PODCAST · business
The Landscaping Podcast
by Landscaping Unlimited
The Landscaping Podcast is where real landscapers talk shop.Hosted by Shay Brickhouse (CEO of Landscaping Unlimited, Inc.) and Zac Small (COO & Media), each episode dives into landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, turf installation, and the realities of running a company.From managing crews and scaling a business to balancing family and faith, we bring unfiltered conversations with experts, entrepreneurs, and tradesmen building lives outdoors.Whether you’re laying pavers, leading a team, or want to grow a landscaping company with integrity, this show is for you.
Episodes
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96. Getting a Pesticide License in NC | Why Every Landscaping Business Should Have One
Do you need a pesticide license to spray weeds and treat lawns in North Carolina? If you're applying pesticides or herbicides for customers, the answer is yes. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay Brickhouse and Zac Small talk about what it takes to get your NC pesticide applicator...
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95. Do You Need a Landscape Contractor License in NC? Requirements and Exemptions Explained by Shay Brickhouse
Do you need a landscape contractor license in North Carolina? If your landscaping work on a single job site adds up to $30,000 or more in a 12-month period, the answer is probably yes. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay Brickhouse and Zac Small break down the NC Landscape…
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94. Light It Right | Exterior Lighting for Homes and Businesses
Most people only see their property in daylight... Your customers, your neighbors, and anyone thinking about breaking in see it at night too. In this episode, Shay and Zac dig into exterior lighting and why it deserves more thought than a few solar stakes along the walkway. They break down how...
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93. AI and Social Media Marketing in 2026
AI isn't coming for your marketing; it's already here, and most landscaping companies are either ignoring it or using it wrong. In this solo episode, Zac breaks down how AI is changing the way small businesses show up on social media in 2026, where it actually saves time, and where it makes your...
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92. Grease is Cheap, Repairs are Expensive | with Andrew Keech
Most major equipment failures don't happen overnight... They start with a missed grease point, a filter that stayed in one season too long, or a small noise everybody decided to ignore. This week, Shay and Zac sit down with Andrew Keech, who brings real experience from both sides of the machine:...
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91. You Don't Need More Jobs; You Need Fewer Leaks.
Most landscaping owners think the answer to tight margins is more work. More bids, more accounts, more installs... But if your business is leaking money, more jobs just means you lose more, faster. In this episode, Zac breaks down the hidden holes that quietly drain profit from landscaping and...
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90. The Road to 90 | Shay and Zac Look Back
Ninety episodes ago, we hit record with no plan, no audience, and no real idea what we were doing... We just knew we had things worth saying about this trade, and nobody around here was saying them. In this one, Shay and Zac pull back and look at the whole thing. Where the show started, what it…
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89. Do Different to Become Different | Why Nothing Changes Until You Do
You can want a better business, and you can want a better life, but wanting has never moved a single thing forward. In this episode, Zac gets into the one truth most people spend years avoiding, which is that the only way to get different results is to change what you do every day. He talks about...
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88. Employee Retention: 5 Ways to Stop Losing Good Guys
Everybody in this industry complains about how hard it is to find good help... Almost nobody wants to talk about how hard it is to keep the good help they already have, as turnover is expensive. You lose the training, you lose the customer relationships, you lose the guy who knew how you like the...
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87. Does Landscaping Actually Sell Houses? A Realtor Answers | with Jordan Calzaretta
Most people spend months picking a house and about eleven seconds deciding whether they want to get out of the car... That decision happens in the front yard. This week Zac Small and Shay Brickhouse sit down with NC Real Estate Agent, Realtor, and Broker Jordan Calzaretta to talk about the place...
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86. Fear of Public Speaking Is Costing You Sales
Fear of public speaking is one of the most common fears in the world, and in this business it shows up every single day. Standing in front of a homeowner, walking a job with a builder, pitching an HOA board, or getting on a stage at an industry event... If your stomach drops every time you have…
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85. Your First Two Weeks: How to Not Get Fired (and How to Get Ahead)
Your first two weeks at a new job matter more than most people realize... Before anybody knows if you can do the work, they already have an opinion about whether you are worth keeping. That opinion gets built fast, and it gets built off things that have nothing to do with skill. In this episode…
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84. You Can Teach a Guy to Run a Mower; You Can't Teach Him to Show Up.
