EP377: The Final Episode of Pond Digger Podcast
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Release Date: 12/31/2025
S2-E40: How Much Money Is Enough? With Tyson Matyas & Slayer
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric, Tyson, and Slayer explore the four levels of money and the subjective nature of personal value. They discuss the challenges of scaling a business, balancing rising overhead costs with the need to pay employees a living wage. The crew critiques the "copout" mindset that money is unimportant, arguing instead that financial success is necessary for survival, freedom, and legacy. Through anecdotes about firefighting, electrical work, and pond maintenance, they illustrate how market demand and specialized expertise dictate one's worth. Ultimately, the discussion emphasizes that professional...
info_outline
S2-E39: Sakura Festival + Craft Beer with Melissa Fisher
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
This interview features Melissa, the co-owner of , discussing the history and operations of her family business in Redlands. She explains the origin of their Sakura beer, a unique brew inspired by cherry blossom green tea, which has become a year-round staple. The conversation covers the technical challenges of brewing, such as maintaining consistency despite natural variations in hops and grain. Melissa also highlights the brewery's commitment to community through the Sakura Festival, an event celebrating Japanese culture and local art. Additionally, she addresses the business's adaptation to...
info_outline
S2-E38: What’s REALLY Trending in SoCal Aquatics Right Now (w/ Nolan's Aquarium)
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
The aquarium world is getting smaller, more specialized, and far more innovative. Recorded at AquaSwap 2026, this conversation with Nolan of explores how the fish-keeping industry is evolving as hobbyists shift toward nano tanks, aquatic plants, and Madaka ricefish—and why independent businesses need to evolve with them. Nolan shares how his business moved away from breeding large African cichlids and toward categories that better reflect what customers are actually looking for today. The conversation also dives into the growing appeal of micro reef systems, including portable,...
info_outline
S2-E37: Fuck Your Ego, It’s Costing You More Than You Think with Kent Wallace
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Some industry problems do not last because they are too hard to solve. They last because the right people never work together. This conversation unpacks a long-running pond filtration issue through the story of two experts whose refusal to collaborate left a major solution sitting on the sidelines for years. Kent Wallace explains how he developed “The Fix,” a modification kit designed to restore the original self-cleaning purpose of the Nexus filter by using floating microscreen technology. Along the way, the discussion moves beyond equipment and into a bigger lesson for contractors and...
info_outline
S2-E36: Are Aquariums Cute or Cringe? with Logan Rando
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric interviews content creator during a live event at Aqua Swap. Rando explains how he uses his acting and improv background to produce viral "man on the street" videos that introduce the niche aquarium hobby to the general public. He details his strict code of ethics for filming strangers organically and emphasizes the importance of maintaining positive social dynamics during interviews. The conversation also explores Rando's professional journey, including his transition from a video editor for top aquascapers to a self-employed creator. Ultimately, the two discuss how unique storytelling...
info_outline
S2-E35: Fleeting Beauty: What Sakura and Koi Teach Us About Life
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric explores the Japanese concept of Sakura, using the transient bloom of cherry blossoms to highlight the fleeting nature of life and beauty. The speaker connects this cultural philosophy to the world of koi husbandry, explaining how these "living pieces of art" reach peak perfection only for a brief moment before aging. Through personal anecdotes about Japanese tattoo artistry and backyard pond construction, the narrative emphasizes that the value of an experience is often found in its impermanence. The episodes serves as a call to action for listeners to slow down and practice presence...
info_outline
S2-E34: Being Realistic Is Ruining Your Life
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Today's episode shows how a growth-oriented mindset and expansive belief systems are essential for professional success. Eric argues that individuals often limit themselves by being "realistic," whereas unrealistic thinking allows for much larger achievements and innovations. By referencing high-performance figures like Kobe Bryant and Kanye West, he emphasizes the power of visualization and daily goal-setting to bridge the gap between imagination and reality. The discussion also provides practical advice on improving company culture through the celebration of small wins and the implementation...
info_outline
S2-E33: What’s the Alternative to Getting Better?
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Today Eric addresses the psychological and operational hurdles of scaling a business past the three-million-dollar mark. Triplett introduces the concept of "logic versus logic," contrasting the natural assumption that employees should "just know" their jobs with the professional reality that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are required for true consistency. Using the "Peanut Butter and Jelly Principle," he illustrates how vague instructions lead to varied results, emphasizing that leaders must define exact standards to avoid the "prison" of micromanagement. The discussion extends to...
info_outline
S2-E32: What’s Holding You Back? (It’s Not What You Think)
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Eric teaches about the vital role of clarity and specificity in achieving professional and personal growth for contractors and business owners. He emphasizes that feeling "stuck" is often a symptom of undefined goals, suggesting that asking customers and oneself "what is holding you back?" can reveal hidden obstacles. To bridge these gaps, the discussion outlines four key areas of improvement: skills, belief systems, execution, and environment. Practical strategies are shared, such as tracking time in 15-minute increments to eliminate waste and using...
info_outline
S2-E31: The Cobra Conundrum
The Deep End with Eric Triplett
Today's episode features a discussion on the Cobra Effect, a phenomenon where superficial solutions to problems inadvertently make them worse. The speaker illustrates this through historical examples like bounty-driven snake breeding in India and China’s one-child policy, which eventually led to unsustainable demographic shifts. He translates these lessons to the business world, warning entrepreneurs against underbidding projects or failing to delegate tasks like equipment transport and technical sealing. By micromanaging or incentivizing the wrong behaviors, leaders often create a...
info_outlineIn this final episode of the Pond Digger Podcast, host Eric Triplet announces the conclusion of his seven-year journey to focus on a new professional chapter. Originally launched to provide educational resources for pond owners and koi enthusiasts, the show evolved into a platform for business coaching and leadership advice for various trade contractors. Triplet reflects on significant milestones, including his personal battle with stage four cancer, which shifted his perspective on time and purposeful living. He highlights the vast archive of evergreen content available to listeners, ranging from technical pond construction secrets to motivational insights on productivity. While the specific details of his next venture remain unrevealed, he emphasizes that the decision to end the podcast is a strategic move toward personal transformation and higher achievement. Triplet concludes by expressing profound gratitude to his community for their years of trust and engagement.
🚨 Sign up for Eric’s Email List: 🚨
đź”— Links and Resources
Business & Sales Tools
Pond Industry Resources
Events & Communities
Social Media