Interview Series: Jarod Hynson on Growing a Landscaping Business

Jarod was an early member of our ACE Peer Group Program and has been a longtime friend. In this episode, him and Marty reminisce on their businesses and where they started, how things changed, and what that journey looked like. They talk about the services they've offered and how that's changed as they've refined their businesses, how their roles have changed over time, and what drove each of those changes.

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Client Communication Sample for Earth, Turf & Wood

Episode Chapters:

00:00 - Episode Intro

01:45 - Meet Jarod Hynson

03:57 - The Importance of Family

07:10 - Balancing Business and Family

09:22 - The Evolution of Earth, Turf & Wood

17:27 - Building a New Facility

22:54 - Client Relationships & Sales Process

25:02 - Key Standard Operating Procedures

25:53 - The Importance of Setting Appointments

28:03 - Leadership and Team Processes

29:44 - Safety Meetings & Team Pride

31:36 - Client Communication Strategies

36:08 - Reflecting on Business Mistakes and Growth

37:24 - The Value of Peer Groups and Networking

42:38 - Planning for the Future and Exit Strategies

47:04 - Please Like, Subscribe and Share!

Resources:

Virtual Sales Bootcamp  

Grunder Landscaping Field Trips  

The Grow Group   

Grunder Landscaping   

Marty Grunder LinkedIn  

Stihl  

Show Notes:

Key Business Transformation

The Leadership Shift: Jarod realized he was being a manager (doing yesterday's work faster/cheaper) instead of a leader (finding right people, agreeing on vision). This pivotal insight from Seth Godin's video changed his entire approach from working 70-80 hours to building systems.

Design Fees as Filters: Started charging upfront design fees and pre-construction retainers. "If they weren't gonna give us the construction retainer, they probably weren't gonna go with us." This qualified serious prospects and protected valuable time.

"Can't Cheat the Process": Messiah University soccer coach's quote on his wall reminds him that shortcuts always lead back to problems. Consistency in processes is non-negotiable.

Systems That Drive Success

Client Communication Excellence:

Client Communication Sample for Earth, Turf & Wood

• The 5-10 Rule: All communications returned by 10am next day (after 5pm) or by 5pm same day (after 10am)

• Friday Progress Emails: Project managers email clients every Friday with week's progress, next week's plan, and client action items - eliminated weekend complaint emails

• Both Decision Makers Required: Initial appointments must include both spouses at office during business hours

Quality Standards:

• Daily truck washing in 92-foot wash bay: "You wanna know how a contractor's gonna take care of your backyard? You take a look inside the truck"

• Overhead Recovery System: Didn't learn this until year 7-8, were "losing money when we thought we were making money"

Building and Branding Strategy

The $20,000 Square Foot Facility: Originally planned 12,000 sq ft, but peer group input expanded to 20,000 sq ft. Client reaction: "I know the level of detail that went into this building is gonna go into my backyard." Built during COVID at 3.15% interest.

Ideal Client Profile: Busy business owners/executives who want quality work, don't micromanage, and "realize the value for dollar spent." As peer Brett Ogden said: "We're the highest price company in our market. I can't sell to people that don't care about landscape."

Leadership and Growth Philosophy

Team Development: Brought key managers to Grow conference and told them "I don't wanna see you for 48 hours - go learn from others." They returned energized with actionable ideas.

Peer Group Value: Used peer group member David Cordell to help interview landscape architect replacement. "Your answer is there [in peer groups]. You just gotta go get it."

Lee Buffington's Career Framework: "First 10 years finding your way, next 10 improving processes, last 10 reaping rewards for what you built."

Exit Strategy and Delegation

The Two-Week Test: "If you can't leave and go on a two week vacation and not touch your phone, you don't have the team in place." Jarod passed this test and is building toward early-to-mid 60s retirement with 90% execution by others being acceptable.

Bottom Line: Success came from shifting from doing everything himself to building systems, processes, and teams that deliver premium results consistently while maintaining work-life balance and family priorities.