Trades Talk Podcast

Scaling high-end design-build landscaping isn’t about talent or hustle, it’s about systems, discipline, and leadership in the field. In this episode of Trades Talk, Jeremy Ross breaks down the real lessons learned while scaling K&D Landscaping’s high-end residential design-build division from two crews into a $7M+ operation, delivering eight consecutive years of double-digit growth. This conve...

On this Weekly Update on Trades Talk, Justin White kicks off the year with major updates from K&D Landscaping , showcasing bold moves in robotics, automation, and expansion. He frames 2026 as a defining moment for disruption and urges trade leaders to lean into innovation while staying grounded in fundamentals. K&D is expanding into San Luis Obispo and San Jose, while investing in futurist...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Angelique Robb , founder of Synkd Magazine and Synkd Live, to trace her journey from oil rigs and deep-well engineering to redefining what collaboration looks like in the landscape industry. Angelique shares stories from her early career as a petroleum engineer, working offshore by helicopter in her teens, before shifting into project managemen...

On this Weekly Update of Trades Talk, Justin White kicks off 2026 with part one of a powerful new series: The Disruptor’s Advantage. After reflecting on the wild ride of 2025, Justin sets the tone for the year ahead by exploring what it truly means to be a disruptor in the trades. From AI to electrification to mindset, he lays out why this moment is built for bold thinkers ready to challenge the s...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Scott Hutcheon , founder of Hey Flora , to explore how AI is reshaping the landscape industry. From field crews to business owners, Scott shares how Hey Flora serves as a full operating system, not just a chatbot, designed specifically for the challenges of trades companies. They dive into what makes landscaping so complex, why traditional tech...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Eric Triplett , better known as The Pond Digger , to talk about the power of podcasting, AI, community, and leadership. With decades of experience in the trades, Eric shares how his cancer diagnosis, personality awareness, and content creation journey transformed his life and business. They dive into how AI is already reshaping the contractor e...

On this Weekly Update on Trades Talk, Justin White breaks down how K&D is planning for 2026, and why he believes AI agents will soon change everything about how landscaping companies sell, fulfill, and scale. He shares insights from a two-day strategy session, his investment lens on early-stage AI companies, and answers hot-seat questions on revenue growth and hiring from Brian Fullerton’s pee...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Jeremy Talboy , founder of North Georgia Landscape Management , to talk growth, leadership, and the systems behind a $20 million leap. Jeremy shares how authenticity, clear strategy, and a people-first culture have helped shape one of the Southeast’s standout landscape companies. From doubling revenue with smarter systems to avoiding the pitfal...

On this weekly update on TradesTalk, Justin White reflects on a high-stakes win and the mindset spiral that followed. After attending the first-ever FutureScapes USA event in Los Angeles, K&D took home the Residential Project Over $500K award and earning a spot at the global finals in Saudi Arabia. But with growth came self-doubt. Justin opens up about hitting a wall of imposter syndrome just...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Greyson Walldorff , Founder of Lawn Capital , Blake Meahl , CFO and Maintenance Operations lead at Garden View Landscape , and Todd Zimmerman and Meg Butterley from Kress . Together, they break down the electric and robotics revolution in landscaping; not as a future trend, but as a current shift that’s already changing how top operators work....

This week Justin breaks down one of the most important tools in the landscape industry: the annual Benchmark Report from Greg Herring and The Herring Group . Hundreds of companies contribute real financial data each year and the results show where the industry is winning, where it is tightening, and what top performers do differently. Justin unpacks the shift from the old twelve percent net profit...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Ken Thomas of Envisor Consulting to unpack decades of lessons from growing, selling, and advising landscape companies. From the early days of M&A rollups to building the Green Dot Operating System, Ken shares how contractors can scale with clarity, lead with purpose, and build companies that last. In this episode, Ken shares: His path from...

This week marks number twenty six of the journey from twenty million to one billion, and the theme is simple. Let go so you can grow. Justin shares why the past year forced a reset, how K and D navigated one point two to one point five million in lost profitability, and what it looked like to rebuild the leadership team from the inside out. You will hear the story behind new leaders joining the ta...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Nick Bartolo of Essential Partners for a deep dive into wealth building, exit planning, and tax strategy for trades business owners. From Wall Street to the trades, Nick brings a rare combination of CPA expertise, institutional investment experience, and a passion for helping entrepreneurs protect and grow what they’ve built. In this episo...

Welcome back to Weekly Update 25 on the Trades Talk Podcast. Justin shares a high energy breakdown of how he is preparing himself and K and D Landscaping for the year ahead. This episode gives you a front row seat into personal planning, financial readiness, technology adoption, and the mindset shifts needed to win in 2026. In This Episode Personal planning before strategic planning Justin explain...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Mark Pyrah , cofounder of Peak Landscaping , to explore how focus, humility, and disciplined execution fueled one of Portland’s most respected commercial landscape companies. Mark shares how he went from estimating jobs at night to building a company that now pulls in over $16 million a year with a reputation built on relationships, reliability...

In this week’s update Justin takes listeners into three important topics shaping the future of the trades as we head toward the end of the year. He opens with a reminder to pause, reflect, and appreciate the impact we make on our teams, our communities, and the people who count on us. Justin shares what he is learning from skip level one to ones and why these conversations help leaders stay ground...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Diego Lopez, brand strategist and founder of 153 Studio, for a deep dive into the power of branding that puts people and purpose first. In this episode, Diego breaks down: • Why branding is not your logo, it’s how your clients feel • How to align story, operations, and values across every touchpoint • The critical mistake companies make tr...

In this weekly update, Justin White shares insights from his recent experience at the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) conference, discussing the vibrant energy and opportunities within the landscape industry. He emphasizes the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence and automation to enhance business efficiency and competitiveness. White also addresses the current s...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Andrew Martin , founder of Urban Landcare , to explore how personal grit, strategic pivots, and people-first leadership built one of San Diego’s most exciting landscape companies. From growing up on construction sites in Northern Kentucky to becoming a disruptive force in Southern California, Andrew’s journey is a masterclass in betting on...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White breaks down the three questions every trade leader should be asking to assess culture, clarity, and hiring momentum. Inside the episode: • How a simple 1–10 scale can reveal culture gaps • What separates A players from C players, and why it matters • Five keys to building a growth-focused culture that attracts top talent • Why problems are actually your great...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Seb Lopez of Awake Abroad Media to talk about all things storytelling, content strategy, and personal branding. Seb brings a global perspective to his work, shaped by years of traveling, media production, and working with elite performers; from Olympic athletes to top real estate professionals. In this episode, Seb shares: Why shifting fro...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White shares key takeaways from an action-packed week on the road, including the Equip Expo in Louisville and the Disruptors Social hosted alongside Aspire, Crest, and Leanscaper. Justin recaps lessons from Jesse Cole’s “Five E’s”: Eliminate Friction, Entertain Always, Experiment Constantly, Engage Deeply, and Empower Action.....and how they apply to building remar...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Jon Gohl, a longtime team member at Aspire Software , to explore the power of reflection, mindfulness, and personal transformation in both life and leadership. Jon shares his journey from walking with a cane to preparing for a walk across the Grand Canyon, and how that physical recovery mirrors his approach to leading people, setting goals...

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White shares insights from a Lunch and Learn in Denver hosted by Aspire Software and Designscapes Colorado , which focused on speed as a competitive edge in the green industry. Phil from Designscapes detailed how his team scaled to $50 million in revenue with 350 employees by doubling down on the basics, making decisions faster, and always doing what’s right. Justi...