Lakeshore Customs added $3 million in revenue over the last 12 months. They did it without ads. They did it with an experience. I spent time with Mason and his team and watched the whole thing work.

From the first phone call to the moment the homeowner signs. Every step is built on purpose. Every step makes the homeowner feel like they are buying something rare. Most contractors sell a price.

Lakeshore sells a Ferrari. When you are selling a $300,000 to $500,000 backyard, the homeowner expects a $300,000 experience. Most contractors email an estimate. That is why they lose jobs and fight over change orders. In this video I break down exactly what Lakeshore does differently.

What you will learn:

The first call. They ask why, not just what. They tell the homeowner up front that every project gets a design. That one sentence qualifies the lead before anyone drives anywhere. The on site visit. Photos, video, survey, notes. Then they sell the Lakeshore Design Experience.

They only work with homeowners who buy it. The showroom. The office. Paver samples on the floor. Deck materials you can touch. Tile you can hold. All five senses. Sight from the renders and the lighting. Sound from the audio system. Touch from the materials. Smell from a scent machine running in the room. Taste from the drinks waiting when the homeowner walks in. The presentation. Big screen. Video renders. The homeowner sees their backyard before a single shovel hits dirt.

The momentum play. First meeting collects revision notes. Second meeting happens 24 to 48 hours later. The homeowner never cools off. The close. By meeting two the homeowner is picking materials, not comparing bids. They stop shopping. They already feel like it is theirs.

Why this matters for your margin:

A great design protects your job site. When everything is decided up front, you stop eating $10,000 and $20,000 change orders. You stop arguing about wall heights. You stop paying for someone else's miscommunication.

Speed feels good. Accuracy pays the bills. If a homeowner is pushing you to design in five days, you never educated them on what a real design takes. That job will cost you later. The

Takeaway:

Stop asking yourself what your design process is. Start asking what experience you give the homeowner. The contractors winning the biggest jobs are the ones who make the homeowner feel something. Build the experience and the price stops being the conversation.

Follow Your Haven: @yourhavendesign

Follow Derek: @derekclelan

Your Haven is the 3D Design Partner for outdoor living contractors.

Most contractors are great at building. Terrible at keeping money.

In this episode, Derek sits down with Michael from Blue Raven Accounting — Your Haven’s long-time financial partner — to break down the exact strategies that helped Your Haven grow to nearly 100 team members, cross multimillion in revenue, and build a six-figure cash reserve. All without taking on a single loan.

This isn’t accounting theory. It’s the real system: daily cash flow reports, high-yield savings accounts, monthly budget meetings, accrual-based bookkeeping, and the mindset shift that separates businesses that survive from ones that thrive.

Whether you’re at $500K or $5M in revenue, the fundamentals in this episode will change the way you think about money in your business.

What you’ll learn:

• Why accrual accounting saved Your Haven from a massive tax bill on multimillion in revenue
• The exact date Your Haven opened a high-yield savings account — and how $1,500 turned into a six-figure reserve in 14 months
• What a daily cash flow report is and why it’s the “gas meter” of your business
• How to separate your operating account from savings so you stop accidentally spending your reserves
• The one meeting every month that keeps spending on track without killing growth
• When to start saving vs. when to pay down debt first
• What to do with excess capital once your savings are funded

Featuring: Michael from Blue Raven Accounting

📧 [email protected]

Follow Your Haven: @yourhavendesign

Follow Derek: @derekclelan

Your Haven is the 3D Design Partner for outdoor living contractors.

If you want help getting your books right, reach out to Blue Raven and mention Your Haven.

April was a turning point.

In this episode of the Developers Podcast, I break down everything that happened in April. From cutting lower-ticket offers and raising our standards, to growing faster than ever and building the systems needed to scale.

We talk about leadership, team changes, sales growth, creating efficiencies, and what it really takes to grow a company without losing the vision behind it.

Growing Pains, Big Wins, and the Next Phase.

Big moves happened in March.

In this episode of the Developers Podcast, I break down everything that happened in March. This episode recaps team growth, new systems, big lessons, and the momentum we’re building as we scale the business.

We grew the team, improved our processes, and kept pushing toward our vision of becoming the most efficient outdoor design team in the world. Every month brings new lessons, new challenges, and new opportunities to improve.

Excited for what’s ahead.

In this episode of the Developers Podcast, I’m back after almost a year and shifting the show into something new: documenting the real story of building Your Haven in real time.

