The GROW! Show

Battery-powered equipment is a fan favorite for clients because of the reduced noise, but many pros struggle with how to switch their crews over. In this episode, Marty Grunder is joined by a panel of experts who share their advice on setting crews up for success with battery-powered equipment and share best practices if you're interested in trying it out yourself. Marty discusses the transition t...

This episode is a rerun because we think the message is just so important to teams as we get ready to ramp up for Spring. Having a growth mindset is a key determiner of success that we see in the leaders that we work with at The Grow Group. In this episode Marty Grunder and Vince Torchia share how leaders can embrace a growth mindset and accept accountability for the role they play in their team's...

Complete Landsculpture is an incredible landscaping business in Dallas that has grown tremendously over the years. Much like Marty and the team at GLC, Founders Gene Freeman and Chris Strempek have had wonderful success and they've also had mistakes in their years in business. In this episode, Gene shares what he's learned in his years in the landscaping industry, the best investments you can make...

If you do nothing, guess what happens? Nothing.  Don’t just learn something new and inspiring and do nothing with it, put it to work in your business or personal life! In this episode, Marty shares four basic pillars that support every successful landscaping company, and what companies need to know to build these strong pillars in 2024. Discussion Points: Why aren’t you at GROW! 2024? Doing nothin...

What do you wish people would say about you in your eulogy? Taking a genuine interest in others is one of the best ways to “win friends and influence people” as Dale Carnegie said. In this episode, Marty Grunder shares ways that you can be a better teammate by taking an interest in the people you work with. People always work better together when they actually like each other.  Discussion Points:...

From Covid credits and cash incentives to sky-high demand over the last few years, we’ve gotten into some habits that may be hard to break in our industry. Grow Group VP Vince Torchia talks about the three big challenges he saw companies face in 2023 and what companies should focus on to improve their chances for success in 2024. His three areas of focus are cash management, sales and revenue gene...

You’ll never have dinner alone, or sit at presentations for more than 45 minutes at the GROW! Conference 2024, happening February 6-8 in Des Moines, IA. In this episode, we discuss the conference in depth.  Vince Torchia turns the tables and interviews our host, Marty Grunder, on why he started The Grow Group and created the GROW! Annual Conference. He shares what he's learned along the way, the f...

Joe Chiellini has been a friend and colleague for nearly 20 years. His landscaping business started as a side hustle when he was a 19-year-old firefighter. Today, his company, ASI Landscape Management, is budgeting to hit $14M in 2024. You may recall that back in 2019, ASI hosted the GROW! Conference in Tampa. Joe shares his career journey with all its ups and downs, and talks scaling down to refo...

As the year ends, we're looking for enhancement work that we can propose to our maintenance clients at Grunder Landscaping Co. now so that they can include it in their budgets for 2024 and we can build a backlog for next year. For commercial clients, we're collaborating with them as they finalize their budgets. For residential clients, we're reminding them that landscaping projects make great gift...

Annette and Ryan McCarthy, owners of RJ Lawn and Landscape, are a dynamic husband-wife duo who will also be our hosts for the GROW! 2024 conference in Des Moines February 6-8, 2024. In this interview, we hear the story of their company and how it has grown, what it's like to work with family, how they manage and motivate their team, and plans for the future.  Please note: Early-bird pricing for th...

Ask any organization what their number one issue is, and most companies will say, “communication.” Sharing information with the entire team at Grunder Landscaping Co. has always been a recipe for success. The entire team must be engaged with big growth goals, sales and revenue numbers, open positions, and where the company is headed. In this episode, Seth Pflum previews what he'll share at GROW! 2...

Marty checks in with our GROW! 2023 tour hosts Jonathan and Josiah Peterson of Summit Landscape & Design near San Antonio, Texas to hear what has changed at their business since we toured their operation in February as part of GROW! 2023. Discussion Points: Update since GROW! 2023 Business in the San Antonio TX area The focus for 2024 Looking at your finances for the coming year How things hav...

