Landscape Live!

This episode's special guest is Mark Chisholm of Aspen Tree Expert Co. and STIHL. One part acrobat, one part expert rope climber, one part tree physiologist, and several parts competitor and thrill seeker Chisholm is a third-generation, certified arborist with his family-owned Aspen Tree Expert Company in New Jersey. His expertise in tree care has made him a sought-after consultant and industry spokesperson for the world of arboriculture, and he regularly travels the globe to consult with international arborist associations and conducts educational sessions nationwide on behalf of STIHL Inc.Mark discusses how to properly start, grow or integrate tree care into your current business in a safe and professional manner. We will focus on such topics as: -In-house tree work vs. subcontracting (or out-house) -Safety gear (PPE) and safety training (where to get it) -Managing "downed" trees -Proper tree care before, during and after construction -Mulch mountains and volcanoes -Importance and value of

Jon Goldman is President of Brand Launcher, a business and marketing strategy firm with teams in the U.S., Canada, Israel and South Africa. Goldman is a dynamic speaker who has presented at numerous conventions, conferences, and expos, including sessions for NJLCA, PLANET, New England Grows, and many others. He has worked with clients including Häagen-Dazs and National Geographic and his campaigns have been featured in BusinessWeek and The Wall Street Journal.Goldman discusses marketing, branding, management, and business-building topics. He has seen his share of business owners, in and out of the landscape/hardscape industry, and has plenty of examples (inspirational case studies as well as horror stories), advice and input.Goldman is also the author of two works on business and marketing topics, including one that has been translated into Japanese. For more information, visit Brand Launcher at www.brandlauncher.com.

How do you do you form an employee-focused organization and what are the advantages?Chris Davitt, Partner and President of Ruppert Landscape, has the secret. Ruppert is a very unique, employee-focused culture built on hard work, high energy and attention to detail. Davitt believes his company's No. 1 asset is its employees so he devotes significant attention to hiring employees and keeping them for life.Some of the topics covered include: -Celebrating successes and longevity -Performance Based Bonus Plan & discretionary bonuses -Growth and promotion -Opportunity for Training & Development -Organizational / branching structure to enable autonomy -The role of charitable giving -Innovation: green, organic and sustainable development and what is their roleRuppert Companies is composed of the Ruppert Landscape, Ruppert Nurseries, Ruppert Properties and Ruppert Ventures entities. Davitt shares responsibility for the overall management of each company, including strategic planning, perso

Richard Heller, the founder, CEO, and CFO of Greener By Design, has worked as a design/build contractor creating some of the most beautiful rooftop gardens in Manhattan. In this episode he discusses everything from his design philosophy to unique construction and production techniques to maintaining a maintenance program for his high maintenance clients. He even tells us the best ways to get out of parking tickets and how to make his favorite childhood snack called "mud cups."Heller is known as a real character, a good friend and just a lot of fun. So if you are interested in Green Roofs and Green Walls you should listen in.Heller grew up in the heart of New York City and has more than 30 years of experience working in all areas of the landscape industry including; interior plants and orchids, floral design, as well as landscape design, installation and maintenance. He is a Landscape Industry Certified Manager & Technician and writes for The Pelham Weekly and the NY Landscape Contractor newspapers. Richa

Mike Rorie talks about his incredible journey beginning in 1979, when he first started his lawn care business with just a pickup truck and some hand tools and how he grew GroundMasters into a multi-branch, regional platform as one of the most prestigious commercial lawn care business in the Cincinnati area.The company grossed almost $30 million in sales annually before Rorie ultimately sold it to the Brickman Group in 2006.Rorie, the former President and Owner of GroundMasters, is currently the CEO of GIS Dynamics the makers of Go iLawn and Go iPave an online measuring system for green industry contractors.Rorie will discuss how you can use today's technology to leverage your systems and make your business more efficient and more profitable. In addition, he will share his insights about the differences between running your own company versus working with a big national service provider. Along with what it is like as a vendor for the green industry working with Go iLawn.For more information, visit Go iLawn at

