Episodes
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Plan Your 2027 Sales Hires Before It's Too Late | Neal Glatt, Neal Glatt Sales & Strategy
00:30 Rob welcomes back Neal Glatt and they talk about the referral partnership between their two companies. 01:59 Why the middle of the design-build market has dried up, and why residential growth needs marketing while commercial growth needs strong salespeople. 03:27 The big question: sales...
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The Green Talent Playbook With Jay Worth of Down to Earth
00:29 Jay returns to the show, this time as the author of The Green Talent Playbook 01:27 Why Jay wrote the book, and why money alone doesn't fix retention 03:24 Rob on the "law of the mirror": your team either copies you or you're tolerating it 04:35 The three leaders who shaped Jay, plus the...
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Build Leaders, Not Bottlenecks: Derek Wells & Sean Baxter, Jeffrey Scott Group
00:30 Host Rob Murray welcomes Derek Wells (Wells Lawn Care & Landscaping) and Sean Baxter (Lawn & Landscape Solutions), both coaches with Jeffrey Scott Group and both dads of four. 02:04 Rob asks for the backstory. Derek shares 20 years in business and why he pulled back from “everything to...
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How Voice AI Landed an $8K Landscape Job in 30 Days | Scott Budreau, Intrigue Media
00:29 Rob welcomes Scott Budreau, the brains, sweat and tears behind Intrigue’s Landscape CRM. 01:10 Scott’s background: building and implementing CRMs for companies, plus running his own home services business. 01:41 What the Landscape CRM is: the only sales and marketing CRM built for...
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Greg Botson (Higginbotham) on Cutting Insurance Costs and Raising Enterprise Value
Insurance specialist Greg Botson from Higginbotham, explains how landscape and snow contractors can avoid audit surprises, survive non-renewals, close dangerous coverage gaps, and lower their cost of risk by becoming a better risk. Rob Murray even admits he's excited to host an insurance episode,...
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Stop Feeling Your Marketing, Start Measuring It | Michael Palmer, Landscape Collective
00:30 Rob welcomes Michael “Palmer” Palmer of Landscape Collective, a guest with a nontraditional path into the green industry. 01:11 Palmer’s background: design school, branding, agencies, restaurant launches, and startups before joining a commercial landscape group that had completed a dozen or...
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Landscape FX's Paul St. Pierre on Hiring Key Leaders to Unlock Growth
00:29 Rob welcomes Paul St. Pierre of Landscape FX (LFX Group), a Windsor-area operator in business since 1987. 01:15 Paul's origin story: a land developer dad, landscaping at 15, flying home from Laurentian University on weekends to work, and skipping teachers college to go all in. 04:01 The…
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Stop Chasing AI Visibility Scores: Mick Selman & Aaron Towlson, Intrigue Media
00:29 Rob introduces Mick Selman and Aaron Towlson. 01:07 Mick and Aaron explain their roles: Mick handles SEO strategy and research, Aaron applies it with clients. 02:10 Why this episode exists: a flood of AI SEO noise and questionable AI-generated SEO audits. 03:02 The two audiences every...
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Weston Zimmerman (SynkedUP): Why Your Timesheet Data Is Your Most Valuable Asset
00:29 Welcome back Weston Zimmerman, founder of SynkedUP 01:40 What an MCP server actually does and why SynkedUP built one 03:07 The "Sorcerer's Apprentice" analogy for AI without guardrails 05:00 Deterministic vs. generative AI, the core distinction 07:25 Why vibe coding isn't a replacement for...
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Down to Earth's Jay Worth on Fixing the Hiring Excuse Landscapers Love
00:31 – Introductions and how Rob and Jay first crossed paths on the industry circuit 01:18 – Jay's path into the green industry, from door to door lawn care during the Great Recession to Single Ops and now Down to Earth 04:03 – The question of the show: what is the primary growth constraint...
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Nina Mason (Pro Landscaper): Why Recognition Fixes Your Labour Shortage
00:31 Intro and welcome 01:06 Nina's background and the 44 Group story: Pro Landscaper's 15th anniversary, Futurescape, Saudi Arabia expansion 02:21 Pro Landscaper International and the awards program 03:14 The number one growth constraint across every market Nina covers: recognition and…
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Shai Egosi (Pool Perfection): Scaling from From $3M to $12M
00:31 – Intro: Rob welcomes Shai Egosi, whose meeting in El Salvador led to this episode 01:47 – How Shai went from software career to pool company owner through a loan gone sideways 04:01 – The six-year scale from $3M to $12M in sales, exit completed July 2025 04:34 – What Shai is building now:...
