In this episode of the Untrapped Podcast, Keith Kalfas gets personal and pretty inspiring as he talks about how even the smallest positive gestures can have a massive impact on the world. He shares some cool stories about passing on the right book at the right time or making a YouTube video when you least feel like it can be life-changing for others. Keith digs into how trusting your gut and doing random acts of kindness aren't just lovely things to do—they can totally transform lives, including your own. He also talks about the highs and potential lows of success, urging everyone to make the most of their unique gifts. It's all about taking action, being kind, and letting your light shine brighter than ever. Tune in for some real talk and motivation to double down on your goodness this year!

 

 

Check out these episode highlights 💡:

00:00 - Inspiring Impact Through Sharing and Connection

09:05 - Choosing Intuition Over Navigation Maps

10:14 - "Destiny Shaped by Tiny Decisions"

15:17 - Inspiring Entrepreneurial Success Stories

18:11 - True Fulfillment Beyond Success and Wealth

22:02 - Inspiring Others Through Random Kindness

25:41 - Reversing Roles: Buying for the Wealthy

28:55 - Navigating Success and Dealing with Envy

 

🔑 Key Takeaways: 

• Harness the Power of Small Acts: Even the most straightforward act of kindness can set off a chain reaction that leads to significant changes. Whether it's sharing knowledge or a chance encounter, you never know the impact of your actions.

• Pursue Your Vision with Confidence: Moving forward with your dreams is essential, regardless of whether others see your vision. Your determination and courage can turn naysayers into supporters as your success story unfolds.

• Recognize and Use Your Gifts: We all have unique gifts and talents given to us, which, if not utilized, can be lost. Embrace these gifts and take action to fulfill your purpose, as ideas and opportunities won't wait around indefinitely.

 

🌐Resources and Websites 🔗: 

Untrapped Alliance -  https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

 

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

Keith Kalfas [00:00:05]:

My friend, you have power that goes way beyond what you might be currently aware of. Something as simple as one positive interaction with even a stranger can impact that person's life and create a butterfly effect that goes on to impact millions of people's lives. That's the power that you have. So, I wanna encourage you to take a leap and double down on your goodness this year and reach deep down inside of yourself and pull out the courage and the determination to let your light shine. See, God made you in his likeness and image, and he made you for a reason. And some other people around you might not see the vision that you have and that's okay. They're not supposed to so you don't have to waste any more time worrying about what anybody else thinks because when you step forward confidently in the direction of your dreams You start putting one foot in front of the other and you don't ask for permission or approval of anybody you just put together a plan and you start taking action take that next step what happens is when you are committed and you're 100% confident that's a foregone conclusion in your brain. That's when the people around you that maybe might have been naysayers or didn't believe, they'll back you up, and they'll support you.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:01:35]:

And the support will come from nowhere, and it'll come too late. You could have used it in the past when you really needed it But it's amazing that all those things will come when you no longer need them All the things you want in your life will show up when you no longer want them so badly that cause you suffering. It's the very suffering that pushes them away. So, you can start with small things. Random acts of kindness is a good way to go. Sorry, I'm stuttering. I just came from a wedding very loud for hours on end so my ears are readjusting I'm in a hotel room right now in Florida, a wedding I went to so There's people that came up to me at this wedding that I didn't know they were friends of my friends and I said like Keith, you're Keith, this Keith I've been hearing about and then they wanted to thank me because they said that I'll make this very short of talking about the power that you have Many years ago one of my very very close friends I started loaning him books because I love to read books like Robert Kiyosaki, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Cashflow Quadrant all these phenomenal books that changed my life and really opened my eyes and My friend was very ambitious at the time. I'd give him a book.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:03:01]:

I'd see him a week later and he'd be like I already read it I'm like you already read the entire book? Right? And this went on and on and basically a bunch of his dreams came true and I wasn't even aware that he held me in such high regard as a friend who was a catalyst for him that basically put the right information I don't take any credit for any of his action but I put the right information in his hands at the right time and since then he has gone on to inspire many other entrepreneurs and it was so funny at the wedding he's like this is Keith he's the reason why some things have happened that and I'm like no no no no no and then these guys came up to me and they're like no dude you have this impact and it's interesting I see myself as a super-connector What do you see yourself as? My YouTube videos have helped start over 10,000 businesses have prevented people from hurting themselves, and have made a big impact in the green industry, and I meet people that say, and you know why that is? It's because I made videos when I didn't feel like it I've pulled myself out of bed at three and 04:00 in the morning because I felt in the bottom of my heart that I need to make this video. Now I had to speak this and so in the moment like me It's just me speak I'm by myself speaking to a camera the microphone. What difference could that make? It's insane to think anything other than this base reality very fundamental, right? But with the leverage of technology and everything we have at our disposal, these conveniences, a lot of them we traded our rights for, that's a different conversation. It's fascinating that when you use and you leverage technology if you have a message that you want to share with the world or maybe you have a service business, you know, I have a landscaping business You can impact people in such a positive way. Here's my point You can become instead of like candle is fine, a lamp post is fine. I'm talking like a lighthouse, a watchtower for people and you don't even know it that so you have a tremendous impact on the people around you whether you're aware of it or not and there's people that love you and care about you and they actually have your best interests at heart and They love you so much that there's nothing you can do about it. Think about that and I just really hope that you don't I hope that you're not being hard on yourself or beating yourself up and I hope that you're not seeing yourself in a negative light or overanalyzing or psychoanalyzing any little negative thing that you said or done to the point where you're not giving yourself enough credit devaluing of your goodness so when you understand what's really at stake in the responsibility, your ability to respond, because once you have the information, right, now you gotta do something because not doing anything is a choice. Doing nothing is a choice. Sometimes that's the best thing to do is do nothing.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:06:27]:

Choose your battles wisely. But what I'm saying here is don't despise small beginnings because small things can turn into big things really quickly. I placed a newspaper ad years ago in my landscaping business. I talked about this in a video. I couldn't even find my debit card. I didn't even have a company credit card yet.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:06:50]:

And I was on the phone with a newspaper company in the car with my wife, and I was like, oh, never mind. I don't have my question. My wife is like, no. You just take my credit card and run the ad. And I was like, no. No. No. She's like, no. It's fine. I'm like, sorry. I took credit card, ran, like, a little tiny sixteenth of a page ad in a the city newspaper. Think about that for marketing and advertising. You know, my for my landscaping business, very simple ad, that ad, I got a phone call, and it was from elderly woman who need a couple bushes trimmed. Right? And then I went there, we trimmed the bushes. A tiny job. It was barely worth it, but the neighbor came out and did a whole property trim.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:35]:

Then the other neighbor needed some bushes trimmed, and this little tiny job, this elderly woman's nephew turned out to be a real estate guy and hooked me up with him, and we ended up doing, like, all 25 of his properties for years. He's still my client today. And then we launched the window cleaning side of the business, and then we started doing tons of window cleaning and gutter cleaning, fall cleanups, property trims, property makeovers. And then he introduced me to other clients. Then that guy hooked up with, like, my friend Eric Reno who did some roofs for him. I don't often become friends with my clients, but I became friends with this client and went out on his fishing boat one time. Right? And it was fun. It was cool.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:08:21]:

And we became friends. And I was like, all this happened from one little, tiny newspaper ad. It feels like Don LaPres, this marketer back in the day. He's like, tiny little classified ads. So, this type of butterfly effect thinking messes with my head and I'm reading a book right now called You Are the Mountain I'm in Florida, I'm hungry last night, you know, long flight, haven't eaten all day and I'm like looking at some restaurants downtown Fort Myers. There's restaurants to the left and to the right. Maybe I want some seafood. I go to walk to the left and I stop energetically, it's like, no.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:09:05]:

Don't go that way. Go to the right. But I look at my Google map, and it's a much longer walk to get to those restaurants. And then I was like, no. I have to go to the left, but my higher self-told me, don't go that way. Go to the right. And then I stood frozen on the sidewalk for, like, maybe thirty seconds. I was like, am I crazy? Or should I just honor those gut feelings? So, I went to the right I honored it, right? And I ended up downtown, and there was like a party outside, there was hundreds of people everywhere, and I found this amazing restaurant and I ate there and the food was amazing and so I've become interested in like it's just like an experiment what little tiny micro decisions affect literally reality affect everything So I said if something is insignificant as if you walk into the left or the right, how significant is it? I said, well, you can actually do the recapitulation meditation, and you can go back through your whole life.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:14]:

And I literally if I go back through my whole life, there is, like, one little, tiny micro decision oh, I can think of it right now, that made the difference or not of me eventually meeting and marrying and being with for fifth I'll go fourteen years, my wife. All the way back down to one little, tiny micro decision that at the time, it didn't seem like anything, and it changed my entire destiny, and my wife is my she's basically my rock. It has been a huge part of the reason why I've been able to make videos like this and inspire 80,000,000 views online. Podcast 750,000 downloads now 155,000 subscribers on YouTube hit the subscribe button so I asked myself these higher questions like is all this ordained before the foundations of the heaven and earth where you ordained with a message, a mission, and a mandate? Or is it a privilege to even be able to participate in what God is going to do anyways? So, this is the answer I came up with I know you've been giving your all, but you've been given gifts and callings and they come without repentance which means there are people who have gifts really phenomenally great people and there are people who have gifts aren't so great people that are complete narcissists. Right? The gifts are still true. So, what are you gonna do with the gifts that God gave you? And if you don't use it, you lose it. The story in the Bible where he basically it's the story about the talents If you have a gift and you bury it and you don't do anything with it and you're too scared to pull the courage out of yourself and start taking some action It will be taken away from you, and the opportunity will be given to someone else Just like if you have an idea to invent something and you don't, and you watch it pop up in the marketplace in six months or a year, and you're like, what? I thought that thing up, and that's crazy, right? So, nothing can stop an idea whose time has come who's going to be the executive and take action on it is it going to be you? Because if you don't somebody else will this is the great news None of this is neither right or wrong nor good or bad. It's just relative to the experience you are having, and others are having of you, and that's all it is.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:46]:

And that's the good news. But now that you have the information and you know, it's almost like double jeopardy to not put together a plan and take action because it's like you've seen I had a friend, Dave, once I was talking about responsibility. It's like, if you pick if you help somebody or somebody helps you or pick somebody, pick somebody up and takes them to a place higher than what their feet can touch the ground that's beyond what they can do today. 

 

AD:

Do you need some serious help focusing on your service business this year? Would you like to go live in a private group coaching environment that's focused every other week with myself and special guest experts who have built multiple $6.07, and even 8 figure businesses? If so, I would like to extend a special invitation to consider joining my new private group coaching program called the Untrapped Alliance. And we're already two months at the time of this recording. Two months in. And for instance, last week, we had special guest, Steve Dehant. My friend Steve has a $7,000,000 landscaping business with 60 employees and eight sales guys. They have 05:30 AM sales trainings every Tuesday morning. And Steve came on for two hours, and he taught our private group how to build your own sales presentation on an iPad. So when you sit down with your customer, you can show them critical mistakes to avoid as the customer.

You educate them, and you show them pictures of your work. You gain trust and build authority. And by the time you're done with this presentation, the customers will see it. If you do good quality great quality work, the customers will see it as a risk to go with anybody else. And Steve was gracious enough to walk us through this entire process and describe how he has built a multimillion dollar business specifically in how to build rapport and trust and authority with clients quickly. And he's done this through trial and error for the past twenty-five years. He's mastered it. This guy, you would have to pay him $1,500 an hour to even get an hour coaching call with him, and he got on for two hours in our live private group, and the members loved it.

I loved it. It was incredible. He had me in tears at one point because he was talking about how here's a guy, nothing was handed to him. He reached in the trenches and almost lost everything in 02/1989 and built his business back up from nothing. A few weeks ago, we had another guest on, Dan Plata, the home service CFO. He taught us how to hire employees and how to screen and vet them out and the mindset around growing and scaling a business, but he also taught us how to understand our numbers and profit and loss statements and dialing your numbers strategically, so you get crystal clarity on the math in your business, and he made it fun. This week coming up, we have special guest, my friend Eric Reno, who's built a Deca million-dollar roofing empire, and he's gonna teach us his marketing strategies of how to become five mile famous. He goes all in when it comes to marketing and advertising.

He's gonna show us his best-kept secrets and practices and hold nothing back. So, I don't take this lightly. I mean, I feel very thankful that these people I know are willing to come on because they respect and trust me to share with you and me everything that they're doing. And that they can't share everything, but they can within an hour or two share a lot. I mean, this is invaluable information, and it's a private group coaching setting that is not garbage social media. I mean, this is private Zoom calls. And you get access to all the replays when you join up. So, this is a monthly paid membership group.

