Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The #1 Growth Constraint in the Green Industry | Aaron Whitener of ACE Outdoor
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The #1 Growth Constraint in the Green Industry | Aaron Whitener of ACE Outdoor
00:31 – 02:30 | Intro + Origins
Rob and Aaron reminisce about meeting on a beach in Mexico. Aaron shares his start cutting grass at 16 and how a side hustle became a 24-year career.
03:00 – 04:30 | Today’s ACE Outdoor
$14 million revenue, 150 employees, 3 locations in southeast Michigan—primarily commercial lawn and snow services.
04:30 – 06:00 | Biggest Growth Constraint
Relationships are everything — with clients and employees. Longevity of relationships beats short-term wins.
06:30 – 08:30 | Breaking the Muddy Middle
Aaron explains the shift from solo operator to team builder. Pain and determination pushed him past the “middle trap.”
09:00 – 10:30 | When You Can Hire Real Leaders
Around $3 million is the inflection point where you can bring in true leadership talent — not just task doers.
11:00 – 13:45 | Hiring People Smarter Than You
Aaron’s big breakthrough came from bringing in leaders who told him what he needed to do, not the other way around.
15:00 – 17:30 | Clarity + Vision
“Figure out what you want and learn to ask for it.” Aaron shares how he documents a 3-year vision and reviews it with his team annually.
17:30 – 21:00 | Gratitude and Mindset
Aaron credits faith, gratitude, and perspective for keeping him grounded through chaos and success.
21:00 – 25:00 | Family vs Team Culture
A family loves you no matter what; a team requires you to add value. Everyone has a role and shared goal.
25:00 – 29:30 | Vision, Metrics & Money
ACE ties clear vision to measurable KPIs and bonuses based on division and company-wide performance.
29:30 – 33:30 | Open Financial Leadership
Monthly budget-vs-actual reviews for the top 20 %. Aspire software gives real-time gross-margin visibility.
32:30 – 34:45 | Continuous Learning & Faith
Aaron leans on church, podcasts, books, and industry events to keep growing as a leader.
35:00 – 38:00 | Building Relationships with Staff
Micro-moments matter — say hi, ask about the weekend, remember names. Trust is built in small interactions.
38:30 – 41:20 | Vision Takes Time
Visioning is a weeks-long process of reflection, not a one-hour meeting. Start with the 20-year goal and work backward.
41:20 – 42:45 | Final Thoughts + Book Shoutouts
Aaron cites Gino Wickman’s Traction and EOS as core frameworks for clarity and execution.
View all episodes
By Intrigue Media00:31 – 02:30 | Intro + Origins
Rob and Aaron reminisce about meeting on a beach in Mexico. Aaron shares his start cutting grass at 16 and how a side hustle became a 24-year career.
03:00 – 04:30 | Today’s ACE Outdoor
$14 million revenue, 150 employees, 3 locations in southeast Michigan—primarily commercial lawn and snow services.
04:30 – 06:00 | Biggest Growth Constraint
Relationships are everything — with clients and employees. Longevity of relationships beats short-term wins.
06:30 – 08:30 | Breaking the Muddy Middle
Aaron explains the shift from solo operator to team builder. Pain and determination pushed him past the “middle trap.”
09:00 – 10:30 | When You Can Hire Real Leaders
Around $3 million is the inflection point where you can bring in true leadership talent — not just task doers.
11:00 – 13:45 | Hiring People Smarter Than You
Aaron’s big breakthrough came from bringing in leaders who told him what he needed to do, not the other way around.
15:00 – 17:30 | Clarity + Vision
“Figure out what you want and learn to ask for it.” Aaron shares how he documents a 3-year vision and reviews it with his team annually.
17:30 – 21:00 | Gratitude and Mindset
Aaron credits faith, gratitude, and perspective for keeping him grounded through chaos and success.
21:00 – 25:00 | Family vs Team Culture
A family loves you no matter what; a team requires you to add value. Everyone has a role and shared goal.
25:00 – 29:30 | Vision, Metrics & Money
ACE ties clear vision to measurable KPIs and bonuses based on division and company-wide performance.
29:30 – 33:30 | Open Financial Leadership
Monthly budget-vs-actual reviews for the top 20 %. Aspire software gives real-time gross-margin visibility.
32:30 – 34:45 | Continuous Learning & Faith
Aaron leans on church, podcasts, books, and industry events to keep growing as a leader.
35:00 – 38:00 | Building Relationships with Staff
Micro-moments matter — say hi, ask about the weekend, remember names. Trust is built in small interactions.
38:30 – 41:20 | Vision Takes Time
Visioning is a weeks-long process of reflection, not a one-hour meeting. Start with the 20-year goal and work backward.
41:20 – 42:45 | Final Thoughts + Book Shoutouts
Aaron cites Gino Wickman’s Traction and EOS as core frameworks for clarity and execution.