I recap our first month of the year, what’s working, what’s not, and what I’m learning from the contractors we serve in outdoor living and landscaping. We talk about the Pro Trial offer that became a turning point for our business, the systems and leadership moves that helped us scale, and why design matters so much more than “pretty pictures” — it impacts expectations, estimating, and execution on every job site.

I also share some personal updates: marathon training, a big move to Las Vegas to be closer to family, and why I believe consistency and mindset are everything if you want to build something that lasts.

In this episode:

• Why I’m restarting the podcast and changing the format
• How the Pro Trial offer changed our growth
• January results: 30+ Pro Trials and 17 new Pro Members
• Why design is the foundation: expectations → estimating → execution
• The leadership structure we’re building (and how we think about scaling “pods”)
• Lessons from events, travel, and top contractors in the industry
• Personal updates: marathon, Vegas move, and the “infinite game” mindset

If you’re a landscape contractor, outdoor living builder, or you’re building a business and want real behind-the-scenes lessons, this podcast is for you.

Want to be on the show? DM me on Instagram or reach out through yourhavendesign.com.

This is a conversation with Josh Cerda of Immaculate Outdoor, who has 30 years of experience building immaculate outdoor spaces. He is truly one of the best landscape contractors I have ever met, and together, we have created some incredible projects.

This discussion revolves around a project we designed and that he is installing for over $300K, covering the entire process—from the initial meeting with the homeowner to signing the agreement and everything in between.

I have learned so much from Josh and his 30 years of experience, implementing his insights into my business to help homeowners and other contractors achieve greater success in their projects and businesses.

Follow our Instagram account @yourhavendesign where we will document this project in full

In this episode of Developers, we sit down with Troy Fulks, a true family man and accomplished entrepreneur with a story that exemplifies resilience, passion, and dedication. Troy’s journey began in Southern California with the founding of Aloha Landscaping, followed by a successful venture into the online shoe business with his wife in 1993. Now, as the co-owner of Texas Turf in Austin, Texas, he runs the number one turf installation company in the region alongside his three children.

Troy has refined the art of business growth while always prioritizing his family. With multiple successful business exits under his belt, Troy shares invaluable insights on the qualities needed for long-term success. He reveals the secrets behind Texas Turf’s massive growth—focusing on building through their customers and maintaining an exceptional level of service that has fueled their expansion. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, this episode is packed with wisdom on balancing family, passion, and entrepreneurial ambition.

4o

In this episode of the Developers podcast, we sit down with Ihor Stepanov, founder of Art Village LLC, a company that has built 17 residential homes over the last four years, at his newest spec home - The Boho House. Ihor moved to the US in 2017 knowing zero english and created a beautiful life for himself and his family. He shares his experience and expertise in building spec homes while adjusting to the growing demand for custom homes in today's market. He reveals his unique approach to utilizing European materials and what it takes to succeed as a builder. This episode provides valuable insights for developers, builders, and real estate enthusiasts interested in spec homes, custom building, and navigating challenges in today's ever-changing market.

George and Jamie, the dynamic duo behind Afuera Outdoor Living, share their inspiring journey from struggling to make ends meet with a landscape maintenance business to becoming a leading design and build company in Reno, Nevada, landing million-dollar landscape projects. Their story is a testament to the power of relentless work ethic, self-belief, and the impact of betting on yourself.

In this episode, we delve into the essential aspects of running a successful landscape company, covering goal-setting, sales strategies, recruiting top talent, incentivizing teams, and the art of design. Don’t forget to follow Afuera Outdoor Living on Instagram, watch this episode on our YouTube channel, and subscribe for more insights from top developers!

This is an incredible conversation with Josh of Immaculate Outdoor, a true professional in the landscaping industry. Josh has been doing this for thirty years, the amount of mistakes that he’s made has got him to this point where he’s building a two million dollar design center that also holds his materials so that he can help take his landscaping game to the next level. This episode has millions of dollars of knowledge in it and I’m really excited to share this and see what else Josh creates. He is a prime example of what consistency and discipline can do to your life over a long period of time starting on the maintenance side of Landscaping to getting to the point where he doesn’t have to call homeowners, homeowners call him and he decides who he wants to work with while also having a $2 million landscape design and material facility. It’s incredibly inspiring, I hope you enjoy it. Share it with somebody you know and another landscaper who could learn from this. It’s motivating it’s inspiring thank you Josh.