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

Florida is growing—and the landscapes supporting that growth need to work harder.

As development accelerates across Florida, managing water, preserving natural systems and planning for long-term resiliency are becoming increasingly important parts of the design conversation.

In this episode of SYNKD On Air, Angelique Robb talks with McAdams’ Sara Donohoe, RLA, and Daniel Wiebke about the firm’s expansion in Florida and a bigger shift happening across the industry: treating landscape as infrastructure rather than an aesthetic added at the end.

From green stormwater infrastructure and native planting to flooding, drought and long-term maintenance, Sara and Daniel explain why bringing landscape architects, engineers and other disciplines together early can create places that function better, adapt over time and make smarter use of the land.

The conversation explores what Florida’s continued growth could mean for the future of landscape design—and why designing with nature from day one matters.

https://mcadamsco.com/

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 of Colorado’s toughest droughts, the garden filled in remarkably within its first growing season—bringing native bees, hummingbirds, moths, butterflies and other wildlife into the landscape. Callae explains how dense planting, native and regionally adapted plants, healthy soil and regenerative practices can create beautiful landscapes while using less water over time.

The conversation also goes beyond one backyard. Bonnie shares the story of the Washington Park Pollinator Corridor, a community initiative connecting individual gardens to create more habitat throughout Denver—and proving that even a small planting or container garden can contribute.

For landscape professionals, homeowners and anyone interested in creating landscapes with a greater purpose, this episode offers an inspiring look at what can happen when good design, ecological knowledge and community come together.

Because one garden can make a difference. A whole community of them can create a corridor.

Connect with Callae here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/callaegedrose/

Find out more about the Pollinator Corridor here:

https://www.fanswashingtonpark.org/pollinator-corridor

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 technology, including the iPilot and commercial autonomous mowing systems, and explore how advances in cameras, RTK positioning, obstacle detection and AI are making robotic mowing more practical for residential and commercial landscape maintenance.

More importantly, they talk business. How can autonomous mowers help landscape companies address labor challenges? What happens when skilled employees spend less time mowing and more time on higher-value services? How does robotics change estimating, crew structure and profitability? And what's holding more U.S. landscape companies back from adopting the technology?

If you're a landscape contractor, maintenance professional or business owner wondering where robotic mowing fits into the future of your company, this conversation is a great place to start.

Topics include: robotic lawn mowers, commercial mowing, autonomous landscaping equipment, landscape labor challenges, landscape business profitability, battery-powered equipment, AI in landscaping and the future of landscape maintenance.

Reach Matt here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-benfield-2574411b8/

Read the recent press releases:

https://www.synkd.io/synkd-news/kress-eyepilot-autonomous-commercial-mower

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 than look beautiful. But realizing their full potential means bringing landscape architects, designers, contractors and horticultural professionals into the conversation earlier—and working alongside engineers, planners and other disciplines.

Angelique also explores a principle at the heart of SYNKD: Design + Build + Maintain must work together. Creating resilient landscapes requires thinking beyond installation to how a landscape will perform, evolve and be maintained for decades to come.

It’s time to make the green industry’s contribution more visible—and recognize landscape professionals as an essential part of building more resilient communities.

Here's the published articles:

Valiant CEO - Angelique Robb

CEO Monthly - Angelique Robb

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 challenging the way they work. They also discuss the realities of leadership in the landscape industry—from managing people and navigating difficult conversations to stepping away from the daily grind long enough to focus on what is important, not just what is urgent. Plus, Meg gives listeners an inside look at Rooted in Rising, her six-month leadership program designed to help women in the green industry strengthen their leadership skills, build meaningful connections and turn bigger goals into action.

Read more about it here: https://www.greenindustrywomen.com/leadership-training

Register here: https://lnkd.in/gH2PmcvN

Contact Meg here: https://lnkd.in/gGDjDAiA

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 change the way we run our businesses in the years ahead. Want to see what’s hype, what’s real and what you can actually start using? Peter will take the conversation further next month at SYNKD Live in Phoenix with his session, “AI: What’s Hype, What’s Real & What’s Next in Landscaping and Beyond.”

Get your tickets here:

https://app.getnetworked.com/event/synkd-live-phoenix-2026

#SYNKDlive #SYNKD #Better #Growth #Greenindustry #AI #BusinessOwners #SmallBusiness #Gamechanging

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 competitors.

From landscape designers and contractors to pool builders and crane operators, Soake Pools has built a nationwide network around collaboration, trust and clearly defined expertise. Karen shares how those relationships can make projects more efficient, expand what a company can offer and ultimately create a better experience for the client.

The conversation also explores a bigger opportunity for the landscape industry: Instead of trying to do everything in-house, what could your business accomplish by finding great partners and playing to each other’s strengths?

For business owners navigating labor challenges, profitability pressures and changing client expectations, partnership may be more than a way to complete a project—it could be a smarter way to grow.

https://www.soakepools.com/

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 Lin shares her own journey into horticulture, explains how ELA has spent more than 35 years educating landscape professionals, and discusses why bringing people back together through in-person events matters now more than ever.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What the Ecological Landscape Alliance is and who it's for
• Why collaboration is essential to creating resilient landscapes
• The importance of connecting designers, contractors, growers, conservationists and educators
• How ecological practices continue to evolve through science, research and shared experience
• Why community may be one of the industry's most important tools for tackling today's environmental challenges

Whether you're a landscape architect, contractor, maintenance professional, grower or simply passionate about sustainable landscapes, this conversation is a reminder that meaningful change happens when we work together.

If you enjoyed this conversation, subscribe to SYNKD for more discussions connecting the Design • Build • Maintain sectors of the landscape industry.

Here's where you can register for the ELA event in August 2026:

https://ela.member365.org/public/event/details/c57c6f434b8d1fd6a7eef3ef51920866254c6daf/1

See you there!

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 in the field, experience across five states, and conversations with hundreds of landscape business owners, Jay argues that our industry doesn't have a labor shortage—it has a recruiting and retention problem.

Together, they explore why culture is every company's greatest competitive advantage, how small improvements in onboarding and leadership compound over time, and why attracting the next generation of professionals starts with changing the way we talk about careers in landscaping. Whether you're an owner, manager, HR professional or crew leader, this conversation offers practical ideas you can implement immediately to build a workplace where great people want to stay.

Come to Phoenix to learn from Jay Worth and improve your recruitment and retention! https://app.getnetworked.com/event/synkd-live-phoenix-2026

Get in touch with Jay here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-worth/

Get Jay's book here:
https://a.co/d/02I3wTfL

"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 stress for both your team and your customers. Learn how setting clear expectations, creating repeatable communication scripts, and sticking to your business model can transform your customer experience and improve efficiency across your operation. It's a practical conversation every landscape business owner, manager, and service leader should hear.

https://skilledproacademy.com/

Holly McIlwain is offering SYNKD listeners a free Communication Script Planning Guide to help you build consistent customer communication and standard operating procedures for your business. The guide includes a checklist of the scripts every landscape or irrigation company should develop, making it easier to standardize your customer experience and improve team communication.

To receive your free copy:
📧 Email [email protected]
Subject: SYNKD
(or mention "SYNKD" in your message)

The SkillPro Academy team will send you the guide.