“When people say no, it’s not “no”—it’s K-N-O-W. They don’t know the value yet.” — Parke Kallenberg

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Software Platforms: 

• LMN
• Aspire Software
• BOSS

Book: 

• Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success

Associations: 

• National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP)

Topics Discussed:

[00:00] Introduction
Rob Murray introduces the episode and welcomes Parke Kallenberg from Advanced Consulting Group.

[01:14] Parke’s Background in the Green Industry
Parke shares his career journey from Kim Lawn to Valleycrest and how he started Advanced Consulting.

[03:08] Opportunity vs. Capacity in Growth
Parke outlines the two key constraints holding landscape businesses back—opportunity and capacity—and why most owners overlook the latter.

[05:35] Cutting Unproductive Work
Why eliminating low-margin, low-value jobs is the key to freeing up capacity and growing profitably.

[07:15] Defining Scalable Work
The difference between scalable jobs and headaches—and how to spot the clients and projects that are worth keeping.

[09:23] Understanding Job Margins
Parke emphasizes the need for accurate job costing and explains why systems won’t fix flawed inputs.

[11:56] Moving Beyond Spreadsheets
Advice for transitioning from manual processes to professional software like LMN, Aspire, or BOSS—without making it harder than it needs to be.

[13:46] Custom Systems vs. Industry Software
The pros and cons of building your own system vs. using established tools—and the importance of team redundancy.

[16:43] AI in Landscaping
How forward-thinking companies are using AI for everything from research to field diagnostics—and the importance of maintaining critical thinking.

[20:31] Building a Sales Team from Within
What to look for in internal candidates, why EQ matters, and how to get out of the founder-led sales seat.

[24:53] Designing Smart Sales Compensation Plans
How to align incentives with company goals—beyond just revenue—by factoring in margin, client type, and relationship-building.

[30:15] The Role of EQ in Sales Success
Parke explains how emotional intelligence helps salespeople build trust with clients and crews—and why it’s a growth driver.

[33:39] Putting People First in Leadership
Why the best companies treat team members as internal customers and how leaders can start doing it daily.

[35:19] The Power of Saying No
Why "no" is a strategic growth move—and how knowing your value allows you to make better business decisions.

[37:13] Book Recommendation: Nuts!
Parke shares how the book about Southwest Airlines shaped his views on capacity, consistency, and company culture.

[39:06] How to Connect with Parke
Contact details for Advanced Consulting and why they’ll refer you to competitors if it’s a better fit.

Actionable Key Takeaways:

• Stop chasing every job—cut low-margin work to boost both capacity and profit.
• Evaluate clients based on scalability and route density, not just revenue.
• Start with spreadsheets that mimic software reports before investing in a system.
• Emotional intelligence (EQ) is more valuable than experience when building a sales team.
• Don’t pay commissions before money is received—align incentives with business health.
• Reward more than revenue—consider gross margin and relationship building too.
• Use AI as a research and efficiency tool, but maintain critical thinking in the field.
• Say “no” more often—it’s essential to build a streamlined, scalable company.