The UpFlip Podcast

Steve Griggs transforms backyards into multimillion-dollar outdoor experiences. After 40 years in the landscaping industry, Steve has built a $5M/year design firm catering to high-net-worth clients—including lawyers, investors, athletes, and celebrities.In this episode, Steve sits down with Ryan Atkinson to share the gritty reality of scaling a premium service business. From trimming bushes with his union-worker father in New York to starring on Bravo's Backyard Envy and authoring a best-selling book, Steve knows exactly what it takes to command top-tier prices. He explains why trying to be "good at everything" is a race to the bottom, why you should never just cut grass, and the exact strategy he recommends for landing your very first luxury client using nothing but a $500 investment and a yard sign.If you're ready to stop competing on price and start becoming the undisputed expert in your market, this episode delivers the blueprint.🎙️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The Free Yard Sign Strategy: How to land your first high-paying customers by offering free, creative work in wealthy neighborhoods to trigger word-of-mouth referrals.Commodity vs. Creative: Why services like laying pavers or cutting grass kill your margins, and how to pivot to high-profit, creative planting where you charge for the outcome, not the flower.Managing Elite Clients: The "no excuses" approach to project management that wealthy clients demand when things inevitably go wrong on a job site.Trust and Verify: Steve’s golden rule for hiring a team and stepping out of the day-to-day labor so you can focus purely on sales, marketing, and brand vision.Tags: Home Services, Service & Consulting, Business mindset, Business scaling, Luxury LandscapeResourcesGrow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Follow Our Second Channel Here: https://next.upflip.com/spotify Connect with Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegriggsdesign

Seif El-Sahly walked away from a comfortable, six-figure engineering career working in -50 degree northern mines to start a construction and renovation business in Hamilton, Ontario. Today, New Fort Inc. generates multiple seven figures a year, and Seif is breaking ground on massive 22-unit developments after successfully partnering with Home Depot and shooting a pilot for HGTV.In this episode, Seif sits down with Ryan Atkinson to reveal how he transitioned from a mindset of "known variables" to mastering the unknown world of real estate investing and contracting. He breaks down his exact strategy for capitalizing on the booming ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) and garage conversion market—a niche that is solving the modern housing affordability crisis while generating premium rental income for investors.Whether you're looking to buy your first investment property or scale a massive construction team, Seif delivers a masterclass on failing fast, taking action, and underwriting your deals the right way.🎙️ What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The ADU Goldmine: Why garage-to-dwelling conversions are the ultimate real estate hack for generating premium rental income (and why ADU tenants are the highest quality).The 3 Rules for Your First Property: Forget analysis paralysis. Seif reveals the three fundamental things you must look for (Location, Bones, Tenant Pool) before diving into spreadsheets.Avoiding the Real Estate Bloodbath: The hidden running costs and development charges that completely wipe out new investors, and how to accurately underwrite your flips.The "Fail Fast" Mindset: Why A+ students often struggle in business, and how adopting an action-first mindset is the secret to scaling a 7-figure enterprise.Tags: Remodeling, Retail Goods, Construction Company, Real estate, Property managementResourcesGrow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Follow Our Second Channel Here: https://next.upflip.com/spotify Connect with Seif: http://linkedin.com/in/seifelsahly/?originalSubdomain=ca

Victoria Westcott went from a burnt-out school teacher grading online lessons to the founder of a cleaning empire generating over $1.7 million in revenue—all starting with a free 21-day online course.In this episode of the UpFlip Podcast, Victoria pulls back the curtain on how she and her sister built Oak Bay Clean into a local powerhouse boasting 81% recurring revenue and over 200 five-star reviews. Unlike traditional commercial cleaning companies that undercut competitors and underpay staff, Victoria flipped the script. She implemented online booking, transparent pricing, and a revolutionary 60/40 revenue split that pays her cleaners roughly $45 an hour, paid out daily.Whether you are looking to start a local service business or scale an existing side hustle to new heights, Victoria’s masterclass in local SEO, customer avatars, and treating your team like VIPs will give you the exact blueprint you need to succeed.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The Ultimate Naming Formula: How to practically guarantee page-one Google rankings by simply using the "Location + Keyword" naming strategy.Defining Your Ideal Customer Profile: Why you must build your business for "Jordan" (the busy, hands-off professional) and actively avoid "Nancy" (the micromanager).The 60% Talent Advantage: Why paying your cleaners significantly above the market rate actually increases your success, secures 5-star reviews, and eliminates turnover.The Day-One Pricing Strategy: A simple, competitive research method to perfectly price your services when you have absolutely zero experience.Landing Your First Client: How fully optimizing your Yelp and Google My Business profiles can get your phone ringing in under a week.Stop competing in a race to the bottom and start dominating your local market with systems that work!Tags: Cleaning Business, Retail Goods, Business Mindset, SEO, Side hustle, Google RankingsResources:Grow your business today: https://links.upflip.com/the-business-startup-and-growth-blueprint-podcast Follow Our Second Channel Here: https://next.upflip.com/spotify Connect with Victoria: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriawestcott/