SYNKD on Air - Innovation + Sustainability for Outdoor Living Professionals.

What happens when a homeowner who believes in pollinator-friendly landscapes teams up with a designer who knows how to bring that vision to life? On this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb talks with Callae Gedrose of Honeywood Garden Design and homeowner Bonnie Sutherland about the transformation of Bonnie’s Denver garden into a thriving, regenerative pollinator habitat. Planted during one...

Robotic mowing isn't just about replacing the person on the mower. It's changing how landscape companies bid work, deploy crews, manage labor and think about growth. In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb talks with Matt Benfield of Kress about the rapidly evolving world of autonomous mowing and what it means for landscape business owners. They dig into Kress' latest robotic mower techno...

In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb reads from America’s Landscapes Are Climate Infrastructure Hiding in Plain Sight , an article featuring her perspective on the critical role landscape professionals can play in creating more resilient communities. From stormwater management and healthy soils to plant selection, heat reduction and long-term maintenance, landscapes can do far more tha...

In this episode of SYNKD On Air , host Angelique Robb sits down with leadership coach and Green Industry Women founder Megan “Meg” Taylor Morrison to explore what happens when leaders stop simply working harder and start thinking bigger. Meg shares her unconventional path into the green industry, why ambitious goals require stronger support systems and how leaders can “compress the timeline” by ch...

What does AI really mean for the green industry? In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb talks with Peter Quan, co-founder of EarthaPro and Aretic AI, about what businesses are getting right—and wrong—about AI. Peter explains why small companies may actually have an advantage, how AI can dramatically reduce time spent on back-office work and why learning to use it effectively now could ch...

What if the company you think of as a competitor could actually help you build a stronger business? In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb talks with Karen Larson, founder of Soake Pools, about why strategic partnerships have been fundamental to the company’s growth—and why landscape business owners may want to rethink the traditional boundaries between vendors, subcontractors and even c...

What does it take to create landscapes that are truly resilient? In this episode of SYNKD On Air , host Angelique Robb sits down with Mae Lin Plummer , Executive Director of the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA) , to discuss why ecological landscaping is about far more than plant selection—it's about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating a stronger professional community. Mae L...

If your company is constantly hiring, Jay Worth has a challenge for you: maybe the problem isn't the labor market. In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb sits down with Jay Worth, Regional Business Development Manager at Down To Earth and author of The Recruit and Retain Playbook , to unpack one of the biggest misconceptions facing the landscape industry. Drawing on more than two decades...

"Customers always have expectations. If you don't define them, they will." Holly McIlwain, CEO, Skilled Pro Academy joins us on the podcast with some real life examples of how to turn your chaos into glowing referrals. Does your team's day feel like controlled chaos? You're not alone. In this episode, Holly McIlwain shares why "reactive scheduling" quietly drains profits and creates unnecessary st...

What if healthier landscapes could create healthier people, stronger businesses, and more resilient communities? In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb sits down with Brit Sastrawidjaya, founder of Blueprint Earth and host of the Land Language podcast, to explore how regenerative landscaping is reshaping the industry. Together they discuss everything from soil biology and stormwater mana...

Beyond Sales: Edward Morrow on Communication, Confidence & Leading with Value Success in the landscape industry isn't just built on technical expertise—it's built on how we connect with people. In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb sits down with arborist, educator and speaker Edward Morrow to explore the often-overlooked psychology behind communication, sales and leadership. Drawin...

Water may be the most valuable resource in the landscape, but too often irrigation systems are treated as an afterthought—until a client calls about dead plants, soggy turf, or a water bill that’s suddenly through the roof. In this episode of SYNKD On Air , irrigation expert Richard Restuccio dives into the hidden challenges that impact nearly every landscape project, from design and installation...

Award-winning architect and PARTISANS founder Alexander Josephson joins Angelique Robb for a thought-provoking conversation that begins with design and ends somewhere much deeper. From the business value of creativity and the future of AI in architecture to the surprising inspiration behind Cumulus—a digital platform designed to preserve memories across generations—Alex explores how great design s...