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Kevin Scott (Muskoka Landscapers): The Hire That Mattered More Than Another Excavator
00:31 – Welcome and intro to Kevin Scott, president of Muskoka Landscapers and founder of The Wealthy Landscaper 01:33 – Kevin's path: golf course construction, a horticulture degree, growing Gateville Malloy from 80 to 500 employees, then starting Muskoka Landscapers 18 years ago 04:42 – The…
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Dana Groh (MSC): The "M" Stood for Miscellaneous. Now It Stands for $10 Million
00:00 Intro: Vanessa welcomes Dana Groh from MSC (Minnesota Sod Company), 30+ years in the business 00:49 What MSC does: two divisions, commercial (sod, turf seed, prairie seed, blanket and hydro mulch) and maintenance (athletic field renovations, fertilizing through full turf renovations) 01:35...
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Nicole Downer (Downer Brothers): From $5M to $10M - Why Leaders Have to Become Leaders of Leaders
[00:46] Nicole shares her origin story - literature major turned 30-year landscape veteran who has worn every hat in the business. [02:02] Downer Brothers is at $7M. The real target is $10M at 18% profit. Revenue without margin is "an amplifier of chaos." [03:43] Culture is the primary growth...
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Ori Eldarov (OffDeal): How to Build a Landscape Business Worth Selling (Or Keeping)
[00:01] - Introduction: Why This Conversation Matters Rob sets the stage: private equity is flooding the green industry, but the noise around buying and selling landscape businesses is full of misconceptions. Ori Eldarov - founder of OffDeal and former Wall Street investment banker - is here to…
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Jeffrey Scott (Jeffrey Scott Consulting, Inc.): What Winning Landscape Companies Are Doing Differently Right Now
[00:00] — Welcome Back & Jeffrey Scott's Legacy in the Industry Rob introduces Jeffrey as a return guest, recognizing his decades in the green industry, his coaching practice, and the impact of his peer groups on raising professionalism industry-wide. [01:05] — Customer Obsession + The Power of...
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Joe Salemi (Landscape Ontario) The Real Reason Landscaping Companies Struggle to Scale
00:00 — Introduction to Joe Salemi Joe shares his 23+ year journey in the landscape industry Experience with CNLA, Dynascape, private equity acquisition, and Landscape Ontario Discussion around industry-wide perspective and patterns across businesses 03:06 — What’s Holding Landscape Companies…
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John Dalton (Dalton Marketing Group): Why Most Landscaping Brands Stay Invisible
00:00 – Intro & Guest Background John Dalton shares his 30-year marketing journey and transition into landscaping. 02:00 – Why Marketing Fails for Most Landscapers Marketing is treated as disconnected tactics (social, ads, etc.) instead of a system. 03:30 – The Role of a Fractional CMO Strategy...
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Steve Reynolds (River Valley): Why Most Contractors Stay Stuck at $1–2M
00:02 – Intro + Background Steve’s 28-year journey in the green industry Started with zero experience, learned by doing 02:18 – Early Business Failures First companies were “hobby businesses” No marketing, no systems, no scalability Guerrilla marketing tactics (literally stuffing mailboxes at…
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Steve Wheatcroft (Wheatcroft Advisory): The Truth About Scaling (No One Talks About)
00:01 – Intro + Background Steve’s 35+ years in the landscape industry Built and exited multiple businesses, scaled to $104M 01:36 – The Origin Story Started in 1989 with a vision to professionalize landscaping Grew to $31M before private equity acquisition 03:00 – Scaling Through M&A Returned as...
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Brad Stephenson (New Castle Lawn & Landscaping): Build a Business That Runs Without You
00:31 – Intro + why Brad’s perspective matters Brad’s lived experience + coaching across many companies brings “outside-in” clarity. 01:18 – Apprentice to CEO (the 20-year climb) Started at ~$600K revenue / ~8 employees, grew into leadership and ownership opportunities. 02:15 – Ownership…
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Jim Shimon (Willow River Company): The People Playbook Behind $15M+ Growth
00:31–01:20 — Intro + why Willow River Company “means more than people think” 01:20–03:34 — Origin story: family landscaping business → three brothers take over (2006) 03:34–04:45 — Diversification: why “all eggs in one basket” eventually breaks you 04:45–06:03 — Today’s scale: $16.5M sales goal,...
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Bob Roman (Fire by Design): How to Differentiate in a Sea of “Me Too” Contractors
00:01 – Intro + why Bob stands out: Rob tees up Bob as a rare “actually differentiated” operator. 00:49 – What Fire by Design does: Custom fire features + components; specialty is automated fire and outdoor-ready ignition. 01:10 – Origin story + aviation background: Military F-16s, then United...
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Justin White (K&D): Clarity of Vision = Faster Growth (Here’s the Playbook)
00:31 - Intro: Justin White joins the show 01:08 - “Born into it”: early days in landscaping + discovering the sales side 02:52 - 2015 turning point: family divorce forces a leadership shift 03:03 - Growth story: $1M → $10M in ~5 years; COVID turbulence; $10M → $20M (2022–2024) 03:59 - Why JW…
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Scot Eckley (SEI): How Specialization Turns a Landscape Business Into a Category Leader
00:01 – Intro + guest setup Rob welcomes Scot Eckley and frames Scot as a standout example of strong positioning in landscaping. 00:41 – What SEI does (and who it’s for) Scot explains SEI: a Seattle design-build company focused on helping clients unlock small, urban outdoor spaces; team size ~22...
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Mike McCarron (ImageWorks Landscaping): The Systems Every Sub-$1M Company Misses
00:31 – Introduction Mike McCarron, owner of ImageWorks Landscaping, joins the show and shares his background in an ultra-competitive DC-area market. 02:48 – The Real Growth Constraint Mike challenges the “labor shortage” narrative and argues most companies don’t truly know their numbers. 03:37 –...
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Karol Wyman (Outdoor Coffee Shop): Marketing Lessons for Contractors
00:00–01:30 – Introduction to Karol Wyman and the concept behind Outdoor Coffee Shop 01:30–04:45 – What Outdoor Coffee Shop is and how it connects fragmented industries 04:45–06:50 – The biggest growth constraint for contractors: not prioritizing marketing 06:50–09:30 – Why “we’ve never needed...
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James Hatfield (LiveSwitch) on Using Video & AI to Close Deals Faster in Home Services
00:00–01:55 — James Hatfield’s Background Blue-collar upbringing, early entrepreneurship in painting and power washing Struggles with bookkeeping led him to business school Co-founded Sageworks, scaled it to Inc. 500 and eventual sale to KKR 01:55–03:27 — From Sageworks to LiveSwitch Transition...
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Mark Sedgley (Granum): How Granum is Rewriting Landscape Software, Insights from a CEO
00:31 — Intro Rob welcomes Mark Sedgley and tees up his multi-decade journey leading software companies. 01:35 — Mark’s Origin Story From helping build MemberClicks to steering SingleOps and acquiring LMN—how Mark ended up leading Granum. 03:05 — Lessons from Early Exits & Integrations Why Mark...
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Richard Sperber (Sperber Landscape): How to Grow a Billion-Dollar Company Without the Apps
00:00 The core problem: obsession with outputs over inputs. Richard opens with the danger of short-term financial pressure and how it erodes learning and long-term thinking. 00:52 Welcome to the show plus technology hiccups. Rob introduces Richard with jokes, sports banter, and podcast foibles....
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Martin Tirado (SIMA): Culture, Systems, Profit: Snow Industry Lessons
00:00 – Welcome & intro Rob introduces the IM Landscape Growth Podcast and guest Martin Tirado, CEO & Executive Director of the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA). 01:09 – What is SIMA and who do they serve? Martin explains SIMA’s role: education, certification, best practices…
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Dominick Mondi (NESPA): Operational Secrets for Growth
00:00 – Intro Welcome and introduction to Dominick Mondi. 01:25 – Early Lessons in Growth Dominick shares experiences that shaped his approach to scaling teams. 06:05 – Building Repeatable Systems Why documenting processes is key to consistent results. 11:30 – Leadership Habits That Work...
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Chris Dyer (PeopleG2): Feedback Loops That Win
00:31 – Intro. Why Chris Dyer’s lifelong pursuit is improving the human experience at work. 01:17 – Origin story. Entrepreneur, “accidental author/speaker,” and the belief that humans are the greatest asset when work isn’t broken. 03:24 – The constraint today. Convergence of Apple‑level UX...
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Frank Bourque (Frank Bourque – Landscape Business Consultant) How to Build a Winning Mindset
(00:00) – Welcome back: Rob introduces Frank Bourque, business coach and former landscape company owner. (01:00) – Why mindset matters more than systems in long-term growth. (03:00) – The biggest bottleneck in most businesses: the owner’s thinking. (04:50) – The 5 mindset shifts that change...
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Darren Oostdyk (Doverscape) Scaling to $2M With Just Four Employees
00:31 – Rob introduces guest Darren Oostdyk, founder of Doverscape Design & Build. 01:33 – Darren shares his journey from mowing lawns to running a thriving design-build company. 03:37 – The biggest growth constraint? The owner. Darren dives into how self-awareness changed his leadership. 05:57 –...
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Aaron Whitener (ACE Outdoor): The #1 Growth Constraint in the Green Industry
00:31 – 02:30 | Intro + Origins Rob and Aaron reminisce about meeting on a beach in Mexico. Aaron shares his start cutting grass at 16 and how a side hustle became a 24-year career. 03:00 – 04:30 | Today’s ACE Outdoor $14 million revenue, 150 employees, 3 locations in southeast Michigan—primarily...
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Tiffany Sergi (Landscapes by D&J): Fixing the Leader Bottleneck
Timestamp Topic 01:04 From Hobby to CEO: Tiffany Sergi's journey to leading Landscapes by D&J after quitting nursing school to take over the business. 02:27 The Primary Growth Constraint: Leaders themselves being a bottleneck is the biggest thing holding entrepreneurs back in the green industry....
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Kurt LaButte's (Todd's Services Landscaping) The $30M Lawn Empire
“I was the bottleneck. The biggest growth constraint was me learning to get out of the way.” - Burt Labutte Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Todd Services - Kurt LaButte's company Peer Group: Jeffrey Scott Consulting – growth-focused landscape peer groups Books/Authors: Simon Sinek –…
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Scott Grams (Illinois Landscape Contractors Assoc.): Solving Labour Shortages
"Just like you wouldn’t expect to change the culture with just one person, the same goes for landscaping—true transformation comes when we embrace diverse perspectives at the leadership table." – Scott Grams Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Landscape Illinois: https://landscapeillinois.org –...
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David Whittaker (Equiscape): Financial Strategies in the Green Industry
"Recruiting is like shaving. If you don't do it all the time, you're going to look ugly." - David Whittaker - quoting Tennesee Football Coach Phillip Fulmer Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Books: "The Energy Bus" by John Gordon, "Traction" by Gino Wickman Podcast: Equiscape Insider, Grass to...
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Paul Fraynd: Landscaping Success and Lessons Learned
"The business is out there, not on a computer screen. It's about connecting people with the work they love." - Paul Fraynd Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Books: "Setting the Table" by Danny Meyer "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara Podcasts: Founders Podcast by David Senra...
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Scaling Past $1.5M: The Key Hire That Changed Everything for Pika Landscapes
“I didn’t know what a yard of topsoil cost—but I knew how to learn fast and hire smart.” - Adam Neilson Resources Mentioned in This Episode: The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack A practical guide to open-book management that empowers teams by sharing financials and teaching business literacy....
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Kevin Butler & Jame Toribio on Growing The Outdoor Living Company
"Consistency in customer experience, from $7,000 to $70,000 projects, is what makes us stand out." — Kevin Butler Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Andy Frisella’s Podcast – A series that focuses on delivering more than expected in business, helping you stay ahead of the competition. Brandon...
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Meet Al Perreault of Green Collar: From Side Hustle to Industry Leader
“I was all in—there was no turning back. It had to work, so we built it to work.” — Al Perreault of Green Collar Landscaping Resources Mentioned in This Episode: MERX – Canada’s leading platform for accessing public and private procurement opportunities, including municipal landscape contracts....
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Ashly Paladino on Growing Sun Valley Landscaping from $1M to $10M+
“Most small businesses get stuck because the owner is in the way—and that includes being afraid to let go.” — Ashly Paladino Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Mel Robbins – The 5 Second Rule – A powerful tool to help you make confident decisions and take immediate action. Mel Robbins – The Let...
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Turning Data into Dollars for Landscaping Businesses - Paul Demarco of Intrigue
“If we can predict the result of our work within a 5% margin, that’s the bee’s knees.” — Paul Demarco Resources Mentioned in This Episode: SALT (Sales and Lead Tracker) – Intrigue’s proprietary tool for real-time attribution, cost-per-lead analysis, and CRM integration. Try it free for four…
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Jeff McManus (University of Texas): How People Growth Drives Landscaping Success
“How do we make our people successful? Not just making money, but giving them purpose, so they know they matter and belong.” — Jeff McManus Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Landscape University / Landscape Longhorn University – Internal training programs inspired by Disney University to…
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From $0 to $16M: Nathan Helder on Scaling Without Losing Your Life
“Leadership maturity is the growth constraint. If the business needs to change, you have to change.” — Nathan Helder Resources Mentioned in This Episode: TEC Canada – Executive peer groups helping business owners level up leadership and strategy (called Vistage in the U.S.). Southbrook Accounting…
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How Caleb Scaled Third Space by Hiring Smarter, Not Buying More Gear
“You can say you can’t afford to hire—but I’d argue you can’t afford not to.” — Caleb Kangas Resources Mentioned in This Episode: Knowledge Tree Consulting – Leadership and business coaching for construction and trades professionals. McFarlin Stanford ACE Peer Group – A peer learning group…
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About this show
A landscape growth podcast where entrepreneurs help entrepreneurs grow faster, better, and stronger in leadership, sales, recruiting, and operational excellence.
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Intrigue Media
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