We've been hiring at Landscaping Unlimited, and it's got me thinking about what actually makes somebody a good fit on a crew. Everybody assumes you want the guy with ten years in, and sometimes you do... But some of the best people we've brought on had never touched a piece of equipment before...
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83. Controlling Your Emotions on the Job Site
Everybody in this business has had the day where the equipment breaks, the crew is behind, the customer is calling, and you feel yourself about to lose it... This episode is about what to do in that moment. Zac breaks down three things that work when your temper starts running the job instead of...
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82. New Construction Homes: How to Pick the Right Builder and Get What You Actually Want
Shay and Zac break down what separates a new construction home you love from one you settle for... Most home buyers walk into the process without a clear vision, then let the builder make every decision for them, which is exactly how you end up in a house that checks the boxes but never feels…
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81. Why The Most Expensive Word in Landscaping Is, "Sure"
Every landscaper has been there... A customer points at something outside the original scope and asks, “Can you do that too?” Most companies answer without thinking. “Sure.” Sometimes that’s great customer service; sometimes it’s the moment a company crosses into work it doesn't have time for and...
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80. Thank You for 80 Episodes of The Landscaping Podcast
Eighty episodes. That number does not happen because two guys sat down in front of a couple of microphones... It happens because people showed up, hit play, shared episodes with their crews, and sent us messages about what hit home. In this episode, Zac steps back from the usual talk about crews,...
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79. Why Your Landscaping Photos Aren't Booking Jobs
Every landscaping company on the internet is posting the same picture. Finished patio, two in the afternoon, truck in the corner of the frame, caption reads "another one in the books." It proves work happened, and that is all it does... Proof you exist stopped being a competitive advantage the…
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78. Landscaper Mental Health: The Addiction Problem Nobody Talks About
Landscaper mental health is the conversation this industry keeps refusing to have. One in six men in the trades drank heavily in the last thirty days, and the suicide rate in construction runs four times the general population. In this short solo episode, Zac Small of Landscaping Unlimited lays…
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77. How to Raise Prices Without Losing Customers (Landscaping Business Pricing)
Fuel is up. Equipment is up. Labor and insurance are up. And a lot of landscaping business owners still haven't raised their prices, because the idea of telling a customer their rate is going up makes their stomach turn. In this solo episode, Zac Small breaks down why that fear is costing you far...
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76. Does Your Business Really Need a Website or Social Media?
"I get all my work from word of mouth; Why do I need a website?" Every landscaper has said it. In this episode, we break down what happens when a referral Googles your company name and finds nothing, why your online presence is proof of legitimacy before anyone ever picks up the phone, and what...
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75. 5 Ways to Beat the Heat As A NC Landscaper
Summer in Eastern North Carolina doesn't care about your schedule. When the heat index pushes past 100, the work still has to get done, and how you handle those days is the difference between a crew that finishes the season strong and one that falls apart by August. In this episode, Zac breaks…
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74. Satisfied and Still Hungry (+The Lie That You Can't Be Both)
You've been told, somewhere along the way, that you have to pick either being grateful for what you have or keep chasing more. Pick contentment, and you risk getting soft, complacent, aka "settling." Pick ambition, and you're never allowed to feel like enough until you hit the next milestone....
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73. When The Worksite Speaks Louder Than the Work
The finished job might be flawless, but the client stopped judging your work hours before you packed up. They judged the truck when it pulled in, the trailer when it opened, the way the gear came off, and where it landed at 10 am. In this solo episode, Zac digs into why the worksite speaks louder...
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72. How The Backyard Is Replacing the "Mental Health" Vacation
Outdoor living is not just about patios, fire pits, outdoor kitchens, lighting, pools, and nice furniture... Something deeper is happening; the outside of your home is becoming a space that protects and heals the inside of your mind. In this solo episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac makes the...
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71. Lawn Mowing 101 (A Homeowner's Guide to a Healthier Lawn)
Most people think mowing is just a chore to knock out on a Saturday... Cut it low, cut it fast, and get back inside, but how you mow has more to do with the health of your lawn than almost anything else you do out there. In this episode, Shay and Zac break down the basics of mowing the right way...
