Advertise on podcast: The Ultimate Landscape CEO - Jeffrey Scott

Troy Clogg, Founder of Troy K. Clogg Landscape Associates, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, sits down with Jeffrey Scott to share the unfiltered story behind building a $20 million landscape and snow business from the ground up. Troy started the way most of us do — knocking on doors as a teenager, cutting grass four square miles at a time. Fast forward a few decades and he’s closing in on $20 million in revenue, with his first employee still on the crew after 40 years, a supply house built around a hot pink de-icer, and a company culture rooted more in humanity than P&L margins. He pulls back the curtain on what actually drove his growth — from offering full-time salaries in the trades before it was common, to running door-hanger campaigns with handwritten notes, to an upcoming acquisition that marks his first real move away from purely organic growth. He’s also refreshingly honest about what doesn’t work: he straight-up tells you the supply house doesn’t make money and why most contractors shouldn’t open one. Troy is a co-host at the Summer Growth Summit, August 18–20 in downtown Detroit — and if you’re a landscape or snow business owner ready to stop guessing and start scaling, this episode is your preview of what’s coming. 🎟️ Super early bird ends May 8th! Register now and save $400 per ticket. 👉 https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ KEY TAKEAWAYS: Starting from zero works — if you’re willing to knock on doors. Troy built a base of 447 customers within four square miles as a teenager using nothing but door knocking and flyers — no internet, no social media, no shortcuts. Paying full-time salaries before it was industry standard was a game-changer. Offering year-round employment in the trades was rare in Troy’s early days — and it’s a big reason why his first employee, Greg, is still with him after 40 years. Employee retention is a culture decision, not an HR strategy. Troy attributes his long-tenured team to transparency, high expectations, safety, security, and genuinely caring about people — treating the business more like a family than a corporation. Snow and design-build drive the highest margins. Troy breaks down which parts of his business are most profitable — snow removal, design-build, tree work, and fertilizer all lead, while lawn cutting has become increasingly tight. The supply house is a passion project, not a profit center — and Troy will tell you that straight. He’s transparent that the supply yard rarely makes money, and cautions other contractors to think hard before opening one unless the motivation isn’t primarily financial. Hot pink branding wasn’t a gimmick — it became a philanthropic movement. The Hot Pink De-icer started as a product and grew into a charity-driven brand identity that now funds community fundraisers and gives Troy a platform to give back while building business. Door hangers + handwritten notes still work in 2025. Troy still uses neighborhood door-hanger campaigns combined with personal handwritten messages when crews are working nearby — and he measures results to prove it. Organic growth is powerful, but smart acquisitions can accelerate it. Troy has grown almost entirely through organic means, but reveals he’s about to sign his first acquisition deal — a strategic move for good people in a great location. Authenticity is your brand. From the hats he wears to still cutting his own grass with a vintage mower, Troy’s identity and business identity are the same — and he credits the years he tried to be different as the ones that didn’t go well. The Summer Growth Summit in Detroit is the place to dig deeper. Attendees will get a company tour, meet the long-tenured crew, see how Troy designs his facility for both summer and winter operations, and hear him speak on branding, charity, and scaling. 🔗 Link mentioned by Troy Clogg: https://hotpinkhelpers.com/ The post From Door Knocking to $20M+: Troy Clogg’s Blueprint for Building a Landscape Empire The Right Way appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Ivan Katz, founder of Great Lakes Landscape Design just outside Detroit, Michigan. Ivan’s been in the game for 37 years, but he’s moving like he’s just getting started. They dive into four surprise questions—from what he wants attendees to notice during his new facility tour, to the one thing he believes he does better than almost anyone else (hint: it’s not just design work). Ivan gets real about the hardest transition he’s made: moving long-time, loyal employees off his leadership team and bringing in outside talent without blowing up the culture. He also calls out where too many contractors settle—especially around training and promoting people into roles they’re not ready for. Plus, Ivan shares why he keeps bringing big teams to the Summer Growth Summit year after year, and what’s changed now that he’s co-hosting. If you’ve ever struggled with scaling, loyalty vs. performance, or keeping your team hungry, this one’s for you. Summer Growth Summit (Aug 18-20): The super early bird discount ends May 8th. For more info and to register, click this link: https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ Key Takeaways: Facility as a growth tool: Ivan’s new 33,000 sq. ft. space isn’t just bigger—it’s designed around workflow, team movement, and intentional growth. He’s staying disciplined to avoid “deferred maintenance” creep. 