And so you get in, you pay. Right now, the introductory investment is only $97 a month. So, it's about $50 per call. And so, if you could get in and learn some stuff that could make you an extra, I don't know, you say the number, $20.50, hundred, hundred and $50 this year. I don't know the size of your business, but the stuff that we're learning, if implemented, I can't make you any promises, but if implemented, is hyper valuable. So, this program costs me money to put together. I pay for the software, the systems. I have a media team that I pay that helped me put this together.

And so I have hard costs involved here, but I love doing this. So if you're interested, open up your browser right now and type in KeithKalfas.com/Alliance, and I'll see you inside of the next call. And remember, you get access to the replays immediately as soon as you sign up, and you'll be part of the group. See you there.

This is Untrapped with Keith Kalfas. 

 

Keith Kalfas [00:17:52]:

What's real and doable for them just hang with me for a second. Their feet lose contact with the ground, and if you let go, they fall back to where they were. So my buddy Dave, I'll close this loop. He basically said he goes, no. No. No. No.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:18:11]:

Because if you reach down and you help somebody else or somebody helps you or something, they get to, for a second, see what's on the other side, right, or what's past that mountain. And then they go back down and they've had the vision, you know. And I love this because you can stand on the shoulders of giants, and you can read amazing books and autobiographies by successful people that live in their imagination, who have been able to change the world and make it a better place and so you can just be a phenomenal coach, a phenomenal husband or wife or a phenomenal parent, or a phenomenal service business owner, you can start a blog online and inspire people, or you don't have to become freaking Jeff Bezos or Steve Jobs or Elon Musk, right? And I can't imagine the level of sacrifice unless that's part of what's truly rooted in your value hierarchy that makes you truly fulfilled, that higher calling. What are you comparing yourself to with the measuring stick of success? And what I mean by that is once you realize that you're running your own race and this is strictly between you and God, you start asking how can I develop myself to deploy myself into the purpose that was mandated for me? Not just go do something that makes a whole bunch of money because I saw Tom or Joe do it and I want to be significant like them I want to feel important and loved too so I want to make a whole bunch of money because if the reason why you say you wanna make a big difference in the world and you wanna do all these great things, this is the scary part, is rooted in fear of unlove or resentment or it's rooted in trying to get the attention of people who you hope will love you it can be a scary path where you end up at the top of success one day, and it's not all it's cracked up to be. You might possibly it's like you climb a mountain and you forgot to take your water bottle with you or, like, the most important things, and then you have to climb back down to go pick up the shit that you left behind because you were too much in a frickin' hurry and I think it's putting the cart before the horse I just know people who have put their careers and their work and money and success and accolades before other things that I mean this is according to my value hierarchy I'm not saying I'm right putting things in the wrong order have a cost and sometimes a very hard cost See, you notice how I'm talking about this without getting into any specifics because you know what your specifics are But I implore you to look deeper and say where is the true value in my life? Where is the thing that makes me feel the most deeply fulfilled? And I can probably promise you it's not just money or something like that but my friend Joshua Latimer he says something amazing. You know, God made him to make be really successful so he can make a whole bunch of money so he can impact other entrepreneurs and coach people and give money away. I won't say too much of his business, but he said things to me on the phone before like just little experimental projects that he does to help people that he doesn't publicize. I'll just kind of stop right there.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:22:02]:

I'm like, what? You're amazing, bro. You're you like, how would you even think to be such a giver and a contributor, like, impacting people's lives? So, he inspires me. Who do you have that inspires you? So anyways, if you're down in the dumps by chance, I encourage you random acts of kindness. If you give somebody who's homeless, give them $20, give them a $20 bill. Say, God bless you. Walk away. Don't tell anybody about it. And if you might have a negative thought in your mind like, oh, what are they gonna do with the money? That's between them and God and what you did was between you and God or donate to something or help somebody close to you or buy somebody in line I'm not trying to publicize what I did but I was at Chipotle getting a carryout for my wife and I and behind me was a guy who he looked like he had just gotten off work and I looked back and he looked me in the eyes just kind of like a cold stare, and I smiled.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:23:05]:

He didn't smile back. He was just like in like grind mode or something. I was like, oh, yeah? So, when I got to the checkout, I was like, hey, pay for his food too. Like that. In a different obviously, separate bags, but I paid for his food. Right? And then I just walked out real quick. And I walked out towards my truck, and my wife was waiting. She's just scrolling on her phone.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:23:33]:

And I looked back, and the guy behind me, he was like, hey, bro. He's like, he held the food up in his bag. He's like, bro, thank you. Thank you. And he was, I look back, and we both smiled at the same time. It was the biggest smile ever. And in that moment, complete stranger, there was a currency more valuable than any money. It was a feeling of abundance and love.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:24:00]:

Like he in that moment, I didn't even know this guy. He was my brother. It was like we both felt it. All of a sudden, it released all these endorphins in my body where I felt so abundant. And I told my wife, I was like, I just paid for that guy's food. And, like, he smiled, but and my wife is like, that's awesome. That's so cool. And then she smiled, and then we smiled all the way home.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:24:25]:

Right? And I felt I felt good. I didn't even do it for that reason. It was just a byproduct. And so one thing you can do is if you're financially a little bit tight and you see some people in a restaurant, maybe you shouldn't judge anybody, but let's just say you, like, see a family that like a whole family eating and you get the sense I'm gonna pay for the whole dinner, complete strangers, and you just say, hey, put that on the tab. Right? Or you see, like, I remember one time I saw the pastor at a church I used to go to eating dinner with his family. Olive Garden. And I was not crushing it financially back then. And I just had this feeling.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:25:14]:

I was like, pay for their dinner. And it was not cheap, and I paid for the whole dinner. And I walked out, and I felt a little bit of anxiety. It was a rush. Like, what did I just do? I was like, I got this. It was a great feeling. Another time, it was a whole family dinner at a restaurant with my wife's family, all my in-laws, and I went, and I snuck to the waitress, and I paid for the whole table. I'm like, you did what? Thank you, Keith.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:25:41]:

And I didn't even do it for thank you I just wanted to know what it felt like to be the caretaker the provider the one who pays the bill right because when you're growing up and you're just a broke kid and there's always somebody who's paying the bill for you and I wanted to know what it feels like to be the one who can front the bill. Another thing that's really amazing, I know this is money things, but if you ever get a chance to go out to eat, it could just be lunch with somebody who is really successful or more successful than you are, but sometimes really successful, especially the millionaires. Get the ticket before they can and buy their food and don't say anything and watch how they respond they almost most of the time, they can't even handle it emotionally, you'll see a different person come out and I've asked them because I'm pretty open. I'm like, when's the last time somebody bought you dinner? Like, I don't even know because they're rich, and they're always paying for everybody's dinner all the time. They're used to it, they expect it, other people expect it, and so when you buy them dinner, they almost don't even know how to handle it because they feel out of place and uncomfortable, they might even become insecure because it's almost like, is this taking my power away? Like, because sometimes they're getting used by other people. My friend who's a a music artist, Hatch, he's a very brilliant guy. I told him that and he told me, who was it? Now I forgot this really successful guy, I think he's he's, like, famous or something. He told the story of how he always bought everybody dinner all the time.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:27:28]:

He paid for everything all the time because he's rich. Right? And everybody expected it, but this one time at the dinner table, everybody's out to eat at this really nice restaurant, and his wife goes, you not gonna pay for dinner this time, just this once. He's like, what do you mean I always pay? I have to pay. I always pay for She's like; you are not gonna pay this time. Okay? Okay. So the waitress brought out separate checks for everybody at the table, and he just paid his bill, him and his wife, and then they signed the check and he stayed calm and kept to himself and everybody else was getting their separate check and they looked at their checks and everybody at the table was looking around like, you know what I mean, like, so everybody had to pay their own bill and when everybody got up normally everybody would be shaking the rich guy's hand and giving him a hug and high fives almost nobody even said goodbye to him everybody was really awkward, and everybody just kinda left the restaurant, and it was a totally different vibe, and this guy was like, woah, all because they had to pay their bill? So, there are some repercussions that come with being extremely successful. Can you handle them? It's just the success tax. The success tax.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:28:55]:

It's interesting. And people that sometimes that you want their love the most can become nasty if they see you becoming very successful, especially financially successful. And you have to learn all the skills of how to deal with that. Right? So I'm talking about some of the stuff because it could be some of the roadblocks that come up that are these deeply embedded subconscious pathologies in our nervous system that can inhibit us from doubling down on our goodness and becoming the version of ourselves that we dream of becoming like successful and I think I'm complete I just yawned that my yawn means my subconscious mind is reshuffling the deck and my nervous system relaxes I'm like I'm complete everything is good so I'm fired up look at this You probably don't get to see me dressed up this often. Look at my shoes. My wife is nice to dress me. I should just wear this in every video. I just dropped a couple thousand bucks at Banana Republic of all places anyways this stuff you don't care about alright much honor love and respect to you check all the links below subscribe if you haven't already if you like this type of content let me know below also if you made it all the way to the end of the video, I want you to put in the comments, I do this again.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:30:30]:

This is a full comment. Double down on your goodness in 2025.

In this episode, Keith opens up about the rollercoaster ride of building and running his own landscaping business. You’ll hear about why he now schedules all his landscaping quotes for Mondays. It's part of a strategy to bring more sanity into his hectic schedule and ensure that he’s not just drowning in work but enjoying life.

Keith dives into those early days of hardcore hustle when he was grinding seven days a week to keep things afloat. Whether you’re in the landscaping business or any other venture, you probably know the strain it can put on your personal life — missing dinners with family and events with friends. That's where his newfound love for batching tasks comes in. By tackling quotes all in one day, he's improved efficiency and reclaimed some downtime.

He also doesn’t shy away from the challenges—like managing employees, dealing with unexpected problems, and the nerve-wracking task of raising prices. These are real-talk moments that many small business owners face, and Keith shares his journey with humor and honesty.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or starting, Keith’s stories about figuring out how to make better money in less time and dealing with the daily chaos of running a business will resonate. He wraps it all up with a reminder to be grateful, stay committed, and always keep pushing forward. So, grab your headphones, get comfy, and enjoy this episode full of real-life insights and inspiration!

 

 

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 - Adopting Batching for Efficiency and Balance

03:24 - Monday Quote-Only System Success

06:28 - "Struggles in Legalizing Small Businesses"

13:14 - "Seeking Rock Star Employees"

14:55 - Launching New Crew: Monday Rollout Plan

20:55 - Newlywed Arguments and Hurt Feelings

24:41- Prioritize Selfishness for Business Success

28:05 - Weekend Motivation and Mike Andes Recognition

  

Key Takeaways: 

• Efficient Batching: Discover how dedicating a single day to client quotes can enhance your time management, allowing for deeper focus and increased productivity throughout the week.

• Work-Life Balance: Transitioning quotes to a fixed schedule has helped reclaim personal time without sacrificing business success, marking a significant shift towards a healthier work-life balance.

• Growth through Challenges: Hear stories on navigating the complexities of scaling a business, from handling employee challenges to making tough pricing decisions while maintaining a committed and grateful mindset.

