In this episode, our longtime friend Lee Buffington, Founder & CEO of Thrive Outdoor in Alabama, shares stories from his 29-year journey as a landscape pro. Starting his company at 19 years old, he shares the challenges that seemed big in the early years, how his team has overcome them, and what they're working on today.

Lee delves into the critical importance of mindset, emphasizing how attitude can elevate someone from a weed eater operator to a successful business leader. He discusses the evolution of his company over nearly three decades, examining current industry trends and the management of multiple locations. He highlights the use of data analysis through platforms like Aspire, which has streamlined operations and informed decision-making. Throughout the conversation, Lee underscores the significance of building strong relationships, both with clients and team members, and how ‘leading with love’ fosters a positive work environment. He also offers valuable advice for aspiring landscapers, including the importance of mentorship and the impact of hiring the best talent. Tune in for an inspiring and insightful discussion about perseverance, growth, and the power of community in business.

In This Episode:

• Intro of guest Lee Buffington, Alabama and family discussion
• From dreams of medical school to the landscaping industry
• Early challenges, being a young solopreneur, surviving winters
• 29 years in business, examining the business and industry today
• Physical locations of Thrive Outdoor in Alabama
• Mindset and attitude can take you all the way from weed eater operator to company head in the landscaping industry
• Realizing you are the bottleneck
• Collecting and analyzing data - Aspire
• Managing multiple locations and a changing industry, Grunder’s new branch
• Business success and relationships, leading with love
• Would you have done anything differently?
• Paying for the best people
• Learning from all levels of team members
• Advice for landscapers - mentors
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Share with someone in landscaping, subscribe, like, share, and send us your show ideas and comments!

The Grow Show podcast is spons

In this episode of The Grow Show, Marty Grunder and Seth Jones, Editorial Director of Landscape Management Magazine, dive deep into the emerging trends, such as the growing influence of technology and innovative sales approaches that are reshaping the sector. Seth shares his professional journey and the current outlook for landscaping businesses, offering insights into overcoming the anticipated challenges of 2024 and 2025. The conversation also explores how peer groups have led to impressive results and examines valuable lessons gleaned from journalism and golf industry trends. Additionally, Marty and Seth discuss the importance of “consistent and constant low-risk experiments” for entrepreneurs. Tune in for a comprehensive analysis of how landscaping professionals can adapt to industry shifts and drive success.

In This Episode:

• Welcome to guest Seth Jones, Editorial Director of Landscape Managment Magazine
• Marty’s monthly column, Professor Dr. Frank Henniger
• Seth’s background and path to current success
• Looking at the industry - current and future outlook
• Unique approaches to increased sales seen in the industry
• Peer groups and great results
• Can we learn anything from trends in the journalism sector?
• Changing lives with content
• Trends to watch in the golf industry
• Embracing technology of all types - broaden your horizons
• “Consistent and constant low-risk experiments” are crucial for entrepreneurs
• Exciting elements of the landscaping industry in Seth’s world
• How to get in touch, submitting ideas
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Share with someone in landscaping, subscribe, like, share, and send us your show ideas and comments!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Seth Jones LinkedIn &nbs

Seth Pflum, President of Grunder Landscaping Co., and has been instrumental in leading the team's growth alongside Marty in his 12+ years with the company. A huge part of that growth has come from investing in, and believing in, the leaders on their team. In this episode, Marty and Seth will discuss how the company culture has shifted at Grunder, what they're doing to constantly look for new opportunities for their team members, and how this renewed focus on the team has impacted all of them.

In This Episode:

• Spinning vinyl on a new record player
• Seth’s journey over the last few years
• Shifting the company culture, eschewing negativity
• Be a solution
• Monthly GROW meetings, what is shared with the teams
• Finding leadership material
• Using StrengthsFinder for team improvement
• Allowing your team members to learn and grow on their own, coaching and teaching
• Focus on sales
• Non-linear growth- how Grunder sees it
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Seth Pflum LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/seth-pflum-01b460b4/

StrengthsFinder Test  

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH 

Grunder Fall Field Trips   

The Grow Group 

At GROW! 2025, Vince Torchia will lead a workshop session where attendees can start to build out a Bonus Program plan. In this episode, Vince gives the cliff notes version of what you should consider if you're thinking about implementing a Bonus Program for your team!

In This Episode:

• Vince is out with one of the many ACE groups this week
• Two types of bonus programs - what’s the difference?
• Aligning team behaviors with goals for a bonus program
• Clarity in communications around the goals
• Using scoreboards or scorecards to track goals
• How each job relates to the goal
• Keep calculations simple
• How and when will you share progress with your team?
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

Grunder Fall Field Trips   

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

In this insightful episode, Marty delves into the essential components of effective team leadership and training. The emphasis is on gratitude, how safety is paramount, and the power of engaging storytelling. From the intricacies of operational procedures to the strategic "why" behind training, each detail underscores the importance of clarity and repetition. Whether you're leading a crew or managing your own team, Marty's wisdom on patience, praise, and involving the whole team promises transformative insights for fostering excellence in landscaping and beyond.

In This Episode:

• Gratitude for the good things, including great son-in-laws
• Training - what not to do 
• Engaging your audience
• Weighing the importance of certain training topics
• Start with a “why” around the training
• Train your teachers that safety is #1
• Be patient, have patience
• Keep your eye on details, follow operating procedures
• The importance of clarity
• Repetition, repetition, repetition
• Looking at your company’s SWOT
• Involve the whole team
• The power of praise - for dogs…and people
• Recapping
• Have you signed up for GROW! 2025?
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group 

Grunder Landscaping 

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl

Where do you find new business when you need it? Finding new clients is key to a company's growth but can be challenging for salespeople: this isn't something they teach in school. 

In this episode, Marty delves into his favorite strategies to elevate your landscaping business to new heights. From uncovering the fun in prospecting and discovering your team’s motivation, he explores how residential and commercial referrals—perhaps from your clients’ neighbors—can be goldmines. Whether it’s using golf outings and meals for prospecting or tapping into community meetings, our discussion revolves around the timeless advice: go where your clients are. Join us as we uncover the secrets to thriving in the landscaping industry by mastering these essential elements of business strategy.