Jerry McKay discusses the evolution of landscape lighting over the years, including the various lighting uses, styles and applications.He walks you through the general growth of the company from one installer to 12 employees and how to: -Create a market in your area - Develop strategic partnerships -Design a maintenance program -Sell lighting installation service -Set yourself apart from competitorsHe also covers lighting design.McKay is owner and president of McKay Landscape Lighting and the primary lighting designer for the company. He is a native of Omaha, Nebraska, a graduate of Creighton Preparatory School, and got his B.A. degree from Seattle University. In 1987, he began a lawn care service that over time, slowly evolved into an outdoor lighting company. The business officially re-launched in 1992 as McKay Landscape Lighting. Since then, the company has grown into a regional market leader and one of the area's only dedicated outdoor lighting firms.For more information, visit McKay Landsc

Even a humble guy from a poor background can make it in the green industry. Listen in as Rich Arlington details his life story and reveals how a homeless 16-year-old living on the streets of Erie, Pennsylvania became a successful, wealthy entrepreneur and business owner who now travels around the world teaching others how to achieve similar success.Arlington, author of "Why Not You?", is a green industry consultant and business manager who offers business training, risk management, and financial expertise to exterior maintenance service contractors, facility owners and property managers. As a U.S. Marine, Arlington is dedicated to assisting U.S. Veterans and their families. All the profits from his book sales are donated to the American Veterans Traveling Tribute and Texas Freedom Tribute Foundation to help fund scholarshipsIn 2000, he joined Affiliated Grounds Maintenance Group, Inc. as a consultant and business manager to assist in its growth. Today, the business encompasses 39 States with over 5,000 affil

Marketing executive and author Jeff Korhan, MBA, is the former CEO of Treemendous, a highly successful design/build company. He is now the owner True Nature and is one of the most sought after social media experts in the green industry. In this episode he discusses his new book, "Built-In Social: Essential Social Marketing Practices for Every Small Business." According to Korhan, you don't need a marketing degree or be technologically savvy to have a highly successful social marketing campaign. What's more important is a basic understanding of business, the desire to help your customers, and a reliable process to effectively engage them with your business in a meaningful way. Korhan teaches all of us how to use social media marketing to interact with your customers better to earn more profits.Korhan is a business marketing speaker, trainer, and coach who helps mainstream small businesses use social media and Internet marketing to create exceptional customer experiences that accelerate growth.In the first deca

Joe Salemi, former member services and communications manager with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association (CNLA) and current marketing manager for DynaSCAPE Software.Salemi's experience with CNLA taught him how to develop strategic relationships with key industry influencers, product partners and trade associations. His background and knowledge is extremely broad-based including strategic planning, marketing and advertising, and human resources.Salemi managed CNLA's communications programs, including website, enews publications, member services and advertising sponsorships. He represented the organization at industry trade shows, spoke at conferences and symposiums, and co-ordinated the CNLA National Awards of Landscape Excellence.Salemi shares his wealth of knowledge and experience as he discusses the lessons he's learned throughout his career to help all of you market and grow your business by developing your own strategic alliances within your own network.Salemi's experience with CNLA was very broad-ba

Daniel Tal, RLA is the CEO of Ambit-3D and author of "Google SketchUp for Site Design and Rendering" and "Rendering in SketchUp." Tal creates virtual 3D site plan models for architects, landscape architects and developers working in both the private and public sector. He has become so proficient with Google SketchUp that he now teaches other design professionals how to use this incredibly powerful -- and free-- tool for their own presentations.Tal discusses what Google SketchUp is and how landscape professionals can use it's powerful tools to create their own 3-D models in just a few days to help them design, sell and build work.Tal has worked in the architectural and landscape design industry as a project manager for 14 years. He writes articles for various publications including Landscape Architecture Magazine.Daniel teaches SketchUp workshops across the country and online. He is currently teaching annual classes at the University of Maryland and regularly speaks at national trade conferences including the

