The LeanScaper Podcast

In this episode, Benji sits down with serial entrepreneur and podcaster Dwayne Kerrigan, who has owned 35+ businesses across 14 industries. From road building to landscaping to restaurants, Dwayne shares the 5 fundamental business skill sets that span industries. You’ll hear: Why vision is a muscle anyone can build The 20-minute “think time” writing exercise that forces breakthroughs The shocking...

Unlock the hidden metrics that actually drive profitability in contracting and landscaping businesses. In this episode, LeanScaper CEO Mike Lysecki breaks down why profit numbers lie, how throughput reveals the truth, and the exact ratios you should track to make more money. Expect to learn:   The “labor efficiency ratio” and how it instantly shows if your crews are productive How mowing can look...

In this episode, Benji Carlson sits down with Brian Kaskavalciyan of The Wealthy Contractor to uncover why so many landscapers and contractors struggle with scarcity thinking—and what it really takes to build wealth in business. Brian shares powerful mindset shifts, personal stories, and practical tools that help entrepreneurs overcome fear, reprogram limiting beliefs, and finally give themselves...

Hiring in the trades is broken. Too many contractors “post and pray,” hoping the right people show up. In this episode, Benji sits down with Naomi Pitt and Josianne Gaudette from CrewHR to break down what real recruitment looks like in 2025—from building pipelines, referral programs, employer branding, and even using AI without losing the human touch. If you’re struggling to attract and keep top t...

Marketing is the lifeblood of every small business — yet most entrepreneurs waste thousands chasing shiny objects, outsourcing to the wrong people, or tracking the wrong numbers. In this conversation with best-selling author Allan Dib ( The 1-Page Marketing Plan, Lean Marketing ), we unpack how to eliminate waste, focus on what matters, and build a marketing engine that works. 👉 Subscribe for mor...

 Learn More About Our Accelerator Programs: https://leanscaper.com/programs In this episode of the LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson sits down with Mark Bradley to break down the five stages of scaling a landscaping business —from startup hustle to legacy enterprise. Mark shares raw stories, painful lessons, and powerful frameworks that every entrepreneur needs to hear. Whether you’re stuck at $50...

In this episode, Benji sits down with Isaac Barlow, founder of BusyBusy, one of the first time-tracking tools purpose-built for the trades. Isaac is a visionary entrepreneur and technologist who transformed the way contractors capture and use jobsite data.   Isaac shares his deep insights on the power of “jobsite intelligence,” the critical field data that helps contractors make smarter, more prof...

If your business can’t run without you, it’s not a business - it’s a bottleneck. Barry Hartman built 505-Junk into a 7-figure operation because he built leaders - not just labor. In this episode, he shares the hard-won lessons behind building a leadership team that drives growth without bloated overhead. ✅ When to begin designing and building a leadership team (hint: sooner than you think) ✅ How...

Hiring your first salesperson can feel like pulling the cord on a chainsaw that won’t start; over and over again. In this episode, Benji sits down with Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency, to unpack why this hire is so hard and why most business owners get it dead wrong. Asad has helped 1,500 companies make over $1 billion in sales hires, and he’s here to deliver hard truths and practical steps...

Private equity is flooding into the landscaping industry, but why now? In this episode, Morgan from Breakwater M&A breaks down the massive shift in investor focus and what it means for blue-collar entrepreneurs.  We talk about:  • Why landscaping is suddenly a hot investment target  • How AI is pushing investors out of tech and into real-world businesses  • The “golden era” of exits—and how to...

What happens when you hire a software programmer, not a landscaper, to help run one of the biggest jobs of your career? In this live talk turned podcast episode, Mike Lysecki reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how systems, transparency, and accountability became the backbone of TBG’s success and eventually the foundation for LMN and LeanScaper. From a $5M residential project that ballooned int...

You don’t run a profitable landscaping business by accident. In this episode, Benji sits down with Robert Gauvreau - CPA, author of The Wealthy Entrepreneur , and founder of Gauvreau Accounting, Tax, Law, Advisory - to expose the eight most common financial mistakes contractors make and how to avoid them. Robert’s firm has worked with over 4,000 businesses across North America, including 700+ cont...