In This Episode:

• Microsoft OneNote and it’s usefulness
• 2024 hits four decades of service
• Prospecting can be fun
• What’s your “why”? Do you know what motivates your team?
• Residential and commercial referrals- how about your clients’ neighbors?
• Prospecting with golf and meals
• Other community meetings and groups to prospect
• Go where your clients are
• Recapping
• Have you signed up for GROW! 2025?
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

In this episode, Marty Grunder and James Cali discuss how they initially met, what they've learned from working togther on our ACE Peer Group Program, and what they love to see landscaping companies implement because of the results that come from it.

James Cali is a Grow Group executive coach, where he draws on his more than 25 years of executive leadership experience within the professional services industry to help business owners develop and execute strategy. Having helped lead a landscape firm from $3M to more than $28M in annual revenue, he is a master tactician whose focus on consistent planning, accountability, and finance drives green-industry companies forward. In addition to his work with The Grow Group, he co-leads McFarlin Stanford, a professional bookkeeping and recruiting firm, and is former chairman of NALP’s government affairs committee. A graduate of the University of New Orleans with an MBA from Southern Methodist University, Jim is based in Dallas, Texas.

In This Episode:

• Visiting job sites and Jimmy John sandwiches
• How James and Marty met at GROW 2016
• OHIO - a great business acronym
• Best practices - in any business
• Team building - corporate vs. landscaping businesses
• Spending a day with a team member- the irrigation story
• Relationships and growth
• Recognizing team members’ anniversaries
• One-on-one meetings - save your questions, the best use of your time
• Consistency - meetings, profit sharing, holiday parties
• Traditions 
• The ACE Program - revenue, membership, growth, community
• How Italy became an international destination for ACEs
• Accountability Creates Excellence (ACE) - how to join, how it works, ROI
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

James Cali LinkedIn  

How can you exemplify exceptional customer service? Being courteous and thoughtful goes a long way in impressing clients, and usually that doesn't mean doing anything that hard. Smiling and saying hello when you see someone outside, pause your blower for a second as someone walks by, or pull up the trashcans for your client if you're there on trash day. Little things add up to delighting your clients, in this episode, Marty Grunder shares how crews can do just that.

When you focus on cultivating profitable, ideal, and sustainable client relationships, it’s the little things can make a significant impact. Marty shares how things like excellent communication, driving courteously, and sending clients visuals of completed work are easy to do, and are incredible ways to stand out “in a sea of sameness”. With smiles, patience, and thoughtful actions, your crew can set a high standard for customer service in the landscaping industry.

In This Episode:

• Throwing out the first pitch!
• Have you received poor customer service recently?
• Bob Rhodes and Marty’s house and yard
• Profitable clients, ideal clients, sustainable clients
• Little things that make an impact 
• Great communication
• Considerate practices - turn off your equipment when people are near
• Are you driving in a courteous manner? You’re a rolling billboard for the business
• Send your clients visuals of your work when complete
• Look for ways to stand out!
• Don’t park in “inconvenient” spots at your clients' locations
• Smell good, look good, be good, be considerate
• Smiling, patience, thoughtful actions
• Recapping 
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

In this episode of The Grow Show, Lisa Grunder, who has been married to Marty Grunder for over 30 years, shares insights into their journey together. From meeting in college to navigating the early years of Grunder Landscaping Co., Lisa delves into the challenges and triumphs of balancing work, family, and life. Marty and Lisa highlight the importance of dividing responsibilities and leveraging each other's skill sets, emphasizing the crucial role of family support. They also discuss the passion and intensity Marty has always had in their business, advocating for the mantra "notice, pause, allow." Touching on topics like going back to teaching after raising young children, communication in marriage, and financial planning, Lisa offers valuable advice and reflections on raising kids within the context of a family business.

In This Episode:

• Lisa and Marty - Meeting in college, early career days
• Entrepreneurial family history
• Work, family, and life balance 
• Dividing responsibilities, working within your skill set
• Family support is key
• Passion and intensity, ‘notice, pause, allow’
• Going back to teaching after raising young kids
• Grown children, communication in a marriage, financial planning
• Kids and the family business
• Advice and closing thoughts
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Famous Cookie Recipe!

NALP Field Trip at Landscape Workshop June 11-12, Birmingham AL    

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group

Ever think Grunder Landscaping Co. has it all figured out? Think again! This week, Marty Grunder shares some mistakes we've made over the years, and how we bounced back. Because mistakes happen, but it's your reaction that determines if you and your team recover or get bogged down.

Marty unpacks common pitfalls like micromanaging, perfectionism, and failing to delegate. You'll hear about the importance of trusting your team and the dangers of "trusting but not verifying." The episode also tackles financial mistakes and the fear of asking for help. By learning from these missteps, you can become a more effective and well-rounded leader, embracing the message: “nobody's perfect, but we can all learn and GROW from our mistakes.”

In This Episode:

• Receiving a complimentary call about a team leader
• Lack of focus - is this an issue with you?
• Using subcontractors for non-core competency jobs
• Not letting go, impatience, perfectionism, not giving people a chance
• Trusting but not verifying, believing excuses, imposter syndrome
• Not knowing enough about finance, not sharing information
• Not asking for help
• Looking for someone to blame rather than looking for solutions
• Other mistakes - poor interviewing process, debt and cash flow issues, and other dumb stuff
• Nobody’s perfect, but learn from your mistakes 24/7, be humble
• Two pros that demonstrate humility
• Send us your feedback, add your comments, like, share, and send us your show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Episode 48: Clay Mathile

Episode 45: Gene Freeman

NALP Field Trip at Landscape Workshop June 11-12, Birmingham AL    

Feeling overwhelmed and buried in never-ending to-do lists? It's Spring, and we know how busy it can get. In this episode, Vince Torchia shares questions you can ask yourself so you can make sure you're prioritizing correctly, planning appropriately, staying on top of your numbers, and also staying sane.

Vince will help you identify your biggest priority and cut through the noise.  Learn powerful strategies to shift from reactive firefighting to proactive planning. Unleash the power of daily metrics to track your progress and crush your goals. But wait, there's more! We'll also show you the importance of scheduling time with family and friends to avoid burnout and leave room for the things that truly matter outside of work. Stop feeling like you're constantly treading water. Tune in and discover a newfound sense of purpose and accomplishment.

In This Episode:

• How much time are you spending solving your number one problem?
• Identify your biggest priority, are you spending time on it each week?
• Offense or defense? Proactive or reactive?
• Take a pause if you find yourself being reactive
• Do you spend time looking at your numbers on a daily basis?
• Sales, bank balances, hours worked, A/R balances - check them daily
• Gather 3-5 numbers and look at balances every morning
• Are you scheduling non-work activities on the calendar each week?
• Don’t neglect time with family, friends, and things you enjoy
• Send us your feedback and show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

NALP Field Trip at Landscape Workshop June 11-12, Birmingham AL    

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Skilled team members want a career, not just a job. Showing them the career path that's available to them, outlining what it will take for them to be promoted, and then following through on what's promised is essential for retention. In this episode, Vince Torchia shares how he sees successful teams doing this.

Vince unveils Grunder’s roadmap for their team members, illustrating clear paths to promotions and advancement using real-world examples to inspire and guide them. Vince recommends specific steps you can take to illuminate paths to advancement including essential training and certifications, publicizing organizational charts at various revenue milestones, and spotlighting a standout team member as a beacon of success. 

In This Episode:

• Updating the company mission statement
• Show the path to promotions and advancement to your team
• As your company grows, your org chart expands
• What and how do employees find their career path? Give them examples
• What training or certification is necessary to move up?
• Find a way to offer training every week
• What you can do today - publish your $1M, $3M, and $5M org charts
• Identify a team member to model their career path
• Send us your feedback and show ideas

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

NALP Field Trip at Landscape Workshop June 11-12, Birmingham AL    

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping 

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

In this episode, Marty Grunder emphasizes the crucial role of having a clear vision for the future, particularly for 2025, to unite and inspire your team behind a common goal. Marty shares insights on defining your vision and why it should be developed now. The episode covers topics such as the importance of having a personal “superbowl” vision, drawing parallels between sports and business, and the significance of a well-defined vision for long-term success. Grunder also reflects on his early days, the value of visualizing success, and how a cohesive vision benefits the entire team.

Grunder Landscaping Vision and Mission

Our Vision: To be recognized as leaders and as a growing company that provides opportunities for our team.

Our Mission: Create opportunities for our team to grow and succeed by enhancing the beauty and value of every client’s property while exceeding their expectations every step of the way.

In This Episode:

• Have you seen the Pete Rose documentary?
• Your vision is your personal “superbowl” 
• Intensity and recovery - sports and business
• What is your vision for success? What does it look like in 1 year, 5 years?
• Marty’s daughter, soccer, and life preparation
• Visualizing a path for Grunder Landscaping in the early days
• When the team wins, everybody wins
• A vision takes time to get right
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Share with someone in landscaping, subscribe, like, share, and send us your show ideas and comments!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Book: The Power of Full Engagement   https://www.amazon.com/Power-Full-Engagement-Managing-Performance/dp/0743226755

In this excerpt from our Virtual Sales Bootcamp, Marty Grunder is joined by Chris Psencik to discuss qualities that successful salespeople have, and how you can work to develop these qualities and the skills they lead to yourself.

Happening today, May 8-9 2024: Recharge Your Selling Approach from the Ease of Your Office or Home Join us online to dive even deeper into sales best practices for landscaping teams. During this event, Grunder Landscaping Co. President & CEO Marty Grunder will share the strategies, tips, and tactics he's used to win at sales in his nearly 40 years of selling landscaping work. In this event, he's joined by Executive Coach and Facilitator, Chris Psencik from McFarlin Stanford, along with Emily Lindley of the Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co.You can access the recordings from Virtual Sales Bootcamp and Virtual Sales Bootcamp 2.0

Chris Psencik is head of a Landscape and Construction Management Coaching Practice, specializing in Sales Execution. With two decades of Green Industry expertise, he's excelled in business development roles at major firms, garnering consistent recognition for his accomplishments. With a keen eye for improvement, he guides companies in enhancing their sales and customer relationship management practices. Chris offers coaching and feedback on sales strategies, aiming to streamline processes and meet revenue goals. He firmly believes in sales professionals owning their role as brand ambassadors, emphasizing accountability and dedication.

In This Episode:

• Marty introduces the episode
• Are you a hunter or a zookeeper?
• Knowledge is key to your sales
• How do you answer when you don’t have the answer?
• Family friend CJ and football
• Practice and training…essential in any role
• Reading great books by sales experts (links below)
• Emotional intelligence, empathy, and active listening

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Chris Psencik

Virtual Sales Bootcamp 2.0

Get to know JT Price, the CEO of Landscape Workshop. In this interview, JT shares stories with Marty from the early days of taking over the company, talks about what he's learned from acquisitions he's done, shares mistakes he's made along the way, and talks about why the company culture at Landscape Workshop is what it is. The conversation explores JT's path to scaling the business, the importance of internal culture shifts, and how to effectively track customer focus. 

JT also discusses valuable leadership tips, including his morning routines, handling low performers, and avoiding the pitfalls of unintentionally rewarding poor performance. He emphasizes the importance of granular data collection through strong systems and processes.  The episode concludes with a look towards the future of Landscape Workshop and a reminder to register for the NALP Field Trip in June!

In This Episode:

• Introduction to JT, the joys of family, dogs, and grandchildren
• Current status of Landscape Workshop and looking forward
• JT’s career journey to scaling Landscape Workshop
• Implementing culture changes internally
• Tracking customer attention
• Mistakes and corrections
• Morning rituals, leadership tips
• Morale and low performers
• ‘Accidentally’ incentivizing poor performance, getting granular
• Systems and processes to collect the right data
• Looking to the future of Landscape Workshop
• Register for the NALP Field Trip in June!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

NALP Field Trip at Landscape Workshop

June 11-12, 2024

Birmingham, Alabama

Running effective sales meetings helps your entire team maximize their day and their time together, and is one of the hallmarks of a well-run sales team. In this episode, Marty Grunder speaks with Grunder’s Director of Sales Operations Chris Maloney, on how he approaches sales. Chris also shares details about a typical day on his sales team, including the Tuesday sales meeting structure, fun team activities, and sales techniques for different customer types. 