Josh Ferguson an attorney at Kent/McBride in Philadelphia, PA has been retained as general counsel for a wide variety of businesses, including but not limited to those in the snow removal and landscaping industries.Believe it or not, Ferguson is going to discuss what you need to do stay out of court, not get into it. That's right! He is going to give you free legal advice when he discusses: -The most common disputes between contractors and homeowners that wind up in court and how to prevent them. -Basic information that every contract should have to protect you and your client. -When you should go to small claims court, choose arbitration or just walk away. -Services that attorneys provide and when you should retain their services. -The variety of options available when it comes to collections. There's more than you think.So join us for this podcast, and stay out of court.Ferguson works primarily in the areas of commercial premises, motor vehicle, and construction defect litigation, and has lit

Let's be honest, most contractors never seriously think about training issues until, unfortunately, something happens. Instead of thinking of this as safety training and a drain on your time and resources, think of it as equipment efficiency training and a way to make your company more profitable.That's right. If you really think about it, you're not training your employees how to be safe your training them how to properly use your equipment so that they can be efficient, productive and profitable. You know what else? Proper training also requires your employees to understand how to take care of your equipment (i.e. a reduction in equipment repair costs).You know what a great by-product of all of this equipment training is? Your employees are going to work safer.Hmmmmm! All of a sudden safety training sounds pretty exciting doesn't it? Jay Murray, CLP, is President of LS Training System. He is a Certified Horticulturist and former landscape contractor. LS Training System is an online training system with 35

You can have all the money in the world, but if you don't love what you do, give back to your community and enjoy Mother Nature then what's the point?According to Shayne Newman, founder of YardApes, if you're passionate about what you do, you'll be successful, have fun, and never work a day in your life. So many times we get caught up in the day to day stress of being business owners that we forget to think about why we started in this industry.Many landscapers grew up with an inherent love of nature. Shayne says the only thing more rewarding than this is getting involved in community service projects.Experienced in the trade since 1987, Newman founded YardApes, Inc. in 1990 and holds the title of president. He hails from Telluride, Colorado, but has lived in New Milford for the past 27 years. Shayne received a B.S. in Finance from UCONN, is a Landscape Industry Certified Technician, Landscape Industry Certified Manager, holds a Connecticut Supervisory Pesticide License and is a Certified Landscape Designer.

As president & CEO of Hufnagel Landscape of North Bergen, N.J., Valerie Hufnagel has transformed a small, family owned landscaping company that grossed $75,000 to a million-dollar design/build business. She now manages and oversees a staff of 25 employees and subcontractors.She attributes much of her business success to several factors including; managing inventory, streamlining purchasing, computerizing accounting and scheduling and always focusing on bottom line profits.Hufnagel will discuss what it is like to run a successful women owned landscape design/build/maintenance business in today's environment.Hufnagel focuses on controlling cost factors to ensure a profitable enterprise. She designs, coordinates, implements and supervises project installations.She has received the 2002 Excellence in Curb Appeal - NJ Apartment Association, the 2003 Courtyard Garden Award - Stevens Cooperative School, the 2009 Readers Choice & Editor's Pick - NJ Life, the 2010 Honoree Women's History Month - Office of the

Email marketing helps you keep customers and prospects coming back by using attractive, professional-looking email communications to stay in regular touch with them and build strong customer relationships. It's better and more effective than regular email and a lot less expensive.Wendi Caplan-Carroll is going to show you how to grow your company using email marketing campaigns and how easy it is share your message with your customers, who can then share it with their networks. The more they spread the word, the more your business grows. And, if your message really gets out there you might even go viral.Caplan-Carroll delivers real-world tools and strategies that will help you drive stellar results immediately. Although her information is cutting edge she will break everything down to give you the "Know How" to boost your business, consumer awareness and customer loyalty.Caplan-Carroll is a marketing expert, speaker and educator with more than 25 years experience developing and implementing marketing strategie

