Landscape Disruptors (Landscape Disruptors)

Discover why revenue per hour is a vital metric for landscape companies. Explore its impact on profitability, pricing strategies, resource allocation, and overall business performance. Join us to gain essential insights for smarter decision-making and financial success in your landscape business.

Discover how efficient routing and scheduling impact cost control, customer satisfaction, safety, and overall snow business performance. Learn why they are vital for well-managed snow removal operations.

Mike dives into the ways budgeting strengthens financial control, manages expenses, projects revenue, sets goals, allocates resources, handles risks, controls cash flow, evaluates performance, builds investor/lender confidence, plans strategically, and calculates overhead—essential elements for success in the landscape construction industry.

A 360-degree feedback program is all about getting input from all directions, providing a comprehensive view of employee performance. So rather than managers only providing feedback to the people they manage, employees review their managers, coworkers, and even leadership.

Discover how digital portfolios can enhance your landscape business. Learn how they build credibility, attract clients, showcase expertise, and set you apart in a visually compelling way. Explore the essential role of a digital portfolio in a winning landscape business using marketing and client engagement strategies. Featuring Peter Guinane, Co-Founder of Oriole Landscaping and Mark Bradley, CEO of LMN.

Discover the efficiency-boosting power of LMN CREW, a mobile app designed for landscape professionals. Learn how this app revolutionizes time management, enhancing productivity, accuracy, and accountability across your workforce.

In this webinar, we explore the four essential drivers behind purchasing decisions and discover how to transform your low-cost offerings into high-ticket premium landscape services. Learn the art of emotional appeal, logical justification, problem-solving, and creating a sense of connection for consistent client sign-ups, regardless of your pricing.

You'll learn why an employee development program is indispensable, leading to enhanced skills, heightened efficiency, safety compliance, adaptability, increased employee satisfaction, and a competitive edge. Discover how this investment ensures long-term success and sustainability in the landscape industry, cultivating a culture of excellence and attracting top talent.

You'll discover the power of creating individual crew revenue goals and expenses into your landscape budget. Explore how this strategic approach enhances your ability to manage and monitor crew-specific performance, revenue targets, and expenses. Learn how it fosters team transparency and facilitates resource optimization, ultimately paving the way for financial success and sustainable growth in your landscape business.

You'll gain insights into the 4 critical costs of your landscape project. Optimizing labor efficiency, smart purchasing to save on materials, equipment utilization to cut costs, and how to keep subcontractor expenses within budget. Don't miss this opportunity to transform your cost management practices.

In this Q&A panel discussion, you'll learn to outperform competitors by mastering proactive follow-ups, ensuring customer engagement, and showcasing professionalism. Equip yourself with techniques for consistent execution to keep a robust pipeline of projects. Discover how to close deals on the spot with effective quoting tools, and choose profitable projects through precise break-even analysis. Emphasize the long-term value of your services and transform your sales approach.

Featuring Mark Bradley, Co-Founder and CEO of LMN, along with guest speakers Chris Psencik, Vice President of McFarlin Stanford, and Vince Torchia, Vice President of The Grow Group.

Dive into methods that foster a high-caliber workforce, capable of delivering high quality services, setting your company apart in the market. Discover how upskilling your team can streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and minimize errors for maximized productivity. Learn about the latest practices and innovative technologies that can propel your business forward. Understand how investing in your crew's growth can boost job satisfaction, retain top talent, and position your company to dynamically tackle new opportunities. Register now and invest in your crew's expertise for your business's success!

You'll gain critical insights into how tracking and sharing the comparison of estimated versus actual job hours can significantly boost productivity, ensure accurate job costing, and enhance profitability. Learn the art of creating a transparent work environment that encourages accountability, identifies training opportunities, and drives operational efficiency.

We'll cover the multifaceted benefits of investing in enclosed trailers, from protecting valuable equipment from the elements and reducing theft of high-value items to transforming your fleet into mobile advertisements. Learn about custom features that streamline loading times, enhance job site functionality, and ensure the security of both large and small equipment. Join us as we delve into how enclosed trailers can be a game-changer for your landscape design-build projects and maintenance operations.

Landscape Disruptors PODCAST is back! In this kick-off episode, dive into the world of Open-Book Management (OBM) with Ryan Markewich and Mark Bradley.

Learn how transparency and collective ownership drive business success. From integrating personal goals to sharing equity, learn about innovative strategies that are reshaping the landscaping industry.

Assess, envision, and shape a positive culture in the landscape industry. Discover practical strategies, real-life examples, and tips to enhance employee morale, productivity, and customer relationships. Elevate your landscape business by cultivating a culture that empowers and inspires success.

We'll explore specialized cold calling tactics designed exclusively for landscape contractors. Learn how to target property managers, and homeowners and HOA’s with precision. Discover effective methods for building a high-quality contact list, crafting compelling cold call scripts, and showcasing your landscaping expertise. Dive into objection-handling techniques specific to landscaping and discover how to measure success. Elevate your client acquisition strategies and fuel the growth of your landscape contracting business with this must-attend webinar.

We'll cover the ins and outs of implementing effective performance-based bonuses for your landscaping field crews. Discover strategies to motivate your teams, boost productivity, and enhance job satisfaction. We’ll also dive into practical steps, real-life examples, and best practices tailored to the landscape industry, ensuring you can implement performance bonuses with confidence.

Explore the power of networking in the landscaping industry. Discover how building meaningful connections can elevate your landscaping business, foster collaborations, and open doors to new opportunities. Dive into practical networking strategies, success stories, and the art of relationship building that can help you thrive in the landscape.

You'll discover the art of creating meaningful connections, providing exceptional value, and positioning yourself as a valuable asset in the competitive landscape business. Dive into practical strategies, real-life examples, and insights on building lasting relationships with clients, partners, and industry peers. Learn how giving value and being valuable can propel your success in the dynamic landscape industry.

