The Landscaper's Guide to Modern Sales & Marketing

In today’s episode, Jack sits down with Jeff Riddle, founder of Alterra Landscape Design in Dallas, to talk about what it really takes to keep a landscape company growing—even when the market softens. Jeff shares how Dallas is seeing more competition than ever before, why lead volume has dipped, and the surprising reasons many landscape firms are feeling anxious even in a still-healthy market. Yet instead of cutting back, Jeff explains why Alterra has intentionally increased marketing investment, upgraded their website, and leaned into long-term branding strategies.

You’ll also hear how video, reviews, deep content, and boots-on-the-ground storytelling help Alterra stand out in a market with 75% more competitors than two decades ago. From navigating AI-driven search to using ChatGPT for content creation, Jeff offers practical, real-world lessons landscape companies can apply right now.

You’ll Learn:

• Why cutting marketing in a downturn is a costly mistake
• How long-term marketing investments “harvest” results years later
• What landscape companies need to know about AI-driven search
• Why deep content, reviews, and video outperform competitors
• How Alterra creates steady demand in an oversaturated market

Connect With Today's Guest:
 🌳 Alterra Landscape Design: https://alterradesignllc.com/
👤 Connect with Jeffery Riddle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jefferyriddle/
🏢 Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alterradesignllc/
📘 Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockmygarden

🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/
🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox
📅 See upcoming live and virtual events:
https://landscapersguide.com/events

In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes interviews Stacey Hinson, Director of Sales at Snow Systems, one of the nation’s leading commercial snow removal companies. Stacey shares her inspiring journey from starting as an office manager to selling over $50 million in commercial snow contracts while helping grow Snow Systems from a Chicago-based operation to a national service provider in 44 states.

You’ll hear how Stacey earned credibility as one of the few female sales leaders in the snow industry, how she leads with honesty and communication, and why building long-term client relationships beats chasing new bids every winter. This episode is a must-listen for snow and landscape business owners looking to strengthen sales, trust, and retention.

You’ll Learn:

• How Stacey built trust in a male-dominated industry
• Why honesty and communication close more long-term contracts
• The sales principles behind $50 million in snow revenue
• How Snow Systems scaled from local to national operations
• Tips for retaining customers year after year

Guest Contact:
🌳 Snow Systems: https://www.snowsystems.com
👤 Connect with Stacey Hinson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-hinson-39440957
📧 [email protected]
📞 (847) 808-7800
🏢 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snow_systems_nationwide/
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/snowsystems

 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/
🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox
📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

When you start a landscape company, you wear every hat — salesperson, account manager, and operations lead. But as your business grows, scaling becomes harder without a defined process.

In this episode, 2025 Landscape Leader of the Year Stuart Ward of Buckhead Landscape & Design shares how his Atlanta-based company created a clear and repeatable sales process that drives consistent growth, improves onboarding, and gives every team member a roadmap to success.

If you’ve ever struggled with unpredictable sales or employee turnover, Stuart’s practical framework will show you how to build systems that scale — without losing quality or customer experience.

You’ll Learn:

• How to eliminate chaos by documenting your sales process
• Why consistency and accountability are the foundation of scalable growth
• How Buckhead Landscape & Design uses systems to train new employees faster
• The benefits of measuring, refining, and improving your process over time

Connect With Today’s Guest:
🌳 Buckhead Landscape & Design: https://buckheadlandscapedesign.com/
👤 Connect with Stuart Ward: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-ward-a918522/
🏢 Company Instagram: https://instagram.com/buckheadlandscapedesign/
📘 Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BuckheadLandscapeDesign

Get Started with Ramblin Jackson
 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/
🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox
📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

Learn more about Ramblin Jackson: https://ramblinjackson.com 

Most landscape companies lose sales because their follow-up is too slow and too inconsistent.

In this short video, Jack Jostes — CEO of Ramblin Jackson and host of The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast — shares how one simple ChatGPT prompt can help your entire sales team follow up faster, sound more professional, and keep CRM notes consistent across your company.

See Jack LIVE at NALP ELEVATE 2025
Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
Time: 9:00–9:45 a.m. MST
Location: Phoenix Convention Center | Phoenix, AZ

***West Building - 100 Level - Room 105**
 Session: ChatGPT for Landscape Sales Pros & Owners — A Hands-On Intro to Close More Sales

Stop by the Ramblin Jackson Booth #1531
Come say hi, grab a photo, and enter our Steak Giveaway — because the only thing better than closing more sales is celebrating with a great steak.

Can’t make it to Phoenix?
 Get instant access to Jack’s free 5-minute ChatGPT training video and prompts here:
 https://landscapersguide.com/chat

Listen to The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/

 Follow Jack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes

Learn more about Ramblin Jackson: https://ramblinjackson.com

Are you a multiplier or a diminisher in your company’s leadership? In this episode, Landscaper’s Guide podcast host Jack Jostes reviews Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter by Liz Wiseman. Jack shares key insights from the book and from his Wild Frontier Mastermind discussion — including how to identify people’s native genius, when to move team members into new seats, and why great leaders admit mistakes publicly to build trust. You’ll hear practical, real-world applications for landscape and snow business owners who want to grow stronger leadership teams and elevate company culture.

