In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with executive recruiter and talent advisor Rachel VanderPol to discuss what really drives employee retention, leadership, recruiting, and company growth. Rachel shares lessons from years of recruiting top talent across finance, legal, construction, SaaS, and professional services industries, while providing a behind-the-scenes look at how great companies attract and keep high performers.

From culture fit and leadership alignment to compensation, flexibility, and hiring mistakes, this conversation is packed with practical insights for business owners who want to build stronger teams and scale successfully.

Whether you're hiring your next executive, building a leadership team, or trying to understand why great employees leave, this episode provides a blueprint for recruiting and retaining exceptional talent.

Key Discussion Points

• Why employees leave companies even when compensation is competitive

• The importance of culture fit over technical qualifications

• How top recruiters identify great candidates

• The role leadership plays in employee retention

• Why compensation alone cannot solve hiring problems

• Work-from-home, flexibility, and today's workforce expectations

• Common hiring mistakes business owners make

• How to evaluate candidates beyond the résumé

• Lessons from elite athletes and high-performance environments

• Building teams that scale with your company

Chapters:

0:00 Intro

0:20 Meet Rachel VanderPol

2:01 Athlete to Executive Recruiter

4:41 Growing Up Around Hall of Fame Excellence

8:10 Why Employees Really Leave

11:24 Culture Fit vs Skill Set

15:00 Why Employer Branding Matters

16:10 How Recruiters Vet Candidates

19:10 Recruiting Across Multiple Industries

22:35 Hiring for Potential vs Perfection

23:35 How to Spot Candidate Red Flags

26:25 Compensation and Retention

30:25 Work-Life Balance vs Flexibility

35:05 Learning From Hiring Mistakes

37:10 Mentorship and High Achievement

39:10 Building a Business While Raising a Family

42:45 Parenting, Sports, and Leadership Lessons

45:05 Rachel's Recruiting Philosophy

47:00 AI vs Human Recruiting

48:15 Final Thoughts

A lot of business owners think private equity means losing control, sacrificing culture, and putting profits ahead of people. What if the exact opposite could be true?

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Chester Buczynski and Mike Montenaro to unpack the formation of the YardMaster Big Lakes platform backed by Unity Partners.

The conversation explores the realities of private equity partnerships, employee ownership, scaling through acquisitions, leadership development, and building a culture that creates transformational wealth for employees at every level.

From Chester's journey starting a landscape company with no money and a vision, to Mike's path through decades of leadership in the green industry, this episode offers a candid look at what it really takes to build, scale, and grow a business beyond traditional limits.

Most importantly, they challenge some of the biggest myths in business—proving that growth, culture, people, and profitability don't have to compete with one another.

Key Discussion Points

• Why Yard Master and Big Lakes partnered with Unity Partners

• The biggest misconceptions about private equity

• How employee ownership changes company culture

• Building leadership teams capable of scaling

• The importance of intentional communication during acquisitions

• Integrating multiple companies without losing culture

• Creating transformational wealth for employees

• Why growth creates opportunity for everyone

• Leadership, mentorship, and succession planning

• Thinking bigger about what's possible in the green industry

Most people think the hard part of a deal is getting to the closing table.

It’s not.

The real challenge begins the moment the paperwork is signed.

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with 3PG Advisors’ Ed Bates for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked — and most critical — parts of mergers & acquisitions: integration.

With decades of experience and a front-row seat to more than 80 integrations across the green industry and skilled trades, Ed shares the practical realities of what actually happens after a business is acquired. From employee fear and culture clashes to systems conversions, communication breakdowns, owner transitions, and operational chaos, this conversation pulls back the curtain on why some deals create transformational growth while others quietly fall apart.

This isn’t theory.

It’s real-world insight from operators and dealmakers who’ve lived through the pressure, mistakes, wins, and lessons that happen after closing.

If you’re a business owner thinking about selling, a buyer trying to scale through acquisition, or an operator navigating change inside a growing company, this episode is a masterclass in integration strategy, leadership, and execution.