 

Resources and Websites: 

Unstrapped Alliance -  https://www.keithkalfas.com/alliance

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

Keith Kalfas [00:00:07]:

We're live. What's up? This is Keith Kalfus with the Unstrapped podcast. Hope you guys are doing awesome. In this video, I wanna talk about why I'm only doing landscaping quotes on Mondays now in my business. And I hope you're doing well. I hope you're enjoying your week. This is that time of year where you're over the hump, over the hundred days of hell, they call it, from the break of the spring in, like, April 1 all the way to July 4 where you're running nonstop to just book out as many clients as you can and get the business to a just a good positive cash flow. If you notice that in the first few months of the season in your business, you're not really clearing much of a profit because if your business is anything like mine, you've got year-end taxes, then first quarter taxes, all your insurance policies are renewing.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:00:58]:

And the next thing you know, you have a ton of expense. Then coming into, like, late June and then in July, that's when you break into the profit. And then just that you gotta hustle. It's like getting a plane off the ground. But, nonetheless, I was always doing quotes on Saturdays and Saturdays only, working six, seven days a week in my landscape business, seven days a week for sure, the first three years just to get the business off the ground, then five years always constantly working. And I know you guys know what that's like. You're hustling. And let me know if you can hear me clear.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:01:28]:

I got this new studio environment set up. I'm testing some stuff. So I apologize if the sound is a little bit off, but I'll be fixing it as time goes. But I was out late at night and in the evenings doing quotes every single day after work, destroying my personal life, destroying my family life, basically never being at the dinner table with my wife and, missing family events, and things like that. So I said, it is impossible to only do quotes once a week. How is this gonna work? Then I started learning about batching and listening to audiobooks about getting things done and being efficient and time management. And I learned that if you let things pile up and then batch them into one or two days a week, then you get on a specific train of thought or cord a cord, and then you can bang stuff out with a lot of proficiency and efficiency. I started doing that with Saturday quotes.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:02:14]:

I said there's no way customers are gonna wait all the way till Saturday. It worked. It actually worked. And so I'd run the business all week, and then I go out on myself, or there might be some guys finishing something up. But I usually I'd be out by myself on Saturday doing quotes. What's up, guys? I see all your comments coming in here. And I would go bang out, you know, anywhere from 10 to 15 quotes on a Saturday, sell a bunch of work, and book us out. Well, after a few years of doing this and being totally burned out and not even experiencing what it's like to have a weekend to myself, I wasn't complaining because I was happy, and I'm still happy and super grateful just like you guys are to have your own business.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:02:52]:

I mean, be your own boss, make your own hours, and you can make as much money as you want in your own service business as much as you're willing to take on. Right? But it started to take its toll to the point where I was like, the saying, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It's very true, and I got really frustrated. And my friend, William, the tree service guy, you see him in my videos, a guy with the big beard. He's a maniac with the chainsaw. He was talking about how he only does quotes on Mondays. I'm like, how do you do that? That's impossible. What do you mean? Mondays.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:03:24]:

He's like, well, we work four days a week hard, but then on Mondays I do quotes. So I'm like, well, I can have the guys go out and work Mondays without me, and then I'll sell and run the business all week. But Mondays specifically, I'll do quotes. I was afraid to do it. And then I started doing it, and I exclusively only do quotes on Mondays now, and it actually works. Let me know in the comments below, when do you do quotes? Do you do them after work? Do you do them on the weekends? Do you pick a specific time? Do you do them all virtually on Google Earth? Do you have a system of square footage? I sell landscaping projects, installs and ripouts and maintenance projects. So for the most part, I have to see what's going on. I have to lift things up and look underneath and find out.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:04:10]:

Right? I gotta be there. And, you know, when you're not there, it doesn't work. So it's been great, and nothing has changed. And now we're booked out for two months, and I can't take on any more work. So I went back, and now I'm working Mondays too, because we were so booked out and it's interesting. But nonetheless, I really wanted to test out this new studio environment. I've been working on this for a long time, kind of getting this all set up here. And I hope you're enjoying your Saturday.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:04:40]: Let me get to some of the comments here. What's up? Launch Gates of America. Can you guys hear me clear? Give me a thumbs up. Tap the like button if you can hear me clear. Everything's looking good on my end. Let me check out my phone here. What's up, Taylor man? Zib boss. I just noticed I can look on my phone here at the comments.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:05:01]: Yeah, dog. Alright. Sweet, sweet. But all this I'm saying not to be confused if you are new in your business or just getting started. Man, I suggest working seven days a week if you can to get as much momentum going in the business as you can. Keep throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks. Your attrition rate is normal, which means things are gonna fall off. You gotta keep throwing mud at that wall nonstop, nonstop until some good stuff starts sticking, which are good clients who don't complain about the price.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:05:31]:

They like you. They appreciate you. Are they willing to pay what you need to make? They support your business. 80% of the clients don't even care. It's just a transaction to them. But 20 of them, you gotta dig through that 80% to get to the 20% of clients that'll actually kinda make sense for the level you're at in your business. For me, every single year, I kept getting the guts up to raise the prices a little bit more, a little bit more, a little bit more. And I remember when my wife and I moved out of this crappy little one-bedroom apartment we were living in, and I was afraid because our rent was going to double.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:06:03]:

I was like, how am I gonna afford this? I have no choice but to raise the prices. The clients are gonna fire me. This is gonna be so scary. And that was when I just threw my heart over the bar and went on faith and raised the prices even more, and it happened. Clients were firing me. They're dropping like flies. So I learned about the split test, which is you don't raise prices on all clients. You just raise them on specific clients, and then you leave other people grandfathered in.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:06:28]:

And you're tweaking and testing and tweaking and testing. And then I don't know about you, but some of you you're in your business or you're just getting started. If you don't have full insurance or work comp or payroll and all that stuff, you might not even be paying taxes. You might just be running under the table cash business. And I encourage you to get above board as soon as you possibly can. Right? Which you should do it right away immediately. But what I'm saying is now you have all these extra expenses with having a legit business and being above board that your entire business basically implodes on itself. It implodes because there's not even enough money coming in to support the overhead.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:06]:

So you raise the prices and then the customers fire you, and now you're freaking out. Right? Because now you just bought a new truck. What were you doing going out and buying brand new truck? Because you saw your landscaper buddy, your friends, your friend got a brand new truck, you're gonna get one too. But you ain't even got insurance to work comp payroll taxes yet, and you just bought a new truck. You still didn't make no sense. Now your back's against the wall. Now you just found out your old lady's pregnant. She about to have twins.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:30]:

She pregnant with twins. You got a brand new truck and now she gonna own a house. Wanna house with a baby's room. She wanna paint that baby's room light blue and have dual cribs. And not only that, your baby's momma saw it. Robotic vacuums. Robotic vacuums. She wants two of them, like, one on the top, one in the bottom floor.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:47]:

She want a big ass hoe. She want the babies right down and right right around on them robotic vacuums. They're gonna be about $1,500. Peach, you fucked out. You ain't gonna eat. Eat. Now you're stressed out. Now you're working eight days a week, and there ain't even eight days a week.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:08:01]: And now you get home, she's hitting you over the head with a frying pan because you ain't never there. You're never there. You workaholic asshole. All you do is work. You ain't never hear from me or the family, you piece of shit. And you're like, I'm trying. I'm trying.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:08:17]:

You go and look at yourself in the mirror. In the bathroom, brushing your teeth all angry. Start punching yourself in the head saying, you worthless loser. You base a shit. But I'm trying my hardest. Nobody gives a shit how hard you're trying. In everybody's eyes, you're a loser. And when you're a winner, nobody cares. But they care when you're losing because they only care about how it affects them. That's all they care about is their comfort. So you better shape up or you better ship out.

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This is Untrapped with Keith Kalfas.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:09:32]:

So the secret to all this, just go figure out how to just make more money in less time. You just gotta figure out how to make triple the money in the same amount of time. How do you do that? You gotta hire employees. You know, when I hire an employee, I have a stack of 32 pages that they have to sign with ink. The payroll, the media release form, background check, drug screen, submitting their driver's license and background for the DMV to make sure that they can adequately drive. And so you can let show that to your insurance company. Gag orders, basically noncompete clause, job application. What is it? I just said background check.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:14]:

And it's just a whole bunch of stuff, and you gotta sit there. You're printing all that shit up or you have your office manager do it. Right? And then they sign it all. You've gotta train them. Motherfucker. Go weed whip. And you tell a guy this is your new employee. Now be really careful.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:29]:

This is Mrs. Jones' house, and her air conditioning unit is a hundred and four degrees out. Be careful at missus Jones' house. Come here. Come here, Joe. Where are you going, Joe? Put down the cigarette. I told you there's no smoking on customers' properties. It's right here in page 42 in the company policy and the employee handbook that I stayed up for six months making you. See? No smoking.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:50]:

If you wanna smoke, do it after work. You can smoke in the truck, just not on the customer's property. Find a cigarette, buddy. You're gonna get fired. But, listen, come over here. Missus Jones has an air conditioning unit, and it's not a complete it's something's broken out of the bag. There's wires sticking out of it, and there's grass growing through the wires. This is a weed whip.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:11:12]:

And if you weed whip that grass, it's gonna rip the wires out of the air conditioning unit. And then missus Jones, who's 85 years old, isn't gonna have any fucking air conditioning. And you know what that means? Mister Jones is in there on oxygen, and he's 87. I love I'm sorry. I'm not trying to be disrespectful here. I apologize. I'm just cracking jokes. Mister Jones is 87, and he can't go without air conditioning.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:11:38]: I showed you not to weed with the lines on the air conditioning unit. And then what happens? Tell me. What happened? Anybody please in the comments?

 

Keith Kalfas [00:11:48]:

You get a call on Wednesday. Missus Jones and Mister Jones have not had any air conditioning in their house since Friday. Their house has been a hundred and five degrees. They're dripping in sweat, and nobody told you about this. And now you gotta run over there. You gotta call an air conditioning guy to come and fix that, cost you $300, and apologize profusely. And then you ask your employees, hey. Hey, Joe. I thought I told you not to weed - whip the air conditioning. You the wire this was not good. You caused this. Well, I don't know. I have no idea.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:21]: They know he doesn't even know. So you ask the other guy, and the other guy's go, oh, I saw him weed whip it. I saw him weed-whip it. I saw I saw it with my own ass. Why didn't you tell me?

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:30]: You didn't tell me this? They didn't tell you nothing. You know why? Because they forgot. Because they were about to go do lunch and go look at Jimmy John's Taco Bell with sour cream with hot sauce back. They don't care about you or about your business, but there's a solution to this. There's a solution.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:49]:

The solution is building a company culture, a company culture where people love to come to work at your business. They love coming and working their ass off in a hundred and five degree weather for $14 an hour. They won't even show up for $14 an hour, by the way. They won't even show up for 15, 17, 18. They want 25 plus bonuses, and they won't. They want a company vehicle. So you what you do is you say, listen, man.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:13:14]:

I can't really afford all that. I can't afford to give you about a I gave you $17 an hour for the bonuses and Christmas bonus. I'll buy you lunch, and please, will you just come work for me? I need some help here. I can't get this shit done all by myself. But every now and then again, if you're still watching, if you haven't left, you find some pretty amazing employees that are rock stars. Why? Because you've upgraded your identity. You've upgraded your standards and what you will and will not tolerate. And now you're excited about your business.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:13:49]:

It's working. You're making money. You've crossed the 6 figure mark, which mean you're doing over a hundred grand a year. Now you're making a hundred and 40, hundred and 50, hundred and 80 5 grand. You might cross $2.25, 2 70 5. I don't know what your business is at. You can let me know in the comments below. You get some rock stars that come in. You're like, oh my god.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:14:11]:

This new employee is the savior of my business. You get on the phone with your wife. He's amazing, honey. I can't believe it. She's like, really? Is he really? You're a new guy. He's doing a great job. Dude, he's doing a weed whipping and trimming. He knows all the accounts already. He's climbing up and down the ladder, trimming the bushes. He's amazing. I literally have found the one who's gonna make it out. We're gonna be able to go on vacation, babe.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:14:34]:

So you tell your wife on the phone. We're gonna be able to go on vacation. He's gonna run a crew. I'll pay him $21 an hour. The day comes. You just invested in a new truck. It's really just your old truck, but you invested and you clean it up. You spray-painted the bumper.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:14:55]

Right? You got the old the paints all chipped off from the bottoms with white spray paint, a little bit of black spray paint, scrub the grims, a little bit of aluminum colored spray paint that baby crispy dog. Call up your insurance company. Everything's good to go. It's only gonna cost you $500 a month more to run this extra crew. You got all the accounts set up. The customer's a happy shit doubt. You get a fresh shiny set of keys made for them. Monday morning is the day you launch a new crew.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:15:33]: Now it's gonna be your crew and his crew. Your crew and his crew. I doubled the revenue. Doubled the money. Monday morning is the day. Cannot wait. Can't wait, folks. Can you wait? I couldn't wait.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:15:50]:

Monday morning rolls around. 07:30 AM. You open up the garage door. You go to the shop. You get everything up going, and you can't wait for fucking Joey. You're a big success now. Everything's on the line, man. 08:30 rolls around. Where the fuck is Joey?