In This Episode:

• Chris’ career path before joining Grunder Landscaping
• Different products, but sales methods remain similar
• Transferable skills from retail
• “A day in the life” on Chris’ sales team
• Tuesday sales meeting - how is it structured?
• Fun and social activities that build camaraderie
• Sales techniques, different types of customers
• Words of wisdom from Chris - keep it simple, be consistent 
• Share this episode with someone who might benefit!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Chris Maloney LinkedIn  

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

As schedules get busier, it's easy to get frustrated. With your team, with your clients, or just with the general public. In a continuation of "Nice People Don't Finish Last", Marty Grunder shares how leaders at every level of the organization can be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Marty urges people to stay calm and collected under pressure, especially leaders. The challenges of managing stress and avoiding outbursts, using techniques like "Notice, pause, allow" are explored to help control reactions and improve communication. By taking responsibility for their emotions and remaining composed, leaders can gain respect and contribute to a more positive work environment.

In This Episode:

• The book, Winning With Accountability
• Stress and losing your cool
• The wrong way to handle issues
• Seeing a therapist to improve your reactions
• Reacting without escalating to anger
• Using “Notice, pause, allow”
• Controlling your reactions if you want to succeed in your organization
• Clarifying intentions
• Keeping your cool increases respect
• Taking responsibility
• Share this episode with someone who might benefit!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Book: Winning With Accountability  

Book: You Don’t Need a Title to Be a Leader   

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

Marty Grunder kicked off GROW! 2024 in Des Moines, IA with a talk entitled "Nice People Don't Finish Last: How Kindness Fuels Success," This week's episode is a replay of that session. It's April and as we're in the thick of busy season kick-off, let's remember the little things we do make an impact on the people around us.

In This Episode:

• Kicking it off with a little AC/DC “Grunder Struck”
• Des Moines vs. Dayton, dining out, and touring RJ Lawn & Landscaping
• An unusual experience with United Airlines
• Being kind, Marty’s loss of his mom and dad
• Giving the benefit of the doubt, asking questions
• Notice, pause, allow
• If you’re angry, people won’t get your message
• Admitting you’re wrong, apologizing, being grateful

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn 

Stihl  

Do you know where you should be in your annual planning right now?

Spring is in full force, and there are things that every landscape pro should be doing and have in place at this time of the year. Tune in to hear Marty Grunder share three things he does to keep control of his life and his roles at The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co. even when it gets a little hectic. From staying on track with your annual plan and prioritizing ruthlessly Marty highlights the importance of weekly calendar reviews and strong leadership qualities like empathy and recognition.  Remember, as a leader, you're held to a higher standard.

Discussion Points:

• A traffic stop and a cop’s kindness
• Where you should be in your annual plan
• Becoming laser-focused and letting go of certain business aspects
• Setting time for calendar review each week
• Leaders are held to a higher standard
• Finding positives to compliment, rewarding with praise and recognition
• Empathy- is your team stressed out?
• Review and key takeaways

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful landscaping companies in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn Stihl  

Fellow Daytonian, family man and podcaster Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show, joins Marty to talk about the interviews he's done on his podcast and what he's learned from talking with some of the brightest business minds. Ryan muses on the value of capturing your parents’ life stories and wisdom, dives into leadership advice, and lets us in on how he was inspired to write his first book, "Welcome to Management". You’ll hear practical tips for immediate improvement and long-term strategies for building leaders. Marty and Ryan reminisce about Clay Mathile’s appearance on Ryan’s podcast, and remind listeners to check out his new book, "The Score That Matters," on March 24th.

Discussion Points:

• Ryan’s path to podcast greatness
• A little about Ryan, his kids, and his high-profile family
• Have you ever recorded a conversation of your parent(s) talking about their lives?
• Wisdom from the book “Welcome to Management”
• Practical takeaways to put into practice as a manager
• Long-term strategies - Creating a culture of building leaders
• “The Pursuit of Excellence” - showcasing how other leaders lead - a way of life
• What you can do right now, today to improve 
• What can you do to “win your morning”?
• Ryan highlights some of his most interesting guests
• Marty’s favorite Learning Leader episode - Clay Mathile
• The new book, “The Score That Matters” drops March 24th

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Learning Leader   

Book - The Score That Matters    

Ryan Hawk LinkedIn   

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping

In 2023, the Dayton community said goodbye to a business legend and selfless leader. Clay Mathile is best known as the businessman who took over running The Iams Company and then sold the business to P&G in 1999 for $2.3B. In the years since that sale, Clay invested his time and money in other entrepreneurs, and Marty counts himself fortunate to have been the beneficiary of so much of Clay's advice and guidance. In this episode, Marty shares what he learned from Clay and the impact it had on Grunder Landscaping Co.'s trajectory.

Discussion Points:

• GROW! 2024 and the city of Des Moines
• Meeting Clay, the book Clay gave him, and a new trajectory
• A friend in Clay’s son, memories through the years - baseball and more
• 16 things Marty learned from Clay
• Listening, structure, strategy
• Don’t let your business run you
• Get the book free by sharing this episode
• Staying focused, mission and vision statements
• Dreams vs. strategic plans
• Paying for ‘good help’
• Get a board of advisors
• Home life and business life
• Dressing well, but not flashy
• Being a good person and helping others
• Next time you buy IAMs for your pet, think of Clay

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Book: Focus  

Aileron School  

Book: Run Your Business  

Book: Dream No Little Dream

Do you take time to notice and compliment your team members when they are doing great things? Is your business mission and vision clear and communicated often to all? As we kick off another spring season full of opportunities for landscape pros, Marty Grunder shares some thoughts for landscape pros and entrepreneurs, to help motivate you to hit the ground running and make hay while the sun shines. 

Discussion Points:

• Do you have clarity of purpose in your business?
• Accountability - do your actions line up with your words?
• Planning, controlling your emotions, being consistent
• Boss your calendar, don’t let it boss you
• Review your calendar and plan out as far as possible
• Prospect, nurture, close
• Notice, pause, allow
• Marty regrets past overreactions 
• Most importantly - use the power of positive reinforcement
• Vince and his puppy Charlie
• Key takeaways

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Grow Group  https://www.growgroupinc.com/

Grunder Landscaping  https://grunderlandscaping.com/

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/martygrunder/

Stihl  https://www.stihlusa.com/

GROW! 2024 in Des Moines was a smashing success, and we’re excited to see you next year in Columbus OH.  

The weather outside may still be cold, but it's go time for landscaping sales! Are you ready to hit the ground running this spring so that you can crush your sales goals? In this episode, Marty shares the three things sales pros can do now to make sure they have a successful year ahead.