Jason Drews, VP of Customer Operations, dives into expedite payment processing for quicker transactions, providing financial stability by smoothing out fluctuations, and addressing various financial needs and concerns. You’ll be equipped with invaluable insights to optimize your financial processes and enhance your business.

We'll dive into the advantages and disadvantages of renting, leasing, or purchasing equipment. Topics include initial costs, access to advanced technology, long-term financial effects, and how each option affects your company's reputation.

A lesson on how special tools like Greenius can simplify onboarding, training, and tracking. Hear real-life scenarios where this approach has succeeded, gain valuable tips, and learn how to maximize your employees' potential in your landscape business.

We'll Delve into the vital role of tailgate talks in enhancing safety in the landscaping industry. Explore what tailgate talks are, their significance, and practical examples tailored to landscaping professionals. Ideal for team leaders, safety coordinators, and all landscape industry workers committed to creating a safer workplace.

Join Mark Bradley, CEO and Founder of LMN, Benji Carlson, Host of Breakthrough Academy, along with Jen and Matt Wells, owners of Wells Hollow Landscaping, for a special Roundtable discussion.

Topics of note: 
✓ How top landscapers are using new technology to quickly track the progress, time, and expenses of staff projects. (No more ugly surprises)
✓ A $50MM contractor’s weekly management ritual that helps him beat targets WHILE strengthening relationships with customers, trade partners, and staff.
✓ How highly effective leaders get their staff to understand what’s expected of them (and get it DONE on time).

We sit down with Matt and Rachel Hoss of Springhetti Luxury Outdoor Spaces and learn about their humble beginnings to becoming owners of their family business.  Hear about their triumphs over adversity, including financial struggles, regulatory challenges, and overcoming betrayal. Discover their recipe for success as they discuss motivating teams, customer appreciation strategies like gifting and photoshoots, and the importance of constant learning and empathy. 

They share insights into efficiency, leveraging LMN to maximize revenue while minimizing resources, and the transformative power of SOD in project execution. 

Plus, gain valuable perspective on integrating faith into business and openly sharing their beliefs. 

Whether you're a seasoned pro or a budding entrepreneur, this episode offers a wealth of inspiration and practical wisdom to elevate your landscape management endeavours to new heights. 

Tune in now and embark on a journey of growth and resilience with Matt and Rachel!

Capitalizing on the Current Outdoor Living Trends to Deliver More Value and Win More Bids

The market for outdoor living spaces has changed in the last 12-18 months resulting in a handful of new challenges that, if not addressed, will stifle your company’s growth. One such challenge is the scope and type of projects that homeowners are looking to invest in has changed. 

Your business needs to provide exceptional value and to do that, you need to understand how to capitalize on a few ongoing trends:

Search volume for pools has increased nearly 50% in the last 5 years.
Outdoor kitchens have nearly doubled in that same statistic since 2018.
Searches for landscape designers or architects have increased 20%.
We’re going to use these recent trends combined with some time-saving construction approaches to define how design-build companies can deliver more value, win more bids, and grow their bottom line sustainably.

This webinar goes over:

The different types of financial products for landscapers
Strategies to improve cash flow management
How to invest in growth and efficiency
Navigating the application process for financial products

In this episode Austyn Roth of Lucky Landscaping shares his extraordinary journey, from hiring a driver at a young age to propelling his business to a remarkable $6 million by 21. 

Delve into discussions about confidence, navigating challenges, and the pivotal role of ACE peer groups with Tommy Cole of McFarlin Stanford. Learn from their experiences in events and facility visits, and grasp the importance of organizational charts, peer group accountability, and utilizing tools like LMN for identifying opportunities and maximizing profits. 

Gain invaluable insights into customer understanding, service refinement, hiring practices, and maintaining company culture while scaling. 

Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a budding landscape enthusiast, this episode is your gateway to unlocking unparalleled success in the industry. Be inspired with this dialogue exploring the journey of growth, resilience, and unwavering determination.

You will unlock new revenue streams and elevate client satisfaction by mastering the art of selling add-on services. This webinar is designed for landscape business owners eager to enhance their service offerings and increase profitability. Discover effective sales techniques, identify high-value add-ons, and learn how to seamlessly integrate these services into your existing client contracts.

Mark will share insights on how to communicate the benefits, demonstrate value, and create irresistible packages that your clients will love.

Creating an amazing customer experience is not just good for business, it's the right thing to do. Working hard for your customers grows your business by creating raving fans that will share your name with friends and keep coming back year after year.

We will be discuss Carl Sewell's 10 Commandments of Customer Service from his book titled Customers For Life to give you a road map you can use to create the best customer experience in your market.

This week we sit down with Ivan Katz from Great Lakes Landscape Design to delve into the intricacies of maintaining relationships with property managers and finding fulfillment in the work. Explore the dynamic landscape of competition within the industry, the symbiotic relationship between trades and landscapers, and the art of generating ideas while assembling the right teams for execution. 

Gain valuable insights into nurturing growth within individuals, fostering leadership, and embracing imperfections and mistakes as essential components of the journey toward perfection. 

Discover the power of EOS (Entrepreneur Operating System) in empowering teams, treating people with equality, and investing in their development. Uncover the challenges of turnover in companies and the importance of cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. 

Whether you're a seasoned professional or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers a treasure trove of wisdom to navigate the complexities of business and personal growth.

How many times have you built an estimate, only to have your customer start arguing about price? Join Mark Bradley to learn how to handle these objections.

Join our CEO, Mark Bradley, as he guides you through the process of identifying and defining your ideal landscaping customer. Learn how to focus on characteristics that will help you target and attract the most valuable clients for your landscape business, whether they’re homeowners, commercial property managers, or municipal planners.

Dive into the concept of buyer personas with our CEO, Mark Bradley, and discover how to create detailed profiles that represent your target landscaping customers. This will enable more effective marketing and sales strategies for residential, commercial, and public sector clients.

Master the art of asking the right questions with insights from our CEO, Mark Bradley. Learn how to uncover your prospects’ pain points, needs, and desires in the landscaping industry, allowing you to offer tailored solutions like lawn care, garden design, or irrigation systems that resonate with them.