 

Keith Kalfas [00:16:10]:

Pull out your phone. Joey's a great guy. He's always here on time. Maybe he just got held up. Maybe it was too many red lights. Maybe Joey's dog was thrown up, and his wife was hitting him over the head with a frying pan. 09:00 rolls around your yard. You had to leave.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:16:24]:

Right? You're now you you're like, what's going on with Joey? I just spent all this money and launched another crew. Where the fuck is Joey? Ten thirty rolls around. You've done called Joey five, six times. You've texted him. Joey. Joey. I gave you a raise. I know that you was coming to run a crew. Everything was gonna be perfect. No sign of Joey. No sign of fucking Joey. Where the fuck is Joey? Sorry. Two days go, why? No sign of Joey.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:16:59]:

You done stressed out? You canceled the plans with your old lady. If you got kids, your kids are crying at you. You're the worst fucking dad in the world to hate you now. You ain't going to Disney World no more, motherfucker. You know why? Because you put all your eggs in one basket and depending on Joey.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:17:16]:

Joey got a DUI. You just found out even though you drug tested him, Joey was out all night drinking, and he was taking the wrong type of pills that he shouldn't I don't even know where he got them. Joey was doing 90 on the freeway while intoxicated and just drifted off into the side of a semi-truck. Joey shows up to work. It's not Monday. It's Thursday morning. Joey shows up to work.He's like, Joey, I'm glad you're here. What happened, man? I was just I was I was so worried about you. You got new gray hairs. You're only 23, motherfucker. You got gray hairs popping out your head. Shit. Joey. He even give Joey a hug, and then you look at Joey's car.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:18:02]:

What's going on with Joey's car? What the hell is that? There's big ass tire marks on the side of Joey's car, and there's dents all over the those are the biggest tire marks I ever there's rubber tire marks on here. Joey's like, I was, I fell asleep at the wheel on the freeway, and I ran into a semi truck, and I was high on pills, and I, I've got a problem, Kelfish. Joey's got a problem. Are you gonna trust to put Joey in that truck now? I don't think so. So now you gotta find a new fucking Joey. There's a lot of Joeys. No. There's not.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:18:41]:

So times that by ten, and then you got 10 crews, dawg. That's gonna be you at Disney World with your family. Even one of your kids' names is gonna be Joey. It's gonna be Martha, Lavinia, and fucking Joey. And there's your wife right there. Time to go to the Disney World. And you're gonna be shaking. You got three cell phones and shit just like cowfish. Three. Look one, two, three. Sneaking off. Honey, I gotta take a piss real bad. She's like, you you've been drinking a lot of water. You you you wouldn't pee three times in the past. I was like, no.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:19:13]:

I gotta take a piss real bad again. You don't even gotta take a piss. You're sneaking off around the side of the bathroom.

 

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This is Untrapped with Keith Kalfas.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:20:18]:

What's going on over there? Your business is now consuming you. Your business has consumed you, and now your wife's taking a ring off, throwing at you across the park, screaming right in the middle of Disney World. I hate you, you bastard.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:20:30]:

And you're like, oh my god. I just I just spent $6,000 on fucking Disney World, and my wife's screaming at me. My kids hate me. I'm a fucking piece of shit I hate.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:20:40]:

No. No. Be a grown ass man here. Calm the fuck down. You're a man. You control your emotions. You created this problem. Now you deal with it. Put your ring back on, woman. Put it back on. Put your ring back on, woman.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:20:55]:

When I first married my wife, we used to get in some fights, man. My wife took off her ring and threw it across our little tiny apartment. She couldn't throw out very far because we basically lived in this little tiny ass comp apartment where we were like that, bro. And it hurt my feelings so bad. So bad. She took the ring. She threw it at me. So I'm gonna go back and live at my mom's. And then one time, I got so fucking mad. I got sick of being a nice guy. You know what I said? I said, go and fucking do it then because I'm sick of this shit.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:21:30]:

I'm trying my best woman. I'm working a hundred hours a week. I went fucking nuts, dude. I started ripping all the pictures off the walls in my apartment and shit. Go back to your fucking mom's house. I don't give a fuck. I snapped. I went nuts.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:21:44]: I got the keys to my truck. She tried to block the door of our little apartment. She's leaning against the door. No, dear. Not going nowhere, you fucking asshole. I should get out of the way or I'll jump out the window. We was living in two stories at that time. Two-story building. I got in my old piece of shit truck, the Blue Goose, rust all over it, barely even ran 330,000 miles. There was Kalfas, Peeled up. Took off. She's texting me 800 times. I'm trying to get a landscape business off the ground here, folks. My woman's texting me, you piece of shit. I fucking hate you. I fuck. I'm fucking I'm gonna divorce you, you fuck. Do you better not use it?

 

Keith Kalfas [00:22:25]:

She's threatening to fucking throw my shit all over the front lawn and everything, and I think she did it too. Right? I went where did I go? Straight to my dad's house. Knock on the door. 01:00 in the morning. My dad opens the fucking door. He's like, Keith, what's going on? It's it's 01:00 in the morning. And I'm sitting there. My phone's on silent.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:22:49]:

You fucking piece of shit, you asshole. I and my wife I said, I don't get I said, I love have I ever told you how much I love you, dad? He's like, oh, come on in. I'll make you some macaroni and cheese. I said, macaroni and cheese, it's 01:30 in the morning, motherfucker. Can I sleep on your couch, dad? Dad let me in. Dad. Nothing like dad.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:23:21]:

My dad's a little crazy just like me. So I go and I spent two days and nights at dad's house. It was the most peaceful two days I ever had in my life. It was two days of pure fuck it. That's what it was. The whole two days, my wife was calling me. Hey, Machu Picchu. That turned real quick into, oh my god. I'm so sorry. Please come back. Oh my god. I know you're trying to start a landscaping business. I just feel like you don't love me anymore. You're never home.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:23:52]:

 

But I didn't even care. It was over. I was over. I was over it. Just chilling at dad's house, and dad loved it. He goes, hey, cowfish. I'll make your breakfast.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:24:08]:

There I was eating breakfast with dad again. I felt like everything was gonna be okay. And I head down way down where I live, my apartment's on fire, and I my wife's packing all my shit. Getting a landscape business off the ground is the hardest thing I ever it's not the hardest thing ever, but it's hard getting a business off the ground because everybody hates you. Everybody thinks you need to be my wife is Chaldean. She has 18 family events a year minimum. They've got a family event in like two hours. I gotta get out of here and go to another family event.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:24:41]:

So you gotta become incredibly selfish for like two to three years in high levels of communication with the people that you love and say, listen here, I love you, I love you, I love you, and I love you. I love all of you. And I'm getting a business off the ground, and this is gonna take every ounce of energy that I have and don't have for probably the next one to three years. So I can only be at the most important family event. I will be at your birthday party, but I will not be at your fucking birthday party and all the way. I gotta work seven days a week to get this shit popping, and no one's gonna do it except for you. And if you don't do it, you're just gonna be broken. No one's gonna care.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:25:26]:

And it's like but then there comes a day. You got your debt paid off. Your bills are paid. You got money in the bank and food in the fridge. Your credit score is coming back. You've got a brand new truck that you can actually afford. You've launched a second crew. You've got an office place.

Keith Kalfas [00:25:44]: You finally got a house and you're finally getting shit together and you're getting all this shit. And you're like, you wake up one morning on a Saturday, and your mind is blown how far you've come in just a couple years. Your life went from a place that was a living hell to a place that is a living hell. Not really. It's all about perception. The happiest times in your life can be when you're going through a lot of shit. Right? There are people who have everything that you could ever think that you'd ever want and their life sucks. But nonetheless, I think gratitude is the secret behind all of this.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:26:24]:

Things turned around in my business when I got a % committed and took full responsibility. Things turned around in my marriage when I got a % committed and I looked at my wife through the eyes of love, and I said, I love you. Like, I had no more psychological backdoors. I wasn't like, if anything doesn't work out, I'm gonna get the fuck out of here, and I'll go sleep with my dad's. That's what I used to think. Anytime this bitch go crazy, I just get the wiggle. Uh-uh.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:26:52]:

Now I shut the door, I say. Listen here, woman. I've had enough of your wives cracking, yelling at me like that. Meet me downstairs in about twenty minutes. Actually, meet me downstairs right now. You learn the way these women work. She just wants your attention. Did you know you're gonna give your woman literally just a few minutes of attention per day, but it's gonna be a % pure present, undivided, loving, caring, devotional attention. You just look in her eyes and and say, how did your day go? And there you go.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:27:36]:

Well, that'll take about an hour of her just telling you about how her day went and all this and this and then. And by the time she's all done, she goes, you're the best husband I ever could have dreamed of. And you just smoke the big ass joint with her. I don't smoke joints, but I have and, actually, I never really have, but I probably should. Anyways. Alright. This has been fun, my friends. Oh, oh, my camera's shutting off.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:28:05]:

I'm overtime, folks. I hope you're having a great weekend. I hope you're crushing it. I hope you're achieving all of your life's goals and mandates and dreams and all the things that you promised yourself that you were going to do in this life even though you're busy as hell? Mike Andes is here. Just gave me $5. Thank you, Mike Andes. Anybody here don't know who Mike Andes is? Well, he's the young millionaire guy on YouTube. He's got a he's got, like, 80 crews and some McDonald's franchise type of loan and landscape business and motherfucker.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:28:36]:

It's crazy. Thank you, Mike Andes. Anyways, I see all your comments. And any of you here that ever, message me, if I don't respond, please don't say Oh, Geek Kalfus is an asshole. He never responds. And I'm busy as fuck, man. I'm here. I I try. Sometimes in the winter, I sit down for, like, four hours and get back there. Hey, man. I'm sorry. It's been four months, but I'm getting back to you. I've got a little tiny YouTube channel, a hundred thousand subscribers. You maybe have a 80,000 following total, and there's so many messages coming in. I can't get back to everybody. But I do read all your message, and I totally appreciate.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:29:12]:

And when you keep poking, if you message repeatedly, I'll get you and I'll get back to you. Come to the GIE Expo twenty twenty-one Louisville, Kentucky. I'll be there. A lot of people here in the chat will be there. It's the biggest green industry event in The United States every single year now. You get 50% off your tickets if you go to keithkelphys.com/resources. Find g I e x one there, and then you get 50% off your tickets. Anyways, I'm about to jump off here, and that was so fun.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:29:40]: I think I'm gonna change the title of this video now to Keith Kalfas. This is crazy. Alright. Later, guys.

 

In this live episode, Keith Kalfas dives into the realities of running a landscape business, especially when dealing with customers who try to get free work. He shares hard-earned lessons on setting boundaries, valuing your services, and handling tough conversations with confidence. Reflecting on his journey from solopreneur to business owner, Keith explores the internal challenges and strategic shifts needed for long-term success. He also discusses his passion for personal growth, continuous learning, and the books that have shaped his mindset. Whether you're in the service industry or looking to level up your business, this episode is packed with practical insights and real-world experience.

 

"Success in business isn’t just about skill—it’s about setting boundaries, valuing your work, and having the tough conversations. Growth starts with self-awareness, a strong mindset, and the willingness to evolve." - Keith

Topics Covered:

• Customer Tricks and Free Work
• Starting a Landscape Business
• Learning to Say No
• Handling Extra Work Requests
• The Importance of Boundaries
• Dealing with Difficult Conversations
• Books and Resources for Growth
• The Victim Mindset
• Personal Growth and Business Challenges
• Promoting Books and Services
• Audiobooks and Learning from Giants
• Consumer Mindset and Value Perception
• Engaging with the Audience
• Studio Setup Tips
• Streaming and Podcasting Insights
• Turning Passion into Profit
• Customer Follow-Up Strategies
• Business Growth and Pricing
• Balancing Work and Personal Life
• Virtual Receptionists and Service Efficiency

Key Takeaways

• Customer Interactions and Boundaries: It's crucial to establish clear boundaries with customers to avoid being taken advantage of. Keith emphasizes the importance of not agreeing to do extra work for free and always maintaining a professional attitude.

   

• Business and Personal Growth: Transitioning from an employee to a business owner involves significant internal and external challenges. Personal growth, learning to say "no," and having difficult conversations are part of the entrepreneurial journey.

   

• Understanding True Value: Keith discusses the difference between being nice and being a pushover. It's essential to recognize your worth and ensure that you are fairly compensated for your work.

   

• Confronting Fear and Uncomfortable Situations: Overcoming burnout and maintaining sanity in your business requires facing fears and discomfort head-on. Practicing difficult conversations and setting boundaries are key.

   

• Intellectual Investments: Keith highlights the importance of continuous learning through books and resources to improve both personally and professionally. He recommends several books, indicating how these resources have helped him.

   

• Balancing Business and Personal Life: He talks about maintaining a healthy work-life balance, emphasizing regular date nights with his wife and not letting business stress affect personal life.

   

• Digital and Online Presence: Building a substantial online presence, including multiple YouTube channels and using social media strategically, can significantly bolster a business's visibility and credibility.