Discussion Points:

• Recapping some GROW highlights, Columbus OH next year
• Non-negotiables for Grunder employees
• The three keys to success 
• Use your energy for things you can control
• Boss your calendar
• Plan your time
• Keeping active, exercising, and eating right

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

In this episode, Marty Grunder goes through the tips and tricks he uses to get a sale over the finish line. He'll share ways that salespeople can politely ask for business and move the sale to "won" without having commission breath.

You’ll hear Marty unveil how to handle leads with precision and speed, and learn the essential steps to turn inquiries into sales. Marty dives into common pitfalls and excuses, highlighting the top qualities that make a successful salesperson—honesty, detail, and reliability. Tune in to master the art of being "professionally pushy" and transform your sales approach into a winning formula. Don't miss these game-changing insights!

In This Episode:

• Returning from a family vacation
• Sales are hard for everyone right now
• Handle incoming leads and inquiries quickly & correctly
• Seven step selling process steps, “speed kills” saying
• Excuses for not setting your process up correctly
• Top qualities - be honest, be detailed, do what you said you would do, etc.
• Stay “professionally pushy”
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Share with someone in landscaping, subscribe, like, share, and send us your show ideas and comments!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Virtual Sales Bootcamp 

Grunder Landscaping Fall 2024 Field Trips  

Ten Step Sales Document  https://martygrunder-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/lindsey_growgroupinc_com/Eb-0p5KMrE5ElDHCgk_0AEcBdYMC2jTsX8KSddCbS_S9EA?e=bMxmx9

NALP Field Trip Sept 17-18, 2024 Chicago

Battery-powered equipment is a fan favorite for clients because of the reduced noise, but many pros struggle with how to switch their crews over. In this episode, Marty Grunder is joined by a panel of experts who share their advice on setting crews up for success with battery-powered equipment and share best practices if you're interested in trying it out yourself.

Marty discusses the transition to battery-powered landscaping equipment with Clint Deboer from Pro Tool Reviews, Brandon Haley from SSC Service Solutions, and Dan Mabe from the American Green Zone Alliance. Clint offers expertise in tool reviews, Brandon shares economic insights from his company's switch to electric equipment, and Dan, with his extensive experience in eco-friendly landscaping practices, delves into the industry's challenges and opportunities. Together, they cover the financial and environmental benefits, practical applications, and strategies for managing a battery-powered fleet, addressing the shift from traditional gas-powered tools to sustainable, electric alternatives.

Discussion Points:

• Revolution in landscaping with a shift to battery-powered tools
• Environmental and financial benefits of electric equipment
• Addressing battery-powered fleet management and crew adaptation
• Importance of solar power and noise reduction
• Overcoming resistance to change in landscaping practices
• Environmental impact of batteries throughout their life cycle
• Cost savings and efficiency of electric landscaping tools
• Practicalities of using battery-powered chainsaws and trimmers
• Logistical challenges of maintaining power for battery tools
• Navigating change management for a smooth transition to electric equipment
• Real-world examples of successful switches to battery power in landscaping
• Encouraging informed decisions and support for battery tool platforms

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Daniel Mabe LinkedIn  

Clint Deboer LinkedIn   

This episode is a rerun because we think the message is just so important to teams as we get ready to ramp up for Spring. Having a growth mindset is a key determiner of success that we see in the leaders that we work with at The Grow Group. In this episode Marty Grunder and Vince Torchia share how leaders can embrace a growth mindset and accept accountability for the role they play in their team's success and failure. When they do this, their companies GROW.

Have you ever heard someone say, “I feel like I’m surrounded by idiots!”? That person does not have a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset is a key determiner of success that we see in the leaders that we work with at The Grow Group. In this episode, Marty Grunder and Vince Torchia share how leaders can embrace a growth mindset and accept accountability for the role they play in their team's success and failure. When they do this, their companies GROW.

Discussion Points:

• Growth mindset, looking internally
• A case study with an anonymous colleague
• Seeing the growth mindset in action
• Examples and accountability
• Identifying those who lack the growth mindset
• Training, capacity, and attitude
• Questions to ask yourself as a leader
• Incremental success and the growth mindset
• Seeing mistakes as opportunities for improvement
• The GROW conference
• Ryan and Annette McCarthy, GROW hosts
• Recap - questions to ask
• More details on Des Moines and GROW conference

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024 

The Grow Group 

Grunder Landscaping 

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Complete Landsculpture is an incredible landscaping business in Dallas that has grown tremendously over the years. Much like Marty and the team at GLC, Founders Gene Freeman and Chris Strempek have had wonderful success and they've also had mistakes in their years in business. In this episode, Gene shares what he's learned in his years in the landscaping industry, the best investments you can make, and why it's so important to be involved in your community.

Discussion Points:

• Intro and background - Gene Freeman
• Gene’s partnership with fellow Gemini Chris Strempek
• Current markets and sales
• Competitive advantages 
• College isn’t necessary in our industry
• How ops work at Complete Landsculpture
• The PM crew
• Technology and software
• Chevy trucks and equipment
• Advice on opening branch offices
• Hosting and learning at GROW! 
• Family and enjoying success
• Advice for other landscape professionals

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Complete Landsculpture      https://completelandsculpture.com/

The Grow Group  https://www.growgroupinc.com/

Grunder Landscaping  https://grunderlandscaping.com/

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/martygrunder/

Stihl  https://www.stihlusa.com/

If you do nothing, guess what happens? Nothing.  Don’t just learn something new and inspiring and do nothing with it, put it to work in your business or personal life! In this episode, Marty shares four basic pillars that support every successful landscaping company, and what companies need to know to build these strong pillars in 2024.

Discussion Points:

• Why aren’t you at GROW! 2024?
• Doing nothing can sneak up on you
• Platform, people, process, profits
• Platform - your vision
• People - your team
• Process - systems that replicate your success
• Profits - result from the first three pillars working well
• Finding ideas and inspiration from businesses around you
• Landscape Workshop and Sieberts Chicago and their admirable success
• Complaining and procrastinating - just do something!
• Company tours coming up
• Final thoughts on making some changes

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Grow Group 

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

What do you wish people would say about you in your eulogy? Taking a genuine interest in others is one of the best ways to “win friends and influence people” as Dale Carnegie said. In this episode, Marty Grunder shares ways that you can be a better teammate by taking an interest in the people you work with. People always work better together when they actually like each other. 