70%+ repeat business isn’t luck: Most of their revenue comes from existing clients, and over a third is recurring contract work. They treat projects like annuities, stretching big visions over multiple years. Hardest move? Removing legacy leaders: Ivan pulled four long-term employees off his leadership team—including a 24-year vet—to make room for new thinking. It was emotional, messy, and necessary. Where owners settle: Promoting a good foreman to production manager without real training. Ivan says the industry gets complacent—real growth means building people up intentionally, not just filling seats. Bringing the whole team to a summit: Ivan’s not just attending the Summer Growth Summit anymore—he’s co-hosting. He’s using the event as a catapult, giving his people speaking slots, Slack channels, and real ownership over the experience. Being present > being busy: After losing his phone and dealing with IT outages, Ivan’s doubling down on showing up fully—with family, team, and clients. Clear words and real presence beat speed every time. The post Building a Growth Machine: A Landscape Founder’s Raw Take on Leadership with Ivan Katz appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Desiree Bouchard, Integrator and General Manager, and Ellen Moore, Director of Continuous Improvement — both from Great Lakes Landscape Design in the Detroit, Michigan area. These two have built one of the most intentional leadership structures in the green industry. Des shares how she rose through the ranks over 13 years, from office support to becoming the obvious choice for integrator when the company adopted EOS. Ellen brings an unconventional background — from nuclear power to an MBA to landscape — and now serves as what she calls “the integrator’s integrator,” diving deep into process fixes so Des can focus on running the company. Together, they break down the real work of operational leadership: building meaningful KPIs, implementing daily huddles that actually stick, standardizing sales estimating in LMN, and using tools like the Five Why’s and tabletop customer journey exercises to eliminate process breakdowns for good. They’re honest about what change management actually requires — patience, persistence, buy-in strategy, and the courage to go through the hard stuff, not around it. If you’re a landscape business owner, integrator, or anyone trying to scale with better systems and a stronger culture, this one is packed with actionable insight straight from the field. 🌱 Great Lakes Landscape Design will be co-hosting the Summer Growth Summit — August 18–20th! Des and Ellen will both be speaking, and you won’t want to miss it. 👉 Grab your spot here — Super early bird discount ends May 8 – https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ Key Takeaways: The “integrator’s integrator” model works. Hiring a Director of Continuous Improvement frees the integrator to focus on operations instead of constant fire-fighting. Daily huddles create instant alignment. A 10–15 minute morning check-in with live metrics gives teams a structured moment to flag issues before they become bigger problems. Track metrics that actually move the needle. Know what numbers to watch daily, weekly, and monthly — not just what’s easy to pull. Standardize your sales estimating process. Inconsistent, individual-driven estimating costs you money. Shared templates and systems keep the whole team on the same page. Announcing a change ≠ implementing one. Real adoption requires training, follow-up, and patience. Most leaders move on too fast. Walk the customer’s journey end-to-end. A simple tabletop exercise — tracing data from first call to final install — exposes exactly where your process breaks down. Scheduling belongs at the leadership level. It takes senior authority to push both sales and production. Don’t delegate it too low. Culture and systems have to grow together. Prep your team before the change arrives — buy-in is built before the rollout, not during it. Bring your whole team to industry events. When everyone hears the same message, going home and implementing it becomes a whole lot easier. Every level of leadership needs a strong second-in-command. It’s not just for owners — it multiplies impact all the way down the org chart. The post Inside the Dual Leadership Structure at Great Lakes Landscape Design, with Desiree Bouchard & Ellen Moore appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, host Jeffrey Scott sits down with Doug Taylor, CEO of Frontiers Design Build in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Doug shares the fascinating 18-year journey of evolving his business from a landscape design-build firm into a high-performance construction company. He opens up about the real-world challenges of managing two vastly different business models—landscape and construction—under one roof, and how he navigated the financial tightrope to find the perfect balance. Doug also dives into his latest chapter: pivoting into multi-unit affordable housing by applying high-performance building principles. Finally, he offers a masterclass on moving beyond basic AI usage, explaining how he’s built a “knowledge base” to turn AI into a true strategic thought partner for business development and marketing. Registration is Now Open for the 2026 Summer Growth Summit: https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ Key Takeaways: The Financial Trap: Why mixing a high-margin landscape business with a lower-margin construction business creates forecasting chaos unless you stabilize your overhead model. The “Gravy” Strategy: How Doug intentionally shifted to an 80% construction / 20% landscape model, treating the higher-margin landscape work as a stable “gravy” profit center. Defining High Performance: An explanation of what high-performance homes are (energy efficiency, occupant comfort, durability) and how they differ from standard builds. The Value Over Cost Pitch: How to sell high-performance building by focusing on long-term occupant outcomes and generational durability rather than just upfront costs. The Pivot Playbook: Why Doug advises landscapers against simply “dabbling” in winter renovations unless they are willing to acquire outside talent and accept a completely different operational structure. AI as a Thought Partner: Moving past using AI to write emails; instead, building a “knowledge base” (uploading SOPs, org charts, and even DISC profiles) to turn AI into a strategic partner for marketing and business development. The post Beyond the Backyard: A Successful Pivot Into Home Building & Renovation – With Doug Taylor appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Christian Ruf, founder of Uncommon Elite and former Night Stalker helicopter pilot with the elite 160th SOAR, to break down one of the most impressive first years in recruiting you’ll hear about — 78 placements in 12 months, serving construction, home services, HVAC, fencing, foundation repair, and more. Christian pulls back the curtain on why special operations veterans outperform conventional hires in blue-collar leadership roles, how he’s built a headhunting firm that completes placements in days instead of months, and the lessons that surprised him most about working with small business owners. From defining outcome-based scorecards before you even post a job, to using military-style case studies as a pre-hire screening tool, this episode is a masterclass in hiring for keeps — not just filling a seat. Whether you’re a $5M landscaping company or a multi-location HVAC operator, if you’ve ever struggled to find a strong operations manager, GM, or sales leader, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. Takeaways: Who is Uncommon Elite? A veteran-focused executive search firm placing special ops talent — Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers — into blue-collar businesses from CEO down to project manager Speed that blows the industry average out of the water — candidates sourced in under 10 business days vs. the typical 3–4 month recruiter timeline 78 placements in year one — across executive, operations/project management, and sales roles in construction, home services, HVAC, fencing, and more Lesson #1: Owners don’t know what they actually need — defining 3–5 measurable outcomes before hiring is the single biggest game-changer for a successful placement The case study method — how to simulate the real job before making an offer, straight out of how the 160th SOAR vets its own pilots over 5–7 grueling days Recruiting is more relational than transactional — repeat clients now make up the backbone of the business, with some companies returning for 5–7 searches Geography is NOT a limiting factor — quality veteran talent will relocate, including to rural and non-metro markets Sales roles were a surprise winner — VP and manager-level sales placements in plumbing, HVAC, artificial turf, and fencing opened up an unexpected growth lane What vets bring that others don’t — solutions-first mindset, tenacity, urgency, and the ability to problem-solve with zero hand-holding Pre-screened for the attributes you want — special ops selection processes already filter for integrity, accountability, and the refusal to quit before they ever walk into your office Complacency is the enemy — whether in the cockpit or in business, skipping steps and lowering standards is where things go wrong The post Why Your Next Best Hire Might Be a Navy SEAL: Christian Ruf on Recruiting Veterans for the Trades appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Kelli Anh Shaw, COO of HYRE (HYREup.com), a boutique offshore staffing and virtual assistant management firm based out of Overland Park, Kansas. Just two years old as of January 2026, HYRE has already placed around 80 virtual assistants across client companies and built an internal team of 11 — hitting $1.7M in revenue and proving fast that their model works. Kelli shares the real story behind how HYRE was born — out of a moving company that grew 863% in three years, landed on the Inc. 5,000 multiple times, and then nearly unraveled when the housing market froze. Facing massive overhead with shrinking revenue, her team turned to offshore staffing from the Philippines and Latin America, eventually saving $350,000 annually on admin costs alone. What makes HYRE different isn’t just the placement — it’s the deep discovery process, hands-on onboarding, and dedicated account management that helps landscape, HVAC, plumbing, and other trades businesses actually integrate virtual assistants in a way that sticks. Whether you’re looking to support your sales team with CRM hygiene and cold calling, free up your field managers from scheduling chaos, or find a bilingual assistant to help manage your H-2B workers, this episode breaks down exactly how it works, what it costs, and what to expect in your first few weeks. Takeaways: HYRE was born from real business pain — a moving company near collapse that saved $350K annually after going offshore Just 2 years old, HYRE has already placed ~80 VAs and grown to a team of 11 with $1.7M in revenue Trades companies (landscaping, HVAC, plumbing, electrical) are HYRE’s bread and butter VAs can fill roles across all three areas: sales support, operations, and accounting/admin HYRE does a deep discovery process first — they build the role around your company, not the other way around Bilingual Latin American VAs are a major asset for landscape companies running H-2B programs Pricing starts at $10–$12/hr all-inclusive, with senior-level talent up to $25–$30/hr — no headhunter fees Every account gets a dedicated manager handling oversight, payroll, and daily check-ins ROI can show up fast — some clients are winning by their very first weekly call AI and virtual assistants work best together; the human touch is becoming more valuable, not less Get started at HYREup.com — book a discovery call and go in with questions, not a finished job description The post Virtual Assistants for Trades Companies: Supercharging your Sales, Operations, Admin and Customer Service, with Kelli Anh Shaw of HYRE appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this Olympics-inspired episode, Jeffrey Scott draws powerful parallels between the 2026 Winter Olympics and running a high-performance landscape business, sharing 10 actionable lessons every CEO can apply right now. From Lindsey Vonn’s fearless leadership under injury to Italy’s surprising rise as a winter sports powerhouse, Jeffrey unpacks how Olympic principles — team synergy, real-time scoring, leaderboards, coaching from the sidelines, and relentless efficiency — translate directly into business wins. He challenges leaders to stop being player-coaches, start building client-facing cultures, obsess over margin efficiencies, and never stop tracking the competition, all in pursuit of building a business that performs like an Olympic team. Sales Symposium – March 10th. Register before February 26th for special pricing. https://jeffreyscott.biz/sales-symposium/ Key Takeaways: Lead like Lindsey Vonn — Push through adversity and raise the bar for everyone Teams go farther — Build synergy through shared training, celebrating, and support Coach from the sidelines — Your team needs your guidance more than your hands-on labor Real-time scoring — Use KPIs and dashboards daily, not just at month-end Post the leaderboard — Visible rankings drive pride and engagement without extra incentives Know your home team advantage — Identify, promote, and rally around your unique competitive edge Great coaching beats raw talent — The right technique and coach can outperform more talented teams Performance over convenience — Build a client-facing culture and make NPS scores as visible as profit Margins matter — Obsess over efficiency in sales, operations, and admin Track your competition — Mystery shop, visit job sites, and always bring fresh ideas back The post Gold Medal Leadership: 10 Olympic Lessons for Building a High-Performance Landscape Company appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Chase Mullin, CEO of Mullin Landscape located in St. Rose, Louisiana, to discuss the strategic decisions and leadership lessons behind scaling a regional landscape company from roughly $5 million to nearly $30 million in revenue. Chase shares how continuous improvement, tough business decisions, and strategic focus helped drive growth — including dropping hardscape services, eliminating residential divisions, and doubling down on commercial maintenance to improve efficiency and profitability. He explains how outsourcing certain services created operational leverage, how applying the “hedgehog concept” clarified their core strengths, and why regularly inspecting systems and processes is critical even when a company appears successful. The conversation highlights leadership evolution, capacity management, building strong teams, and balancing visionary thinking with operational accountability. Register for our virtual Sales Symposium, which takes place March 10th, 2026 – https://jeffreyscott.biz/sales-symposium/ Takeaways: Strategic decision-making and