Sonya St. Cin brings Pool Scouts franchise to Chattanooga and North Georgia

After 35 years as a speech pathologist, Sonya St. Cin was looking for something new — but she wasn’t quite ready for retirement. She wanted to build a business of her own, something that could serve the community while allowing her to take on a new challenge.

Having owned a pool for over 30 years, St. Cin knew firsthand how difficult it could be to find reliable maintenance and repair services. She wasn’t alone — many pool owners in her area struggled with the same issue. That’s when she discovered Pool Scouts*, a professional pool service franchise that stood out for its customer-first approach and strong support system.

Now, ready to launch Pool Scouts of Chattanooga, Sonya is excited to bring top-tier pool maintenance services to her community while building a strong, trusted local business.

Sonya St. Cin: I’ve been a speech pathologist for over 35 years, and while I loved my career, I was ready to try something new. I wasn’t looking to retire yet, but I wanted to build something of my own — something that could grow into a solid business and make an impact in the community.

I’ve had a pool for over 30 years, and I’ve always struggled to find good, reliable service. Keeping up with maintenance and repairs was a challenge, and I figured if I was having this issue, others in the area must be as well. That’s what sparked my interest in Pool Scouts. I also have a great partner who has been maintaining my pool for years, and he’ll be handling most of the operations side of the business.

St. Cin: I always liked the idea of having my own business, but coming from a health care background with no business experience, I knew I needed support. That’s why I went with a franchise.

I also worked with a local franchise consultant, and I would highly recommend that. Having someone who understands the local market and can guide you through different franchise options was really helpful in narrowing down what would work best for me.

St. Cin: The biggest thing for me was that Pool Scouts puts the customer first. I wanted to work with a company that values doing the right thing, and Pool Scouts really stood out in that regard.

I also felt very confident in the support they provide to franchisees. They are genuinely invested in my success — if I do well, they do well. From the very beginning, they’ve been flexible, patient and incredibly helpful. That kind of backing made me feel comfortable making the leap into business ownership.

St. Cin: I signed a 10-year agreement, and by the time that’s up, I may actually be ready to retire. My goal is to grow the business to a solid level where it becomes a well-known, trusted name in the community. Eventually, I’d love to be in a position where I can sell it and pass it on as a thriving business.

St. Cin: Talk to as many franchisees as possible. I wish I had talked to even more people before making my decision because every market has its own unique challenges and opportunities. Hearing different perspectives can give you a much better understanding of what to expect and how to set yourself up for success.

The company has been named among the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies as well as Inc's Best Workplaces list for several years in a row.