Artificial intelligence is changing the landscape industry faster than many realize. In this episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique Robb sits down with Weston Zimmerman, co-founder of SynkedUP, to explore how AI is moving beyond simple chat tools and becoming a practical business partner for contractors. Weston shares what he's seeing from landscape companies across the country, from business owners...

In this insightful interview, architect and builder James Trahan shares his journey from Louisiana to Arizona, highlighting his innovative approach to design-build projects that emphasize collaboration, quality, and creativity. Discover how integrating architecture, construction, and fabrication leads to unique, site-specific homes and how this model can transform the industry. Sound bites "Field...

What does it really take to build something the world has never seen before? At SYNKD Live Phoenix 2026, Jonny Nalepa opens the event with an honest, behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration, pressure, problem-solving, and innovation required to deliver groundbreaking exterior projects. From world-first aquatic designs and high-profile luxury builds to projects involving dozens of disciplines w...

Landscape companies are under pressure to do more with fewer people. In this episode of SYNKD On Air, Yates Hamilton from Top Green shares how production planning technology is helping operations teams improve efficiency, increase capacity, and reduce wasted labor — without sacrificing quality. One company reduced a 210-hour property down to just 95 hours through smarter planning and equipment uti...

In this episode of SYNKD On Air , host Angelique Robb sits down with Rodrigo Vega, owner of Utah Wildflower Company, and Luis Benavides, founder of NeighborBrite, to explore how AI is transforming the landscape design and sales process. USE code SYNKD to save 10% on your membership to neighborbrite! Rodrigo Vega has built his business around xeriscaping , shifting from traditional landscaping afte...

What if the tools we rely on every day in landscaping could evolve—without sacrificing performance? In this Earth Day episode of SYNKD On Air , Angelique sits down with Kathleen Hallal of Firehawk Bioherbicide to explore exactly that question—and the answer might surprise you. Kathleen’s journey didn’t start in a lab—it started as a parent asking tough questions. After hearing firsthand accounts f...

On a coastal property designed for entertaining - on Rehoboth Bay, every detail—from sightlines to sound—was considered from the start. This episode explores how thoughtful integration of lighting and audio creates seamless, high-end environments that clients never want to leave. What truly sets this project apart isn’t just the design—it’s the partnership behind it. Jerry Dougherty of Country Law...

Designing With Nature: How Collaboration and Ecology Shape Community at Natura Gardens In this episode of SYNKD On Air , host Angelique Robb sits down with Jenifer Bar-Nur, co-founder of Landscape Design Workshop, to unpack the award-winning Natura Gardens project in South Florida. Instead of treating wetlands as a constraint, Jenifer’s team used them as the foundation—designing a 30-acre communit...

In this episode of SYNKD On Air , we sit down with Tim McAuliffe, an award-winning outdoor living designer whose work continues to raise the bar across the industry. Fresh off an impressive showing at the NALP Elevate event in November 2025—where his projects earned multiple national awards—Tim shares what it truly takes to deliver outdoor spaces that go beyond aesthetics to create lasting experie...

There’s no page two anymore. If your brand isn’t trusted… it’s invisible. In this conversation with Stephanie Baiocchi, we unpack how AI is reshaping the way people search, evaluate, and ultimately choose who to work with—and why trust is no longer a “nice to have,” but the foundation of every buying decision. From cost transparency to self-service tools, the way we market and sell is shifting fas...

Revolutionizing Landscaping with AI 🌿 This week, I sat down with Luis Benavides , the founder of Neighborbrite — a powerful AI-driven platform transforming the landscaping design process. Luis shares how his background in AI product management led him to build a better SaaS tool for: • Inspiration & mood boards • Smarter plant knowledge (integrated with local nurseries) • Seamless design-to-q...

In this episode of SYNKD On Air, host Angelique Robb speaks with Gabe Bustos from Hector's Home Service Marketing about the challenges and strategies of marketing for home service businesses. Gabe shares his journey as an entrepreneur, detailing his past failures due to ineffective marketing and how that led him to focus on helping small local contractors succeed. He emphasizes the importance of c...