Bill Arman, the former Regional Vice President of ValleyCrest Landscape Companies, is going to take his 46 years of experience and share his cornucopia of ideas with you to make your "green industry journey" a little bit easier, a lot more fun and a heck of a lot more profitable!With 29 years of experience overseeing ValleyCrest's $25 million Southern California maintenance operations, including 6 branch offices, 5 service lines and over 600 employees, Arman knows how to get from "here" to "there" easier, faster and with less pain and will show you how to "Harvest Your Potential." Arman served as Vice President of Human Resources at ValleyCrest for two years specialized in the area of organizational development and for all training, recruiting and performance management systems for this $650 million, 6,500-employee operation. He is trained and educated as a horticulturist along with a long career in corporate landscaping nurtured at one of the nation's largest landscape companies. His expertise in human devel

If you're thinking about marketing your business at a trade show for the first time or want to improve your rate of return from your current trade show, then you don't want to miss this interview.Kevin McLaughlin of Mac Events produces some of the best trade shows in the country and tonight he is going to give us his insights about: -Why you must participate in home shows -How to maximize your rate of return -Locating yourself on the trade show floor sweet spot -The do's and don'ts of trade show marketing -Finding the best show for you and your companyTake advantage of McLaughlin's 30-plus years of experience in the business and learn how to develop a relationship with a trade show promoter and get additional exposure without paying a penny more.

Mike Lysecki, Director of Landscape Management Network, discusses how you develop a pricing system that covers labor, materials, overhead and profit accurately so that once and for all you can finally stop guesstimating and start estimating.You know what else?You'll have confidence in your numbers because they'll be based on reality and not guess work. After this interview you will understand what it really takes to price any job and to price it profitably.So listen in. You've got nothing to lose except your business.Lysecki joined The Beach Gardener, a large Toronto-based full-service landscape firm, after six years, developing and implementing software systems in landscape companies across North America. He and the TBG ownership focused on developing systems, processes and training that would reduce mistakes, increase productivity and align staff around a common vision of success. Chief among their amazing results was a doubling of sales revenue ($3.5 million to 7 million) without increasing any staff. Now

Jack Ferrell, green industry recruiter of Florasearch, lets us know what the hottest jobs are in the green industry are and where to find them. If you're a job seeker looking to make a move, your timing couldn't be better. There are new job opportunities, both nationally and internationally, with excellent salaries and benefits.If you're a successful business owner looking to hire some top talent, now is the time to do it. There is an exceptional amount of experienced managers, estimators and designers who are tired of working for average landscape businesses and want to work for a professional company, like yours.Ferrell is in his 13th year with Florasearch, Inc., an executive recruiting firm specializing in the International Horticulture industry. Jack is the company's consultant for key level searches in the landscape, grounds and estate sectors. In the early 1990's, he started and published the twice-a-month employment newspaper and website, Ferrell's Jobs in Horticulture. After he sold the publication,

Our host Jody Shilan debates Brad Groff, the co-founder of River Valley Landscape and Pools in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, on opposing design/build philosophies. The question is: How little or how much information should be included in your landscape plans and proposals?Brad and Jody have debated this topic, along with other members of the LinkedIn Landscape Design/Build Group, but this will be the first time they take it "on-air."Groff is the co-owner of River Valley Landscapes and Pools, which he started with Doug Caldwell during the spring break of their senior year at Delaware Valley College in 1991. River Valley has award-winning projects published nationally, regionally, and locally. Although Groff is proud of all these accomplishments, he is most proud of developing a team and processes that allows him to help oversee a $4 million business and still be home by 5:00 p.m. Most recently Groff decided to share his most valuable management tool, co-founding CAPAX which produces “Schedule 2 Win” software.