Fired Up for Spring: A Conversation with Jesse Weidner

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 love that.

Jesse also shared some insight into how he presents designs—hand-drawn, CAD, and everything in between. He's transitioned into doing in-person presentations with beautiful, full-size printed plans. That's next-level professionalism and a big differentiator in his market. And he credits our Hardscape Mastery event for pushing him to level that part of his business up—which was super cool to hear.

One thing that really stuck with me was Jesse’s mindset around sales and reputation. He’s not trying to be everything to everyone. He’s building a brand that showcases exactly what they’re best at—and only putting that kind of work on Instagram. It’s something I’ve been trying to implement more myself, and Jesse reinforced how powerful that can be.

Oh—and lighting. Jesse's starting a second company, Radiant Illumination, to focus on high-end outdoor lighting and audio. He lit up (pun intended) when we got into that topic. You can tell it’s a true passion of his, and his philosophy on lighting being an art form—painting with light—was awesome to hear.

All in all, this episode reminded me that success doesn’t have to look one way. Jesse’s building a rock-solid company with a tight crew, staying profitable, and doing work he’s proud of. That’s the dream, folks.

Give it a listen if you haven’t already—and go check out what Jesse’s doing over at @weidnerlandscape The guy’s doing it right.

Catch y’all on the next one. Let’s get after it.

—Caleb