   

• Pricing and Services: Keith gives practical advice on setting prices for services such as mulch installation, stressing the importance of considering all factors, including hidden costs, to avoid financial losses.

   

• Philosophical and Spiritual Insights: Keith delves into deeper philosophical and spiritual reflections on life, consciousness, and business practices, encouraging a holistic approach to entrepreneurship.

 

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇  Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS  How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

In this episode, Keith Kalfas and Mack explores the challenges and strategies of balancing lawn care and landscaping services. It features a discussion between two lawn care business owners on the benefits and fears of transitioning to landscaping, focusing on how to streamline services and manage both effectively. They discuss how to schedule and price recurring maintenance, charge for additional services like shrub trimming, and ensure steady revenue without overwhelming their small crew. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a consistent, stress-free approach, customer loyalty, and the value of confidence in business operations. They also touch on the influence of sports on handling rejection, the significance of Google for marketing, and the emotional aspects of running a business. Inspirational anecdotes about overcoming challenges and keeping a positive, confident mindset round out the dialogue.

 

" If you don't get on Google, you are shooting yourself in the foot. You're really killing yourself. If you talk confidently, then you can charge anything."  - Mack

Topics Covered:

• Lawn Care vs. Landscaping: Can You Do Both?
• Transitioning and Structuring Services
• Pricing and Customer Management
• The Power of Confidence in Business
• Marketing and Reputation
• Handling Challenges and Embracing Company Culture
• Community and Personal Growth

Key Takeaways

• Team Resilience and Positivity: The ability to laugh about difficult situations, such as being soaked after a rainstorm, indicates a positive and resilient attitude among team members. This kind of environment can foster a supportive and resilient workforce.

   

• Emotional Fulfillment: Working together in demanding conditions can lead to emotional fulfillment and a sense of accomplishment. The hardships shared build stronger connections, making the work more than just a job but an enriching experience.

   

• Shared Experiences Foster Trust: Trust is built through shared experiences and overcoming obstacles together. When team members know they can rely on each other in adverse conditions, it strengthens their overall bond and trust in one another.

   

• Cultural Significance of Teamwork: The repeated reference to tribal importance suggests that teamwork in this industry goes beyond practical collaboration, encompassing cultural and personal significance. This cultural aspect underlines the depth of connections formed within the team.

 

Connect with Mack

Podcast: On the Attack with Mack Podcast Podcast: Lawn Care Power Moves Youtube: Mack Landscaping and Lawn Care

 

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇  Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS  How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

After his recent trip to Atlanta for a speaking gig, Keith's got some fresh insights about how the way we see ourselves can really shape our success. He's breaking down the difference between a scarcity mindset that holds you back and an abundant mindset that drives success. Keith shares some personal stories and drops some knowledge bombs on how shifting your identity and aligning with the right energy can totally change your game. If you want to level up in business or life, this episode is packed with tips and wisdom you won't want to miss. Let's dive in!

 

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 -  Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs and Burnout

06:03 -  Spiritual Alignment Attracts Positive Opportunities

07:53 - Elevating Identity to Overcome Scarcity Mindset

11:12 - "Exploring Purpose and Seeking Guidance"

14:41 - "Embrace Clarity Through Higher Perspective"

Key Takeaways: 

• Identity Dictates Perception: The same piece of information can lead to vastly different outcomes depending on one's mindset. Whether you're stuck in a scarcity mindset or thriving in an abundance-focused one, your identity steers the ship.

• The Power of Conviction: Aligning with high beliefs and developing strong convictions in your actions can attract the right people and opportunities. Conviction is an unparalleled influence that can't be easily replicated.

• Faith and Action: Faith isn't just belief; it's action. It's about courage and the commitment to move forward, trusting in your ability to figure things out. This approach opens up new perspectives and higher levels of opportunity.

 

Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

Keith Kalfas [00:00:06]:

All right. So this is a shift, a breakthrough that I've been waiting 20 years to figure out. Just came to me now. And just a quick disclaimer: I just got back from a speaking engagement in Atlanta, and I'm sick from traveling. But I didn't even want to make any videos, but I have to document this. So imagine your identity controls everything. You can have a high-quality piece of information. I've been meditating 1 to 2 hours a day and listen to what I'm gonna say.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:00:39]:

And if you don't listen, then it's not for you. Your identity controls everything. When I heard things like that, because I didn't understand what that meant, I've heard that stuff a bunch of times. I just push it off. That's not for me. This when the student's ready, the teacher will appear. You can take the same piece of information and put it in front of a 100 different people, and depending on the lens in which they look at it through, you're gonna get a 100 different responses. Do you want me to to go in the studio? Okay.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:01:08]:

My wife's right here. She's hot. Anyways, I was like, I wanna do this video right in front of you. Alright. Even better. Take a person who is in a scarcity victim mindset who's just making ends meet, Or maybe they got their own little small business and they're just struggling. And now put them next to a person who has a multiple 6 or 7 figure business. They're a seasoned entrepreneur.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:01:30]:

They know marketing. They know production. They know administration. They know how to facilitate. They understand how business works, and they've made a lot of money, and they've been through processes and workflows. And they live in an opportunity-abundant mindset. Right? A different identity. Now give them a piece of information about maybe a great business idea that's relevant.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:01:51]:

It'll work. The person who is stuck in the victim scarcity mindset might intellectually be very intelligent and, awake, and understand. They're conscious. They're here and now. They'll understand all the information coming in, and they'll get excited. They're like, yeah. Oh my god. That's a genius idea.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:02:07]:

See how I'm looking up? That's a genius idea. Oh my god. I could actually do that. They could get excited. They could start forming plans in their head, and it's great. And as soon as they feel like they're going to reach up and start doing it, and they might actually take some action and get a little bit of progress. But what's gonna happen is because of where their identity is, take a pendulum swinging like a grandfather clock. Right? Their identity is here.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:02:34]:

Then the self-limiting beliefs that are controlling from behind the scenes, pulling the puppet behind the strings, the deep subconscious negative programming from growing up broke, grown-up broke parents, people crying about money, whatever it is, guilt, what are people gonna think, whatever it is. It's gonna pull them down like prep, prep, prep, prep, and make them feel like it's so hard. And maybe they're approaching it with just a technician mindset that they don't have the integrated relationship entrepreneur mindset of how to approach it as a facilitator. They're approaching it as try-hard technician work, dig with the shovel. So they might make a little progress, but their identity is gonna pull them back like this, like an anchor, and they won't be able to actually just do it. And even if they make some progress, they might quickly get burned out and the pendulum will just swing back to where the identity rests, and it's holding them, and they'll give up. It's too hard. I can't do it.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:03:30]:

I thought I could do it. I was excited, and they don't understand why because the identity is controlling them behind the scenes. Now same pieces of information to the multiple 6 and 7-figure entrepreneur whose identity lens is at a different spot, just different, different relativity. When they hear that information about the good idea, they might already be you won't even have to finish telling them all the information. All they need is the inspiration, and they're already setting plans of action. They already see the end result, and they're already extrapolating other people that it can help that the original information didn't even imply. Because they're thinking not linear, but they're thinking geometric because they're spiritually in the quantum, which is not bound by space and time. It's not stuck in linear units of measurement.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:04:19]:

It's geometric. Right? It's not 1 +1 equals 2. It's like 1 +1equals18 type shit or 25. So what I mean is their identity lens is up here. So when they hear an idea, it swings up to their identity. They already see it already done, and they're like, oh my god. This is a great idea. This needs to be done yesterday.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:04:41]:

And what sector or fashion or sector of our business who can we already have tools? We can boom. We can get this done, and it's already done, and they're already done. Listen to what I'm saying. With it to the point where it might even be an underqualified a day like, is that going to make us 20,000 in the 1st 30 days? Like, they're qualifying it. Like, can we fit this in because this is a good idea? How is this get like, how could I say this, man? Their identity lens of qualifying opportunity is they're operating from the end result. As soon as they hear about it, they already see what the result looked like. That's the next thing I was gonna say.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:05:23]:

Now, I want you to fast forward an identity past the identity that I'm talking about to an even higher identity. And higher beyond that to where ideas like that, you're like, oh, that was 15 years ago. I remember when we used to do that. That was spooky in the sandbox-type shit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That led us all the way up to this.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:05:41]:

So it's so far down. It's so much an easy task, and they say, what would this look like if it were easy? Then it's like way down there. Oh, yeah. I remember we had that idea. That's when we were thinking small. Now, the victim mindset, that little tiny thing is like, oh my god. It's this little mountain. This little mohail is a big fucking mountain, and they can't do it. But the only difference in all that is the identity.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:06:03]:

Now the victim's gonna say, well, of course, they've got money in the bank, and they've got connections, and they've got all these things. Fuck that. They do have that, but why? Here's why. Because people who have identities that are aligned with spirit, You say God's law, consciousness. I'm not talking about fleshy, living in sin, bullshit, living in shame, guilt, and fear, and anxiety, which triggers negative belief and negative belief systems, which pushes opportunity and pushes positive people away from you. I'm talking about when you get rid of negative shit in your life, and you cut anchors, and you align with God, the holy spirit, and then you develop high beliefs and high expectations, and you develop conviction and confidence, and you become convicted in your beliefs and what is right and you know it, and you're doing it no matter what, you're gonna start attracting people to you, people, places, tools, technology, systems, information. You'll repel away negativity and start attracting the right people, places, and opportunities to you because you're convicted. I've seen this happen in my own life.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:06]:

As soon as I got convicted about my landscaping business, the clients started showing up. The right employees why employees are really hard, but employees started showing up. When I got convicted about my videos and online business, you can hear it in my voice right now. People believed it because conviction is something you can't fake unless you're a sociopath or a psychopath. Right? We were learning about that last night in some videos. That's crazy. Right? You have to have discernment. But when you become convicted, that's the one powerful piece that you have within your control of influence that you're not seeing. So, the people that are in the abundant lens operate from a place of conviction and discernment, and they cut right to the truth.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:07:53]:

The people that are in the scarcity victim lens where the pendulum is swinging way down here, like, no matter how much you try to pull the pendulum and get them to believe it swings right back to where the identity resides, they're stuck in a negative low scarcity and attracting other people like that. But those belief patterns because water seeks its own level. But a rising tide raises all boats. And what controls the tide? Well, it's the moon. But let's say that's the identity. So if you move the identity up and you do the inner work inside, loving, forgiving, letting go, aligning with God, then when you raise the identity, right, the pendulum will swing up up here to a higher or more or just it's not right or wrong or good or bad. It's just relative to the experience of that you're having and others are having of you, and that's all it is. And that's the good news.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:08:48]:

Why is that good news? Because you can alter and change it. So when you change the way you see things, the things you see change. Look, I'm sick right now. See? I felt my vibration go down. When I declare that I'm sick, I start coughing. But when I get high energy, the sickness suppresses because the spirit takes over because you have gross, subtle, and causal. Causal is spirit at the level of causality. When you go upstream, and you solve the fucking problem from upstream or from the root, not from the leaves of the tree, but to the roots of the tree.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:09:24]:

If you're putting poison in the roots because you got roots and fruits, and you put poison in the roots of the tree, the leaves and the fruit's gonna be all poisoned and fucked up and have spots all over it. But when you get to the root of the problem, right, what's the root of the problem? It could be addiction. It could be demonic. It could be negative beliefs. It could be traumas. It could be your own bullshit. It could be anything. Right? You get to the root to the problem.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:09:50]:

And what do you do when you got pain, and you go to the dentist, and you got a wisdom tooth sticking out, and you're screaming in pain? He goes and he extracts it, sews it up. You go home sore or wet a few days later. Oh, you feel much so much better because the problem was extracted. So you gotta give up to go up. So the first thing to do to level up your identity is start giving up and letting go of all the shit that no longer serves you. Stuff that used to if you study, there's something called in your consciousness called a stable datum. It's a set of beliefs that create an identity that, in a storm, can blow over palm trees, and they'll bend. Imagine there's a storm, and you're holding onto a palm tree.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:31]:

It's a hurricane. Everything's blown away. You're so traumatized. The storm's been done for 2 years,

 

Keith Kalfas [00:10:37]:

And you're still holding on to that thing. And people are like, what are you doing? Let go. Like, are you kidding me? I can't. I'm gonna die if I let go. No. You're not. There's no more storm. But you built a belief system that even though you're suffering, at least you can survive in those beliefs and suffering. Because the fear of the unknown is worse than just suffering and something you know you can survive because at least you know you can survive. Stepping into the fear of the unknown might mean certain death. The ego doesn't know how to control it or handle it, so it avoids it and rejects it.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:11:12]:

