The KTC Podcast

In this podcast, Chuck Gillum of DTE (Down to Earth Landscaping) in Colorado recounts his business's journey, starting as a small leaf-cleanup side hustle in 2012 and evolving into a $2.8 million design-build firm. A critical turning point came in 2019 when he and his partner sold their struggling maintenance division for $25,000 to pivot entirely to construction, which nearly tripled their revenue with the same two crews. Despite this success, Chuck discusses his ongoing challenges, which include optimizing his HR by learning to hire for culture (after ignoring past "red flags"), gaining control over subcontracted designers to standardize their style and avoid overly complex projects, and solving production bottlenecks caused by subcontractors halting his workflow. He concludes with key advice for other entrepreneurs: find a mentor early and avoid comparing your business to others.

In this episode of the KTC Podcast, host George interviews Austin, owner of Dutchman's Tree Service in Ely, Minnesota, who shares his journey from quitting stable jobs to launching a high-risk tree service business four years ago amid personal life changes like moving and having a baby. Austin recounts his early struggles, including financial distress and reliance on luck during a windstorm that kickstarted his operations, leading him to discover George's consulting through podcasts and receive initial pro bono guidance that turned his fortunes around. Austin reflects on his transformative experience, emphasizing persistence, faith, and the value of George's mentorship in achieving business wisdom at just 29 years old, with plans for future growth and another podcast update next year.

This episode is with Caleb from ThirdSpace Kansas City. Caleb owns a high-end boutique landscape business that runs extremely well. He's got some great insights to share about building a quality brand that keeps clients happy.

In this episode, we talk about key financial insights from a 40-year landscape industry veteran, focusing on strategies for profitability. We discuss the need to charge market rates after years of undercharging, invoicing biweekly for steady cash flow, and setting prices based on costs and overhead. We explore how quality work attracts better clients, the role of goodwill (trust, reputation, processes) in boosting business value, and why only 5% of owners master their financials due to fear or poor accounting. We also cover avoiding commoditization through relationships, using tools like the marginal cost planner for smarter pricing and investments, and managing cash flow to fuel growth. Finally, we highlight a free webinar on financial management to help navigate capital spending risks in landscaping.

In this video, George, a landscaping professional with 40 years of experience shares practical advice on managing HR challenges in the industry. He explains the importance of avoiding average employees and building a strong team through smart hiring, good pay, and a positive work environment. This video is ideal for contractors seeking straightforward strategies to grow a skilled, loyal team and improve their business operations.

In this episode, discover George's story creating a turn-key landscape business. After 35 years of being in the day to day, he realized he needed to make a change. Oriole then had a rapid transformation and in 3 years achieved the next level of success.

In this episode, we talk about the common struggles that small businesses have to face. Learn about the struggles of Oriole Landscaping, George's business that was founded in 1986, as it was getting started. Discover the mindset changes and key lessons that George leveraged to develop a turn-key business that runs on its own.