June 11, 2025

Strategic Partnerships and Industry Insights: A Conversation with Phil Harwood

30 minutes

Marty Grunder talks with Phil Harwood from Snow Fighters about leadership lessons from 40 years in landscaping and snow removal. Phil reveals why his previous company made 80% of profits from snow despite it being only 50% of revenue, and shares insights on leading by example and building profitable snow operations.

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00:00 - Start

00:30 - Introduction and Welcome

01:24 - Meet Phil Harwood: New Strategic Partner

02:56 - Phil’s Personal Background

04:19 - The Importance of Having a ‘Why’

06:27 - Phil’s Career Journey

09:50 - Funny Stories and Lessons Learned

13:22 - Phil’s Transition to Consulting

15:07 - The Value of External Perspectives

16:27 - Core Leadership Lessons from Phil

17:34 - The Importance of Preparation

19:49 - The Power of Continuous Learning

22:33 - Technological Trends in Snow Removal

26:29 - Phil’s Thoughts on the Future of the Industry

28:09 - Final Thoughts and Advice

Show Notes & Key Takeaways

Leadership by Example Sets the Tone - Phil would arrive at the shop 2 hours early before midnight crews, plow the lot, make coffee, and clean trucks. "They walked in like, wow, this guy's ready... that sets the tone."

The Outsider's Advantage - Phil learned from working with EOS founder Gino Wickman that the same advice he'd been giving internally was finally heard when delivered by an external consultant. "That's where the value is, being the objective outsider."

Unintended Consequences of Company Mottos - Marty's "Where Service is Always in Season" led to inefficient routing, while Phil's "Yes, I Can" culture resulted in applying outdoor-only chemicals inside a building, sterilizing it permanently.

Snow Removal as Emergency Service Mindset - "People always relate snow and ice management services to firefighting because it is an emergency service... you're doing something super valuable in an emergency environment."

The Basics Still Matter Most - Core leadership lessons: "Do the right thing. Do what you say you're gonna do. Answer your phone. Be respectful, care about people." Simple to understand, hard to execute consistently.

Continuous Learning Requires Personal Drive - Phil memorized every tree in Detroit metro by carrying a field guide and studying at every stop sign during winter. "You learn those trees because you wanted to... you have to be motivated."

Snow Operations Can Drive Profitability - Phil's previous company was 50% landscape, 50% snow in revenue, but "80% of our profits came from snow" when executed properly.

Build Your Business to Be Sellable - Whether you plan to sell or not, structure your company so someone could easily step in and see value in systems, key people, and processes that don't depend entirely on the owner.

Technology is Revolutionizing Snow Operations - From real-time coaching built into Caterpillar equipment to software integration with business management systems, the industry is becoming increasingly data-driven and efficient.

Resources:

Virtual Sales Bootcamp

Grunder Landscaping Field Trips

The Grow Group

Grunder Landscaping

Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

...more

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By Marty Grunder

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