In this special episode of The LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson takes the stage to deliver one of his most impactful talks yet: how to build a one-year people plan that actually works. Most contractors love strategy - it’s fun, exciting, and creative. But sooner or later, every great plan must run through people… and that’s where the real challenges begin.  In this live session, Benji shares the...

In this powerful episode, Benji sits down with Jon DeWaal, Executive Director of Liminal Space , to unpack burnout from the inside out - what it feels like, why it happens, and how entrepreneurs can break free from the grind that’s stealing their energy and purpose. Expect to learn: • What “functional burnout” feels like and how it traps leaders in a life they can’t escape • How burnout hijacks yo...

What’s holding landscapers back from their true potential? In this episode, Justin White (CEO of K&D Landscaping) brings raw energy to his keynote in Charlotte. He shares how “sweat equity,” a championship mindset, and bold long-term vision can transform not just your business but your entire life. Justin doesn’t just talk about growth; he proves it by living it. From nearly losing his family...

Sometimes it’s not your systems holding you back, but your mindset. In this episode, Benji sits down with Tom Reber - Marine Corps veteran, business coach, speaker and founder of The Contractor Fight - to unpack the real work contractors need to do: winning the inner fight. You’ll learn: • Why fear is the #1 limiter of growth - and how to beat it • The daily habits top contractors use to stay shar...

On Thursday July 24th, LeanScaper’s Founder Mark Bradley unveiled LeanScaper.ai , the first and only AI platform built for landscapers and their teams. Lana, the chat agent inside LeanScaper. AI, which you’ll see demonstrated in this video is available to you now for free. Just click here to create an account in less than one minute.  In this groundbreaking keynote from the Lawn and Landscape Tech...

The era of order-taking is over and if your sales team is still sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, you’re in trouble. In this episode, Benji sits down with Ryan Groth, CEO of Sales Transformation Group, to unpack what today’s high-performance contractor sales orgs actually look like and how you can build one from scratch. You’ll learn: • Why “sales culture” is your biggest lever in toda...

SEO isn’t what it used to be and if your marketing agency is still chasing backlinks and blog posts, you’re falling behind. In this episode, Benji talks with Devon Hayes, co-founder of Elevation Marketing, about how AI and large language models have transformed search and what landscaping business owners must do to stay visible and competitive. You’ll learn: • Why your brand is now the biggest fac...

You don’t scale a landscape company past $30M without learning how to hunt elephants and survive the feast. In this episode, we sit down with Steve Wheatcroft, founder of ULS and now a LeanScaper advisor, to unpack the high-stakes game of enterprise sales in landscaping. From university project to $100M powerhouse, Steve built ULS by mastering the art of landing massive municipal, institutional, a...

What does “Lean” really mean - and why should every landscaper care? In this episode, Benji sits down with Tom Hughes to unpack the origins of Lean thinking, straight from Toyota’s post-WWII survival mode to today’s jobsite inefficiencies.  You’ll learn: -Why Lean was born from desperation, not inspiration -The 7+2 types of waste every business leader should be targeting -How landscapers lose time...

Ellen Rohr is one of the most respected women in the trades. As President of Zoom Drain and author of multiple best-selling books, she’s coached thousands of business owners toward profitability, purpose, and personal growth. In this episode, Ellen opens up about: • How she overcame her fear of numbers, mastered financial literacy, and used bookkeeping to transform her life • The hard truth about...

Best-selling author and marketing powerhouse Marcus Sheridan joins Benji to reveal why trust - not tactics - is the real secret to sales growth. From breaking down the “trust deficit” to why most landscapers lose the sale before the call, this episode is a roadmap to building a brand buyers believe in. Learn how to: • Win the 80% of the sales journey that happens before the first contact  • Future...

After selling LMN for over $250 million, Mark Bradley could’ve walked away. But instead, he launched LeanScaper - with a mission to build a better future for every tradesperson in the green industry. In this powerful debut episode, Mark gets brutally honest about burnout, the mistakes that nearly cost him everything, and why the trades deserve more than low wages and broken systems. 🔍 Highlights:...