I think I always call it monkey bars in the fog. If you can reach up into through meditation and through prayer, aligning, asking the holy spirit for guidance as repenting, right, then you can maybe just get a moment or get around people who have different lenses and look and see. It feels uncomfortable. Right? Breathe into different identities and say, woah. Oh, that feels uncomfortable. Then you keep asking, why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? And here's how I wanna close this. Why does it feel uncomfortable when all of your life's hopes and dreams and wishes and the highest level of contribution that you can give back and do God's work and humanity and be the best family person and the best yourself with the best health and get good sleep and live in abundance and success and be able to be a great contributor? So when you die one day, and you go to the golden gates, all you hear is, well done, thou good and faithful servant.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:08]:

How do you do all that? Why would you resist that? Why would you resist that? Why would you resist that? Why would I resist that? That's a great question. So you start asking higher and higher and higher questions and higher levels, higher devils. The devil doesn't want you to ask those questions because then you'll see that all through all his bullshit and all those lies is actual freedom where the world's a better place, and people are getting saved. It's all a fucking illusion. It's a big smoke screen. So it's identity. Here's what I wanted to say, then I wanted to close it with this. As soon as you start to make progress in these areas, you got this.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:12:49]:

You get a notification, and you look at it. When you check into social media, I do this. I had this problem myself. You check into the world. When you check into the world, you check out of strategy. You're in strategy, you check into the world, you check out of strategy, and then more time is going by. So it's gonna take higher levels of self-discipline. And I don't say self-discipline as in a forceful way.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:13:15]:

It might take force at first. If you read Doctor David R. Hawkins's “Power versus Force,” there's things that are powerful. Imagine you can just speak and touch with your finger. And like Jesus said, with the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, move, and it will move. Like Moses parted the Red Sea. That's, like, faith that they're talking about. And if you study all this and you do deep levels of meditation and prayer, you will learn that all of this comes back to faith. Because the definition of faith is faith in things unseen, but faith is really action.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:13:51]:

What? What do you mean faith as a verb? Here's why. Because faith is putting one foot in front of the other, walking into the unknown. Having faith and courage: the definition of a courage is your belief in your own ability to figure things out. Right? You're toeing the lining and holding yourself accountable, saying, I will make this work step by step, and I'll figure it out because my heart's in the right place. I'm in the right place with God. This is good for me, good for the people around me, and good for the entire world. I'm gonna keep moving no matter what because I'm a principle-centered man. When you walk like that, that's how you can start to open up these lenses that I'm talking about because now there's thoughts, concepts, precepts, then there's methods, then there's principles, then there's doctrines, then there's maxims.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:14:41]:

You have all these different levels of truth into what we call exclusive equity, which is the articulations, non religious articulations of Christ. And I don't even know what I'm talking about here, but I'm learning this. So when you can see and take your hat off and bow before the one and only lord of lord, king of kings, and see how he saw, That's how you can see through a higher lens because he gave that gift to us to see through a higher lens. Why would we not wanna do that? Why would we not wanna do that? Oh. Therein lies the question. So, letting go of the old lens, you gotta give up to go up. So vibrate into the new lens, or you don't have to vibrate if you were just it; you will see through the lens; you go to the eye doctor, and they're switching the lens in front of you, and you're seeing things through different lenses what if you just switch the lens Or clean off the prism is cloudy. The prism is clouded.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:15:48]:

Clean the lens so you can see. Imagine if there's white light and you see through a prism and you can see the entire spectrum, And now you.. I once was blind, but now I see. Now you can see because you're seeing through the maxims of equity, the eyes of equity. You have equity eyes. Oh my god. I'm sick right now. I think part of being sick is I'm, like, not thinking how I'm normally thinking, and I like how I'm thinking. Honey, I love you.

 

Keith Kalfas [00:16:24]:

My wife's got I came home and I got her sick too. She's used to this crap. Do you love me? She goes, mhmm, with her whole heart. Okay. I gotta go hang out with my wife. I'm so excited right now. Yeah.

In this episode, Keith explored the crucial skill of discernment in business decisions. He shared insights from his experiences in the landscaping industry, emphasizing that saying no can be more beneficial than saying yes to everything. He discussed the importance of focusing on core services, understanding the risks of overextending, and utilizing smart subcontracting. Success lies in mastering what you do best and making decisions that align with your expertise and capacity.

When you narrow down what you offer, you’re not only cutting out stress but also boosting your profits and efficiency. It's about breaking free from those nagging fears and old stories in your head and realizing you don't have to do it all to succeed.

And hey, there's more! Keith’s got some exciting updates on what's brewing with the Untrapped Podcast and other projects that are in the pipeline. So, if you’re here for no-nonsense stories and solid tips to make running your biz a breeze, you’re in the right place! Stick around, and let's jump in!

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 - Optimize Landscaping Business Strategy

03:19 -  Launching a Landscaping Business

07:12  - Transition to Quieter Battery Trimmers

10:45 - Effective Equipment Management Tips

13:57 - Skill Building and Pricing in Landscaping

18:50 -  Unlocking Business Success Mindset

20:04  - Commitment Yields Significant Revenue Potential

 

Key Takeaways: 

Market Research and Strategy: Begin by analyzing successful local businesses and defining your service area to target the most lucrative neighborhoods. Use tools like Google to research and map out income per zip code.

Invest Smart in Equipment: Start with affordable, used equipment from places like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. As your business grows, reinvest in new, reliable equipment. Remember, "buy nice or buy twice."

Pricing and Profitability: Ensure proper pricing strategies by charging enough to cover costs and desired profit margins. Aim for at least a 50% gross profit margin by multiplying your cost estimates by two. 

 

Resources and Websites: 

Here's the video and story about our Window Cleaning brother in the UK I was talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_pxfE8A4k

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7QgzAauFCQ 

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGSn9Rx8f8&t=0s

The Time William and I climbed 115ft. in a tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVmT_Nhohjk&t=0s

Tree Work and Arborist Videos playlist:   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLub0_q7i2mDRR3pk7GpX3k8JhZiE2IvYm

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

Keith Kalfas 00:00:00 - 00:00:48

How to start a landscaping business in 2025. Let's go. So, before we get started, I just got a comment on my YouTube channel. There's a guy who's trying to start his landscaping business, and he found himself on another YouTube channel that talks about how to become a millionaire and wealth and abundance and all that stuff, which is great. He left that channel, and now he's binge watching my videos because he specifically wants to learn how to start a landscaping business right now. So that's step number 1 because you gotta cut all the other fat of all this other information that's not helping you get your business to the next level. Step 2 is do market research. We're gonna talk about the equipment you need in a minute, but this is really important.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:00:48 - 00:01:41

1st, go on Google and type in landscaping businesses near me and look at the most successful ones and analyze how are they running their business how are they marketing their business. You can learn a ton just by doing that. And I want you to go on Google Maps and create your service area, right? So ours is a 6-mile radius from our home base. And what I also want you to do is go on Google and type in income per zip code in your area and find out where all the money is at, and then you'll know where to market. I like to go in specific neighborhoods, market, and advertise repeatedly. You drill deep in specific neighborhoods, and that's where the most potentiality, the most amount of clients, the fastest is, and make the most amount of money. Let's go to step 3. Step number 3: you gotta get your business legitimized with something like an LLC.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:01:42 - 00:02:10

And open up a small business checking account, which is exciting because now this is official. You can go online. There's tons of options. I have some in my resources below. What I did was I went to my accountant.  How do you find an accountant? You basically ask people who own small businesses around you. You say, where can I find an accountant? And they'll be like, oh, my guy Bill. You know what I mean? And you find an accountant, and I asked him, dude, I need to make my business legit. He's like, oh, easy.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:02:10 - 00:02:37

Paid him some money, fill out all the paperwork, Boom. I was an LLC, and I went to the bank with that paperwork opened up a small business checking account. I was in business. Now, all the money that comes through your business flows through the checking account, and now you legit, daw. Number 4, you need a truck. Don't despise small beginnings. I don't know where you're at, but I literally Facebook or Craigslist for sale by owner. Look at this.

Keith Kalfas 00:02:37 - 00:03:19

2008 Ford Ranger Super Cab 4 by 4 185,000 miles, $29100. 2,003 Ford Ranger. You're like Ford Ranger. I want a brand new, then go buy one if you can afford it. I don't know where you're at. 2,009 Chevy Silverado, 2,002 Dodge Dakota, 2009 F150. So anywhere from 2 to $7, you can get a smaller series truck used that will get you making money now. Now, when you go to buy a truck, obviously, you wanna pull the dipstick and check all the fluids, test drive it, turn it all the way to the right and to the left, check for any bumps or grinds or vibrations. Anything going on that doesn't feel right that could be an issue, and you might be able to get it fixed cheap.

Keith Kalfas 00:03:19 - 00:03:59

And that's why the person selling it, and if you're mechanically inclined, it's gonna be amazing. But definitely don't buy something that's gonna blow up on you. That's why you wanna take it on the freeway and run it through all the gears and make sure the transmission shifts smoothly, and then you're in business. There's a lot of great trucks out there you can get for cheap and literally go make a $100,000. Real quick, we're about to go to Weingartz and look at some equipment, but I wanna tell you I started my landscaping business out of the back of the trunk of my wife's car with debt collectors calling me. I didn't have a truck and didn't have anything. I was terrified working a dead-end lawn care job at during the day and going out at night and on the weekends to get my business off the ground. I made enough money to dump out change to get a piece of crap.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:03:59 - 00:04:23

Well, actually, I love this truck. It's called the Blue Goose. It was a 1991 Dodge Dakota with a quarter 1000000 miles covered in rust, and that thing actually drove like a dream. So we started with nothing, bro. It was terrifying, and I pulled it off. Let's go. And the most important piece of equipment you really need to even get started is I'm just playing with you. Step 5: you need equipment right away.

Keith Kalfas 00:04:23 - 00:04:51

Of course. But you can go on Facebook Marketplace and buy equipment used. I got my stuff from pawn shops, Craigslist because I couldn't afford any brand new equipment. The problem with used equipment is it's beat up. It's gonna be gunked up. Like, the carbs, the carburetor inside of it, you're gonna have to pull it 20 times to get it started. Sometimes, you have to do a tune-up by yourself, but you can get lucky. But as soon as you possibly can, you need to get brand new equipment, in my opinion.

Keith Kalfas 00:04:51 - 00:05:22

I'm gonna walk around and show you some of my favorite stuff. I've been doing this my whole life, so I know what all the good stuff is. Now, the new battery-powered technology is amazing, but it's crazy expensive right now, so you probably won't get started there. But my favorite equipment always comes down to, well, steel because it's just a powerhouse. Steel's expensive. It's heavy-duty. This literally could last you 5, 6 years of beating on it. Right? This edger, if you're doing lawn care, everything's steel, by the way.

Keith Kalfas 00:05:22 - 00:06:00

It's just heavy and expensive. The next step that's a little bit cheaper is echo. Check this out. I've actually toured the Echo factory in person. I've seen all this stuff. And the echo power tools, like here, you got articulating hedge trimmers for trimming bushes, and this is a power pruner pull saw. Dude, Echo stuff doesn't have the power of steel, but you can just beat on this stuff for dude, you can just beat the hell out of an Echo trimmer, and that mug will always start every single time. Let me know in the comments.

Keith Kalfas 00:06:00 - 00:06:29

They just keep a licking what? They'll take a licking and keep on ticking, bro. Echo stuff. I have all this stuff, so I never really liked echo weed whips. Some people love them. I don't know why I don't like it, but I really like echo edgers. The reason I don't like an Echo weed whip is I know something about the way it's balanced. I don't like it. Blowers over here, echo blowers are good, they're decent. Redmax are over here.

Keith Kalfas 00:06:30 - 00:07:11

These are amazing. I've had all these backpack blowers. It's a phenomenal blower. My favorite backpack blower again comes all the way over here to the steel backpack blower is my favorite. So the BR 430 is it's like more like a homeowner's blower. I wouldn't get anything less than the BR 600 in any type of landscaping, but I've got the big ones. This is the 800 model. It's the steel is powerful, extremely powerful, but it's also quiet compared to, like, a Shindaiwa, which is that's, like, was the industry standard for a long time because they're so powerful, but they're so much louder.