Develop the skills to position yourself as a trusted advisor in the landscape industry with guidance from our CEO, Mark Bradley. Learn to use powerful statements that build credibility, trust, and authority in the eyes of your customers, whether they’re looking for sustainable landscaping solutions or regular maintenance services.

Craft a compelling 30-second personal commercial with the help of our CEO, Mark Bradley. Learn to succinctly communicate who you are, what you do in the landscaping industry, and why prospects should care, making a strong first impression whether you’re at a networking event or meeting a potential client for the first time.

Unlock the secrets to successful cold calling in the landscape industry with tips from our CEO, Mark Bradley. Learn techniques to overcome fear, generate leads, and convert calls into sales opportunities for services like landscape design, seasonal clean-ups, and snow removal.

Hear from landscaping prodigy Charlie Kerrigan of V.I.L Landscaping and industry veteran Steve Wheatcroft. In this power-packed discussion, they share invaluable advice for young landscapers, strategies for growing your business with substantial contracts, and the importance of mentorship. 

Delve into the intricacies of building a strong company culture, excelling in snow services, and mastering sales tactics. From innovative recruitment methods to navigating the challenges of work-life balance and scaling operations, this episode offers a condensed wealth of wisdom for both seasoned professionals and budding entrepreneurs. 

Get ready to be inspired and motivated in your own landscape business journey with this conversation with Charlie, Steve, and Mark!

Building rapport with a prospect is a great way to improve the likelihood of a close. Join LMN CEO Mark Bradley to learn ways to build sales relationships.

Equip yourself with effective techniques to handle and preempt common objections in the landscaping industry, guided by our CEO, Mark Bradley. Turn potential roadblocks into opportunities to reinforce your value proposition and close more deals for services like hardscaping, tree care, and landscape lighting.

Benji Carlson (from Contractor Evolution) & Coach Matt Balfe (fromBreakthrough Academy) join Mark Bradley for a walkthrough of the most impactful Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for landscaping and snow removal.

They’ll talk how to make your own SOPs, how to hand over more responsibility to staff, and how to grow fatter net profits.

Understand the importance of persistence in landscape sales with practical tips from our CEO, Mark Bradley. Maintain consistent follow-up efforts to stay top-of-mind with prospects and close more deals over time for long-term maintenance contracts and large-scale landscape projects.

Aquascape is a landscape company specializing in pond installs and is on track to clear 60 million in revenue in 2020. Greg Wittstock, the owner, and CEO of Aquascape Academy shares how a systematized business mindset significantly improves revenue per man-hour and the consistency in landscape production.

Ed Wright, The CEO of Wright Mowers, breaks down the true lifecycle cost of carrying equipment and what considerations you should make in great detail before your next landscape equipment purchase.

Should you grow your company or pump the brakes? Steve Wheatcroft built a wildly successful landscape and equipment business and filled us in on all the pain points and experiences along the way. From scaling, dealing with complex decisions, understanding the comfort zone, and so much more. 

Troy Clogg from Troy Clog and Associates is one of the largest and most successful snow removal providers in North America. Troy shares his journey in how he got there and created a company culture like none other.

Jeffrey Scott operates the largest peer to peer group and is arguably one of the most successful business consultants in the landscape industry. He's helped countless companies and owners build incredibly successful businesses. Jeffrey shares advice on the sweet spot, trends in the landscape industry, and answers one of the toughest questions ever - does budget lead strategy, or does strategy lead budget? 

Doing great work and hardscape production is a tiny part of the success equation. Josh Jones from Mass Hardscaping talks about how knowing your numbers and budgeting is nearly a zero fail strategy in business and will ensure profitability as long as you lead with your numbers.

Lisa Buyer and LMN CEO Mark Bradley talk all things related to marketing and local SEO in the landscape business. They define the vaguely used term marketing and dive deep on how to maximize your company’s footprint and lead generation using local SEO and marketing techniques.

Ryan Markewhich from Creative Roots Landscaping talks all things open-book management and shares his experiences in how it’s transformed his company into a company of owners where all employees profit share, ultimately improving employee productivity and retention.

LMN CEO Mark Bradley shares his trials and tribulations learned through growing his landscape company. From systemization, company culture, leadership, and utilizing a continuous improvement methodology to create an elite level landscape company. Here's what performance on demand looks like!

Expand horizontally or grow vertically? Brian Fullerton, from Brian's Lawn Maintenance, talks about how he grew his landscape company vertically by upselling his current customers on new services instead of increasing horizontally and spreading himself too thin without any more profit.

Should you buy, lease, or rent your equipment? We ask Kevin Forestell who owns a rental company called DOZR and his answers might surprise you. 

 Keith Kalfas talks about positioning your landscape company uniquely and competitively and aligning your marketing and pricing structure to attract the customer you want and need. 

 B&B Lawn Care is quickly growing their customer list and the services offered, but it's not been without its bumps along the way. Blake Albertson, the owner of the company, shares advice on how a winners mindset has been his guiding light in finding success and being able to perform on the bad and the good days. 

 Caleb and Brittany Auman not only work together in landscaping but also own and operate Auman Landscaping LLC. They open up and share strategies and advice for other couples that may work together and the do's and don'ts when starting in business. 

Shawn Spencer from Spencers Lawn Care shares his story of hitting rock bottom, what he learned along the way and how he saved his family from the brink of bankruptcy to become well known and successful lawn care providers within the industry. 

Boomer, Gen x, Millennial, Gen Z - What generation do you fall in? Benji Carlson breaks down the stereotypes and discusses generational theory as it applies to business management in the skilled trades, and strategies to overcome hiring, engaging, and working with millennials in a productive way. 

What age did you start your first business? Garrett Williams from G & M Outdoors Services began building his landscape company while he was in high school. Garrett takes us through what it looks like to juggle school and business and how taking the time to develop his company slowly and adequately has led to long term sustainability, growth, and profitability.

