To mark International Women’s Day, which took place yesterday, we are highlighting the women who are shaping the future of the pool and wellness industry.
Today, we sit down with Gina Atwood, entrepreneur, co-founder of Tubs Parts and founder of the Pool and Spa Industry Network. Gina turned a personal challenge into a thriving international business and has become a strong voice for collaboration and knowledge sharing across the industry.
From arriving in France in 2003 with no industry experience to building a market leader in the French Alps, her journey is a masterclass in adaptation and technical mastery. In this candid interview, she shares her perspective on the “right to repair,” the changing landscape for women in technical roles, and why persistence is the ultimate tool for success.
1. Personal Journey – Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Tubs in France?
I founded the company that became Tubs Parts with my husband, Simon Mawby. We had only been in France for eight months. We moved from the US because Simon took a job transfer with his employer in the technology industry. This was 2003, and the tech bubble burst just as we were arriving. He was laid off, and we looked around for a business we could start together. A friend put us in contact with a UK hot tub manufacturer, and we started selling hot tubs.
We had no prior experience in the industry, but 3 years of selling and repairing spas was an excellent way to learn from the ground up. The most challenging thing was sourcing parts for repairs. I was contacting manufacturers and distributors in the US trying to convince them to ship parts to us.
We quickly realised that if parts were difficult to get, there was probably a business opportunity there. So Simon created our first website, Tubs.fr, launched in 2006. Because he is fluent in french, he managed the sales side of the business. And since I am fluent in American, I continued to expand our network of suppliers and handled the order fulfillment (e.g. I packed all the boxes).
2. Women in the Industry – The pool industry has traditionally been male-dominated. What has your experience been as a woman in this space?
I’m not sure that my experience in the industry is typical. For our first years, it was just me and Simon. Later, as a founder, I never had to “prove” myself the way other women in the industry might have needed to do. Sure, there was always the occasional customer who insisted on talking to a man if the question was remotely technical, but there was never any of that within our team, so it was easy to laugh it off.
When the Tubs Parts website was first launched, it didn’t seem strange to me that the industry was so dominated by men. In fact, as I’m responsible for purchasing, I mostly interact with women because it was (and still is) women who fill the administrative roles. However, I started to notice the divide at trade shows. I love attending industry events, but you do see just how much men dominate leadership roles when you are there. It was always quite a contrast to see whose names filled my email inbox in the daily course of my work compared to who would be at an industry event, or who turned up at our offices for the annual sales call.
One area where I do think there has been change is among the smaller companies in the industry. I get to see that among Tubs Parts customers. We supply and partner with many women-led companies. Some companies have passed from father to daughter, others founded by couples (which always reminds me of Simon and myself) and others are founded outright by women. I love to see them thrive and grow. It’s part of what makes me want to push the industry to be more inclusive.
3. Leadership & Empowerment – How do you encourage more women to pursue careers in the pool and wellness industry? Can you share an example of a mentor or role model who influenced your journey?
I think the best way to encourage more women to pursue careers in the pool and wellness industry is to create more visibility. Seeing women in mid-career enjoying success at all levels and functions (including the technical ones) in the industry is critical. It makes it much easier for young women who are just entering the job market to see the industry as a potential home. I think that’s really important. And employers need to be open to it. I’m still seeing so many job openings posted that don’t really feel inclusive for women, either due to the language used, or often just the images used to highlight the job opening.
I can’t really say that I’ve had a mentor from inside the industry. Like many women, my biggest influence on how to be a woman comes from my mother, who was also an entrepreneur and small business owner. She died of cancer when I was 23, and that loss was very defining for me for a long time. She lives on as a little voice in my head when I have a difficult decision to make. She had a remarkable capacity for kindness. I often still fall back on asking myself what she would do. And I know that she would definitely be encouraging me to use my role to hold doors open for other women.
4. Innovation & Vision – What trends in the pool and wellness industry excite you the most today? How do you see Tubs in France evolving in the next 5 years, especially regarding innovation and sustainability?
I think that the pool and wellness industry has some interesting challenges coming up. We’re seeing more regulations coming in regarding the environment and sustainability. I know not everyone in the industry finds those changes exciting, but I think it’s a real opportunity. Water restrictions, energy efficiency, biocide regulations and repairability are here or on the way. The rate of change in the industry is going to go way up.
The team at Tubs Parts is committed to helping the industry evolve, not just by selling parts, but also by sharing our technical expertise. Maybe it’s due to our location in the French Alps. Every year as we look up to the mountains above us, you can see the glaciers shrinking which makes climate change so real. Our goal is to help people use the products they love for longer, keep older spas in service and anything that helps people maximize the benefits of their spas. And we want to do that in a way that treads lightly on the planet.
5. Advice and Inspiration – What advice would you give to women entering or considering the pool industry? How do you celebrate or honor the achievements of women both personally and professionally, on occasions like International Women’s Day?
My advice to women considering the industry is that they should take the plunge! (I saved the required water pun for the end.) The thing that I love about the Pool and Spa industry is how broad it is. You see it in the trade shows, where stands with giant pipe fittings are next to water park slides, and then the next one is saunas, and the one after that is pool decking and it’s all part of the same goal – relaxation, well-being and fun. And then you think about all of the steps that it takes to get those products to market – research, manufacturing, logistics, and sales. There is so much going on! I have always thought that it’s a great place to be for anyone who normally gets bored easily. There are so many different roles and functions that are just a pivot away as you move through your career.
I’m not very good at honoring achievements! I tend to just get on with the work. But Tubs Parts is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and that seems like a good moment to take stock and reflect on where we started. And next to look forward and plan for what the next 20 years might bring. But one thing that I am very proud of is that our own team is 50% women, and pretty much always has been — starting with just me and Simon.
6. Fun & Personal Touch – Outside of work, what are your favorite ways to relax or recharge?
My main hobby outside of work is sewing, specifically making quilts. It’s kind of a crazy hobby because you cut up perfectly good fabric into tiny pieces and then sew it back together again. But I have always loved the possibilities of it – playing with the colors and values to make a new pattern appear – definitely my happy place.
I’ve made around 30 quilts. Every baby born to a member of the Tubs Parts team gets a quilt, and then there are all the ones that I’ve made for myself or my family. It suits the way my brain works as it’s a strange intersection of math and art. And I also love the history of it, born of thrift and necessity and elevating it to works of art.
7. If you could give one word of encouragement to every woman in business today, what would it be?
Persist.
As the pool and wellness industry continues to evolve, stories like that of Gina Atwood highlight the importance of adaptability, technical knowledge, and determination. Through the development of Tubs Parts and her work connecting professionals through the Pool and Spa Industry Network, she continues to contribute to a more collaborative and forward-looking industry.