Keith Kalfas 00:07:12 - 00:07:49

So with steel and all this stuff coming out of homeowners getting upset about loud equipment, that's why they're trying to move over to the battery-powered, steel is a little bit quieter. But when it comes to shrub trimmers, I don't like steel. Ain't that weird? Check this out. The industry standard for a long time, the most common are these are just the powerhouse steel HS 40 fives. They're $300. They've pretty much always been $300. They start right up either they'll mow through anything, but I'm telling you, these things are loud. They're like miniature tanks, and that's part of the reason I don't like them anymore.

Keith Kalfas 00:07:49 - 00:08:13

It's just they're almost overkill for doing residential shrub trimming because they're so powerful and so loud. For instance, come over here. I've used all different types of trimmers. My favorite are the Redmax trimmers, and it's different different brands for different things. These trimmers are amazing. I actually got the shorter ones. I bought all of them. I don't like echo trimmers, by the way.

Keith Kalfas 00:08:13 - 00:08:47

I don't like them at all. These are the best because the way that they're balanced. It feels like a gyroscope in your hand, so it's easier on your back. RedMax, not the homeowner versions. Anyway, is this a I bought both, and they're both great. So these are my favorite. So I've owned tons of chainsaws by all different brands from Husqvarna to Stihl to Eko, And the best chainsaws, in my opinion, are steel. But here's something you have to know. When you look at all the prices, I'm not gonna get into the different models.

Keith Kalfas 00:08:47 - 00:09:10

I don't wanna overwhelm you. Any chainsaw that's, I'm saying, any chainsaw that's underneath $250, don't even waste your time buying it. Don't buy it. Like the cheap homeowners might, oh, this is a good saw. I'm gonna use this. Don't buy it. Trust me. You're better off spending 1 to 200 extra dollars and getting a pro series.

Keith Kalfas 00:09:10 - 00:09:28

It's a completely different machine. You'll find out. You can find out the hard way. So buy nice or buy twice. So this is the MS 194 T Top Handle Ergonomic Saw. You could take it up in a tree, which you probably shouldn't do in the beginning. And it's got all the safety switches and bar and lever and everything. I mean, this is a phenomenal saw.

Keith Kalfas 00:09:28 - 00:09:53

And over here, the 251, it's all locked into place. I mean, these things are just, they're beautiful saws. So steel is the way to go with the chainsaw and make sure you pick up all the safety gear as well. Don't operate a chainsaw unless you're wearing all the safety gear. Alright. So, if you're getting into lawn care, which I did lawn care for 15 years. I started out my business with lawn care, and it gets you access to tons of property maintenance installs. Lawn care is the bread and butter.

Keith Kalfas 00:09:54 - 00:10:24

You probably won't be able to afford if you're just getting started. You might not be able to afford an expensive, beautiful dream machine like this. I actually have a Radius X 48-inch riding mower. It's their tanks. These things can cut grass, suck up leaves. They're almost indestructible, and they're expensive for a reason because: they make you money, and they last for years, years years like the BMWs. But get a mower anywhere you can. Used off Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, you're gonna start out with a walk behind, but I think Exmark's really the way to go.

Keith Kalfas 00:10:24 - 00:10:45

The top brands, like Exmark. When it comes to doing snow removal, I plowed snow 15 years. Toro makes some of the best snowblowers you can ever get your hands on. These things are beasts. Now, they're not indestructible if you beat on them. They will need parts. I mean, snow is really tough, but get a Toro. They're phenomenal.

Keith Kalfas 00:10:48 - 00:11:45

Look at this over here, a quick tip. You can get a couple of these with a couple of guys. You don't even need a blade for doing residential, and you can literally take these in a couple shovels and just bang out residentials and make a ton of money without an actual snowplow. But when it comes to stuff like this, like all these cool ergonomic things, they might have upgraded the technology by now, but sometimes if there's all these cool bells and whistles on a snowblower, just know you gotta be extra careful when loading and unloading onto trucks or anything because that's more stuff that could get broken and compromise your equipment. So keep it simple. Here's a quick tip that served me really well when growing my landscaping business is don't ever buy a piece of equipment until you are on the way to that job, that morning where you sold that job, where you need that piece of equipment to do that job. Right? Don't just buy pieces of equipment cause it's nice to have. And that way, you're making your ROI, your return on investment, back immediately.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:11:45 - 00:12:12

And when it comes to loppers and pruners, like, these are $20. That's good. There's pruners by Felco. You can spend $200 on a pair of crazy expensive exotic pruners. And if you lose them on a job site, because it's easy to lose them or an employee loses them, it's not fun. I've done all this stuff. So I try to just. I'd rather buy more pairs of just decent pruners for 20, $30. But when it comes to loppers, you definitely get what you pay for.

Keith Kalfas 00:12:12 - 00:12:47

You should be spending 60, 70, $100 on a pair of good loppers because the cheap ones suck. Don't buy the cheap ones. You will just trust me. The powerful tip to protect your investment: I only put premium fuel in all of my 2-cycle power tools and use the proper mix, and I only use steel oil. If you find something better, let me know. But whatever you do, do not use cheap 2-cycle oil, and always use the proper mixture to protect your investment—learned that the hard way. And also with, the gas cans have different gas cans.

Keith Kalfas 00:12:47 - 00:13:20

If you got 2-cycle or regular gas, make it incredibly obvious that you don't ever put regular gas in 2-cycle. I made that mistake, too. It blows up your equipment in 2 seconds. And final tip, this is so important. Like, this is a sod cutter machine. You might get jobs doing sod, and you can make really good money ripping up and replacing sod and doing lawn repair. But are you gonna go out and buy a multi $1,000 machine when you don't do that every day? No. Find a local equipment rental place.

Keith Kalfas 00:13:20 - 00:13:56

 I have done the math, and I have actually saved and made more money by renting equipment and renting dingoes and stuff like that. So you can rent all the equipment that maybe you can't afford to buy right now, and you can go make money today by renting equipment. Really smart. Step number 6: build your skills and your knowledge. Now cutting grass, trimming bushes, pulling weeds, spreading mulch, that's all easy stuff. You never wanna do anything that would dishonor your client, and don't bite off more than you can chew. But there's a saying that I heard that this is powerful. Make a big promise and then grow into that promise.

Keith Kalfas  00:13:57 - 00:14:38

So you can take on jobs that are bigger and outside of your comfort zone, and that's good because now you got time to close the gap by making phone calls, watching videos, and doing the research, and learning how to do that job the right way. Or you can make friends with other landscapers who are doing jobs you don't know how to do and go work with them for free or offer to work for a day or two and learn that. So now you're really proactive in those bigger jobs. And when you start getting bigger ticket jobs, that's how you're gonna learn and build your knowledge and your skill set. Let's go talk about pricing. Step number 7 is pricing. How much should you charge to do landscaping services? Well, check this out. Let's say the absolute bare minimum you wanna make is $25 per hour.

Keith Kalfas  00:14:40 - 00:15:30

You wanna times that by three and charge $75 per billable man-hour. Right? So let's say something takes you 2 hours. You should charge no less than a $150, just labor to do that. So there's something called t and m. That's time and materials. Right? So if something takes you 2 hours, 75 times 2 is 150. And let's just say you got a $150 in materials like overhead to your kind of cost of goods sold. You should charge 150 times 2 is $300 to do something that'll take you 2 hours. So if you wanna make $25 an hour pure profit, which is gonna be pretty low, you're gonna make a lot higher than that if you're just by yourself solo.

Keith Kalfas 00:15:31 - 00:16:16

You times whatever you wanna make by 3. You don't tell your customer it's $75 a man-hour. You just give them a price in a line item. And then you add the materials. Let's say there's mulch or whatever it is, and you put those two numbers together, and that's how you get your price. That's called a 50% gross profit margin, or 50% GPM, or a 100% markup. What that means is you figure out all the costs of what it takes you to do this job to the best of your knowledge, and you want to get a stopwatch and start clocking your jobs. And say if something's going to cost you about $500 to get this all done, you wanna times that number by 2, and that's what you charge is $1,000.

Keith Kalfas 00:16:17 - 00:16:43

So that way, when the job is all done, you made half a 50% gross profit margin. And something that's really cool there's a software that'll help you do all this stuff in your billing and invoicing. I'm an ambassador of a software called Jobber. You can get a huge discount after a free 2-week trial. Plug it into your business, and my exclusive link is getjobber.com/kalfus. Click the link in the description below, and you can sign up for Jobber. That'll help you tremendously.

Jobber Ad 00:16:44 - 00:17:35

More of the untrapped podcast right after this. Hey. If you're looking for what is probably the greatest software ever to run your business on, go to get jobber.comforward/Keith. You can create proposals, invoices, collect payments, even track your entire business directly on the Jabber smartphone app. And if you wanna get a totally free trial of Jabber right now, open your browser, type in get jobber.comforward slash Keith. And if, after the trial, you decide you wanna sign up with Keith's link, you'll automatically get 20% off your 1st 6 months. So what are you waiting for? Go to get jobber.comforward/Keith. This is untrapped with Keith Kalfas.

Keith Kalfas 00:17:36 - 00:18:00

So rewind the video if you have to and, watch this, and make sure you're charging properly. Let's go to the next step. So step number 8 is you have to learn how to market your business and you have to learn some advertising. I've written books about this. This is my latest book. This one's all nuts and bolts; how do you get more landscaping customers? This book these are on Amazon and Audible. You can listen to this while you work.

Keith Kalfas  00:18:00 - 00:18:50

This will help you overcome a lot of the challenges as sticking points and grow your confidence in your business. And then also, there's a lot of free information on the internet but you can also get really specific by getting into group coaching or online courses. I just launched the untrapped alliance where you can get on Zoom calls with me and a tight knit group of people that will literally walk you through the sticking points in your business and help you get to the next level. But, nonetheless, I want you to get out there and crush it, and I wanna hear about your success. Leave a comment below. And one more thing, I wanna be a 100% real with you. Starting and getting a landscaping business off the ground is not easy. It's really challenging because you have to take a lot of other stuff that was going on in your life and kinda like push it to the side and focus to get the plane off the ground.

Keith Kalfas 00:18:50 - 00:20:04

And there's gonna be really challenging moments, but there's this sweet spot that you get into, and it's freaking unbelievable. It's where you start to learn the way that this thing works, and your subconscious mind starts reshuffling the deck and neurons that fire together wire together. Right? When you start getting some successes and making more money in a day than you used to make in a week, something like it's like you come online. You're like, you start connecting all these dots, and this that for me, it changed my life because especially when I started learning up, like, how to do ornamental tree trimming and landscaping installs, I was on fire, bro, and I still am. But the sweet spot is where you start seeing, like, customers and money everywhere and all these people that you can take care of. And when you do what you say you're gonna do when you say you're gonna do it, whether you feel like it or not, and you take your business serious, the moment you take your business serious, and you take yourself serious, that's when all these customers will take you more serious, and you'll start getting the money that you want. But if you're kinda half-assing it and you're on the fence and you don't feel it, people are smart. They'll pick up on it, and they might hire somebody else instead of you.

Keith Kalfas 00:20:04 - 00:20:39

 

But when you're a 100% committed, that's when the right employees start showing up because they can feel your commitment. So when you go all in, I'm talking, you can make 5, 6 grand a week. I literally have you can make I don't know what it is for you. If I said $10 a month, is that a good number? You can make 15, 20, 30, 40, $50,000 a month. Now that's revenue. It's not all profit. Right? Of course, you're gonna have to reinvest back into your business. But I'm telling you, you can do such a good job and make so much money, and you got this.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:20:40 - 00:20:50

This is the year. 2025 is the time to get it. This is your time to shine. I'm rooting for you. Hit the subscribe button. Let me know what's up in the comments below. I'm Keith Kalfas. Much respect to you.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:20:50 - 00:20:51

Peace.

Keeping your landscaping and service business on track can be challenging, but Keith has some great tips and stories today.

In this $13,000 project, he and his crew dealt with everything from chopping down massive arborvitaes to detecting hidden PVC pipes. Keith explains the importance of saying "no" to things that aren't in your wheelhouse and why sometimes you need to learn the hard way.

In addition, Keith shares some insights from other successful businesspeople who have discovered that streamlining your services can transform your business. It's a proven fact that focusing on your team's strengths will save time, reduce costly errors, and increase your bottom line. The key is letting go of the mental blocks and old stories that make you think you have to do everything when focusing on what you're good at is more efficient.

We've covered you with real-life business stories full of practical advice to help you run your business more smoothly and efficiently.

 

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 Focus on big jobs; skip tricky extras.

06:05 Stick to core job duties and skip extra work.

07:14 Turning down a stressful job taught lessons.

12:36 Identify what you enjoy and focus on that.

16:30 Join for business advice and expert insights!