Discussion Points:

• Speaking in Atlantic City for Site One
• Dale Carnegie’s book
• Marty’s Mom and her winning attitude
• Joe Burrow and other sports figures with the right outlook
• Bob Grover and his son Dave
• Vince Torchia and his impact
• The amazing things that can happen when you’re interested in others
• 4 suggestions to help develop your new habit
• Read “How to Win Friends” - link below
• Join us for GROW! 2024

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Site One   

Building a Winning Company Culture Episode  

Book: How to Win Friends   

GROW! Conference Feb 2024  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

From Covid credits and cash incentives to sky-high demand over the last few years, we’ve gotten into some habits that may be hard to break in our industry. Grow Group VP Vince Torchia talks about the three big challenges he saw companies face in 2023 and what companies should focus on to improve their chances for success in 2024. His three areas of focus are cash management, sales and revenue generation, and workforce development.

Discussion Points:

• 2023 - Cash, Sales, and Workforce Development 
• Credits and artificial cash injections from Covid
• Laziness around A/R - stats
• Sales and revenue - focus is returning in 2024
• Workforce development has been great in 2023
• Check your banking relationships, goals, training programs, and more for a great 2024
• Consolidation, mergers, acquisitions
• 2023 saw some of the best sales many landscaping companies ever had
• Volume and margins
• Planning is key for your future
• Join us for GROW! 2024

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024 

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

You’ll never have dinner alone, or sit at presentations for more than 45 minutes at the GROW! Conference 2024, happening February 6-8 in Des Moines, IA. In this episode, we discuss the conference in depth.  Vince Torchia turns the tables and interviews our host, Marty Grunder, on why he started The Grow Group and created the GROW! Annual Conference. He shares what he's learned along the way, the funny mistakes, and what our team considers when we build the agenda each year.

Discussion Points:

• What is GROW! all about?
• The first conference 
• Coming up with the conference agenda
• How GROW! stands out and what it offers
• Lessons learned at past GROW! conferences
• The structure and timing of the conference
• “Dine arounds” and the host company tour
• The highlight of 2024

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn 

Stihl  

Joe Chiellini has been a friend and colleague for nearly 20 years. His landscaping business started as a side hustle when he was a 19-year-old firefighter. Today, his company, ASI Landscape Management, is budgeting to hit $14M in 2024. You may recall that back in 2019, ASI hosted the GROW! Conference in Tampa. Joe shares his career journey with all its ups and downs, and talks scaling down to refocus, lessons learned, books recommended, and more. 

Joe Chiellini is the founder and CEO of ASI Landscape Management, originating in 1993.  In its humble beginnings ASI was a two-man residential lawn service. Currently under the leadership and guidance of Joe Chiellini, ASI is now a multi-county commercial business, employing 180 individuals with three branches covering the greater Tampa Bay and Orlando marketspace.  Joe Chiellini recently retired from his career as a Captain for Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue.  Joe served the people of Hillsborough County for almost 30 years all the while building and growing his landscape management company to where it is today.

Discussion Points:

• Intro and background - Joe Chiellini
• Working at the fire department at 19
• Growing the business to $13M
• Scaling down to refocus
• Lessons learned as a firefighter
• Explaining OTS
• Why the team likes to work at ASI
• Strategic planning is the steps from reality to your dream
• Technology and software
• Equipment and maintenance
• Find nuggets - no matter how small, just listen
• Modeling customer care after Publix grocery
• Family 
• Advice for the younger set
• No regrets over ‘mistakes’
• Looking forward five years
• Recommended books
• Physical fitness, cold plunges, and working out

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

As the year ends, we're looking for enhancement work that we can propose to our maintenance clients at Grunder Landscaping Co. now so that they can include it in their budgets for 2024 and we can build a backlog for next year. For commercial clients, we're collaborating with them as they finalize their budgets. For residential clients, we're reminding them that landscaping projects make great gifts for family members and investments.

Discussion Points:

• What do enhancements mean to your company?
• Small enhancements can easily fit in to your existing schedule
• Selling to existing clients can give you better margins
• Client satisfaction can be leveled up - show them what’s possible!
• You want professionals to let you know what’s wrong, what could be improved
• Check out our enhancements session at GROW! 2024
• Drainage and safety issues are Grunder’s top enhancements
• Commercial clients - sign landscaping and lush lawns
• Residential clients - privacy and drainage
• Presenting enhancements to clients

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping 

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

Annette and Ryan McCarthy, owners of RJ Lawn and Landscape, are a dynamic husband-wife duo who will also be our hosts for the GROW! 2024 conference in Des Moines February 6-8, 2024. In this interview, we hear the story of their company and how it has grown, what it's like to work with family, how they manage and motivate their team, and plans for the future. 

Please note: Early-bird pricing for the GROW! 2024 Conference ends November 1, register now to lock in our best rate! (Click the register link in resources section below)

Discussion Points:

• Unique hosts for GROW! Conference - snow and ice business, woman-owned
• RJ background and history of the company
• Finding staffers in the 90s, hiring women
• RJs business stats and breakdown
• Snow removal is a major recurring revenue
• Developing a mission statement and core values at RJ
• Recruiting and nurturing talent, employee events
• Tech and innovation
• RJ’s new building and its evolution
• Biggest challenges
• Future plans

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

RJ Lawn and Landscape

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

Register Now for Early Bird conference pricing before Nov. 1

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

In this episode of The Grow Show, Emily Lindley, Content & Events Manager at The Grow Group and Marketing Manager at Grunder Landscaping Co., details three ways GLC communicates with clients to strengthen relationships and set up clients to have beautiful, well-cared-for properties.

In This Episode:

• Preparing teams and clients for success
• Three simple communication strategies
• Care instructions for clients - tips on watering, fertilizing, pruning
• Automated after-service notes for maintenance clients
• General reminders - watering tips for dry periods, box moth protocols
• Communications combine marketing, sales, and production
• Sign up for GROW! 2025
• Share with someone in landscaping, subscribe, like, share, and send us your show ideas and comments!

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Emily Lindley LinkedIn  

NALP Field Trip Sept 17-18, 2024 Chicago 

GROW! 2025 Feb 25-27, Columbus OH  

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping 

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

Ask any organization what their number one issue is, and most companies will say, “communication.” Sharing information with the entire team at Grunder Landscaping Co. has always been a recipe for success. The entire team must be engaged with big growth goals, sales and revenue numbers, open positions, and where the company is headed. In this episode, Seth Pflum previews what he'll share at GROW! 2024 on how they share information with the broader team.

