The Landscaping Podcast

One year ago, Zac walked back through the doors at Landscaping Unlimited A year later, he's taking the mic solo to talk about what that decision meant. No co-host, and no script, just an honest reflection on relationships, purpose, and the kind of life worth building. In this episode, Zac makes the case that we were never meant to be line items on a payroll or interchangeable providers in a system...

North Carolina is expected to have a slower hurricane season, but slower does not mean safe. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast , Zac talks about why property owners, business owners, and homeowners still need to prepare before the storms arrive. A quiet forecast can create a false sense of security, but it only takes one major storm, one blocked drainage area, one weak tree limb, or one u...

Every business owner knows that Good help is hard to find. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac breaks down four practical ways to address the challenge of finding, hiring, and keeping the right people for your company. He talks about why your company needs to show who you are, what you do, and what kind of person fits your culture. Your social media should not just sell your services....

There is a dangerous trap that hard-working people fall into. They become so focused on building the business, chasing the goal, growing the company, serving the customer, fixing the problems, and proving themselves that they forget to actually live the life they say they are working so hard to create. This episode was inspired by a message from Sahil Bloom about the importance of not waiting unti...

In this solo episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac Small breaks down how to stand out from the competition in the green industry, not by talking louder, making excuses, or acting like the job owes you something, but by becoming the kind of professional every company wants more of. Whether you are applying for a job, working on a landscaping crew, leading a team, or trying to earn more responsibi...

After two weeks off the mics, we're back. Zac was on vacation with the family, Shay had a stretch of work that wouldn't let up, and instead of forcing content for the sake of content, we took the time we needed... This episode is about that. In the green industry, taking time off feels like a luxury you have to earn . There's always one more job, one more bid, one more thing that "only takes a min...

Solo episode this week, recorded on a quick break from installing artificial turf for Beast Games. A few years back, if you'd told me landscaping would put me on a set like that, I would have laughed. That's really what this episode is about. One minute, we're on a high-profile install, and just before that, Shay and I were standing in front of an elementary school classroom for career day, walkin...

What does leading a submarine crew have to do with running a landscaping company? More than you'd think. In this episode, Shay and Zac sit down with Jon Rennie, former Cold War submarine officer, corporate executive, manufacturing business owner, and host of the Deep Leadership Podcast. Jon has spent decades studying and living out one simple truth: Leadership is a people business, and that doesn'...

In this episode, Zac speaks about the "Digital Division" of Landscaping Unlimited and how social media is a tool that all companies should use. This is not about becoming an influencer; it's about making a smart business decision. Property managers, commercial clients, and potential partners are online right now doing their research to find out who is doing the best work and who the best people ar...

What does a landscaping company have to do with an elementary school? Everything. In this episode, Shay and Zac sit down fresh off a visit to Northeast Elementary School in Pinetown, NC, where they represented Landscaping Unlimited, Inc., The Landscaping Podcast, Z Photography & Media, and had a conversation with students that most in this industry would never think to have. And we must give a...

Everyone's talking about AI taking jobs; nobody's talking about the ones it can't touch. In this solo episode, Zac breaks down why artificial intelligence isn't moving into the trades, the blue-collar workforce, or the green industry anytime soon. He also explains why that matters more than most people realize, and while white-collar jobs are being automated and college degrees are losing their re...

Your backyard should be the most restorative place you own. In this episode, Shay and Zac dig into the rise of outdoor wellness spaces and what it actually looks like to build one from the ground up. Meditation gardens, living water features, cold plunges, saunas, red light therapy, they cover the science behind why these things work and how Landscaping Unlimited brings it all together into one co...

The green industry runs on more than grass and good intentions; it runs on credentials. In this episode, Shay and Zac break down the licenses they've used in the landscaping world, which are: NC Pesticide License NC Irrigation License NC Landscape Contractor's License And the one Shay just added to the wall, his NC General Contractor's License. They talk about what each license actually means, why...

Talent isn't enough. Zac Small goes solo this episode to talk about something nobody in the trades wants to admit: That there are talented people everywhere who are completely failing, and it has nothing to do with skill. Zac breaks down the five reasons he sees talented people fall short, from the job site to the leadership seat. This one hits close to home for anyone who's ever watched someone w...

In this episode, we get honest about a hard truth... Nobody is coming to save small towns. In big cities, people often look to systems, programs, and government to solve problems; but in small town America, it has always been different. Out here, people have to rely on their neighbors, their community, and each other. This conversation is about small-town grit, responsibility, resilience, and prid...

In this solo episode, Shay breaks down a truth too many people learn too late: "If you do not take control of your time, your time will control you." He talks about the importance of managing your schedule with intention so your job gets your best, your mind and body are not neglected, and the people you love are not left with the job's leftovers. This episode is about priorities, discipline, and...

In Episode 52 of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay and Zac are in the truck, catching up after a busy week and getting into a truth that needs to be said more often: Most people have no idea how deep the green industry really is. Too many people see landscaping as just mowing grass, spreading mulch, or moving dirt. That mindset is shallow, and it’s wrong. The green industry is filled with skill, educa...

In Episode 51 of 'The Landscaping Podcast', we’re bringing you the audio from Shay Brickhouse’s first public presentation in the green industry, delivered at the Turf Council of North Carolina meeting. In this talk, Shay breaks down what it really means to build a people-first industry and why the companies that win long term are the ones that take care of their team and their clients better than...

In this solo episode, Zac talks about something a lot of people never fully give themselves permission to do, be real... Too many people are walking through life edited, filtered, watered down, and afraid to say what they actually think, feel, or believe. They stay quiet to keep the peace, shrink themselves to avoid judgment, and perform instead of live. That is no way to live. In this episode, Za...

Growth sounds good until it starts costing you your standards, your sanity, and the culture that built your company in the first place. In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Shay and Zac break down one of the hardest lessons in business: knowing when to say no. They talk about why not every opportunity is a good one, why knowing your people matters more than most owners realize, and how to s...

Zac went solo for this one, because there’s a message he wanted every landscaper and hardscaper to hear loud and clear. In this episode, he shares the exact messages from the ads Landscaping Unlimited ran during the Super Bowl and the Olympics, and break downs why we ran them in the first place... To help elevate the green industry, to tell the story that most people never see, and to give credit...

Spring and summer don’t “show up” in the green industry; they hit you like a freight train, whether you're ready or not. In this episode, Shay breaks down how he’s preparing Landscaping Unlimited to dominate peak season in his 11th year as a Licensed Landscaper. From tightening systems and sharpening standards to getting crews, equipment, scheduling, and customer expectations locked in before the...

If you live in Eastern North Carolina and you’ve ever wondered why weeds keep winning, this episode is your wake-up call. Shay and Zac break down pre-emergent vs post-emergent, what they are, how they work, and why timing matters more than “ whatever your neighbor sprayed .” We talk soil temperatures, NC State, seasonal windows, and how to build a weed-control plan that matches your property, not...

In this episode of The Landscaping Podcast, Zac gets real about two things the industry doesn’t talk about enough: Healthy Competition and Business Failures. First, he breaks down why landscapers and hardscapers should be rooting for each other while still competing at a high level. The work is hard enough without personal drama, gossip, and people trying to tear each other down; strong competitio...

Shay records a solo episode from the Big Island of Hawaii and talks about a landscaping truth: Every place on Earth has beauty, and every place also has problems. From comparing Hawaii to North Carolina, to breaking down how climate shapes everything from plant choices to drainage and durability, this episode is a reminder that great landscaping is about working with your environment, not fighting...