The Landscaper's Guide to Modern Sales & Marketing

The demands on snow and ice contractors are higher than ever. Large accounts want faster response times, accurate documentation, and proof of service. Driving site to site is slow, costly, and leaves room for disputes. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes talks with Christopher Lareau, founder of Vue Robotics, about how AI-powered weather cameras are changing the way contractors...

AI search is moving fast! And it’s already changing how homeowners discover local landscape companies. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, host Jack Jostes reveals the three massive shifts happening right now in summer 2025 that every landscaper needs to know to stay visible in this competitive market. Listen to the full episode, where we dive into: How Bing plays a surprising role in ChatG...

What does fearless leadership look like in the landscaping industry? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Peggy Berns shares how she built a thriving landscaping business through strong leadership, a focus on her team, and the courage to make bold decisions. You’ll hear Peggy’s journey, including: How she overcame early challenges in business The leadership principles that helped her build a...

From mowing lawns with a Jeep Liberty and one truck to running a million-dollar landscaping company in just four years, Jacob Peffer’s journey is one you’ll want to hear. At only 24, Jacob has grown GreenerConcepts into a thriving business, proving that with the right mindset, mentorship, and strategy, massive growth is possible in a short amount of time. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide,...

Isolation. Burnout. And feeling invisible in a male-dominated industry. These are just a few of the challenges women face in the snow and landscape world — whether they’re operators, spouses, or business owners themselves. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , host Jack Jostes interviews Val Lesak, co-founder of Influential Encounters, live from the Ramblin Jackson booth at the SIMA Symposiu...

You’re closing deals, working hard, and watching the money come in… But your bank account still isn’t growing. What gives? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes interviews Jeff Heller, a Profit First Professional, landscape industry consultant at The Green Executive, and SIMA 2025 Board Member, about why so many snow and landscape companies struggle with cash flow — and how to fix...

Artificial turf is booming—but too many landscapers are cutting corners and losing money. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Steve Rice, the founder of Lawn Kings and Titan Turf Supply. From Hollywood movie sets to thousands of installs across the U.S., Steve shares what it really takes to do turf right. Here’s one thing Steve wants every landscaper to know: The...

What does it take to lead a multi-state snow and landscape company, when you didn’t grow up in the industry? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Jack Jostes sits down with Eddy Zakes, CEO of Earth Development, to explore how grit, values, and systems fuel business growth. Eddy shares: What it’s like to acquire and lead a company as an outsider to the industry How Earth Development builds l...

For years, Theiss Landscape Works gave away free estimates and paid the price in unqualified leads, sales chaos, and owner burnout. Then they stopped… In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Monty and Justin Theiss share the bold decisions they made after partnering with Ramblin Jackson —decisions that led to stronger leads, smoother operations, and their biggest December ever . 💥 If your sal...

You’re not BrightView. You don’t have a $100 million budget, a fleet of trucks, or an army of marketers. But guess what? You don’t need it. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes shares how small, family-owned landscape companies are outranking national giants — with one simple thing most businesses still overlook. What You’ll Learn: How Google reviews give small businesses a real...

If you own or manage a snow and landscape company, you're probably already hearing a lot about AI. But are you actually using ChatGPT to coach your team, lead more effectively, and grow your business? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes shares how he’s using ChatGPT at Ramblin Jackson to streamline management, improve communication, and lead with more confidence. Whether it...

What if better landscaping sales started with empathy? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Todd Brown from Southern Classic Landscape Management. After nearly 40 years in business, Todd shares what he’s learned about running a high-touch company rooted in trust, clear communication, and treating clients like family—even when things go wrong. From handling a stolen...

What if your kid knew how to handle cyberbullying before it started? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes interviews Ashley Parker, a high school author, illustrator, and founder of the nonprofit Click With Kindness. After facing online harassment herself, Ashley took action—writing and illustrating Sasha Goes to Cyberspace , a children's book designed to help elementary-age...

Is scaling your landscape business always the right move? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Jack Jostes talks with Scott Parker of Parker Landscape Design about why he stopped chasing growth and started prioritizing craftsmanship, plant expertise, and exceptional customer service. Scott shares how trying to scale his business actually made things harder: more stress, lower quality, and l...

What if better leadership could start with just one minute? In this solo episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes unpacks his top takeaways from Ken Blanchard's The New One Minute Manager . It’s a tiny book with immense value, especially for landscaping company owners who are training managers, growing their team, and trying to get better results without micromanaging. Jack shares how h...

What do fighter pilots know about leadership that most landscape business owners miss? Turns out— a lot . In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Jack Jostes sits down with Cujo Teschner , retired Air Force fighter pilot and author of Debrief to Win , live from the Bach Business Partners Summit. They talk about the kind of accountability that actually inspires high-performing teams, and how la...

Ever reviewed your sales process mid-ski run? 🎿 This week on The Landscaper’s Guide , we’re riding the lift and carving out real sales advice with Ramblin Jackson’s Director of Client Strategy, Robert Felton . Join Jack Jostes as they break down three key sales strategies you can implement before your next coffee break. No snow gear required! From the base of Loveland Ski Area, they cover what re...

What happens when a former U.S. Marine trades in military boots for landscaping boots—and scales his business from a single trailer to a 20-person crew in just four years? Meet Landscapin’ Nathan of Crystal Coast Custom Landscapes . In this episode, we’re talking shop straight from Belgard University, covering the mindset, systems, and marketing shifts that helped Nathan grow his business while re...

What if the biggest thing holding your landscaping company back... was you? In this special in-studio episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Jack Jostes sits down with two powerhouse landscapers, Robyn Schmitz of High Prairie Outdoors and Scott Parker of Parker Landscape Design , to dig into the messy, not-so-glamorous, but totally necessary shifts it takes to grow past $2M without losing your mind....

Michelle Lane’s family landscaping business has been around for 75 years. But when she Googled herself during a presentation at Belgard University… she found three reviews. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , Jack Jostes talks with Michelle about something even the most established landscape companies get wrong—and how to fix it—with better branding, smarter marketing, and a whole lot more...

Luxury design in a small space? That’s exactly what Joe Raboine, VP of Design at Oldcastle APG, helps contractors pull off every day. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Joe at Belgard University in North Carolina to talk about real-world trends in outdoor living and what today’s homeowners are actually buying. From charging for consultations to closing $50K patio...

What would you do if a brand-new employee caused your family business to go viral – for all the wrong reasons?  In this episode, we sit down with Stuart and Andrew Ward of Buckhead Landscape, a father-son team from Atlanta, Georgia, who faced a social media firestorm head-on. 🎯 Discover how they responded with integrity and transparency 🛠 Learn how EOS and core values shaped their culture through...

Most landscapers are sitting on a high-margin service they’re barely tapping into – irrigation. If you’re only fixing irrigation when it breaks, you’re missing out on recurring revenue and long-term client retention. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide , host Jack Jostes sits down with Weathermatic President Lex Mason to share how irrigation can become a profit center instead of a reactive e...

Struggling to Hire? Here’s How One Landscaper Got 120+ Applicants FAST Most landscape business owners struggle to find and keep great employees—but if your job postings aren’t bringing in the right candidates, chances are you’re making one big mistake. In this episode, Jack Jostes takes you inside his keynote at Green & Growin’ in North Carolina , where he shares real-world hiring strategies t...

Struggling to hire and keep great employees in your landscaping business?  You’re not alone. With more job options than ever, competition is fierce, and if you’re not standing out, you’re losing out. But the best landscape companies are winning the hiring game with smarter, more strategic approaches—and in this episode, we’re breaking them down. Join Jack Jostes as he sits down with Robert Felton...