Discussion Points:

• No matter the size of your org, communication is the #1 issue
• Sharing creates buy-in to your vision and mission
• Repetition builds understanding
• Who should deliver your message?
• What is shared at Grunder
• Reasons for not sharing information
• Building an organization that runs without you
• Seth and his planned presentation for Grow! 2024

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Seth Pflum LinkedIn

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

Marty checks in with our GROW! 2023 tour hosts Jonathan and Josiah Peterson of Summit Landscape & Design near San Antonio, Texas to hear what has changed at their business since we toured their operation in February as part of GROW! 2023.

Discussion Points:

• Update since GROW! 2023
• Business in the San Antonio TX area

• The focus for 2024
• Looking at your finances for the coming year
• How things have changed since GROW! 2023 at Summit Landscape Design
• Why should you attend the GROW! 2024 Conference?
• You’ll get out what you put into attending the conference
• Be open about your struggles and ask questions

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Summit Landscape Design   

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

In this episode, Marty Grunder shares the six things teams should be doing now to finish the year on a good note. Consider this your end-of-year checklist for the next few weeks!

Discussion Points:

• End of Year ideas to thank clients, staff, and your community
• December is 8% of your year- don’t take time off
• A plan has to include execution, not just planning
• Where do you want to be next year at this time? Start planning now
• Plan and block out your calendar - all planning is good!
• Read 2 books between now and the end of the year - leadership and business growth
• Ponder your life: be grateful, do things that bring you joy, look at what you’re doing each day and make small incremental changes
• Make yourself better, and your business will be better

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Book: How to Win Friends & Influence People 

Book: Laws of Leadership  

Book: The Culture Code 

Book: Super Simple Steps to Entrepreneurial Success 

Book: Run Your Business 

One of our favorite books to recommend to landscapers and their teams is “Winning with Accountability” by Henry Evans. In this episode, Grow Group VP Vince Torchia will break down how our company utilizes this book and how we think companies can implement the takeaways from it to set better expectations and create a stronger, more positive company culture.

Discussion Points:

• The book - Winning with Accountability
• Defining accountability
• “Frontloading” accountability for success
• Personal responsibility and a growth mindset
• Incremental success with small daily wins
• Clarity for accountability
• Specificity and clear language
• Accountability requires ONE person to own a task
• Who should head up your newest project?

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Book: Winning With Accountability 

GROW! Conference Feb 2024 

The Grow Group  

Grunder Landscaping  

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Vince Torchia LinkedIn  

Stihl 

Dr. Condeluci was the commencement speaker at Marty's daughter's spring graduation, where he shared the steps people can take to improve their longevity. The research and insight he shared was so insightful, that we felt like we needed to bring it to our listeners here.

Dr. Al Condeluci initiated his career in human services in 1970. He served as CEO of Community Living and Support Services (CLASS) for almost 30 years. He still teaches at the University of Pittsburgh, writes, speaks, and consults both virtually through Zoom and in person on issues related to culture, community, and social capital. He holds an MSW and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, where he is on faculty in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Social Work.

Discussion Points:

• How Marty discovered Dr. Condaluci
• Background - Dr. Condaluci
• Research on social capital and Blue Zones
• Four common traits in the five Blue Zones
• Playing with a band/learning an instrument extends your life
• A massive study out of Harvard and its findings
• How strong relationships and connections can improve health, happiness, and longevity, as well as reduce healthcare costs, employee turnover, and improve morale in a workplace setting
• Integrate the lessons learned from the Blue Zones into your own lives for a healthier, longer, and more fulfilled life.

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Al Condaluci Website

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

The ‘law’ can sometimes be a little boring. But in this episode, Vince Torchia, VP at The Grow Group, discusses a variety of common legal situations that landscaping companies should consider. Vince recently graduated from Syracuse Law School - so you’ll hear legitimate legal insights that are invaluable for protecting yourself. Tune in to hear how keeping these strategies top of mind will protect your company, your families, and your teams.

Discussion Points:

• Contracts -  legality, specificity and clarity
• Exit and termination language for both sides
• Employment agreements
• Discrimination, harassment and HR - hotlines for complaints
• Keeping the wheels moving within the company so business can proceed
• Non-compete or non-solicitation clauses - every state is different
• The buck always stops with the company owner
• Checklist of legal areas to address at your company
• Ensure a culture of ‘no retaliation’

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Vincent Torchia LinkedIn 

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

In this episode, we continue with Part II of our series on equipment with returning guest Seth Pflum, President of Grunder Landscaping. While we love seeing fleet pictures, we also believe that trucks and equipment are investments for the success of our company. By investing smartly in these tools, we can have the greatest returns. Tune in to hear Marty and Seth share how the team at Grunder Landscaping evaluates if a new, or additional, piece of equipment is needed and how its purchase could impact productivity.  If you missed Part I, there’s a link below in the resources section.

Discussion Points:

• Thinking of your fleet as ‘assets’
• Buying or replacing - tax deduction alone is not a reason
• Keeping older vehicles for salting
• The team involved in fleet decisions
• Budgeting and efficiency
• Paying overtime vs. hiring and buying more equipment
• Smaller equipment life cycles
• Mowers and mini skid steers
• Using data to track your equipment life cycles
• We love equipment, but is it going to make money?

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Equipment Episode Part I

Seth Pflum LinkedIn

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

Register Now for Early Bird conference pricing before Nov. 1

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

Are you afraid to share company data with all your employees? Many companies debate how much information is too much information for their team, and how much information can help motivate or inform decisions better. In this episode, Vince Torchia of The Grow Group shares the data he recommends companies share with their teams, and how he recommends they do it.

Discussion Points:

• Lots of people ask how much they should share in “open book management”
• Grunder’s turnaround in sharing info
• Increased engagement 
• Increased literacy around financials
• Aligning employees with company goals and values
• Watching daily progress is exciting
• More data = more engagement, not sabotage
• As a leader, put yourself in your employee’s shoes
• Where can you start?
• Watch for the next episode on this topic where we’ll dig in deeper

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Vince Torchia LinkedIn

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

Finding the trucks and equipment your team needs can be a challenge in itself, but once you've found it, how do you finance it to make sure you have the capital to continue growing? In this episode, Marty is joined by Grunder President & COO Seth Pflum to discuss Grunder Landscaping’s philosophies on buying vs. leasing and how Grunder handles the management of its trucks and equipment. Keep an eye out for Part II of this informative series.