Michael Garcia describes how Soares Landscaping transitioned from landscape maintenance work to design-build and focused on repeatable and standardized custom projects to eliminate inconsistency and improve profit margins. 

Eric Jones, aka the Turf Teacher, talks us through the truth about working in the green industry and how working hard early on plays an inherent role in your success, and why business owners are always accountable.

LMN CEO Mark Bradley and Stanley Genadek review the industry's wins and losses in 2020 and how the design-build and residential maintenance took a surprising leap forward despite the unforeseen pandemic. However, on the commercial side of things, there are still many unknowns, and as we head into 2021, Mark and Stanley provide some predictions and advice on how to move forward and prepare. 

Aaron Witt from BuildWitt built a multi-million dollar marketing construction agency at the age of 25. In this episode of the podcast, he talks us through how following his passion for construction and learning trial by fire and recalibrating along the way has led him to establish a niche business. Mastering marketing, branding, employee recruitment, and business specificity has served Aaron Witt well. 

Joseph Stark from Ground Works Land Design left the Whiskey industry as a professional marketer to implement new and innovative strategies as a green industry professional working for a highly successful landscape company. In this podcast episode, we dive deep into marketing strategies to attract and recruit new staff while also attracting new customers by managing multiple channels to improve their company's online visibility. 

Since 1952, Impullitti Landscaping, Inc. has built a reputation on quality and innovation within the landscape industry. Wayne Impullitti, president, is the third generation of his family to head one of North America's most successful and largest landscape companies and has hand-selected the right team members to help grow and control their growth. One of those key staff members is Sherry Watts, who has been with Impulliti for over 20 years and is the Administrative Director. In this episode of the Landscape Disruptors Podcast, Sherry shares her expertise on administration creativity and the organizational skills required to manage a company, and insight on operations and how they have streamlined their company processes over the years. 

Catering to some of Muskoka's finest waterfront properties has not been the easiest road to success. In-fact, relatively seasonal work, remote projects that are often on islands, and a small rural population of people to attract, recruit and retain employees make Kevin's business one of the more unique in the green industry. The vast majority of their landscape projects are centered on Lake Muskoka, Lake Rosseau, and Lake Joseph, and if you live in that area, they've probably worked on your lake property too. 

Experienced crews operate together in their specialty areas such as hardscape and stone installation, gardens and planting, lighting and irrigation, property maintenance, and caretaking. And their clients appreciate the complete landscape experience they offer from the first conceptual drawing to the first sunset in your Muskoka chair.

13 years later, in the landscaping business, and Muskoka Landscapers owns the lion share of work within the Muskoka area and is in a position to work with select customers who appreciate the company's attention to detail and quality craftsmanship at every level. 

Throughout this episode, Stanley Genadek pokes and prods Kevin to share some of his experiences in operating what is mostly a seasonal business, how he manages his cashflow, and retains his employees. They also get into the details and processes in how Muskoka Landscapers have grown and managed their growth since 2007. 

At first, building a landscape business is mostly a creative process. You are coming up with solutions or services to problems or inconveniences for customers attracted to render your companies services. You take on work, start generating revenue, build a customer list, and soon before you know it, you have yourself a business. 

But as business advances, your time becomes limited, and many of the more subtle but just as essential details become more critical in your success. In this episode of the podcast, Stanley Genadek hosts Chief Technical Officer Mike Lysecki. Mike is in charge of all software developments at LMN, but before that, he spearheaded the operations team of a multi-million dollar landscape company. His latest development is field labor reports. An algorithm that runs the numbers and instantly shows you a breakdown of your most profitable work. So, now you don't have to take on every job. You know where is the best bang for the buck. 

Mike's many years of experience in landscaping shines through as Stanley asks some tough questions and what becomes apparent is how important it is to love and understand your numbers. It's not just about mastering your operations, but genuinely understanding them to make informed decisions becomes evident if you want to grow or be profitable in landscaping.  Happy listening! 

Andy Seeley isn't new to Marketing. In fact, he's been around the block, and then some becoming a wizard, yes a wizard, in sales and digital marketing and has led several companies and clients to achieve success. His work redefines what it means to be a people-person, putting everyone's best interests from individual team members to each client account at the forefront. 

In this episode of the podcast, he and Stanley get into some incredibly useful advice. Advice that you can begin implementing today to optimize your landscape companies business and improve how well search engine optimized its ranking is on google. But that's not all. Andy takes it a step further and gets into the deets on what landscape companies should be posting on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms to stay ahead of the ever-changing algorithms. Ultimately, ensuring your work is consistently showcased in the visibility or home page feed, driving new leads, and capturing more work. Catch the episode and then head on over to his website https://creativelydisruptive.com and begin learning at his small business marketing academy. 

Eric Jones, the Turf Teacher, and Stanley Genadek talk shop during this American Thanksgiving Special. 2020 has been a year most would love to put behind, but beyond that, there is a conversation on how to move forward in 2021.

Have you tried to hire or train new staff in 2020? We've had some great podcasts on generational theory, and in this episode, Stan and Eric take the gloves off and address the real concern of how people want to work, but whether they even want to.

And indeed, there have been some winner and losing segments within the landscape industry during 2020. But for the most part, the industry took a major leap forward, particularly in the design and build segment. Some companies have said their sales are up more than 50% from 2019. However, the commercial maintenance segment took a big loss, and with people looking to move outside the city for good, it seems like the design-build will carry that same momentum into 2021.

Happy American Thanksgiving to all of our landscape listeners and beyond. We hope you have the best day, and as always, thanks for listening.

Carla Bailey oversees all operations of HR at TLC Landscaping, located in London, Ontario. TLC Landscaping has been the premier stop for both multi-residential clients and design-build clients in London for over 30 years. Before that, Carla was a sitting member on the board at the Landscape Ontario London Chapter.  She is a founding member of Women in Landscaping and has been a significant advocate and voice to reduce the barrier to entry for women in landscaping.

In this episode of the podcast, Carla and Stanley talk about all things related to women in landscaping. What we need to do as an industry, what associations could be doing better, and encourage the next generation landscaper to be more inclusive.  They chat about everything from boot sizing, clothes, pee breaks, recruiting and retaining women employees, and where a landscape industry newcomer should go if they want to get involved. 

Both Stanley and Carla seem surprised that this is still an issue in landscaping as we move into the year 2021, but certainly, some common themes raise to the surface as the two of them dive deep on HOW and what the industry can do to recruit more women landscapers. 

Have you ever heard of a Landscape Association called Landscape Ontario? Well, if you haven't, now you have.  They are by far one of North America's largest associations, with well over 2000 members in total. From advocating for the green and snow industry in government backrooms to creating value benefits for its members and creating industry standards provincially and nationally, Landscape Ontario is at the forefront if it all. 

And at the helm of the wheel is recently appointed President, Dave Wright. Dave Wright has over 50 years of experience in Landscaping. Born into the landscape industry, following his father's footsteps through the industry, Dave has built a wildly successful design and build and maintenance company. 

In this episode of the podcast, Stanley and Dave talk about climbing insurance rates, how to deal with COVID, industry standards and how we move forward in 2021. They also cover the Landscape Ontario task force and his role in creating a more sustainable future for the next generation landscaper. 

In this episode of the podcast, LMN CEO Mark Bradley and Stanley Genadek cover some common questions and pain points for all landscape companies. One of those commonly asked questions is, what should a company be willing to pay to hire and recruit a good foreman? And the answer will surprise you because although it's somewhat straightforward, there is a pretty handy formula and qualitative ways to determine this.

Another great question that Stanley puts forward to Mark is the top 3-5 wastes in every landscape company. Waste is perhaps the number one cost driver on any landscape project, from unbillable commuting, washroom breaks, waiting for materials, over-delivering materials, and the list goes on. Waiting equals dollars lost on every landscape job, but Mark shares some simple solutions throughout the podcast.

The other question tackled is centered around the great equipment debate, and how does a landscaper know when to buy new equipment? Or should you rent? It's commonly asked but not typically answered, and purchasing new landscape equipment is different for everyone. Mark shares a somewhat qualitative formula to help you make better and more informed decisions when buying, leasing, or renting landscape equipment.

Finally, the show ends with how an owner should truly use their numbers as the guiding light when rowing their company and know when to crawl, walk, and run. And what are the top 3 mistakes every owner makes when starting a company? This is undoubtedly a podcast you won't want to miss.

It's a well-known fact that most landscapers work in landscaping simply because they love it. Whether your an equipment junkie, love the outdoors, the skilled trades, or the satisfaction of seeing a hands-on project come to reality, the green industry has a lot to offer. In this episode of the podcast, Ryann describes his role in the oil and gas industry, working for a Texas land oil drilling rig, and why he's fallen in love with landscaping.

After years of contemplating his departure from the energy sector and having a flexible work schedule of two weeks on two weeks off, he's finally ready to leap into landscaping. Outfitted with a reliable Ford F350 6.0 diesel truck, a used skid loader, and some hand tools, he's taken an entrepreneur hands-on approach to landscape. From researching retaining walls, listening to Stanley Dirt Monkey, and consuming every bit of landscape content he can, he's a self-taught himself and slowly building his portfolio as he goes.

His game plan is to continue building his portfolio and collecting pictures for his website, followed by turning to social media to help be found by new customers. His crawl, walk, and run approach is a good strategy while he slowly exits his day jobs and gets the hands-on experience required to run a landscape business. Stanley also offers some retaining wall advice and adequately installing the base when using a particular manufactured stone.

What do you know about ecological and organic landscaping? Perhaps it's not part of the future, but more or less a traditional and more sustainable landscaping application to tackle today's environmental challenges. Ecological and organic landscaping is a form of landscaping, avoiding pesticides and herbicides, sourcing mostly or only native plants and organics, and balancing the ecosystem with insects and native grasses. The work is a little heavier on the front end, but once the soil and surrounding ecosystem fully establish, there may be less maintenance.

Richard McCoy is a 30-year green industry professional. He is the visionary behind Richard A. McCoy Horticultural Services Inc.. which he established in 1995. His expertise, attention to detail, and ability to develop an instant rapport with clients is just the beginning of what sets this company apart from others. Recognized by many as an organic and ecological land care thought leader, Richard and the Team at McCoy Horticultural have been offering environmentally and sustainably responsible, fine-gardening design, installations, maintenance, and organic lawn care since 2005.

In this episode of Landscape Disruptors, Richard explains organic and ecological landscaping and its environmental advantages over the traditional landscaping we all know of today. This episode highlights how a company can find a niche or a division within the company, and specialize services based on a customers needs. Restoring the ecosystem as nature intended it to be using native plants, grasses, organics and insects is a fantastic selling point, but are customers adopting it? Tune into the episode to hear it from Richard himself and the successes he’s found in a greener industry.

As a Landscaper, what do you know about trees? You might know they are suitable for the environment. Customers usually appreciate them. They are an excellent way to enhance a customer's project while generating more revenue from the job. But beyond that, they have a deep purpose, and there are better ways that all landscapers can begin to approach planting and upselling plants and trees in general.

In this episode of the podcast, Stanley "Dirt Monkey" Genadek and ISA certified Arborist talk about trees. You see, most people think that arborists cut down trees, but they, in most cases, prefer to prune, plant, and maintain trees. Usually, they resort to the removal of a tree if it is hazardous or in severe decline. Eric Batty gets into the real dirt of being an Arborist and how the job title is much more complicated than people might think. He and Stanley also talk about different species, planting techniques, the balance of surrounding species, what's native, and what might serve a customer better in the long term.

If you're into trees and planting and horticulture, this is perhaps one of the most informative episodes we've ever covered on Landscape Disruptors. Enjoy!

A local service business discoverability is everything in today's world of the internet and social media. With some of the most straightforward marketing strategies and techniques from Dennis Yu, you significantly improve your companies google ranking and visibility today.

Dennis says that business results are the only thing that matters and whether you can tie those metrics to sales in light of all the social media channels out there. Measurable business results are the ultimate currency for any local service business. In this episode of Landscape Disruptors, Dennis walks us through the need to know local service companies' marketing techniques and strategies. From Google My Business optimization to getting all of your social media working with google to help improve your companies visibility and the dos and don'ts in marketing. 

This is how to become the number one ranked landscape business in your local service business in your area. Simple techniques from one of the world's best digital marketers and how to improve your online familiarity so that when a potential does a google search for the best landscape companies near me, they will identify you and contact your company first. Because as the saying goes, it takes a potential customer to see your brand a minimum of ten times before they eventually convert into a sale.

What are the elements of a good planning meeting, and why is it so important? In Landscaping, it's already pretty well known that talent is hard to find, so maybe the solution isn't always finding the best people, but the ones that are willing to grow alongside the company and have a great work ethic. Eventually, these staff, if given the right opportunity and support, will become the best people.

If you've been running your landscaping business day-to-day in survival mode, as most have been, you might not even have regular staff meetings on your radar, never-mind an all-inclusive annual planning meeting.

No matter the size, every company should be taking time every year to evaluate the past season and make plans for the next ahead. Everyone needs to have a voice and feel like they have a voice, especially if you are all working towards the same company goals.

Every team will be different, but in this episode of the podcast, Ryan Markewich, Owner of Creative Roots Landscaping, and LMN CEO Mark Bradley talk through the importance of getting your team involved high level and how it drastically changes the company culture and motivation.

The goal is always to improve business results and the lives of the people who drive those results. The company is the product, and there will always be room for improvement. If the people are improving, the chances of the business improving are pretty high.

Missy Scherber is literally paving the way for the next-gen construction entrepreneurs, women in construction, landscaping, and skilled trades in general. She manages a family, her ever-growing social media following, and is a boss woman on the construction site.

She initially left her dream job in the not-for-profit sector and team up with her husband at his demolition and excavation specialty company in the greater Minneapolis area. Since becoming the co-owner of T. Scherber Demolition and Excavation, they have become a superpower couple in business and significantly grown their company.

In this episode of the podcast with Stanley Genadek, Missy covers everything from finding the work-life balance for couples who work together and manage it. They also cover the importance of customer service and how each customer should be treated like your very first and for a good reason. Finally, of course, they get into the nitty and gritty of construction and some of Missy's invaluable lessons in business and her next step in the skilled trades.

Joshua Martin is the founder and owner of LandOne Takeoff, which he built out of necessity for his own landscape company.

Like most when creating successful products or services, Joshua identified a problem or pain point in his own business and came up with a solution for that. He built landscape software to measure properties for enhancement and to streamline the proposal design process when working with clients and enhancing their property.

In this episode of the Landscape Disruptors podcast, Joshua sits down with LMN CEO Mark Bradley. They discuss all things related to conceptualizing the business idea, executing, and everything that falls in-between when running a landscape company and building takeoff enhancement software.

They also discuss how emerging technologies are changing the landscape of the landscape industry and how contractors are doing business with their customers. The challenges of meeting customers' expectations and needs are becoming more and more time-consuming. The only way to keep the train on the tracks is to keep the funnel full and automate as many parts of your landscape business as possible. With so many complexities to the company, fast speed to value proposition is vital so you can close a sale before a competitor does.

The continuous improvement method stems from Kaizen, a concept referring to business activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to assembly line workers.

The same methodology could be applied to marketing in the landscape industry. In this episode of the podcast, Kelly Dowell from Keldo Digital covers all the current marketing strategies to enhance your landscape business and help fill the funnel with the customers you want to attract. From Facebook marketing to using text messaging as a tactic and channel to reach new customers, she and LMN CEO Mark Bradley cover it all.

Kelly Dowell specializes in helping landscape contractors build their business. Her services include website development, social media management, content & design creation, marketing & sales systems, recruiting & hiring systems, systems & growth processes.

With each project, she takes a three-step approach.

SCALABLE: She’ll collaborate with you to create proven, manageable systems that your team can execute.

REPEATABLE: Then she’ll set your systems on autopilot. With process automation and personalization, you can do it again and again with confidence in your success.

RELIABLE: When you can depend on your business systems to run smoothly, you can relax away from the office and live the life you always imagined! Growing your business doesn’t have to depend only on you. Contact Kelly to find out how technology might help your sales, marketing, or recruiting processes.

Recently down in Anna Maria, Florida, landscape disruptors Brittany and Caleb Auman conceptualized and executed what is known as a Hype House event where creators come together, share ideas, create content, and build momentum.

During the week, some of the guests featured were Brian Fullerton, Shawn and Savvanah Spencer, the Green Industry Podcast, Mitchells Lawncare, and many more. From roundtable meetings conversing about their business ideas and experiences to help each other, visiting job sites, and connecting with landscape construction crews in the local area, the Hype House was an opportunity to connect and learn as much as possible in a short amount of time.

Peer groups and connecting with other like-minded landscape business owners can be incredibly powerful, especially if your peers are willing to share experiences that help expedite and grow your business into a more profitable and sustainable business.

During this episode with Caleb and Brittany Auman, they cover everything from how the Hype House came to be, what working closely with others over the years has taught them in their business, and how you can get more involved with your peers in landscaping.

So you've built a successful landscape business that services an extensive list of customers, but your ready to retire and not sure how to exit the business, sell the company, or successfully transition the business to a new owner.

Most landscape owners that have been in the business for an extended period of time actually end up in this position more than you might realize. It's the exact reason why LMN CEO Mark Bradley and Ron Edmunds from the Principum Group sat down for a conversation on Landscape Disruptors.

Throughout this episode, Mark and Ron cover mergers and acquisitions, how to build value within your landscape company, how to evaluate your business for what it may be worth, and how to potentially sell your landscape company when you are ready to retire.

But what is succession planning exactly? Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing leaders within your landscape company who can replace the old guard when they leave or retire. This process usually ensures the company can live on successfully long after the owner has exited the business.

When you think about businesses, most can be profitable, and some can be lucrative, and operating a landscape business is complex. It's heavy on operations. There can be multiple divisions, many people, customers with high expectations, materials and supplies, equipment, weather, and the list goes on. There are many moving pieces, and anything an owner can do to streamline the business or make a process more efficient usually improves profitably or benefits the company in a big way.

More important than ever before, efficiency is the name of the game. Most recently, LMN and SiteOne partnered up and integrated online landscape supply purchases directly through the LMN Estimating software. In theory, when you create an estimate in LMN now, you can order the materials directly through SiteOne Supply which skips a few steps and reducing an estimator's time.

During this episode of the podcast, Stanley Genadek and Sean Kramer talk about the future of landscaping and how the industry is evolving. They cover everything from how Sean got his start in the green industry, his role at SiteOne Landscape Supply, where the green industry is headed, and what landscape contractors need to be conscious of heading into 2021.

Finding the right people in Landscaping or the skilled trades that are the best fit for your company can be challenging. Do you seek out those with the skills that match up for your hiring role, or do you seek out that rockstar personality who's motivated, wants to work hard, and learn and grow alongside the company?

The answer is frequently both when speaking with the thought leaders in today's green industry, but it's typically not such a simple process to source both skill and the right company culture fit people. Frequently companies attract both the right people and the wrong people. The culture you create within your company can significantly impact productivity and your teams' ability to get the work done on time and budget.

Ryan Markewich spent over 20 years building his Landscape Company, constantly turning the dials, and now has a rock-solid 20+ staff that make up his dream team. Today's generation of landscapers wants more than a paycheque. They want to feel like they contribute to something larger than themselves and belong to a group that means something. Throughout this episode, Ryan and LMN CEO Mark Bradley cover everything from finding the right people, addressing the millennium workforce struggles, and the higher processes that not only attract the people you want but ultimately create a winning elite team of landscape workers.

From getting her education, living in Asia, and soul searching while holding down a day job, Anne Briggs knows what it means to trial and error and recalibrate along the way until she figures it out.

Over the past ten years, Anne has worked exceptionally hard at acquiring the experience needed to chase her passion for building, woodworking, farming, and every other skilled trade you can imagine. Her vast skill set has led to paving the path for the next generation of skilled tradesmen and women. An ever-growing online and in-person audience has enabled her to chase her dreams and generate a living from her hard-earned skills.

Throughout this episode of Landscape Disruptors, Anne and Stanley Dirt Monkey Genadek go deep on how Anne essentially created something significant from chasing her passion and dreams in the skilled trade world. The relatable trials and tribulation stories shine through during this podcast episode with lessons learned that you will undoubtedly fast-track your business or career in meaningful and valuable ways.

Most landscape business owners in the start-up phase go through many growing pains. Initially, everything revolves around the business owner. When the owner reaches their work capacity limit, both in time and energy, they typically need to hire more staff to meet the demand for work to continue growing the company, all while streamlining systems and processes to accommodate more people and more volume.

As an owner goes through this process of business growing pains, it's relatively common to get caught up in the day-to-day operations - communications, managing people, meeting with customers, capturing more work, and the list goes on. But often, left off the list through this growing process is business development - building better financial systems to eliminate waste, utilizing software to manage the company, creating hiring processes, building company culture, incentivizing your team, just to name a few. It's walking a line of working in the business and working on the business, and Kory Ballard certainly experienced the same as he grew his company, Perficut Landscaping.

Throughout this episode, Kory and Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey discuss everything related to growing a landscape business and the common pitfalls owners experience as they scale their company. From cash flow problems to ego getting in how you manage your team and not having the suitable systems and processes before growing the business.

Building a successful business could be summarized as multiple different business functions coming together and working as efficiently and effectively to generate revenue from a product or service. It sounds simple, but the complexities to overcome as a business owner in the start-up phase are endless.

Everything from hiring people, leading people, managing cash flow, managing the business, working on the company, and the list goes on. However, Weston Nicholas' success story as an arborist didn't start out as smooth as you'd think. Like many, he's learned from his experiences and mistakes to build better systems and fill his team gaps as his company continues to grow.

Admittedly, he doesn't have it all figured out, but throughout this episode of Landscape Disruptors with Stanley Genadek, the Dirt Monkey. They discuss everything related to finding a trustworthy partner, not letting your ego get in the way, being singularly focused, hiring slow, managing cash flow, and so much more.

The man, the myth, the legend, Rick Weihl may have started in landscaping, mowing lawns, and plowing snow, but his true passion led him down the road of inventing equipment to help landscape contractors be more efficient.

Rick worked 12 hours a day at his lawn care and snow removal company, but on the side in his free time, he spent countless hours and dollars inventing everything from high-powered leaf blowers, snowplows, rear mount snowplows, and multiple patents.

The real story in this podcast with Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey is that Rick ran a successful property management business with over 40 employees and sub-contractors while financing his inventions.

It all finally paid off when he sold his invention to some big equipment companies within the industry, and later this summer, he has the new snowplow that will change the snow removal world as we know it. Throughout the podcast, Rick shares some hard lessons learned in business and life that are invaluable and could hopefully help you fast track your company's success.

Founded in 1933, the Ariens company is a fifth-generation company in the green industry and employs over 1500 people and builds some of the best known zero-turn mowers and snowblowers. Founded in a garage, assembled and developed in America, the company continues to grow year over year with family members at the helm of the ship. 

Landscape Disruptors and host Stanley Genadek Dirt Money were lucky enough to have Steve Ariens on the podcast for a minute and share his story on what it's like working for one of the most extensive equipment manufactures within the landscape and snow industry.

Throughout the podcast, Steve takes us through the ins and outs of operating a generational business and the trials and tribulations along the way. From R & D to organizational structure, management, and what landscape property management companies should expect shortly are just some of the topics covered throughout this episode.

What do you know about reputation management? As a local service skilled trade company, you probably know it's important to capture good customer reviews, maintain a strong reputation and hopefully, capture more customer referrals. 

In today's world of digital marketing, google my business reviews and reviews matter more than ever. Any new lead does one thing: either google your company name or search your company on Instagram. And if good reviews don't populate or your visibility ranking is low, the chances are that lead will search out another company.

In this episode of the Landscape Disruptors podcast, Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey and Shawny Hill from NiceJob go deep on what it takes to build an excellent reputation, win more customer reviews, and increase leads and service calls.

Shawn Feurer is a successful entrepreneur, speaker, and mindset consultant. Known for his heartfelt style, high energy, and sincerity, he is loved by clients and audiences all over the United States.

Throughout this episode of Landscape Disruptors, Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey and Shawn dive deep on mindset in business and how your thoughts can directly impact results. Whether you're in the start-up phase of business or 15 years into building the ultimate landscape incorporation with multiple divisions and monster-sized teams of people, the mindset has everything to do with your results, and it all starts with the leadership teams at the helm of the ship. 

Shawn highlights some key strategies and tactics to get you in the right mindset and encourage everyone on your leadership team to lead with levity, positivity and attract the business outcomes and goals you and the company are trying to achieve.

In the landscaping world, Paver King (Mike Pennington) in Whitby, Ontario, Canada, leads the pack in social media with his creative, Tweets, Instagram, and YouTube content. His sense of humor has inspired many, and his passion for being a skilled trades person sets the bar for the next generation who are motivated to work with their hands in an industry plagued with a skilled labor shortage. 

Mike Pennington, who recently turned 50, has been a longtime self-proclaimed hardscaper and has led the charge inspiring the up-and-coming generation of hardscapers and understands the ups and downs of the industry. He shares his story of the good and the not-so-good moments throughout his career and how he's now in a place that excites him to wake up every single day to go and get the work done. 

Throughout this episode, Mike and Stanley The Dirt Monkey Genadek get into what it means to be a landscaper and the role we all need to start owning within the industry to lead the next generation. Mike goes deep on ending the stigma associated with the skilled trades and how we all need to be more proud to be in the green industry.

It's not uncommon for couples to work together. It's not unusual for couples to own and build a business together, particularly in the landscape industry, due to the demands of getting your company up and running with little people and cash investment to get started. 

Together in Trades is a new event brought to you by Caleb and Brittany Auman. And Brian, and Liz Fullerton. The event aims to help landscape business owners who are married and work together. Sharing strategies to set boundaries, balance work and personal life, and create family time.

Throughout this episode of the Landscape Disruptors podcast Brian Fullerton and Stanley Genadek deep dive into some rules of couples that work together and how they stay together. Most importantly, how to conquer the landscape World together and build an empire of your dreams for you and your family.

Brian Cotter lives, breathes, and eats the landscape industry. He has worked in the skilled trades from his teens and currently owns and manages two businesses. Lloyds Grounds Management and Durham Artificial Grass both serve the Greater Toronto Area and do it successfully. That didn't happen overnight, and throughout this episode, Brian shares experiences as the person building the business from the ground up. 

He shares every experience from creating a more professional industry, hiring and retaining team members, learning from mistakes in the landscape business, and why we should all be more proud in the skilled trades. Brian has been there done that, so to speak, but he's not done yet as he continues to manage two successful businesses in separate divisions.

Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey digs deep on the latest episode of Landscape Disruptors. In fact, this is our 52nd episode recording. Celebrate with us and catch this episode with Brian Cotter from Durham Artificial Grass and Lloyds Grounds Management.

Brittany and Caleb Auman are familiar, working side by side with each other, 24/7. This power couple works together, lives together, created a business together, and raises their family.

What's not so commonly discussed in the green industry are couples working together in skilled trades. Surprisingly enough, it's pretty standard. Dynamic Duo's in landscaping are building thriving companies and managing to balance their work and life balance while avoiding landscape burnout.

Caleb and Brittany Auman recently produced and executed a new event named Together in the Trades. An event dedicated to couples that work together - sharing information and advice to help working couples build a business while sustaining their relationship and family.

In this latest podcast with Stanley Genadek Dirt Monkey, Caleb and Brittany dive deep into the details of the event, what they learned, and some of the big takeaways for next year's event in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our latest podcast is an inspiring story of two lifelong friends who went down a path in life and decided to change directions after discovering they choose the wrong career and profession.

They discovered the landscaping industry and began applying their sales and marketing experience to the trade despite not having any green industry experience in the skilled trades.

Entrepenuairal minded means you can pretty much learn anything you focus on, and that's exactly what Joshua Adkins and Max Gedz did. They began digging into landscape how-to videos and learning as much as they could online to take on hardscape and property maintenance projects. Many successes accompanied a few costly mistakes along the way. Over time, they went from 200k to 400k and now aim for 2million in revenue with two divisions.

They've expanded into design and build landscaping projects while continuing to grow their property maintenance division. Now Odd Jobs LLC has become a very established company in the greater Michigan area.

Billable hours, efficiency goals, job costing, revenue per person hour, throughput, and so much more. How do you measure your landscape company's success?
Measuring your success is essential because it vividly shows you areas for improvement, things you are doing well, and perhaps what strategies or business development functions you need to invest in to continue growing your landscape company.

Jeffrey Scott specializes in helping business owners in the lawn, landscaping, and irrigation to build profitable and valuable companies. His clients learn how to generate improved profit and cash flow (that would make any competitor jealous), manage and delegate the most important responsibilities, and effectively build and lead their teams to have more time and freedom in their personal lives. My clients end up with a precious company that will pay dividends for years to come.

Throughout this episode of the Landscape Disruptors podcast, LMN CEO Mark Bradley hosts alongside Jeffrey Scott. They go into great detail on identifying critical benchmarks to maximize profit in landscaping and how to utilize those to drive revenue, accelerate growth and measure your success.