Strategy: Setting Your New Year Up for Success

In this episode, Vince Torchia shares how he sees landscaping companies set their year up for success early with planning, refining messaging, defining the wins, and communicating all of this with teams. He shares the themes that have driven Grunder Landscaping's growth and messaging, and how to evaluate where your focus should be for 2026.

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Episode Timestamps

01:32 Setting Up for Success: The Importance of a Yearly Theme

05:05 Recognizing and Appreciating Your Team

09:45 Effective Communication Strategies for 2026

13:54 Conclusion and Upcoming Events

Resources:

Virtual Sales Bootcamp  

Grunder Landscaping Field Trips  

The Grow Group   

Grunder Landscaping   

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

Key Learnings

1. PICK YOUR THEME

• What is your theme for 2026?
• Is it a culture year? A sales year? An operational efficiency year?
• There are no right or wrong themes
• Think about 2025, think about what needs to happen in 2026
• Kick it around with managers, leaders, salespeople
• Examples: "Back to Basics," "Grow Maintenance," "Be the Buffalo"
• How will you communicate it? End meetings with it? Recognize people for living it?

2. RECOGNIZE THE UNDERAPPRECIATED

Team Members: Who needs to feel the love? Thank you notes, praising in public, opportunities for advancement

• Clients: Who never complains, always pays on time, refers business, but we take for granted?
• Vendors/Subs: Who springs into action when we need them? Who's making things happen for our business? Host a luncheon, be top of mind for referrals, bring them a meal, recognize their team

3. CREATE YOUR COMMUNICATION PLAN

Put communication on your calendar for what's happening in the business

• At Grunder: Monthly "Grow Meeting" - state of the union, all hands on deck, same message at the same time
• Do you have monthly meetings? Scoreboards? Written communication in English and Spanish?
• Chart the course so no team member ever has to ask: How are we doing? Where are we trending? What's the update?

Reflection Questions

1. If you asked your entire team right now "What's our theme for 2026?"—would they all say the same thing, or would you get blank stares?
2. Who are the three most underappreciated people in your business (team members, clients, or vendors) who deserve recognition but never get it because you're moving too fast?
3. If someone sits in the "back of the bus" at your company, how would they know where the business stands right now—and do they have to walk to the front and ask you, or is it communicated proactively?