Key Discussion Points

• Why integration — not closing — determines long-term deal success

• The biggest communication mistakes buyers make after an acquisition

• Why employee trust and culture matter more than systems on Day One

• How to identify the real influencers inside a company

• The importance of pre-close alignment and integration planning

• Why moving too fast with systems and process changes creates failure

• The 90-day integration framework Ed Bates uses to guide acquisitions

• Common pitfalls with payroll, HR, operations, and technology transitions

• The emotional side of selling a company and owner identity shifts

• What successful buyers do differently during integration

• Why every deal requires a customized integration strategy

• Lessons learned from 80+ acquisitions and integrations

A prospect gets a referral, checks you out online, and quietly moves on. No call. No second chance. No explanation. Just… gone.

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Chad Diller, CEO of Landscape Leadership, to unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes—and why marketing today has less to do with leads and more to do with perception.

From AI and search to content, reviews, and storytelling, this conversation breaks down how buyers, customers, and even potential employees are judging your business long before you ever get the opportunity to sell.

If you want to stand out, scale, and eventually build something worth buying… this is where it starts.

Key Discussion Points:

• Why most trades businesses are invisible to serious buyers

• The real reason your marketing isn’t working

• AI vs reality: what’s actually changing (and what isn’t)

• Why content is now a requirement, not a strategy

• How marketing impacts hiring, culture, and growth

• The biggest missed opportunity: your existing customers

• Why referrals aren’t enough anymore

• Residential vs commercial: completely different playbooks

  How to choose the right marketing partner (and avoid wasting money)

Everyone’s obsessed with revenue growth… but what if the real money is hiding in your operations?

In this episode, Jeff sits down with industry veterans Ken Thomas and Ben Gandy to break down what actually drives value in service and trades businesses. From scaling companies from $0 to $20M to navigating private equity-backed growth, they unpack the real levers behind profitability, leadership, and operational excellence.

The conversation dives deep into why most companies are leaving margin on the table, how “lean” thinking transforms labor efficiency, and what separates great operators from great business builders. They also challenge common myths around sales, leadership, and work-life balance - offering a raw, practical perspective from decades in the trenches.

If you're building, scaling, or preparing to exit a service business, this episode is a masterclass in value creation.

Key Discussion Points

• Why revenue growth alone won’t maximize your company’s value

• How 1–3% margin improvement can transform enterprise value

• The concept of “lean” and eliminating operational waste

• Labor efficiency as the #1 profit lever in service businesses

• The lifecycle of a business and breaking through growth ceilings

• Why leaders must reinvent themselves at each stage of growth

• What investors actually look for in leadership teams

• The biggest mistakes in sales (and why “relationship selling” isn’t enough)

• The reality of attrition in recurring revenue models

• AI, robotics, and what actually matters for the future

Most founders wait too long to prepare for a sale. By the time they start thinking seriously about it, value has already leaked, risk has already built up, and the deal gets harder than it should have been.

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with M&A attorney Stephen Katz of Connell Foley for a brutally practical conversation about what business owners need to do long before they ever go to market. They break down the legal, structural, tax, and leadership decisions that can either protect enterprise value or quietly destroy it.

Jeff and Stephen unpack transaction bonuses, phantom stock, profit interests, rollover equity, operating agreement traps, employment agreement landmines, estate planning, I-9 compliance, and employee classification. If you are building with the hope of one day selling, raising capital, or creating real wealth from your company, this episode will help you think several moves ahead.

Key discussion points

• Why founders should prepare for a sale from day one

• The hidden cost of waiting too long to clean up legal and structural issues

• How transaction bonuses, phantom stock, and profit interests actually work

• Why rollover equity is not as simple as buyers make it sound

• The operating agreement terms that can come back to hurt founders after closing

• How employment agreements can quietly threaten your equity and economics

• Why tax planning, estate planning, and entity structure matter well before a deal

• The compliance issues buyers are digging into harder than ever

Most business owners think selling their company means walking away.But what if partnering with private equity actually accelerates growth, wealth, and opportunity for your entire team?

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Fred Rodriguez, founder of Remediation Group Inc., to unpack his journey from college wrestler working disaster cleanup jobs to building one of Atlanta’s leading restoration companies and partnering with private equity.

Fred shares how he built a scalable service business, why he chose to bring his leadership team into the deal with phantom stock, and how partnering with Percheron Capital and Right Restoration Partners unlocked new growth opportunities.

If you're a business owner wondering what life looks like before, during, and after a private equity partnership, this conversation delivers real-world insight from someone who’s lived it.

Key Discussion Points

• How Fred discovered the restoration industry while wrestling in college

• The “Mold is Gold” era and how early specialization created opportunity

• Why restoration companies must evolve into full-service operators to scale

• The importance of density and niche focus in service businesses

• Why Fred built his company around high-rise and multifamily clients

• Preparing the business for private equity interest

• Why Fred insisted on bringing his key leadership team into the deal

• How phantom stock created alignment and changed his team’s lives

• What private equity partnership actually looks like day-to-day

A lot of trades business owners hit a revenue ceiling long before they hit their potential.

Jeremy Talboy started a landscape company with zero experience, zero clients, and no financial background. He built it to nearly $9 million in revenue. But behind the growth, he was flying blind on his numbers. Profit was last. Sales covered mistakes. And eventually the ceiling hit hard.

In this episode, Jeremy shares the moment everything changed. From hiring a fractional CFO to bringing in a true operator as GM, this conversation is a masterclass in breaking through growth plateaus and building a business that actually works.

If you are scaling a service company and feel the pressure building, this episode will challenge how you think about growth, leadership, and financial discipline.

Key Discussion Points

• Starting a landscape company with no experience
  

• How sales ability can mask financial mistakes
  

• The dangerous mindset of profit coming last
  

• Hitting the $3M revenue ceiling
  

• Hiring a fractional CFO and building real budgets
  

• Bringing in a GM to fix operational inefficiencies
  

• Growing maintenance revenue by nearly 60 percent
  

• Expanding into pool construction as a high ticket strategy
  

• The role of faith and family in staying grounded

• Why leadership is developed, not inherited

Technology is no longer optional in the landscape industry. It is the difference between guesswork and real operational control.

In this episode of The Deal Factory, Jeff Harkness sits down with Bryan Mours, former Aspire leader and founder of Mours Enterprises, to break down how technology is transforming landscape businesses from the inside out. They discuss production management systems, reporting tools, asset tracking, robotics, AI, and what a modern tech stack actually looks like for companies that want to scale.

Bryan shares firsthand lessons from building Aspire through startup chaos to institutional investment, and what today’s contractors must understand about systems, integration, and data visibility. This conversation goes deep into how technology impacts margin, EBITDA, labor efficiency, acquisitions, and long-term enterprise value.

If you are building a landscape company that you want to scale, acquire with, or eventually sell, this episode lays out the infrastructure required to compete at the next level.

Key Discussion Points

• Bryan’s journey from 17-year-old landscape entrepreneur to Aspire leadership

• Lessons from building and selling multiple businesses

• Turning 4–5% net profit into 15%+ through software visibility

• Why many owners still resist production management systems

• The early startup days of Aspire

• What private equity looks for in tech adoption and reporting

• The modern contractor tech stack

• Robotics, battery-powered equipment & ROI reality

• AI in the green industry: hype vs. measurable EBITDA impact

• Why integration post-acquisition is undervalued

• Building scalable systems before bringing in institutional capital

Today under the Trump Administration, scrutiny regarding labor compliance, immigration practices and employment policies is at an all time high. 

In this episode Jeff sits down with Todd Stanton, founder of Stanton Law and author of The 95% Rule, to break down why most employment issues are not surprises, they’re patterns. Todd shares decades of frontline experience helping business owners navigate HR, compliance, culture, and people problems before they turn into expensive legal battles.

From holiday parties and company culture to employee handbooks, misclassified contractors, and private equity readiness, this conversation delivers practical, no-jargon insights every growing business owner needs to hear.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why hiring HR often reveals problems, not creates them

• The “95% Rule” and why most employment disputes are predictable

• Holiday parties, alcohol, and the hidden legal risks business owners ignore

• Contractors vs. employees: the costly mistake owners keep making

• Why culture decisions always come with legal consequences

• What investors and buyers look for in HR and compliance