Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Welcome to the Grow Show Powered by Steel. The Grow show is brought to you by Marty Grinder's Grow Group, where we specialize in teaching landscaping companies how to clarify their platform, grow their people, build their processes and realize profits. Everything we teach is grounded in real experience. Our team is actively involved in the day to day operations of Southwest Ohio's Grunder Landscaping Company.
New episodes of the Grow show are released weekly on Wednesdays. Remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Now, here's your host, Marty Grunder.
[00:00:29] Speaker B: Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever the case may be. This is Marty Grunder from Grunder Landscaping Co. And the Grow Group. Thanks for downloading the Grow Show Powered by Steel. Today I'm talking to our exciting new strategic partner. Phil Harwood from Snow Fighters is in the studio. Today. We were talking and we decided to record an episode. But first, a reminder. You can get the latest edition of the Grow show delivered to your phone, tablet or computer by subscribing wherever you get your podcasts or Watch us on YouTube for an enhanced learning experience. The Grow show is the greatest thing since Boss snowplows, Boss pusher boxes, Boss salt spreaders, and Boss snow raiders. Since we're talking snow with the snow guru right here, Phil, today, it's fitting that we give the folks at Boss a shout out. So the Jordan Smith and all the wonderful awesome pros @Boss, thanks for helping us grow a snow removal and ice control efforts here at Grunder Landscaping Company. You truly are a partner in our success.
Now, on to this week's episode of the Grow Show.
Phil, so excited to have you here today.
[00:01:30] Speaker C: I'm very pleased.
[00:01:31] Speaker B: Thank you. We're excited to have you as a new strategic partner with the Snow Fighters. We're going to be able to deliver what we've been doing in the Grow Group. To the owners and leaders of landscaping companies. To the owners and leaders of snow fighting companies.
Exciting. Thank you.
[00:01:47] Speaker C: Absolutely. Yeah, I'm super pumped.
This is really the next chapter in the evolution of snowflakers. And as you know, Snow Fighters Institute was founded by John Allen, who's, if you don't know John, he's a great.
[00:02:00] Speaker B: Guy, like the godfather of snow.
[00:02:02] Speaker C: He really is. He really is. I, I, the legend has it that Simo was formed in his basement. Yeah, I think that's true.
[00:02:09] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:02:10] Speaker C: Anyway, John started Snow fighters in 2010, really to create a space where snow fighters can come together and talk about the issues of the day and really network and get to know each other and collaborate and also really get to know some of the best suppliers in the industry. So we're really putting together kind of the best.
All that in one place.
It's been great.
[00:02:32] Speaker B: Well, you've done a terrific job with the business. We're excited to partner up with you. I can't wait to take some of the knowledge we have and have developed with working with landscape contractors, many who have snow removal operations. But like us, Phil, we, we just really weren't into snow in a real big way. We are now, and you've been helping us with that. It's just been a lot of fun. So, so really, really exciting. I thought it'd be cool if everybody could get to know you a little bit. So first, on a personal issue, you're. You live in Michigan.
Tell us a little bit about your family. I know you've got some kids. I know you have some grandkids. They have caused. The kids have given us the gray hairs.
[00:03:08] Speaker C: That's right.
[00:03:09] Speaker B: The grandkids aren't giving us gray hairs yet. But tell us a little bit about yourself.
[00:03:12] Speaker C: Yeah. So I've been married for almost 40 years, which is fantastic.
[00:03:15] Speaker B: 40 years. Long time.
[00:03:17] Speaker C: My wife Cindy has, has just been wonderful.
[00:03:19] Speaker B: Hello to Cindy.
[00:03:20] Speaker C: We met at work when we're in college and we've worked several times throughout our careers, which is interesting. And of course, a lot of my clients work with their spouses, so having that personal insight is really valuable.
But I have two grown children and I have four grandchildren, three little grandsons, and a brand new little granddaughter.
[00:03:39] Speaker B: Congratulations. Congratulations. So we are fellow grandpas. We can now talk about how much fun that is. I. I remember people saying for years that, you know, grandkids are great and all this stuff, and I remember being like, yeah, okay, whatever. They, they really are great.
[00:03:54] Speaker C: It really is.
[00:03:55] Speaker B: I mean, they're amazing. My, My little granddaughter Sylvie, when she's with my wife and she sees the phone, she says, kapops, which means call pops.
[00:04:04] Speaker C: Nice.
[00:04:04] Speaker B: And then she gets on the FaceTime, ladies and gentlemen, and she just looks at me and smiles. And then once in a while, she just takes a hand up and waves. And I mean, it's just like.
[00:04:12] Speaker C: Yeah. And if you're done playing with them, you can hand them back.
[00:04:15] Speaker B: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. So it's just. It's just been great. But I think for me and this, this ties into a little bit of what, what you were inferring. The grandchildren give my life so much meaning.
And these snow removal companies that you work with, the landscaping companies that we work with, to Have a why that is there.
That's important, isn't it?
[00:04:35] Speaker C: Absolutely right. It's essential.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:38] Speaker C: It's foundational.
[00:04:39] Speaker B: If you don't have a why, I think it just becomes hard to get up and do some of the things. I mean, snow fighting is difficult. It's. It can go from, you know, you'd be asleep on your couch for a month and then for a week you get hit non stop and it's emergency service and you're out there doing all that.
[00:04:56] Speaker C: Well, that's absolutely right. And I think that's the right way to see snow removal. You know, people always relate snow and ice circuit management services to snow firefighting. You know, fighting firefighting. Because it is an emergency service and you're on call all winter.
[00:05:11] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:11] Speaker C: And there's a burden to that.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:13] Speaker C: And when there's activity, you have to go, you have to drive.
[00:05:15] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:05:16] Speaker C: If you're in church, you have to leave.
[00:05:18] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:05:18] Speaker C: Sorry, Pastor.
[00:05:19] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm out of here. I got to go fight some snow.
[00:05:21] Speaker C: And that's what it is. And you know, the people that see it that way really have the ability to kind of get away from that negative aspect of, oh, this is something, an obligation. This is a pain. I don't like this.
[00:05:34] Speaker B: We have learned that ourselves and you.
[00:05:36] Speaker C: Really have to embrace it.
[00:05:37] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:38] Speaker C: And I really have. Have run into more and more companies through my association with Snow Fighters and Wasima, where people just love snow.
[00:05:47] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:48] Speaker C: And the reason they love snow isn't because they have to stay, you know, have to get out of bed and leave their families.
[00:05:53] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:54] Speaker C: Three days.
[00:05:54] Speaker B: Right.
[00:05:55] Speaker C: But because they're doing something super, super valuable and in an emergency environment. And if you do it well, it's very rewarding.
[00:06:03] Speaker B: And I think that's something we'll touch on here again a little bit. But it goes to the why like we're talking about.
And you know, it's.
It's just an important part of our business having a motivation behind it and the story that you tell. Because if you lament snow removal, if you complain about it, you're giving your entire team license to do that. And you're never going to be any good at it then.
[00:06:25] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:06:25] Speaker B: Yeah. No, you're not. Let's dig a little bit deeper into you. We have a lot in common, but we also have a lot that's not in common. I barely graduated from college. I was not a very good student. You were an outstanding student.
You have your MBA from Michigan State University.
You recently completed law school. I did. You are you are a very smart guy. So it's good. Now we've got you and Vince to bounce out the dummy in the group.
Tell us a little bit about how you got to where you are because you have a really cool background. Tell us a little bit about your work history.
[00:06:57] Speaker C: Well, I appreciate all that, but degrees don't equate to it, you know, smart success.
[00:07:01] Speaker B: No, that's true.
But you got to have some smart people next to you to do some things.
[00:07:06] Speaker C: So, you know, I grew up in a family business, so I've, I've worked ever since I was a little kid.
My grandfather started a business in 1940, my dad and my uncles worked in the business. So we grew up in a family business and, and I ran printing and.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: Those are great lessons.
[00:07:22] Speaker C: Oh yeah, for sure. And I did, I played sports and I had a normal life, but I always had work. Yeah, work was a, is right. It was an essential part of my, you know, life even as a little kid. And so I just grew up with that work ethic.
I went to college because, you know, you were expected to go to college and you know, that's just what everyone did when they graduated from high school. And I, you know, hadn't really thought much more about it, but I went to Michigan State and started business. I met my wife and I got into the landscape business through that process, really in a management training capacity for a retailer, very large retailer, publicly traded company. And I saw the first 11 years of my career were in landscape management, but in a retail environment, which was.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: Really, you probably learned a ton about plants, you learned about the business, the cycle, the growing season, ton of stuff.
[00:08:13] Speaker C: Insects, lots of science.
But then really the rest of my career was in the contracting world. So really, you know, the, the, you know, landscape management, commercial, residential, at the very high end, estates, big snow operations. And, and that was really the second chapter of my career. And the third chapter of my career was with consulting. And I've been a full time consultant in industry since 2008.
[00:08:41] Speaker B: Right, exactly. And I've read your columns for years and I've always admire your, your pragmatic and, and very thoughtful approach to things. You then went on to law school and, and tell us a little bit about what that's done for you.
[00:08:54] Speaker C: Yeah, well, the inspiration to go to law school to begin with was because a lot of my friends who are my age are saying you're crazy. What are you doing?
[00:09:01] Speaker B: Right.
[00:09:01] Speaker C: But my consulting work has really moved into helping business owners transition their, their businesses to their children.
[00:09:09] Speaker B: Right.
[00:09:09] Speaker C: Or to Prepare to exit.
[00:09:11] Speaker B: Right, right.
[00:09:12] Speaker C: That was really the motivation.
But the, you know, the knowledge I've gained is really being. Is super helpful in terms of reading contracts and yes. Helping negotiate through issues and understanding.
Sometimes I'm the bridge between the attorneys that my clients are working with and the client saying, well, help me understand what this attorney is saying.
[00:09:34] Speaker B: Right.
[00:09:34] Speaker C: And I can understand, I can point them in the right direction.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: Right, exactly.
[00:09:38] Speaker C: It's been pretty cool.
[00:09:39] Speaker B: Well, it's awesome. And it's awesome to talk to you. You bring a perspective that we don't have here. One of the things I always like to ask longtime industry veterans like yourself. I recorded a recent edition of the Grow show with my brother Rich, and it was probably mostly comedy, to be honest with you. And we were talking about some of the funny things that happened like the day the trailer passed us on the right and went through a garage door. Things like that. Tell us a funny story.
I hear you. I know it has. You're lying. Your nose is growing. Pinocchio. Tell us a funny story because I know you got a bunch.
[00:10:12] Speaker C: I do. I could write books and books on crazy things. But one of the things that, that, you know, if you really want a self deprecating story.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: Yes, we want, we want a good one, we want a funny one.
[00:10:22] Speaker C: So if you want the full version, you know, it's going to require an adult beverage and maybe next time, next.
[00:10:29] Speaker B: Time we do an event, we're going to do that. We're going to call it Fill unplug.
Yeah, that sounds good.
[00:10:35] Speaker C: I was asked by a client to apply a chemical inside a commercial office building in the atrium.
[00:10:43] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:10:44] Speaker C: Oh, and against my better judgment, knowing that the product was labeled for outdoor use only.
[00:10:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:50] Speaker C: I went ahead and did it. Because the culture of the company was never tell a customer no.
[00:10:55] Speaker B: Okay. Yes. Oh, wow.
[00:10:58] Speaker C: In fact, our attire was embroidered with Yes, I can. Yeah or yes, it was.
[00:11:04] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:04] Speaker C: Always say yeah. So.
[00:11:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:05] Speaker C: Can you kill all this stuff in this atrium so my interior plant company can start over? Yes, I can.
Because we know how to kill stuff.
[00:11:14] Speaker B: Right.
[00:11:14] Speaker C: I'm really good at killing stuff.
[00:11:15] Speaker B: Yeah, Right.
[00:11:16] Speaker C: So of course I killed everything.
[00:11:18] Speaker B: Roundup or what were you using?
[00:11:19] Speaker C: It was momentum.
[00:11:21] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, there you go.
[00:11:23] Speaker C: It never it without sunlight. It never breaks down.
[00:11:28] Speaker B: Okay. Yeah.
[00:11:28] Speaker C: So it lives forever.
[00:11:30] Speaker B: So it sterilize the area.
[00:11:31] Speaker C: It lives forever.
[00:11:32] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:33] Speaker C: So everything that got replanted in those, those beds, they were huge beds. Died.
[00:11:38] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:11:38] Speaker C: More than once.
[00:11:39] Speaker B: Oh, gosh.
[00:11:40] Speaker C: And it turned into a pretty big deal.
[00:11:42] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:11:43] Speaker C: And a big Sorry. Lesson.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Well, those are, I mean those are the lessons that we learn. You know, that's funny. And that's, that's how we do things. And we, I guess a lesson learned in, in there is. And actually we've had a similar thing where our slogan is where service is always in season.
And a few years ago, Phil, we, you know, if a client wanted their lawn mowed on Wednesday, but the one right next door wanted done on Thursday and the one A street overwintered on Friday, we would go into a neighborhood on three different occasions because it's where service is always in season.
And as you grow, ladies and gentlemen, your span of control lessons. And I didn't even know this was all going on until we got Aspire, the industry specific software that we have and we use the route optimization feature that it has and we started seeing what it was costing us to go back.
It did.
And so there's unintended consequences of core values and of slogans and rally cries. And you got to think about it. One of our large clients that we work with, their focus is on ebitda and various branch managers understood that EBITDA was important so they were buying more equipment when they really didn't need it and other things. Okay.
And there was an unintended consequence of that. So you know the lesson there is to, to think through like there's a reason the things labeled for the ins, for not to use inside. Don't think you're going to outsmart it. I mean there's just all those things that, that guys our age, we understand that there's young men and women in their 20s listening to the grow show today that are probably like, you just gotta be careful. You just, you don't realize what's lurking around door number two.
[00:13:19] Speaker C: Right.
[00:13:20] Speaker B: So for sure, so important.
[00:13:21] Speaker C: That's great, great point.
[00:13:23] Speaker B: How did you move over from as a business owner and a member of a business to a coaching consultant? How did that end up taking place?
[00:13:31] Speaker C: Well, you know, I was in a really good place with my partnership. I was a part owner of a very large commercial landscape that's no operation in Michigan. And I was in a great partners. We were making money, we were growing. Everything was great, you know, new truck every year.
[00:13:47] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:13:47] Speaker C: I was living the life.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: Right, right, right.
[00:13:49] Speaker C: And I still could be there today. They, they're in business, still doing really well, growing. They're huge. In fact, a lot of my team is still in place. It was a great experience.
And that was 17 years ago.
[00:14:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:02] Speaker C: But we started working with A consultant named Gino Wickman who wanted to start eos.
[00:14:06] Speaker B: Amazing.
[00:14:07] Speaker C: Wrote tons of books.
[00:14:08] Speaker B: I mean, crazy. That's who you started with. That's when it was nothing, When Gino.
[00:14:11] Speaker C: Was really trying to figure out this EOS thing. Well, he pretty much had it in place. I shouldn't say he's trying to figure it out, but we were. We were truly at the forefront.
[00:14:19] Speaker B: One of his first clients.
[00:14:20] Speaker C: Absolutely. The first book he wrote, Traction, he reached out, and I have a couple quotes in a great book under the Professional group.
[00:14:27] Speaker B: Yeah, it's a great book.
[00:14:28] Speaker C: We go to the index and look at professional. We're in there talking about culture and some other things. But we worked directly with Gino, and what was happening was Gino was making recommendations to our leadership team that I had been making that didn't go anywhere.
[00:14:43] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:44] Speaker C: Even after my mba that the company paid for.
[00:14:46] Speaker B: Yeah. And you would think, okay, listen to them.
[00:14:48] Speaker C: Listen this guy. But, you know, here's Gino, the outsider. And then the light bulb went on and I went, that's where the value is, is being the objective outsider.
[00:14:58] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:14:58] Speaker C: Who's giving unfiltered opinion. No skin in the game.
And. And. And I said, I need to do that.
[00:15:05] Speaker B: I have some folks at Grunder Landscaping. I actually, there's probably more than I realize that watch the grow show and listen to it. So some of you don't repeat what I'm going to tell you here, but we used to have a local football coach speak to the team every year, and I did it for about five straight years. And religiously, I would meet him the week before at Neil's Heritage House, which is since closed, but it's a local, like, really nice place to have a business lunch. And Coach would say, okay, what do you want me to tell your team? And I would say, well, you know, I've tried getting this across, but it's not getting across in terms of the team. I've talked about this in terms of service, I talked about this in terms of profitability. So if you could touch on all those, I'd appreciate it. And then the next week, Coach would come in, he'd touch all of them. He'd figure out a nice story that. That got them to understand it. And then all of a sudden there'd be like, God, he was great. Did you hear what he was talking about with profitability? And I just had to kind of bite my tongue. But look, I was just trying to get better, so I'm fine. If you got the lesson from him, of Course, that's fine. So it's a similar thing. Like, and. And it makes sense, folks, like, people tune you out. That's the value in having an outsider going, like, I'm a lot smarter in Las Vegas than I am in Dayton, Ohio, because this consultant came all the way from Las Vegas to help us.
Little did they know I'm running a business out of a trailer in the middle of. I'm exaggerating, but those are. Those are the things that happen there with the coaching. What are some of the core leadership lessons that Phil Harwood has learned through your, I guess, almost 40 years of business experience?
[00:16:34] Speaker C: You know, they all sound like cliches, but it's do the right thing, do what you say you're going to do, answer your phone, be respectful, care about people.
It's all that.
[00:16:45] Speaker B: Isn't that amazing that those are basics?
[00:16:48] Speaker C: Yeah. That's so hard.
[00:16:50] Speaker B: Well, that's it. I think my book, the Nine Super Simple Steps, that's the premise of the book, and the premise of the book is the steps one needs to take to be successful in business. They're pretty easy to understand.
Like, if we went in front of all you today, folks, and Phil and I were teaching, which is something we'll be doing together here, and we said, okay, if a customer calls you, what do you do? Well, everybody would say, well, call them back. Yes, but people don't do that.
They don't do that.
And so three days later. Yeah, and I think we do overcomplicate. You know, our president here at Grunder is always says, Seth. He always says, there's no magical silver bullets, and there aren't. And there really are a lot of things that are commonsensical about business. Any other lessons that, that you've learned through the years that you'd like to share?
[00:17:34] Speaker C: Well, I think, you know, one of the things that's always served me well in, in leadership and business is to be an example and get out ahead of things.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Okay, so tell me more.
[00:17:43] Speaker C: You know, show up early.
[00:17:44] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:17:44] Speaker C: Be prepared.
[00:17:45] Speaker B: Okay. What do you mean by be prepared?
[00:17:47] Speaker C: You know, if you're presenting something, don't walk in at the last minute.
[00:17:51] Speaker B: Rehearse the day before.
[00:17:52] Speaker C: Like. Yeah, figured out. Have some, have some handouts, role playing, like, yeah, put. Put show. Demonstrate that you're really committed to this and that you really care and that it's. It's important.
You know, before, if it was a snow operation, you know, and, and I knew our. Our cruiser coming in at midnight, I would get to the shop at 10 and I would plow the whole shop, and I would make coffee, and I would get the trucks cleaned off. I would just. You know, it's two hours of my time. But, yeah, two hours.
[00:18:21] Speaker B: That set. That set the tone.
[00:18:23] Speaker C: Yeah. So they walked in like, wow, this guy's.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: This guy's ready. Right, Right.
[00:18:28] Speaker C: If I was rolling in at midnight.
[00:18:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:18:30] Speaker C: Oh, the gate's frozen, and we can't get in. And.
[00:18:32] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, it's so true. Yeah. And so we describe that at the grow group, the concept that you got to be great at the things you want your team and your followers to be good at.
[00:18:42] Speaker C: Right.
[00:18:42] Speaker B: And whether it's faith. Exactly. And whether it's fair or not, you and I have both learned. We have a bullseye on us, and we're being heavily scrutinized.
You know, I tell people when I teach, and I talk about customer service and leadership and how you treat people and talk to people.
You know, if you see me on my way out of this hotel, berating the young lady at the desk because my room wasn't very clean after I just talked to you about how you handle issues now, what do you think of me?
[00:19:07] Speaker C: Right.
[00:19:08] Speaker B: You know, if you heard that I yelled and swore at one of my employees, what would you. I mean, those things.
I didn't know this when I was in my 30s. I don't think. I don't think I grasped this, though. I was probably in my late 30s. And now I certainly understand that I'm always being watched and that how we do things is how we do everything. And as the leader goes, that's how the team goes. And the little thoughtfulness of getting in there early and filling up the trucks, making sure that. Yeah. How many times has the gate lock been frozen? I can relate. Okay.
[00:19:38] Speaker C: Right.
[00:19:38] Speaker B: And everybody's waiting out there, and then here you come up at 12, and everybody's standing there waiting, and now we're going to yell at them because we're behind.
[00:19:45] Speaker C: Right.
[00:19:45] Speaker B: Well, we didn't do anything to try to help get a little momentum. I love it. Anything else?
Wow.
[00:19:50] Speaker C: I. You know, I just love learning, so I've always been a learner, and I've always encouraged my people to. To, you know, look for opportunities to. To learn something.
[00:20:00] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:01] Speaker C: Whatever it is.
[00:20:01] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:20:02] Speaker C: You know, you can always be learning something. There was a season when I moved from retail management in the. In the landscape industry to contracting.
That was my first experience on large properties. And. And so I had no idea about drainage and irrigation on a big scale.
[00:20:19] Speaker B: I get it.
[00:20:21] Speaker C: I. I couldn't identify mature trees, things like that, that you would think someone with a horticulture background would know.
And so I really had to ramp up quickly.
And I tell this story a lot about learning how to identify trees. Was the dead of winter, so there's no leaves.
[00:20:37] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:20:37] Speaker C: I had a book, Trees of North America, and I drove around with this book in my truck all winter long. And every time I got to a stop sign, I pull up my book and I said, what is that tree?
[00:20:49] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:20:49] Speaker C: And I. And by the end of the winter, I could identify every tree that was within the Detroit metro area, because I could see.
[00:20:56] Speaker B: I think you're touching on something. Yeah.
[00:20:58] Speaker C: That's an ash.
[00:20:59] Speaker B: And I think you're touching on something that's really important.
You learn those trees because you wanted to.
[00:21:03] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:21:04] Speaker B: And that sounds trite and trivial, but. But when we used to do grow, I remember I did grow in Chicago and we had about 195 people there. This would have been in like 2006 or 2007. And I memorized every single name in the room and people could not believe it. I still have people say, I remember when. How did you do that? And my response to them was, I wanted to. Yeah, like the drive on, that kind of thing. And you know, if you want your business to work again, I'm going to say it again, you got to be great at the things you want your followers to be good at, and those are important.
And learning is important. And it's a great way for people to see a path to greatness in your team by making that investment in education. Right, right.
[00:21:44] Speaker C: But you have to be motivated. You have to see some purpose to it.
[00:21:48] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:21:49] Speaker C: And that's really our role as leaders to help people understand how important that is. And really, it's on them. It's their life, it's their career.
[00:21:57] Speaker B: Right.
[00:21:57] Speaker C: And we can help you and give you resources, we can support you, pay for classes or whatever, but this is on you.
[00:22:04] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:22:04] Speaker C: And you're not asking to get paid for it.
[00:22:06] Speaker B: Right.
[00:22:06] Speaker C: You know, this is.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: Right.
[00:22:07] Speaker C: Maybe on your own time.
[00:22:08] Speaker B: Yeah. Well. And you just made me think of something. You know, I, I'm, I'm scrolling my mind right now of our team and the people have stepped things up. A lot of them have stepped it up because we've exposed them to some education that's gotten them more. Gotten them more interested in the industry itself. And then they're like, okay, now that I understand this more, I like this. And it's almost like they're walking towards it now.
[00:22:30] Speaker C: Right?
Yeah.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: Let's talk about trends. What are the trends that you see? I mean, people have been removing snow for years.
When I got started, it was a shovel, a snowblower and a straight blade. Okay. That angled.
[00:22:43] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:22:43] Speaker B: The amount of things that are out there now speak to us, to the trends that you see and how the industry has evolved.
[00:22:49] Speaker C: Yeah. Well, there's so much more technology innovation and software applications and data that are. That's coming from the field.
[00:22:56] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:22:57] Speaker C: We were out with Caterpillar is one of our sponsors and we were at their facility recently and it was amazing. Some of the technology that's in a wheel loader and you pay a lot for these, you would expect some technology.
More. More than just the buck.
[00:23:11] Speaker B: What's some of the technology?
[00:23:13] Speaker C: Well, one of the cool things was that there's, there's, there's real time training built into the machine.
So if you think about it, and this is a big, big environment. This is a mining operation. So one of the larger dump trucks, probably one of the bigger ones in the world, moving material from A to B point A to B. Well, every, every time you make that maneuver, it's thousands, tens of thousands of dollars of cost. Wow. Machine cost time.
[00:23:44] Speaker B: Right.
[00:23:44] Speaker C: And the owner of that machine can actually. The owner of that machine might be on another continent. Could be anywhere in the world. That owner might be some rich dude in Russia.
[00:23:54] Speaker B: Yeah. Right.
[00:23:55] Speaker C: And they can observe that machine and every maneuver that operator is making. They could actually talk to the operator in real time. But not only that, when the operator's coming back to get another load, they're being coached by the machine about how to be more efficient on their next trip.
[00:24:12] Speaker B: And I see applications with snow, too. Yeah, yeah. 100%.
[00:24:16] Speaker C: Well, in the remote, technology isn't there yet. 100%, but it's coming.
[00:24:20] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:21] Speaker C: So there's going to be a day when the operators of machines are going to be sitting in lazy boys in India.
[00:24:27] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:27] Speaker C: And they're just going to sign into a machine and here in Dayton and, and operate it for an hour and a half. They're going to clock out of that machine.
[00:24:34] Speaker B: Crazy.
[00:24:35] Speaker C: They're going to clock into a machine in Cincinnati. They're going to run that for two hours.
[00:24:39] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:39] Speaker C: That's it. That's going to be the model software.
[00:24:42] Speaker B: And other things that you see. What are, what are those?
[00:24:45] Speaker C: Well, all the business management applications and software programs such as Aspire.
[00:24:50] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:24:51] Speaker C: Have really started to integrate with some of the technology with the snowplow equipment.
[00:24:57] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:57] Speaker C: We're getting data loaded.
[00:24:59] Speaker B: Right.
[00:24:59] Speaker C: In terms of salt usage and all kinds of other statistics.
[00:25:03] Speaker B: And some of that stuff is it's affordable even for the. Oh yeah. And some of this, it's affordable for the smaller contractor.
[00:25:09] Speaker C: And, and it's essential. I mean, you can't.
[00:25:11] Speaker B: Right, Yeah. I know. For us, prior to Aspire and a plug in property intel, it was. We would count parking stalls or you, you'd go visit the site.
[00:25:20] Speaker C: Right.
[00:25:20] Speaker B: We can produce a quote that's accurate within five minutes now.
[00:25:23] Speaker C: Right.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: Very accurate. So it is. And, and you know, doing more with hours. Oh, hours. And, and doing more with less.
What keeps you energized about snow removal there. Some years can be bad. I mean, you don't get snow. What, what keeps you energized about it.
[00:25:38] Speaker C: Like I said earlier, it's rewarding. You're providing a service that's essential.
You're keeping properties open. You're keeping retail environments open, hospitals, airports, distribution centers. These are essential, logistical. You know, and life saving. You know, sometimes properties where you're, you're, you're the guy, you're the person who's like the hero. So, you know, to me, snow fighting is just. You're the hero out there at night.
[00:26:07] Speaker B: Yeah. And we, this past winter, Phil, we had two hospitals that were zero tolerance that we took care of. And I was very nervous about us doing them, but I trusted my team and the compliments that we got and the other work that we've gotten from them as a result.
[00:26:23] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:26:23] Speaker B: I'm so proud of, you know, the effort that was put forth and what we've done with that and where we are. Any other trends?
[00:26:30] Speaker C: Well, you know, just more broadly in, in terms of the demographics of the industry and there's been a labor issue for.
[00:26:37] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:26:38] Speaker C: And we could talk all day about that. But you know, the other real big trend that's happening is with the aging population and the great transfer of wealth from the baby boomers.
