Roots of Success

What does it look like to build a company the right way — not the fastest way? In this episode of Roots of Success, host Chris Psencik reconnects with one of his oldest friends in the industry, Kyle Cahill, founder of Grown Company in Houston and newly elected Chair of the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA). Kyle shares the full story: launching a company two weeks before his first dau...

Forty hours. Fifty. Sixty. Somewhere along the way, "busy" became something to brag about. But what if  the busyness  isn't a sign of  hard work   or   it's  a sign of the wrong habits? In this episode of Roots of Success, host Kevin Keim sits down with Dauphin Ewart , a  McFarlin Stanford PACE facilitator and second-generation owner of  BugMaster , an 80-person pest control company in Texas ,  to...

What separates the companies people  want  to work  for from the ones they  can't  wait to leave? In this episode of Roots of Success, host Chris Psencik sits down with Ryan Malone of Malone's Landscape in Seattle, Washington —  a  second-generation owner, ACE  Chairman  member   and endurance athlete — to talk about one of the most  important  assets  in a growing company: culture. From monthly c...

Most business owners think  they're  great communicators   until things fall apart. In this roundtable episode of Roots of Success, host Chris Psencik is joined by McFarlin Stanford  coaches   Kevin  Keim and Tracy Wallingford to tackle one of the most common   and costly   problems in growing landscaping companies: communication breakdown s . From choosing the right tools and building meeting cad...

How  does financial  clarity   impact  your business value ?  In this episode of the Roots of Success, j oin  host  Jennifer Murray as she talks about  financial health check-ups, banking  relationships  and team transparency   with Jonathan Peterson  of Summit Landscape in Hondo, TX .    Hear from Jonathan how  he improved  decision-making,  lender relationships, and  has grown a  more resilient...

Get ready for a high-impact conversation on the intersection of landscaping, technology, and innovation! In this episode of Roots of Success, Kevin Keim sit s  down with  ACE P eer  G roup standouts Sterling West of Newport Avenue Landscaping and Sam Z a l e  of Zale's Lawn and Landscape. Discover how these forward-thinking business owners are using AI ,  not just as a buzzword, but as a hands-on...

Join Chris  Psencik  and Mark P yrah  for Part 2 of an insightful discussion  on  how  leveraging tech, automation, and AI  is  driving double-digit growth, improving customer experience, and keeping landscape businesses ahead of the curve.  They discuss  why remote access and automation are  game changers , the revenue impact of rigorous inspections, and how to create scalable systems without blo...

What if your organization's biggest untapped profit center was hiding in plain sight? In this episode,  Chris Psencik  sits down with Mark  P yrah , President Elect of the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association, to uncover how Peak Landscape moved from viewing irrigation as a "necessary evil" to harnessing it as a strategic, revenue-driving arm of the business. Mark shares how a mindset shift, t...

Ready to move beyond gut feelings and bank account balances? In this episode, Noe Loarca gets real about the challenges of managing a landscape business without adequate financial data and how participation in ACE peer groups turned things around for him. Hosted by Ian Hanemann, the conversation explores the critical numbers every landscaper   should track, the benefits of open-book management, an...

On this episode of Roots of Success, Chris Psen c ik digs  into t he changing landscape of insurance for green industry businesses with special guests Chase Campbell  and  Cal  Fallaize  from Sage Insurance and Risk Advisors. The group unpacks how auto insurance has become a massive pain point ,  often making up 70% of insurance premiums .  Additionally  hear  why old settlements are  a thing of t...

Financials  don't  have to be  intimidating   and in this episode of Roots of Success,  you'll  learn why! Join hosts Jason New, Chris Psencik, and Jim Cali as talk with fellow ACE facilitator  Jennifer Murray, a former banker and finance professor, and Ian Hanemann , ACE Peer Group  financial analyst, to break down the essentials of financial checkups, valuations, and benchmarking for landscaping...

Step behind the scenes with McFarlin Stanford as Jim Cali, Jason New, and  newly-appointed  CEO Scott Wallingford share the story of a pivotal leadership transition. Discover how long-standing friendships, trust, and a forward-thinking approach are driving growth and innovation at McFarlin Stanford. Hear firsthand how Scott's  expertise  will help the team scale, serve clients better, and lead the...

On this episode of Roots of Success, Chris Psencik welcomes Lex Mason from Weathermatic for a candid conversation on the systems, strategies, and tech elevating the landscape industry. Discover the secret to hitting the coveted 20% revenue mark for irrigation repairs, streamline your inspection processes, and learn direct-from-the-trenches tips to boost productivity and retain top talent—even in a...

