This conversation with Kory Ballard was one of those episodes that sticks with you.

We’ve had Kory on The Kid Contractor Podcast before, and he always brings the heat—but this one hit different. It wasn’t just about business, blades, or branding (though we talked a lot about that). It was about leadership, boundaries, relationships, and the grind it takes to grow something big—and the cost that can come with it.

Early on, we got into something that seems small but is actually massive: being specific. Kory shared examples from his own companies—Ballard Inc. and PerfiCut—where a lack of clarity led to confusion and missed expectations. “Make it look good,” doesn’t cut it anymore. “Be nice to the customer,” is too vague. Define what good looks like. Be clear on what a win is for your team. As a leader, if you’re not specific, you’re setting your people up to miss the mark. I needed that reminder.

We also dove into the story behind Ballard Inc.’s success—26 years in the making, fro...

This episode was a burner — short on time, long on value. I had Mike Andes on The Kid Contractor Podcast, and man, it was like drinking from a fire hose.

Mike’s the founder of Augusta Lawn Care, a franchise with 170+ locations across the U.S., Canada, and even Australia. He's also the mind behind a ton of great content and systems aimed at helping contractors build businesses that don’t own them. And if you've never heard the story of how a dump truck PTO nearly ended his career — and sparked a total systems overhaul in his company — buckle up. It’s wild, humbling, and powerful.

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation was about getting the reps. Whether it’s estimating, selling, leading a team, or learning to follow up — most people just don’t put in the time. They say, “Oh, sales isn’t working,” or “P4P doesn’t work for my team.” But have they really tried? Like, tried 100 or 1,000 times? Probably not.

Mike’s story about how pay-for-performance (P4P) was born out of ne...

Every now and then, I get to sit down with someone whose story really opens up the world a bit—and this chat with Andreas Baumgart did just that.

Andreas runs a landscaping company in central Germany and joined us for an episode of The Kid Contractor Podcast that turned into a fascinating dive into how landscaping is done across the Atlantic. Let me just say—despite the language and miles between us, the challenges, victories, and philosophies in our work are strikingly similar.

Andreas, who you’ll find on Instagram under the handle @wir_lieben_gaerten (which translates to “we love gardens”), shared the journey of how he took over what was once his family’s struggling business. After his parents’ company ran into legal and financial trouble, Andreas and his wife took a huge leap of faith—started from scratch, took out a major bank loan, and launched their own company in 2019.

What I loved most about our talk was hearing how deeply connected Andreas is to both the design and build ...

Man, this episode with Jesse Weidner got me fired up for the season ahead. It’s always a treat bringing folks on the podcast who are sharp, dialed-in, and just genuinely get it—and Jesse is absolutely one of those guys.

He’s based out of North Dayton, running Weidner Landscape, and has carved out a niche in high-end softscape installs. No big paver patios, no massive retaining walls—just tight, clean, well-executed landscaping work. And you know what? That’s what I admire about Jesse—he knows what he’s good at, and he sticks to it. There’s a lesson there for a lot of us.

We talked equipment setups (you know I geek out on that stuff), and he’s running a slick little operation: a one-ton dump, a mini skid, and a two-ton excavator with an Encon tiltrotator. The guy’s crew is running lean and efficient, banging out $10K–$25K installs in a few days at a time. It’s not about scaling for the sake of scaling—it’s about growing within the margins and keeping the team and the work tight. I l...

Hey folks, Caleb Auman here, back with another episode breakdown from The Kid Contractor Podcast. This time, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kory Ballard—an absolute legend in the Green Industry. If you’ve been around long enough, you know Kory built Perficut from scratch into a $25 million business before selling it. Now, he’s running Ballard Products full-time, and he’s got a wealth of insight on growth, leadership, and the tough realities of building a company.

This episode wasn’t just about business—it was about what it takes to win, what it costs, and how to protect what you’ve built. Let’s get into it.

Building and Selling a $25 Million Business

Kory’s journey started like a lot of ours—just a kid with a mower. By the time he was out of high school, he had crews running, and over the years, he built one of the most well-known commercial maintenance and snow removal businesses in the Midwest.