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70. Why Cheap Photos Are Your Most Expensive Mistake
Your customer's thumb is moving, and you have about a second before they scroll past you forever; what stops them isn't your pitch, your prices, or your years in business... It's your photo. Most businesses lose that second without realizing they're even in a fight. They post the same blurry,...
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69. The Real Cost of Doing Business
Everybody talks about revenue; nobody talks about the bill that never shows up on a spreadsheet. In this episode, Shay and Zac get honest about what running a business actually costs... Not just the equipment, but the payroll, the overhead, the slow months, as well as the parts that hit harder....
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68. Choosing Passion Over Comfort (Zac's One Year Anniversary Episode)
One year ago, Zac walked back through the doors at Landscaping Unlimited A year later, he's taking the mic solo to talk about what that decision meant. No co-host, and no script, just an honest reflection on relationships, purpose, and the kind of life worth building. In this episode, Zac makes…
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67. A Slow Hurricane Season Doesn't Mean No Preparation is Required
North Carolina is expected to have a slower hurricane season, but slower does not mean safe. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac talks about why property owners, business owners, and homeowners still need to prepare before the storms arrive. A quiet forecast can create a false sense…
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66. Why Good Help Is Hard to Find and How to Build the Right Team Anyways
Every business owner knows that Good help is hard to find. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac breaks down four practical ways to address the challenge of finding, hiring, and keeping the right people for your company. He talks about why your company needs to show who you are, what…
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65. Don't Forget to Enjoy the Ride
There is a dangerous trap that hard-working people fall into. They become so focused on building the business, chasing the goal, growing the company, serving the customer, fixing the problems, and proving themselves that they forget to actually live the life they say they are working so hard to...
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64. 10 Rules Professionals Follow
In this solo episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac Small breaks down how to stand out from the competition in the green industry, not by talking louder, making excuses, or acting like the job owes you something, but by becoming the kind of professional every company wants more of. Whether you…
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63. Back on the Mics (Why Rest Isn't a Reward)
After two weeks off the mics, we're back. Zac was on vacation with the family, Shay had a stretch of work that wouldn't let up, and instead of forcing content for the sake of content, we took the time we needed... This episode is about that. In the green industry, taking time off feels like a...
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62. The Places Landscaping Can Take You
Solo episode this week, recorded on a quick break from installing artificial turf for Beast Games. A few years back, if you'd told me landscaping would put me on a set like that, I would have laughed. That's really what this episode is about. One minute, we're on a high-profile install, and just...
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61. Leadership Is a People Business with Jon Rennie
What does leading a submarine crew have to do with running a landscaping company? More than you'd think. In this episode, Shay and Zac sit down with Jon Rennie, former Cold War submarine officer, corporate executive, manufacturing business owner, and host of the Deep Leadership Podcast. Jon has...
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60. Your Best Client Is Looking For You On Social Media Right Now
In this episode, Zac speaks about the "Digital Division" of Landscaping Unlimited and how social media is a tool that all companies should use. This is not about becoming an influencer; it's about making a smart business decision. Property managers, commercial clients, and potential partners are...
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59. Planting Seeds: Landscaping Unlimited Goes Back to School
What does a landscaping company have to do with an elementary school? Everything. In this episode, Shay and Zac sit down fresh off a visit to Northeast Elementary School in Pinetown, NC, where they represented Landscaping Unlimited, Inc., The Landscaping Podcast, Z Photography & Media, and had a...
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58. AI Isn't Coming for Your Shovel (Why The Trades Are the Smartest Career Move)
Everyone's talking about AI taking jobs; nobody's talking about the ones it can't touch. In this solo episode, Zac breaks down why artificial intelligence isn't moving into the trades, the blue-collar workforce, or the green industry anytime soon. He also explains why that matters more than most...