[00:26:48] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:26:48] Speaker C: To the next generation. So, you know, that's why you're seeing all these educational programs around.
You know, how to sell your business.
[00:26:57] Speaker B: Right.
[00:26:57] Speaker C: How to value.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: Right, exactly.
[00:26:59] Speaker C: All that. So that to me that's a, that's a huge trend and I'm obviously, I'm very focused on that in my consulting work.
[00:27:05] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:27:06] Speaker C: But that really stands out to me.
[00:27:07] Speaker B: No, and that's, that's something, I mean, I'm almost 57 years old and that's something I think about and I know you're going to agree with me. The interesting Thing I think about this is everyone listening. Whether you're planning on selling your business or not, you should be setting your business up so it can be easily sold, so that someone would see value.
You can't argue that whether you want to sell it or not, setting it up to where someone can come in and say, okay, so I could buy this business and I see that you're involved, but you got a lot of key people here. I see you have systems. I think I could phase you out. I don't need you here. That's what you want to do, isn't it?
[00:27:41] Speaker C: Yeah. And I go back to EOS 100%. So all the things that you work on with within EOS for process improvement and increasing profitability and sustainability, those are all things you do just to have a better business.
[00:27:55] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:27:56] Speaker C: But it, but they're also the same things you're going to do to make sure that your 35 year old child can take over your business or sell it.
[00:28:03] Speaker B: Right.
[00:28:04] Speaker C: So they're all the same.
[00:28:05] Speaker B: Amen. Well, really nice of you to stop by the steel studios and talk on the grow show. Let's close it out. What's one piece of advice that you would give to either a snow fighter or a regular landscape contractor? By the way, we're going to be producing so much content for, for snow removal professionals, Snow Fighters. It's ridiculous. If you're in a northern climate, you have snow and you currently don't do snow or you think it's a pain, you're not going to think that way. When we're done with you, we're going to show you how to turn it into a viable part of your business.
[00:28:32] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: What's a great piece of advice? And we'll close it out.
[00:28:35] Speaker C: Well, since you invited me as the face of Snow Fighters. Yes. I'm going to talk about snow.
[00:28:40] Speaker B: Yes. Do it.
[00:28:41] Speaker C: Because snow removal, if done well, is a very profitable business.
[00:28:46] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:28:46] Speaker C: Amen. And so, you know, sometimes people look at all the risk involved and all that risk can be mitigated at all of it.
[00:28:54] Speaker B: A lot of it can be mitigating.
[00:28:56] Speaker C: In my previous life, our business was 50% landscape, 50% snow green white.
[00:29:02] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:29:02] Speaker C: But 80% of our profits came from snow.
[00:29:04] Speaker B: Came from snow.
[00:29:05] Speaker C: And I see that all the time. And more and more companies that I'm working with are really adjusting their. That's great service mix towards snow because it's so profitable.
[00:29:14] Speaker B: Right.
[00:29:15] Speaker C: If it's done well.
[00:29:16] Speaker B: Right. Snow.
[00:29:16] Speaker C: So that's why I love Snow Fighters.
[00:29:19] Speaker B: Right.
[00:29:19] Speaker C: Because that's a place where you can really figure this out and take your snow business just to a great place.
[00:29:24] Speaker B: Yeah. Well, I'm really excited to have you as our strategic partner. I'm looking forward to getting to know you even better. You're a good man. Congratulations folks. That's going to do it for this week's edition of the Grow Show, Powered by Steel. If you haven't done so already, subscribe to the Grow show and if you can give it a rating or share a comment that helps more success minded landscape professionals find us. And if you really want to help us, take your phone out right now and text this episode to a friend, an industry colleague, whoever, and help us tell more people about what we're doing here. Thanks for joining us this week on the Grow Show. We'll talk to you next week.
[00:29:59] Speaker A: Thanks for listening to this episode of the Grow Show. A special thanks to the folks at Steel whose support makes this podcast possible and whose outdoor power equipment makes our jobs easier every day. Remember, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode and head to growgroupinc.com to learn more about our other offerings or to find more information to help your landscaping business. We'll talk to you next week.
