Kristen's Story

Recipe for success 

You know the saying, “if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Well, after working as a chef for 12 years, Kristen Noble was starting to feel a little burnt out. She was looking for a change, but was worried she didn’t have the experience to break into a new field. 

“I started applying for any job I could find that didn’t require experience, and I was given an opportunity at Poolwerx New Zealand as a Retail Assistant. I’m so glad I was because that’s where I learned the basis of everything I know now.” 

Two years later, in 2020, Kristen decided to move to Western Australia. As luck would have it, some of Kristen’s friends became franchise owners of Poolwerx Bull Creek, and enlisted her help to open the store. 

“It was great to put my Poolwerx experience to use setting up the store. It also connected me with Steve and Brett, who own the majority of Poolwerx franchises in WA. I got in contact with them looking to explore opportunities for my partner, but they managed to convince me to join forces with them and become their Retail Manager instead!” 

Starting her new role in 2022, Kristen now manages three stores and a warehouse for the biggest Poolwerx franchise in WA - serving more than 500 regular customers. Pretty impressive for someone who previously had no knowledge of pools! Kristen has truly made her mark, not only with her exceptional people management skills, but also with the sweet treats she whips up for her team (which fellow Kiwis Steve and Brett particularly appreciate!). 

“Once a chef, always a chef, right? I’m in the warehouse every Thursday for meetings, so I always try to take some New Zealand treats in. The team loves my Afghans, or a classic custard slice!” 

The sky’s the limit 

Kristen’s days as Retail Manager are exciting and ever-changing. Her many responsibilities include ordering, invoicing and commercial marketing for all three stores, as well as facilitating all in-house retail training and supporting her team to succeed in reaching their targets. 

“In December 2022, we hit our yearly budget in only six months! That’s definitely been one of my greatest achievements in my time at Poolwerx. I feel really proud that I could lead my team to such a fantastic result.” 

Of course, Kristen’s also been supported to succeed with the many training programs Poolwerx offers, allowing her to learn and grow at every point in her career. 

“I’ve done plenty of training with our reps, and last year I was able to go to Brisbane for a week of Retail Manager training, which was fantastic. Poolwerx also supports you to study alongside your job - you can do a Diploma in Retail Management, and Pool Technicians can get a Certificate III or IV in Pool Maintenance. There really is so much opportunity at Poolwerx. You can start at the bottom and go all the way up to owning a franchise. There's no limit to what you can do.” 

Kristen has achieved some amazing things at Poolwerx, but she’s most proud of how her confidence has grown. She now feels like she can take on anything she sets her mind to, and looks forward to seeing how her career and her impact will continue to grow at Poolwerx. 

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that I'm far more capable than I thought I was. When I first got the Retail Manager job, I was like, ‘Oh my god, am I going to screw this up?’ But I’ve found that it’s more than just a job to turn up to and then go home. I actually have the opportunity to see the direct contribution my role makes to growing the business.” 

Supported to succeed 

It’s clear that Kristen is a high achiever who rises to each opportunity and challenge with great drive and passion. Yet, there’s another key ingredient to her success: the invaluable support and mentorship she receives from her franchise owner, Steve Burn. 

“Both Steve and Brett are so supportive. I can call them any time, and they’re always there to help. Steve in particular has been a great mentor for me. I really admire his dedication; he has a clear vision and is always working hard to make it happen.” 

Kristen also feels honoured that Steve’s vision for the business involves her! 

“Steve and Brett have been in business for almost 30 years now. They know the franchise back to front and know exactly where they want it to go in the future. What’s exciting about that for me is that I get to play a key part and collaborate with them on bringing their vision to life. I’m definitely considering being a franchise partner myself one day, which Steve has been so supportive of - he’s offered to teach me everything I’d need to know.” 

Kristen can’t wait to see what the future holds for her career. She’d encourage anyone who’s considering a career change to see if Poolwerx is right for them - it certainly was for her! 

“Just give it a try! When I first got to Poolwerx, I thought, ‘I’m never going to learn all this! I have no idea what these chemicals do.’ But everyone’s really helpful and they genuinely want to see you succeed. If you keep trying to stick within your comfort zone, nothing’s ever going to change. But when you step out of it, you could end up a million miles from where you thought you would.” 

Social Copy 

Are you looking to grow a great career without needing years of experience? 

Kristen Noble was, too. Working as a chef for 12 years was starting to burn her out, but it was all she’d done in her career. Fortunately, a role with Poolwerx set her up for success with fully-paid training and now, Kristen manages Western Australia’s largest Poolwerx franchise! 

“It’s a place to grow, for sure. Once you’re Poolwerx trained, you can go anywhere - whether you want to work your way up in Australia or head overseas to New Zealand or the USA, they'll take you in a heartbeat. There really is so much opportunity at Poolwerx. You can start at the bottom and go all the way up to owning a franchise. There's no limit to what you can do.”