continuous improvement in scaling a business Why dropping services can accelerate growth and profitability Applying the “hedgehog concept” to define core business focus Outsourcing vs. in-house services: when to add or remove offerings Transitioning from residential design-build to commercial maintenance Leadership evolution and empowering senior teams Importance of systems auditing and software process cleanup Managing growth capacity through people, processes, and strategy Trust but verify: inspecting operations without micromanaging Lessons learned from rapid expansion and operational challenges The post The Discipline of Growth: Using Continuous Improvement to Make Smarter Strategic Decisions with Chase Mullin appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode Jeffrey Scott tackles the critical topic of sales goal setting in preparation for an upcoming Sales Symposium. He challenges the traditional top-down approach to goal assignment and advocates for a collaborative method where salespeople participate in creating their own commitments rather than simply complying with quotas. Jeffrey breaks down how to structure effective sales goals by type and month, connect activities to outcomes, and create genuine buy-in from your team that translates to resilience when market challenges arise. Register now for our Sales Symposium, which takes place March 10th. The early bird ends last week of February. Takeaways: Replace top-down quota assignment with collaborative goal-setting to transform compliance into genuine commitment Break sales goals down by month and type (maintenance, enhancements, new sales) rather than using simple annual targets Set activity goals as leading indicators to track inputs like phone calls, proposals, and site visits alongside sales outputs Monitor both conservative baseline goals and stretch goals to account for natural performance variation across your team Involve salespeople in creating monthly targets to enable mid-month adjustments and coaching opportunities Align sales goals with production scheduling and revenue planning for company-wide coordination Track closing ratios and deal size to connect activity inputs with sales outcomes The post The Art to Setting Highly Effective Sales Goals and Achieving Massive Buy-In with Jeffrey Scott appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Mark Sedley, CEO of Granum, the parent company behind LMN, SingleOps, and Greenius, to explore his entrepreneurial journey and bold vision for the green industry. From knocking on doors as a teenager to leading software platforms serving landscaping and tree care businesses, Mark shares how his background shaped his leadership style, why landscaping is harder than running a software company, and how technology, education, and labor solutions must evolve together. The conversation dives deep into industry fragmentation, the growing complexity of landscape operations, and why training, middle management development, and workforce empowerment are critical for the future of the green industry. Key Takeaways Entrepreneurial mindset vs. caretaker leadership Why landscaping operations are uniquely complex Tree care vs. landscape market dynamics Software consolidation vs. organic growth The role of education and middle management training Greenius’ evolution into a labor and learning marketplace Solving the green industry’s labor and skills gap Lessons from scaling and exiting software companies The post The Innovative Spirit of Granum (LMN, Greenius and Single Ops) with new CEO Mark Sedgley appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott steps away from traditional business strategy to explore a more intentional and sustainable approach to personal goal setting for the new year. Rather than relying on reactive New Year’s resolutions, Jeffrey explains why they often fail and introduces a simple but powerful framework built around four core questions: Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? And what do you want to have? Drawing from personal experiences, travel aspirations, family life, health goals, and leadership growth, he shares how aligning personal goals with purpose creates clarity, focus, and long-term momentum. Jeffrey also emphasizes the importance of pacing, prioritization, accountability partners, and borrowing proven business tools like quarterly goals and OKRs to support personal development in 2026 and beyond. Takeaways: Personal goal setting vs. New Year’s resolutions The “Be, Do, Go, Have” goal framework Aligning personal purpose with professional growth Simplifying goals to avoid overwhelm Using quarterly prioritization for personal goals The role of environment, travel, and exposure in growth Accountability partners and shared goal setting Removing negative influences to sustain progress The post Setting Simple Personal Goals That Move The Needle with Jeffrey Scott appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Dan Simpson, Manager of Product Marketing at Fleetio, joins Jeffrey Scott to break down why fleet and equipment management is one of the most overlooked — yet most volatile — cost centers in landscaping and