But here’s what stood out: Perficut wasn’t for sale when it got bought...

Hey folks, Caleb Auman here, back with another behind-the-scenes look at The Kid Contractor Podcast. Every episode, I get the chance to sit down with some of the best in the industry, and Episode 580 was no exception. I had Jamie from Supreme Scapes in the studio, and let me tell you—his story is one you don’t want to miss.

From Humble Beginnings to a $1.8 Million Business

I always love hearing how businesses get their start, and Jamie’s journey is no different. He kicked things off back in 2011 with a simple setup—one mower, a tiny trailer, and an old F-150. Sound familiar? A lot of us in this industry started out with just the basics, pushing through long days and figuring things out on the fly.

But here’s where Jamie stood out—he didn’t just stay in survival mode. He was hungry to learn, grow, and build a system that worked. That’s how he scaled from $25K in revenue his first year to a projected $2 million in 2025. That’s the kind of growth that doesn’t happen by accident—it ha...

I was thrilled to recently have Dr. Steven Schutzman, an interventional cardiologist, as a guest on the show. One of the biggest takeaways for me was just how advanced medical technology has become, especially when it comes to heart procedures. I was blown away learning about how cardiologists can now go in through a small incision in the wrist or groin, thread a catheter up to the heart, and open up blocked arteries without having to crack open the chest. It's truly amazing what modern medicine can do. But the part that really hit home for me was Dr. Schutzman's emphasis on being proactive about your health, especially as you get older. He shared stories of patients who had ignored warning signs for years, only to end up having a major heart attack that drastically changed the trajectory of their life. And he stressed that it doesn't have to be that way - there are so many things we can do to get ahead of potential health issues before they become serious problems. As someone who work...

As the founder of Auman Landscape, I'm passionate about sharing my knowledge and experience with others. That's why I created the Hardscape Academy - an intensive two-day training program designed to give newcomers to the industry a solid foundation in the fundamentals. Over the course of these two days, we cover everything from paver installation to retaining wall construction, lighting design, and even some essential business skills. The goal isn't to turn attendees into experts overnight, but to provide them with the core knowledge and hands-on experience they need to excel in this field. On day one, we dive deep into paver-related topics. We talk about the right tools for the job, labor-saving devices, and data-capturing technology that can streamline workflows. But more importantly, we focus on the principles of proper paver installation - things like base preparation, sub-soil compaction, and effective paver compaction techniques. Day two builds on that foundation, exploring reta...

As I reflect on the topics covered on a recent episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast, the overarching theme that stands out to me is the importance of being willing to change as a business owner. Too often, we get stuck in our ways and become resistant to making the necessary adjustments to improve our companies. We complain about the problems we face, but are unwilling to put in the hard work to address them head-on. One of the articles discussed highlighted this perfectly - "I am the problem, not my customers, not my employees, not the market. I must be willing to change." That really hit home for me, as I know I've been guilty of that mindset at times. It's easy to point fingers at external factors, but the reality is that we have to look inward and be honest about where we need to improve. Whether it's getting our finances in order, revamping our sales process, investing in better equipment and training for our teams, or any number of other areas - we have to be willing to make cha...

As we wrapped up 2024 at Auman Landscape, I wanted to take some time to reflect on what was truly a banner year for our company. When my wife Brittany and I sat down to review the year, we realized just how much progress we had made across so many areas of the business. The top line numbers tell part of the story - we hit $1.2 million in revenue, which was a new high for us. But what I'm most proud of is how we achieved that growth. With just 4 field staff, our team produced $1.1 million in revenue. Brittany and I also contributed $100k in field work ourselves, showing that we're not afraid to get our hands dirty. Even more impressive was our ability to maintain a 17.9% profit margin, which was a testament to the financial discipline we've instilled in the company. Working closely with our CPA and using software like LMN for accurate bidding has been game-changing. No more guessing on the numbers - we know exactly where we stand. Of course, the financials are just one piece of the puzz...