Discussion Points:

• The Grunder philosophy on equipment
• The flexibility of owning your equipment
• Trucks, trailers, and eliminating variables
• Amortization and cash flow
• Be cautious with buying, make sure you’re efficient
• Banking relationships and their value

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Seth Pflum LinkedIn

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

A company culture where people want to work is critical to recruiting and retaining high quality team members, but how do you create that culture? Start by asking yourself, "Would you want to work for you?" Tune in to hear Marty share some of the ways he has improved his own leadership style, and how we can all be better leaders, no matter our position within the company.

Discussion Points:

• The young Marty Grunder as a leader
• There will be great leadership sessions at the Des Moines show
• Letting go of tasks you’ve delegated
• Marty’s job may look easy but … 
• Environments that people do and don’t want to work in
• Encouraging small landscaping businesses
• Are your job descriptions and their responsibilities complete and accurate?
• Clarity begets success
• Are you a complainer or a complimentor? 
• The WAM (World According to Marty)

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Mark Thompson Interview on The Grow Show

Book: Winning with Accountability

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

In this episode of The Grow Show, acclaimed author and business consultant Joe Calloway joins Marty Grunder to talk about how companies can differentiate themselves. With 40 years of experience working with entrepreneurs and leaders, Calloway highlights the importance of immediate response to customers, prospects, and partners, strategic hiring, and the power of culture as a differentiator. Your company has a culture no matter if you're paying attention to it or not, and Joe shares his insights on the crucial role of intentional culture in businesses, navigating the changing landscape of customer expectations and technologies, and managing economic uncertainties. 

Discussion Points:

• Guest intro: Author Joe Calloway
• Insights on the role of intentional culture in businesses
• Adapting amidst changing customer expectations and technologies
• Case study: Evolution of delivery mechanisms in the restaurant industry
• Responding immediately to customers, prospects, and partners
• Staying consistent, adapting to new marketplace demands
• Navigating current economic uncertainties and hiring challenges
• Creating opportunities during challenging times
• Strategies for successful hiring and employee retention
• Creating a culture with intention
• Minimizing mistakes and avoiding distractions 
• Navigating the economy and addressing hiring challenges
• “No” is one of the greatest words in business

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Joe Calloway LinkedIn  https://www.linkedin.com/in/joecallowaycoach/

Book: Becoming a Category of One  https://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Category-One-Extraordinary-Comparison/dp/0470496355

NALP Field Trip Sept 17-18, 2024 Chi

In this episode, Marty sits down with his longtime mentor Mark Thompson to talk about the importance of mentorship and investing time, money, and energy into yourself as a leader. No matter your position within a company, taking time to work on YOU always pays dividends.

Mark Thompson is a business advisor and former engineer who started his career as an engineer, then transitioned to a business leadership role where he served as president, CEO, and Chair of the Board at his engineering consulting firm. Recognizing the importance of understanding the 'soft side' of management and the fundamentals of business, he then transitioned to a business advisory role. Throughout the episode, Mark discusses the necessity of strategic planning, the role of leadership and collaboration, the value of low-risk experiments, and visual learning in business growth. He emphasizes the need to take small steps while keeping an eye on the future.

Discussion Points:

• Intro and background - Mark Thompson
• Thoughtful and professional management
• Selling and your value proposition
• Scaling - strategic planning for expanding a business from 5 million to 25 million
• Role of family in business and importance of teamwork in achieving goals
• Low-risk experiments and visual learning can benefit business growth
• Learning from failure and effective risk management
• The professional management journey and understanding people
• Benefits of low-risk experiments and visual learning in software design
• Business fundamentals and strategic planning
• Closing thoughts from Mark Thompson

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

The Deming System

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl<

In this episode, Grunder Landscaping VP Vince Torchia shares some of the salary and bonus structures that ensure happy, productive teams and a growth mindset. 

The answer we usually have to give when asked about compensation plans is that "it depends" It depends on your business structure, your financial performance, your area, and what your current compensation plans look like. To set up a plan that works for both you and your team, Vince Torchia has tips for what to consider.

Discussion Points:

• Compensation - you get what you pay for in talent
• Beat what your competitors or your regional market pays - look at Chick-fil-A
• Hiring should be done ahead of need
• Sales commissions - how bonuses and pay should be structured at different stages
• Who is responsible for your sales team hitting their goals?
• Designing a salesperson’s compensation - base vs. bonus
• Profit-sharing - different structure levels
• Getting paid as an owner - what is fair?
• Recap 

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Vincent Torchia LinkedIn

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

In this episode, Grunder Landscaping VP Vince Torchia delves into different ways to help you reduce your “days outstanding” in relation to A/R (accounts receivable). 

Collecting payment for work you've done is a critical part of maintaining strong cash flow at your landscaping company. Tune in to hear simple strategies companies can use to collect payments from clients promptly.

Discussion Points:

• Collections are slowing in general
• Calculating A/R “days outstanding”
• Automation can help - credit cards and ACH’s
• Building in credit card fees, discounts for cash
• Providing a portal for customers to pay through
• Assigning A/R responsibility to one person within the company
• Setting up the process so everyone is aware
• Recap 

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Vincent Torchia LinkedIn

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

Does your company have a morning rollout meeting? Are you physically present for it? Engagement with your crews is crucial for fostering a great company culture. Your field crews spend most of their day out in the field and away from the office, and whether you're intentional about it or not there are sub-cultures developing within each crew. Setting the tone you want and keeping your crews engaged can be a challenge, Marty shares his ideas to help.

Discussion Points:

• Talking about what matters, the morning rollout, and inspecting what you expect
• What matters most - the company vision, mission, and core values
• Employee engagement at Grunder
• Trusting our process
• Named one of the fastest-growing companies in Ohio
• Cleanliness matters at Grunder - the bathroom story
• Morning rollout meetings - you can’t fake good morning rollouts
• Witnessing a terrible rollout
• Come to a fall field trip to witness our morning rollout, join a peer group
• Aspire software and custom-built trucks
• Being present at the morning rollout is crucial for leaders - setting the tone
• Micro cultures at the job site should follow the tone set at HQ
• Accountability and expectations
• Clarity of purpose, morning environment, inspect what you expect - it’s all simple and doable

The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

Finance Episode - The Grow Show

Book: Winning with Accountability

GROW! Conference Feb 2024

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder L