Green Side Up

In this episode, Jason and Jordan kick things off with post–Fourth of July stories, from eight-inch mortars and a professional fireworks barge to the unexpected lesson in staffing, leadership, and broken promises that came with a canceled show. They pivot into the green industry and dig into how Jason is onboarding virtual assistants (VAs) to help track lead flow, build out data-driven reporting,...

In this episode of The Green Side Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan cover a full slate of real-world green industry challenges and opportunities. Jason breaks down a Fourth of July–timed median rehab in Alachua, from battling snails in society garlic to testing drift roses in harsh roadway conditions. Jordan shares a profitable roadside removal project and then dives deep into a large-scale plant healt...

In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and Jason sit down with Zack Farr, third-generation citrus grower, redneck entrepreneur, and co-founder of Biotech Applied Research , for a wild, unfiltered ride from castrating calves to carbon-smart soils. Zack walks through his journey from FSU to Miami sales, back home to struggling citrus groves, into industrial hemp, and ultimately to disco...

In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and the team sit down with ISA Certified Arborist Marti Machado to trace his journey from hustling tree work out of a '72 Toyota dually to becoming one of Hillsborough County's most trusted tree professionals. Marti shares raw, entertaining stories from his early days climbing with a boat anchor line, the career-changing influence of industry leg...

In this Vacation Edition of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and Jason catch up from the road—Jordan broadcasting from a family beach trip on Florida's Panhandle and Jason checking in from the mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They swap stories about night crabbing, offshore fishing, Dollywood, cave tours, and even a behind-the-scenes look at the Bush's Baked Beans factory. Woven through the...

In this episode of Green Side Up, Jordan and Jason sit down with Zack Pitchford, owner of Wilcox Nursery & Landscape in Largo, Florida, to unpack his unconventional journey from high school nursery hand to retail nursery owner and landscape leader. Zack walks through his early days in environmental horticulture at UF, sweating it out on Jordan's maintenance crews, his eye‑opening internship at Val...

In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, Jason Lee and co-host Jordan Upcavage sit down with Mark Cohen of Permaloc to explore how aluminum edging has reshaped the landscape and hardscape industry. Mark shares the origin story of Permaloc, founded by landscape architect Daniel Zwier as the pioneer of aluminum landscape edging, and explains why aluminum's strength-to-weight ratio, sustainabili...

In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan sit down in Tampa with renowned green-industry consultant Jeffrey Scott to unpack his journey from family pool-and-landscape business to leading coach, peer-group facilitator, and host of The Ultimate Landscape CEO. Jeffrey shares stories from growing up in his grandfather's pioneering gunite pool company, scaling a high-margin service...

In this episode, Jason and Jordan catch up on a busy season in the landscape business, comparing lead flow, close rates, and what's really driving sales in different markets. They swap stories about big opportunities—including a major 5,600-foot roadway bid in Kissimmee and a high-profile renovation at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gainesville—and break down how they think about strategic bidd...

In this episode of the Green Side Up podcast, Jason andJordan hit the road to Gainesville, Florida to record at the impressive new home of Sky Palm Studios with co-founders Luke Lower and Justin Short. They dive into Luke and Justin's journey from running separate media companies—one focused on drone and aerial work, the other on video production—to recognizing they were better together and dissol...

In this episode of Welcome to Green Sign Up, Jordan and Jason start with some early-morning banter about  The Curse of Oak Island before diving into real-world tree and landscape work in Florida. Jordan previews his meeting with "Mangrove Alan" on a new waterfront development, while Jason talks through lighting and landscape projects in Cedar Key. They then shift into plant health care operations...

This episode of the Green Side Up Podcast is a lively, story-packed conversation featuring Jordan, Jason, and returning guest Erin Alvarez . The trio starts with weekend plans—kayaking, manatees, race car–themed kids' parties, daddy–daughter dances, and tax woes—before drifting into hilarious side tangents about trolling lettuce for manatees, oversized margaritas, and the realities of squeezing tr...