You’ll Learn:

• How to find your team’s native genius and align roles with strengths
• When high performers become “prima donnas” and what to do about it
• Why publicly owning mistakes builds trust and loyalty
• How to lead better debates and frame questions for productive discussions
• Why multipliers challenge their teams with “mission impossible” goals
  
  
  

Guest Contact Info:
 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: ramblinjackson.com
👤 Connect with Jack Jostes: LinkedIn
📸 @jackjostes
🏢 @ramblinjackson

 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/
🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox
📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

How do you go from teaching middle school science to running a thriving landscape and industrial maintenance company? In this week’s episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes talks with Ryan Robinson, owner of Turf Concepts Landscaping in Michigan, about his journey from part-time mower to full-time business owner, and how discipline, learning marketing, and embracing video helped him grow faster than ever.

You’ll learn:

• 📈 How Ryan left teaching to build a multi-service landscaping company
• 📚 The marketing books that helped him transform his business mindset
• 💡 Why consistency, safety, and systems drive growth more than size
• 🎥 How becoming “the face of the company” changed his brand visibility

Whether you’re thinking about taking the leap into full-time ownership or just want to improve your systems and profitability, this episode delivers real lessons from the field.

🎧 Listen now and get inspired to take your next bold step.

Show Notes:

Watch the full episode + see the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 

Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox/ 

Check out Turf Concepts Landscaping: https://www.turfconceptslandscaping.com/ 

See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events/ 

Most landscape owners dream of a business that runs without them. George Urvari has actually done it. After nearly 40 years of building Oriole Landscaping into one of Toronto’s top design-build firms, George now helps other owners create systems, train leaders, and reclaim their time through Knowledge Tree Consulting.

In this episode, George shares practical steps to remove yourself from daily chaos and create a company that works because of your leadership, not your presence.

You’ll learn:

• How to identify and fix leadership blind spots that stall growth
• A practical team exercise that helps you delegate real responsibility
• What it actually takes to step back without losing control of your business

🎧 Watch or listen wherever you get your podcasts — YouTube, Apple, Spotify, or right at Landscaper’s Guide.

Show Notes:

🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 

🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 

📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events 

🌳 Knowledge Tree Consulting: https://knowledgetreeconsulting.com/ 

👤 Connect with George Urvari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-urvari-916245139/ 

Selling commercial snow and landscape work isn’t the same as residential. Budgets, long sales cycles, and high expectations make it tough to stand out. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes hosts a panel of three leaders who have each scaled $10M+ companies to share what’s actually working in commercial sales today.

You’ll hear from Robert Clinkenbeard (Wilson360), Nick Klotz (EPM of Michigan), and Eddy Zakes (Earth Development) as they break down the tactics, team structures, and mindset shifts that drive growth.

You’ll discover:

• How to increase close rates and avoid wasting time on the wrong leads
• Outbound and referral strategies that consistently open doors with the right clients
• The systems and leadership practices that allow companies to scale past $10M

If you’re ready to win more commercial work and build stronger client relationships, this episode will give you practical strategies you can use right away.

Show Notes:

📺 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/
🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox

📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events 

👤 Connect with our panelists:
- Robert Clinkenbeard – Wilson360: https://wilson-360.com/
- Nick Klotz – EPM of Michigan: https://epmofmichigan.com/
- Eddy Zakes – Earth Development: https://earthdevelopmentinc.com/ 

🏆 Vote + see the Landscape Leader of the Year:
https://landscapersguide.com/leader 

Most landscapers think residential snow and lawn care can’t scale profitably. Summit Lawns in Lincoln, Nebraska, is proving otherwise. With 4,000 clients and five profit centers, owner Ted Glaser has built one of the Midwest’s fastest-growing lawn and landscape companies.

In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes talks with Ted about the painful “Summer of Diamonds” when he lost half his staff, how he rebuilt with a stronger model, and the systems that keep Summit Lawns growing year after year.

You’ll discover:

• Why residential snow and lawn care can solve cash flow and training challenges
• How Google Reviews and SEO fuel local growth and recruiting
• Why social media matters for both hiring and AI-driven search visibility

Whether you’re under $1M or building past $5M, this episode will give you practical strategies to stabilize and scale your landscaping business.

Show Notes:

Watch the full episode + see the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 

Get your free beef jerky sample: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 

See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

Connect with Ted:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedglaser/ 
• Summit Lawns: https://www.summitlawnslincoln.com 
• Instagram: @mrtedman 

What does it take to scale a landscape company from scratch to $20M and 350 employees—and then build one of the industry’s most respected coaching and peer group businesses?

In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes interviews Robert Clinkenbeard, CEO of Wilson360, Ironman competitor, and host of The Commercial Landscaper Podcast. Robert shares his journey from Scotland to Phoenix, where he built a $20M commercial landscape company, sold it, and then took over and rebranded Wilson360.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How EOS, coaching, and peer groups help owners scale without losing control
• Why Google Reviews and client care are essential scorecard metrics
• The surprising role kilts, Ironman races, and experimentation play in leadership

Whether you’re running a $2M business or pushing toward $20M, this episode is packed with practical strategies and hard-earned wisdom.

Watch the full episode + see the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 

Show Notes:

See upcoming events: https://landscapersguide.com/events 

Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 

Connect with Robert:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-clinkenbeard/ 
• Wilson360: https://wilson-360.com/about-us/ 
• The Commercial Landscaper Podcast: https://thecommerciallandscaper.com/