contracting businesses. Dan shares insights from his hands-on background in construction and years working directly with fleets, explaining how better visibility, preventative maintenance, inspections, fuel tracking, and data-driven decisions can dramatically reduce breakdowns, control costs, and protect margins. The conversation dives into why landscaping companies are also “in the fleet business,” how software and data turn gut-feel decisions into confident ones, and where AI and automation are heading in fleet management. Takeaways: Fleet management as a hidden profit lever Preventative maintenance vs. reactive repairs Inspections and communication from the field Fuel cost visibility and control Total cost of ownership for vehicles and equipment Reducing downtime and breakdown volatility Tracking tools, assets, and accountability Using data to make smarter equipment decisions Integrations with accounting and ops software The future of AI and automation in fleet operations [/digg] The post Fleet Management Software Explained by Dan Simpson of Fleetio appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott addresses the critical relationship between budgeting and business strategy for landscape company CEOs planning for 2026. He identifies a fundamental problem: too many companies treat budgeting as a checkbox exercise rather than a confirmation of their strategic direction. Drawing from his consulting experience with landscape businesses, he walks through ten common disconnects between budgets and operational reality—from unclear owner objectives to poor equipment management and weak cash flow planning. His core message is that effective budgeting requires intentional decision-making about what kind of company you’re building, whether that’s a lifestyle business, a growth company, or a sellable asset, and every financial decision should reinforce that goal. Takeaways: Strategy-Budget Alignment: Budgets should confirm your business strategy, not exist as separate exercises disconnected from how you actually run the company Revenue as Capacity-Driven: Revenue planning must be based on actual labor capacity and billable hours, not aspirational goals or ego-driven milestones Detailed Gross Profit Analysis: Break down gross profit margins by division and service type rather than using global averages to uncover hidden opportunities and blind spots Subcontractor Markup Strategy: Different subcontractors require different markups based on management intensity and how integrated their work is into your final product Owner Compensation Planning: Treat owner compensation as a planned business cost with market-based pay plus return on capital, not as whatever’s leftover Cash Flow as Separate Strategy: Develop a dedicated cash management strategy including better contract terms, collections processes, and vendor negotiations to ensure the business can sustain itself The post Aligning Budgets with Business Strategy: 10 Key Insights with Jeffrey Scott appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

This is a replay of a previous episode featuring Wade and Dustin Vugteveen, owners of DeHamer Landscaping, a $10M+ landscaping firm based in Grandville, Michigan. They do a mix of snow, maintenance, landscape and irrigation. We discuss their history of startups, first with a baseball training business and then in retail. We discuss how hard it was for them early on, and how difficult it is to grow a business as an entrepreneur. These two have taken a series of risks over and over again, which has allowed them to scale their business quickly. Business is more of a “calling” for them as a people-first company. You will enjoy stories and their ride. Apply for our Leaders Edge Peer Group Here. The post Taking Big Risks with Wade and Dustin Vugteveen appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.

Join Jeffrey Scott for an insightful conversation with two leaders from Aspire: Mark Tipton, co-founder and former CEO, and Eli Zevin, the current General Manager. Mark shares his 12-year journey building Aspire from a skunkworks project into the leading landscape business management software, while Eli discusses his transition from Service Titan and his vision for Aspire’s AI-powered future. This episode explores leadership transitions, scaling software companies, company culture, implementation challenges, and the revolutionary role of artificial intelligence in transforming the landscape industry. Takeaways: Mark Tipton reflects on his 12-year journey with Aspire. Eli Zevin emphasizes the importance of client success. The legacy of Kevin Kehoe has shaped Aspire’s culture. Leadership requires navigating obstacles and challenges. Core values are critical for business success. AI technology will revolutionize the landscape industry. Simplicity in implementation leads to better outcomes. Customer success management is essential for growth. Mergers and acquisitions are becoming more common in the industry. Aspire is well-positioned to leverage new technologies. The post Leadership & Growth Lessons from Aspire Software, with Mark Tipton and Eli Zevin appeared first on Jeffrey Scott.