In this episode of Green Side Up, Jordan Upcavage and Jason Lee welcome Kristoffer Rasmussen —certified arborist, safety professional, auditor, educator, and all‑around arboriculture lifer—for a rich conversation recorded live from ArborFest in Asheville, North Carolina. Kristoffer shares what makes ArborFest special, from crane‑hung "ninja climbs" to family-friendly vibes and hands-on equipment d...

In this episode, Jordan and Jason share real-world results from high-rate MitoGrow applications on stressed live oaks, sports fields, and problem lawns—including a dramatic turnaround case at the University of Tampa and a residential yard battling take-all root rot. They break down practical application rates and methods, how they're pivoting plant health care programs toward targeted "booster" tr...

Today's episode captures a Business Solutions webinar hosted by the Tree Care Industry Association ( TCIA ), featuring insights from landscaping and tree service executives. The discussion focuses on operational readiness for the spring season, emphasizing the transition from winter dormancy to peak demand. Key speakers from Skyfrog Landscaping, Independent Tree, and Lynch Landscape and Tree Servi...

In this episode, Jordan and Jason dive into real-world production, consulting, and systems work in their green industry businesses. Jordan breaks down a 7,000 sq ft Bellgard turf block install at Blue Springs State Park, then unpacks a six‑figure consulting project tied to the City of Tampa's strict tree protection rules, air spading, and water main replacement work. He also shares how he's using...

In this episode, Jordan and Jason kick things off with light banter—Spanish greetings, coffee, "Zoom mullets," and Jordan's upcoming New York trip—before diving into real-world business lessons. Jordan shares how a harsh one-star Google review over "bad driving" was completely debunked using dash cam footage, and what that taught them about professionalism and reputation management. They then dig...

In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan continue their deep dive into real-world sales processes for landscape and tree care businesses. Jason recaps his trip to the Leanscaper operations intensive and shares how tools like Lana AI, SOPs, and "lean boards" can streamline communication and checklists—along with the real financial and implementation challenges. They talk about...

In this episode of Green Side Up, Jordan and Jason kick off with some laughs and then dive into the real meat: tightening up your landscape sales process from first phone call to booked job. Prompted by listener questions and real scenarios from the field, they walk through using a phone script to vet leads, set project minimums, and talk budget ranges, plus Jordan's nine-step customer journey fro...

In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan sit down with guest Erin Alvarez to recap the first annual Landscape Rodeo at Ancient City Farmstead. They walk through what it took to pull off a brand‑new event—from last‑minute insurance and equipment logistics to course design, sponsors, and volunteers—plus highlights like the truck and trailer / Isuzu box truck course, the articul...

In this Valentine's Day episode of the Green Side Up podcast, Jason and Jordan are back in the "bunker of love" with special guest Eric, Business Development Manager for Gravely Commercial Mowers. The trio traces Eric's unlikely journey from a chance airport encounter after the Equip Expo in Louisville to hanging out in the bunker, then dives into the rich, family-owned legacy of Ariens Co. and th...

In this pre-sunrise episode, Jordan and Jason kick off 2026 with a candid look at what's current in their tree and landscape businesses. They recap January's guest lineup, then dive into real-world topics like business development through BNI and apartment associations, HOA speaking gigs, and an emergency job removing a 40" oak after a massive water main blowout. They share how tools like LiveSwit...

In this episode of the Green Side Up podcast, Jordan and Jason talk with longtime friend Andrew "Duck Fisherman" Fucarino about his unusual path from family-owned compounding pharmacy to Business Development Manager for Independent Tree Service. Andrew shares how he helped build a niche, cash-pay compounding business (including custom dry eye drops from patients' own blood serum) that was eventual...

In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan sit down in person with Danny Gutcher of KASE Wealth Advisors for a deep dive into money, retirement, and long‑term planning—through the relatable lens of Danny's baseball journey. Danny shares his path from Tampa high school standout to Division II national champion catcher at the University of Tampa, then explains how he transitioned...

In this episode, Jordan and Jason go behind the scenes of the inaugural Landscape Rodeo in St. Augustine, Florida—fresh off the front page of  Lawn & Landscape  with Yankee Dan doing a wheelie on a Hustler zero-turn. They break down Media Day, key events like zero-turn barrel racing, skid steer challenges, mini-excavator skills, and the evolving three-on-three backpack blower soccer, plus how to r...