use. It starts with the culture index survey."
Danielle Scimeca: “The program forces you to make tough decisions… you deserve to be in a job that you find fulfilling.”
Conor Parrish: “HR isn’t doing first interviews with 30 people—they’re doing first interviews with three to five.”
Conor Parrish: “There’s so much more to it the more you go… I’m learning something new every day”
Danielle Scimeca: “If you’re not ready to make changes, it might not be the right time to do it.”
Connect with Conor Parrish 
Email: cparrish@factwaterco.com
Website: https://www.factwaterco.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conor-parrish-cwt-15208251/
Connect with Danielle Scimeca
Email: dscimeca@fctwater.com
Website: https://www.factwaterco.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-scimeca-esq-519604279/
Guest Resources Mentioned
Randi Fargen (Executive Advisor)
Scaling UP! H2O Resources Mentioned
AWT (Association of Water Technologies)
AWT 2025 Convention and Exposition
AWT 2025 Business Owners Meeting
008 The One with Conor Parrish
186 The One where Conor Parrish Interviews Me, Part 1
187 The One where Conor Parrish Interviews Me, Part 2
Scaling UP! H2O Academy video courses
The Hang (November 20, 2025 - 6 PM Eastern Time)
Water You Know with James McDonald
Question: What do we call the liquid formed after steam does its work and has cooled below its dew point?
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.
