I recently had the pleasure of hosting experts Amy Dutt, Mark Dilly on my podcast for a discussion about native plants and sustainable landscaping practices. As someone who has long focused on providing low-maintenance options to clients, I was eager to learn more about how we can incorporate nature-friendly designs.

What struck me most was the alarming data presented on the current extinction crisis. With so much wildlife struggling due to habitat loss, it's clear we need to make changes. But I was glad to hear that small modifications, like adding a few native plant species or reducing turf areas, can make a meaningful difference.

Hearing the science behind concepts like wetland design and water filtration through soil also gave me a new appreciation for natural systems. Who knew that simple dirt could cleanse water as it travels underground? It's amazing what nature provides when we allow its processes to function. Mark gave some great insights! Check out his work with ...

Episode 487: Stepping Up to the Next Level

This week's episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast focused on empowering our teams to take the initiative and drive our businesses to new heights. I discussed how Tyler here at Auman Landscape has been given the opportunity to independently sell his first hardscape project, representing a big step forward for him and our company. Taking that initial step out of our comfort zone is so important for growth.

I also shared about receiving some negative feedback on social media recently. While criticism can be tough to handle, blocking negativity is important for my own mental well-being and that of our brand. At the end of the day, we're all works in progress - myself included.

It was great catching up with Levi too about our plans for the week ahead. I hope this episode inspires you to invest in your team members and push boundaries like never before. Every journey starts with that first step. Wishing everyone a productive week! Listen to the...

In a recent Kid Contractor podcast episode, we discussed some of the challenges that come with being self-employed. One thing we touched on was a instagram post by @chriswillx on Instagram outlining 10 reasons why working for yourself can really suck sometimes. I wanted to highlight a few of those reasons here to give you all a taste of what we covered.

The first reason is that as the business owner, you're the only one holding yourself accountable. There's no boss looking over your shoulder making sure things get done. It's all on you to stay motivated and push through, which can get exhausting.

Another is that there's never really an "off" switch - there's always more work to be done. It's hard to fully detach from the business, even when you're trying to take time off.

Attaching your self-worth to the success of the business is dangerous too. When things aren't going well financially, it can really take a toll on your mental health and confidence.

Creating your own...

Man, what a couple days it's been! I decided to try something a little different with this episode - instead of just sitting down to record like usual, I brought my mic along to capture some real action over the course of two full work days.

It started with a big sales call I had lined up for a patio project. I was pumped but also nervous to present the design and price to the client. Thankfully it went well and we booked the job - what a relief! From there I hit a few meetings, checked in with the crew working some jobs, and handled calls and estimates back at the shop.

I wanted to give listeners an inside look at what a typical couple days look like running the business. There's highs like closing a sale, lows when you miss an appointment, and everything in between. I also dove into some topics I'm always trying to improve, like communicating value to clients upfront and having all the contract details ironed out.

A big thanks to my producer Hunter for piecing it all together into...

Alright team, getting pumped for this spring season! As you guys know, we've been putting in some long hours this winter to get our systems dialed in so we can hit the ground running. I'm really proud of the progress everyone has made in buying into our new vision. It's awesome to see guys stepping up and offering ideas for how they can take more ownership over different parts of the business.

This past week we wrapped up our home and garden show, which is always a good way to get some early leads. Even though we only booked one job from it, I'm feeling optimistic that some more work will come down the pipeline from connections we made there. Now we're focused on getting our new patio space finished up out back. It's gonna be such a cool spot for clients to really visualize how an outdoor living area can transform their home.

Anyways, just wanted to check in with you all before our meeting tomorrow. I know there's still some kinks we need to work out with inventory and project...

I recently finished listening to the audiobook "Building a StoryBrand" by Donald Miller, and it completely changed my perspective on how we communicate with clients. For years, I thought we were doing a good job positioning ourselves and our services, but this book showed me there's always room for improvement.

One of the key takeaways is that as contractors, we shouldn't focus so much on positioning ourselves as the "heroes." Rather, we need to make the client the hero of their own story by guiding them through their project. It's about understanding what their true problems are - both externally and internally - and framing our conversation and solutions around solving those problems.

The book also dives into the concept of a "story curve" - having a beginning, middle and end to what we present. We need to clearly define the "villain" (their problem), show how we'll be the "guide" in helping overcome it, and allow them to be the "hero" who succeeds through our work. This framework...

Hey everyone, Caleb and Britt here with an update on our latest episode of the Kid Contractor Podcast. We just got back from an incredibly insightful trip to LMN Landscape headquarters in Canada where we spent the day with owner Mark Bradley.

Mark walked us through his proven process for crafting detailed organizational charts and budgets that drive real growth. We poured over our own operations and identified key positions we could add to take work off our plates and free up our time. With Mark's guidance, we projected realistic sales goals and worked backwards to build a budget that will allow us to hit our targets while maintaining healthy profits.

It was eye-opening to see how the numbers come together when you plan everything out in advance. We left feeling motivated and equipped with new strategies to scale our business. In our meeting with Mark, every question we had was answered and we learned so many lessons from his experience.

We can't recommend highly enough that other...