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57. Your Backyard Should Make You Feel Better: The Rise of Outdoor Wellness Spaces
Your backyard should be the most restorative place you own. In this episode, Shay and Zac dig into the rise of outdoor wellness spaces and what it actually looks like to build one from the ground up. Meditation gardens, living water features, cold plunges, saunas, red light therapy, they cover…
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56. Licensed & Loaded: Green Industry Licenses, and What Shay's General Contractor License Means for Landscaping Unlimited
The green industry runs on more than grass and good intentions; it runs on credentials. In this episode, Shay and Zac break down the licenses they've used in the landscaping world, which are: NC Pesticide License NC Irrigation License NC Landscape Contractor's License And the one Shay just added…
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55. Why Talented People Fail
Talent isn't enough. Zac Small goes solo this episode to talk about something nobody in the trades wants to admit: That there are talented people everywhere who are completely failing, and it has nothing to do with skill. Zac breaks down the five reasons he sees talented people fall short, from…
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54. Nobody Is Coming to Save You | Why Small Towns Must Rely on Each Other
In this episode, we get honest about a hard truth... Nobody is coming to save small towns. In big cities, people often look to systems, programs, and government to solve problems; but in small town America, it has always been different. Out here, people have to rely on their neighbors, their...
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53. Make Time Before You Lose It (Work, Self, and the People Who Matter Most)
In this solo episode, Shay breaks down a truth too many people learn too late: "If you do not take control of your time, your time will control you." He talks about the importance of managing your schedule with intention so your job gets your best, your mind and body are not neglected, and the...
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52. The Green Industry Is More Skilled and Educated Than People Realize
In Episode 52 of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay and Zac are in the truck, catching up after a busy week and getting into a truth that needs to be said more often: Most people have no idea how deep the green industry really is. Too many people see landscaping as just mowing grass, spreading mulch…
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51. A People-First Industry | Shay’s Turf Council Presentation
In Episode 51 of 'The Landscaping Podcast', we’re bringing you the audio from Shay Brickhouse’s first public presentation in the green industry, delivered at the Turf Council of North Carolina meeting. In this talk, Shay breaks down what it really means to build a people-first industry and why…
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50. Give Yourself the Freedom To Be Heard & Seen
In this solo episode, Zac talks about something a lot of people never fully give themselves permission to do, be real... Too many people are walking through life edited, filtered, watered down, and afraid to say what they actually think, feel, or believe. They stay quiet to keep the peace, shrink...
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49. When to Say No, Why You Must Know Your People, & How to Scale Without Breaking Your Business
Growth sounds good until it starts costing you your standards, your sanity, and the culture that built your company in the first place. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay and Zac break down one of the hardest lessons in business: knowing when to say no. They talk about why not every...
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48. From Super Bowl Ads to Soil: Why the Green Industry Deserves the Spotlight
Zac went solo for this one, because there’s a message he wanted every landscaper and hardscaper to hear loud and clear. In this episode, he shares the exact messages from the ads Landscaping Unlimited ran during the Super Bowl and the Olympics, and break downs why we ran them in the first…
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47. Spring Prep Playbook: How Shay Is Scaling Landscaping Unlimited
Spring and summer don’t “show up” in the green industry; they hit you like a freight train, whether you're ready or not. In this episode, Shay breaks down how he’s preparing Landscaping Unlimited to dominate peak season in his 11th year as a Licensed Landscaper. From tightening systems and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Landscaping Podcast is where real landscapers talk shop.Hosted by Shay Brickhouse (CEO of Landscaping Unlimited, Inc.) and Zac Small (COO & Media), each episode dives into landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, turf installation, and the realities of running a company.From managing crews and scaling a business to balancing family and faith, we bring unfiltered conversations with experts, entrepreneurs, and tradesmen building lives outdoors.Whether you’re laying pavers, leading a team, or want to grow a landscaping company with integrity, this show is for you.
HOSTED BY
Landscaping Unlimited
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Landscaping Podcast have?
The Landscaping Podcast currently has 96 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Landscaping Podcast about?
The Landscaping Podcast is where real landscapers talk shop.Hosted by Shay Brickhouse (CEO of Landscaping Unlimited, Inc.) and Zac Small (COO & Media), each episode dives into landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, turf installation, and the realities of running a company.From managing crews and...
How often does The Landscaping Podcast release new episodes?
The Landscaping Podcast has 96 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Landscaping Podcast?
You can listen to The Landscaping Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Landscaping Podcast?
The Landscaping Podcast is created and hosted by Landscaping Unlimited.
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