In this episode, Marty Grunder shares the six things teams should be doing now to finish the year on a good note. Consider this your end-of-year checklist for the next few weeks! Discussion Points: End of Year ideas to thank clients, staff, and your community December is 8% of your year- don’t take time off A plan has to include execution , not just planning Where do you want to be next year at th...

One of our favorite books to recommend to landscapers and their teams is “Winning with Accountability” by Henry Evans. In this episode, Grow Group VP Vince Torchia will break down how our company utilizes this book and how we think companies can implement the takeaways from it to set better expectations and create a stronger, more positive company culture. Discussion Points: The book - Winning wit...

Dr. Condeluci was the commencement speaker at Marty's daughter's spring graduation, where he shared the steps people can take to improve their longevity. The research and insight he shared was so insightful, that we felt like we needed to bring it to our listeners here. Dr. Al Condeluci initiated his career in human services in 1970. He served as CEO of Community Living and Support Services (CLASS...

The ‘law’ can sometimes be a little boring. But in this episode, Vince Torchia, VP at The Grow Group, discusses a variety of common legal situations that landscaping companies should consider. Vince recently graduated from Syracuse Law School - so you’ll hear legitimate legal insights that are invaluable for protecting yourself. Tune in to hear how keeping these strategies top of mind will protect...

In this episode, we continue with Part II of our series on equipment with returning guest Seth Pflum, President of Grunder Landscaping. While we love seeing fleet pictures, we also believe that trucks and equipment are investments for the success of our company. By investing smartly in these tools, we can have the greatest returns. Tune in to hear Marty and Seth share how the team at Grunder Lands...

Are you afraid to share company data with all your employees? Many companies debate how much information is too much information for their team, and how much information can help motivate or inform decisions better. In this episode, Vince Torchia of The Grow Group shares the data he recommends companies share with their teams, and how he recommends they do it. Discussion Points: Lots of people ask...

Finding the trucks and equipment your team needs can be a challenge in itself, but once you've found it, how do you finance it to make sure you have the capital to continue growing? In this episode, Marty is joined by Grunder President & COO Seth Pflum to discuss Grunder Landscaping’s philosophies on buying vs. leasing and how Grunder handles the management of its trucks and equipment. Keep an...

A company culture where people want to work is critical to recruiting and retaining high quality team members, but how do you create that culture? Start by asking yourself, "Would you want to work for you?" Tune in to hear Marty share some of the ways he has improved his own leadership style, and how we can all be better leaders, no matter our position within the company. Discussion Points: The yo...

In this episode, Marty sits down with his longtime mentor Mark Thompson to talk about the importance of mentorship and investing time, money, and energy into yourself as a leader. No matter your position within a company, taking time to work on YOU always pays dividends. Mark Thompson is a business advisor and former engineer who started his career as an engineer, then transitioned to a business l...

In this episode, Grunder Landscaping VP Vince Torchia shares some of the salary and bonus structures that ensure happy, productive teams and a growth mindset.  The answer we usually have to give when asked about compensation plans is that "it depends" It depends on your business structure, your financial performance, your area, and what your current compensation plans look like. To set up a plan t...

In this episode, Grunder Landscaping VP Vince Torchia delves into different ways to help you reduce your “days outstanding” in relation to A/R (accounts receivable).  Collecting payment for work you've done is a critical part of maintaining strong cash flow at your landscaping company. Tune in to hear simple strategies companies can use to collect payments from clients promptly. Discussion Points:...

Does your company have a morning rollout meeting? Are you physically present for it? Engagement with your crews is crucial for fostering a great company culture. Your field crews spend most of their day out in the field and away from the office, and whether you're intentional about it or not there are sub-cultures developing within each crew. Setting the tone you want and keeping your crews engage...

In this episode of our interview series, Marty is joined by Chris Joyce, President of Joyce Companies out of Marstons Mills MA. Chris shares how he's balanced being there for his family with running a successful landscaping company in Cape Cod, and how he and his team have differentiated themselves among a crowded market of competitors. Joyce Landscaping operates its three “green industry” busines...