  If you 've  ever   considered add ing robot mowers and battery powered equipment  to your  operation s  tune in to  this episode of Roots of Success,  as  host Kevin Keim from  McFarlin  Stanford sits down with Bob Carey of  K ress Outdoor  to talk  electrification and autonomous mowing in the landscape industry. They bust common myths  on power and reliability , break down the business drivers...

Budgeting  doesn't  have to be a mystery—or  a misery ! On this episode of Roots of Success, host Kevin Keim sits down with Liz Helton and Steve Alley from McFarl in  Stanford  to   walk through  how budgeting can transform your landscaping business. The trio shares  actionable  strategies for starting a budget from scratch, using your company's historic data, and adapting budgets as realities cha...

J oin host Chris Psen c ik as he sits down with Matt  C rinklaw, founder of  Greenius , for  his view of  the  evolution of training in the landscape industry. From humble beginnings and funny  translation   mishaps to technological innovation and culture transformation, Matt  C rinklaw shares how  Greenius  is helping thousands of contractors build efficient, happy teams and combat high turnover....

Ever wondered how the partnership betw een McFarlin Stanford and The Grow Group got its start?   On this  roundtable  episode of Roots of Success, J ason New, Chr is  Psen c ik  and  Jim Cali  of McFarlin Stanford  sit down with Marty Grunder and Vince Torchia  of The Grow Group  to  recall how  ACE  P eer  G roups  began  and   how it has grown through over 10 years of collaboration .  You'll  he...

How do you landscape a luxury island resort in the blazing heat of the UAE? On this episode of Roots of Success , Simon Smith, Director of Horticulture and Landscape for Wynn Resort, reveals the relentless pace and monumental scale of his latest project: an integrated resort requiring 500,000 plants, 7,000 trees, and an elite team of 9,000 employees. Host , Chris Ps enc ik , digs into the inside s...

In this episode of Roots of Success, host , Barrett Chow , welcome s Tom Tessmer, founder of QLVR (Clever) , for a frank conversation on the power of employee engagement surveys and the real impact of culture in the workplace. Tom draws on 20 years of Human Resources experience to break down how data-driven insights can transform teams, improve employee satisfaction, and drive better business outc...

In this episode of Roots of Success, Chris Ps enci k sit s down with Jeff Margulies, owner of Good Earth Landscape in Colorado's breathtaking Roaring Fork Valley. Jeff shares his journey from a finance career in Boston to building one of the region's powerhouse landscape companies — despite daunting challenges like high costs , seasonal constraints, and retaining top talent in a resort market. Dis...

Ever thought about selling your landscape business—but figured it was years down the road? What if the perfect opportunity landed in your lap, sooner than expected? In this episode of Roots of Success, host Jason New of McFarland Stanford sits down with Andrew Gabries, who built not one, but two thriving companies—Andrew's Lawn and Landscaping and Go Green Lawn and Pest Control—and exited both ear...

What if your company's biggest differentiator wasn't your service , but your people? In this episode  of Roots of Success, host Barrett Chow sit s down with Nubia Gutierrez, CEO and founder of HR in Bloom, to unpack why investing in your HR strategy is the ultimate game-changer for landscape businesses. Learn how Nubia transformed HR from a "paper-pushing" afterthought into a core driver for recru...

Absolutely crushing it in landscape sales—only to discover your teams don't know how your company actually makes money? Wondering why your backlog is shrinking or your people aren't moving your business forward the way you hoped? In this raw, high-energy roundtable episode of Roots of Success, our panel of seasoned coaches and industry leaders get real about what's working NOW for landscape execut...

What if "just sod" was the secret to dominating a niche landscape market? In this episode, Tommy Cole sits down with Tom and Dana Groh of Minnesota Sodding Company (MSC) to uncover how they turned a teenage side-hustle into one of the most respected specialty contractors in the Midwest. From firing up equipment on commercial job sites to building pro-level athletic fields—even tackling the legenda...

Think running a landscape company with your spouse is a recipe for disaster? Think again. Kerry and Jill Cline are living proof that partnership—at work and at home—can become your biggest business superpower. This candid conversation peels back the curtain on how they built C&S Lawn Service & Landscaping: from passing out flyers as a teenager to scaling up with peer support, adopting game-changin...