17:12 Want to chat? Hit me up at keithkelphus.com/call for some business advice!

Key Takeaways: 

Discernment in Service Offerings: Knowing when to say 'no' to client requests outside your expertise is vital. This protects your business reputation and helps avoid unnecessary complications and delays. As tempting as it might be to take on every opportunity, focusing on what you excel at brings better results and client satisfaction.

The Power of Specialization: Concentrate on a select few services your team performs exceptionally well. This approach not only streamlines operations but ensures consistent quality and efficiency, allowing you to train new employees and serve your clients with excellence quickly.

Embrace and Overcome Mental Barriers: Understand that many perceived obstacles in managing a business, such as controlling quality and needing to be physically present, often exist in your head. Trusting and empowering capable team members can lead to broader success beyond individual efforts.

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

Durable AI Website: Durable AI Website Builder and Small Business Software

Here's the video and story about our Window Cleaning brother in the UK I was talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_pxfE8A4k

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7QgzAauFCQ 

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGSn9Rx8f8&t=0s

The Time William and I climbed 115ft. in a tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVmT_Nhohjk&t=0s

Tree Work and Arborist Videos playlist:   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLub0_q7i2mDRR3pk7GpX3k8JhZiE2IvYm

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

Keith Kalfas - 00:00:10 - 00:01:02

But when I'm going through my notes thinking of what content to create for you, I always go back to what's valuable and its mistakes to avoid. In the landscaping business, or any business for that matter, every time you take on something new, there's a learning process where it could be easy, could be really hard, and expensive. And so, like, we took on this job, and I wanna tell you a couple of stories and mistakes to avoid. This is so valuable. This job was, like, $13,000, and I always think of that song, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, from like the eighties because every rose has its thorn. So a job that is like, yes, it's a jackpot job. It's gonna have something in there, and you feel like you have to say yes to that thing, or you might have to do that thing. It's just you have to have discernment here.

 

Keith Kalfas  00: 01:02 - 00:01:55 

For instance, we removed these huge arborvitaes that were growing up as part of this $13,000 job. These huge arborvitaes were growing up behind the house and we had to cut them down and grind the stumps because the customers wanted them gone completely. And after we dug out all of the arborvitae trimmings, all the dead stuff, there was this white PVC pipe with the, basically the roots growing right up against it, and we had to grind it. And I told my guy, I was like, dude, you have to be so so so careful. Use a sawzall, chip around, cut around, whatever you do, do not hit that pipe. And I can't say that I wouldn't have hit the dang thing because he's extremely careful. He's on that thing for 3 and a half hours grinding around up against the house, and there's this pipe that was hidden, and he nicks the pipe. So we had to get this PVC repair stuff, and luckily, it was just like a drainage.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:01:56 - 00:02:40

It wasn't anything crazy. And we were able to completely repair it with this PVC stuff and then smooth it over and sand it. And the moment the question mark comes up, you're like, So that's what you do, you get paid to solve problems. I have a friend who, I can't say his business, but he told me, once he started standardizing his business and saying, this is what we do, this is what we don't do. It could be a $50,000 job, and the customer could be like, well, can you repair the railing on my steps? Because I really need it fixed. And in the moment, you might feel like you have to say yes because this whole $50,000 job is hanging on it. But you will eventually get to the point where you can confidently say, oh, no. I'm sorry. We don't offer that service.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:02:40 - 00:03:28

We can do the $50,000 job. We're experts at this, but we're not going to repair your railing because we're not experts at it. Right? And the customer, my friend, told me, he said that he was afraid to say no, and once he started saying no because he said it's the little tiny; the devil's in the details. It's those little tiny things that will snag you and mess up a whole job because then you try to fix the railing, and you realize it has parts that are discontinued. Now you have to special order them. Right? And it's part of the job. It's on the service contract. So then it takes 4 weeks for them to arrive, and it's the wrong dang parts, and then you have to reorder them from somewhere else, and you have to fine them. And you're waiting on a $50,000 check being held up or your final deposit because of some stupid little parts from a railing coming off that you're not even supposed to be doing anyways, but it's part of the job.

 

Keith Kalfas   00:03:28 - 00:03:48

You agree to do it. So you gotta be really careful. My friend told me when he started saying no, the customers just went, “Oh, okay. No worries. I guess I'll have to find somebody else to do that”. He's like, boom. It was all in his head. Another friend of mine said that he got completely out of all the labor in his business, and I'll tell you some other stories here.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:03:49 - 00:04:31

He subcontracts only. Right? But it's a type of higher profit industry that allows you to subcontract and to standardize its commercial work. And he said, I said, “Wait a second. How do you control the quality if you're not there inspecting everything?” And my friend starts laughing, and he goes, “Bro, all the stories we told ourselves all these years as service business owners, a lot of it was just stupid stories in our heads of what we're afraid of. It's all in your head.” And he reiterated it. He's like, and you're so stuck on the story of, like, I have to be there to control the quad, I have to be there. He's like, when you find the right people, or you have the right people or people that are accountable or have an invested interest, it's all completely in your head.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:04:31 - 00:05:03

And so the most successful people know that you don't have to be there. Right? You just have to find somebody who's, like on and on. A hundred examples. So anyways, this PVC thing, we fixed it and repaired it when removing these large arborvitaeys from behind this house on this $13,000 job. There was a hidden PVC pipe. We had to grind it and cut it around it with a sawzall to get the roots out and accidentally nicked the pipe and had to fix it and we did. And then we're removing these pine trees. They have very shallow roots.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:05:03 - 00:05:27

No big deal. Grind them down. Topsoil, grass seed, done. We get called Miss Dig. There's electricity, high voltage utility lines running directly underneath them. So we have to, like, change our approach and do a surface grind. I think we only went, like, 4 inches deep, and we had to cut and pull the roots up by hand. That took an extra few hours.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:05:28 - 00:06:05

Here you go. So you feel like you have to say yes to some stuff, but other stuff you can just outright say no to. This one customer, awesome customer, do every different type of property maintenance, but she's like, come in the backyard, look at my garden. I want you to delineate the garden beds and separate them from the grass. So there's the bushes and the garden beds, but then the grass is growing into the garden bed. She's like, “I want you to create a brick retaining, like with brick pavers, a retainer. And I also want you to install a whole patio next to my patio to install it.” Right? To extend it.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:06:05 - 00:06:50

And I looked at it, and I was like, we can definitely do that if I'm here because I know we're gonna dig, and we're gonna end up cutting sprinkler lines. It's gonna be some work. I said, but I don't have time to be here because my job is to keep the calendar full. I'm mostly out of the field now. My job is to do sales and marketing and, talk to customers and, collect money, and make sure the guys have all the materials that they need so that they can bang out jobs. So you might have to say no and reduce some of those extra services that you were doing when you were there because you're so focused, and you know you can pull it off even if you're not totally experienced. You just have that capacity because, frankly, because your ass is on the line to do a phenomenal job. So these things tie you to the job.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:06:50 - 00:07:13

So I very confidently. Well, actually I wasn't confident, 'cause I wanted to do it so bad, 'cause I wanted the money. It was another It could be another $3 or something or $4. I was like, we're not experts at this, so I have to decline that. And the customer said, “Oh, come on. You can do it. I know you can do it.” And I said, “Oh, let me think about it. We might be able to do it.”

 

Keith Kalfas  00:07:14 - 00:08:17

So I walk away from the customer and now I have this thorn in my side, and I'm thinking about it. I'm thinking about it. I already know that it's a no. Days go by, and the customer is messaging me, “Hey, are you gonna give me a price to do this garden thing and the little patio extension with the brick pavers?” I'm so stressed about it because see what happens is you learn from your mistakes. When you say yes to something that you know you should have said no to, but just because you want the money or you need the money, and then you're stuck on that job when you're supposed to be doing other things, and now you're stretched so thin that you're out there behind, you're on Sunday, then you tell yourself a story. Well, being crazy busy like this, this is where I make the most money is when you're up to here, and that's also true. When you're so busy, you're up to here, where you don't have you're on the run constantly. That is where you make the most money, but is it? Or is it just a story? So you learn all these little lessons, and I basically messaged the customer back like, I got on the phone and said, “Hey, I did some research, we're not gonna be able to do that.”

 

Keith Kalfas 00:08:18 - 00:08:33

No. No. No. No. No. No means no. And the customer says okay. And then what happens? Very same day, we close another 6 to $12,000 in work doing this stuff that we're good at, which is property maintenance.

 

Keith Kalfas   00:08:33 - 00:09:02 

This is what my employees know exactly how to do. They can trim the shrubs, and pull the weeds, and edge out the garden beds. They can put in mulch. They can do decorative stone. They can do all the stuff that we do every day, and I don't have to be there at all. I just send them the work order on Jobber, and they can just do, oh, go to get jobber.com/kalfas. I'll put a link in the description below because I'm a Jobber ambassador. You can save you get just basically a huge discount with my exclusive link when you sign up with Jobber.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:09:02 - 00:09:42

So anyways so you have to reduce the services that you offer. So you can cookie cutter your business, so it becomes more predictable. So I remember when I first started my landscaping business, I would look at other companies, and it's called copycat marketing when you first start running your business. You see what other people are doing that appear confident, and you just kinda copycat what they're doing. But sometimes the truth is, they don't even know what they're doing. They just copycat it someone else. And if it seems to work, it seems to work. But this one landscaping company in my town, they have like 20 services listed all over the trailer.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:09:43 - 00:10:40

It's like tree trimming, landscaping, shrub trimming, mulch, decorative stones, sprinklers, this, that, patios, pergolas, and it went on and on to all the like, oh, fertilizing, dethatching, aerating, there's a whole list. And I was like, oh, that's genius. Because then customers are gonna see it, and they're gonna look for the service that they need. So if it's a bigger company that has different divisions or different times of the year and they specialize, like, for instance, we would do gutter cleaning only in the spring and in the fall. We'll get a huge list, and we bang them all out and we bang them all out. When we have a gutter cleaning randomly in the middle of the like the late late late spring or summer, it doesn't even fit. So if you have these services like dethatch, aeration, combo special, they're like $500, you'll come out and do all this. You just do it in the spring, right, or in the fall or something.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:10:40 - 00:11:16

And you segment it and you black it off and let all your customers know, hey. We're gonna be doing this for this month, this service, and you could kinda tie it into maybe when you're a little bit slower. That's what I love about doing ornamental tree trimming. That's why we do spring and fall cleanups. That's why you do snow removal. 

 

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Keith Kalfas   00:12:22 - 00:12:36

But when you have this hodgepodge of services, it makes it very difficult. So the more refined you get and say, hey, we just do these few things very, very well, and we do them over and over and over and over again. That's so amazing because whenever you have a new employee come, you can train that employee quickly to do these services.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:12:36 - 00:13:55

And then you can leave, and then they'll know exactly what to do. But it's hard in the beginning when you need money because you'll say yes to all these different random things because you could just swap yourself with months of work and make literally 100 of 1,000 of dollars in revenue by just saying yes. But the problem with that is, again, to reiterate, is once you start getting employees, if you don't have if you don't have a training system and you have all these services, you might have to have all these different types of tools. So if Tuesday the guys turn in bushes and on Wednesday you got the guy pressure washing, how do you expect that guy to even learn and do a good job? That's your fault if you don't teach him. And if he doesn't do pressure washing again for another 2 weeks and randomly on a Thursday, he's doing pressure washing, how can you expect him to do a great job? Now you're gonna be walking on eggshells, afraid that something goes wrong. It's you could tell I've been through this crap. Right? So it's like, I think it's very important to get very clear about the services that you offer. And if you've been in the business for a while running solo, you can look and say, okay, What are the highest profit margin services that you do? What services do you love to do? What services do you absolutely hate doing? And try to narrow it and move it around and be like, you know what? I really like doing this.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:13:55 - 00:14:41

One of them could be a landscaping installs anywhere from 75100 to 15000, like installing stuff. And moving up with inflation, the bigger ticket jobs you get that are more kind of luxury, where customers have disposable income is, the higher the profit margins can go. So if you have a 50% gross profit margin on a, let's say, just a $10,000 job, 5,000 gross profit. And the one thing I like about doing bigger jobs, which is a whole another video, whole another piece of content, is that it's big rocks in your calendar that block up more time. So anyways, if you like these types of stories, let me know in the comments below. I appreciate you. I see and I read all of your comments even if I don't respond. It's because I just get so many messages.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:14:41 - 00:15:20

And again, I'm Keith Kalfas. This channel is called the landscaping employee trap. And if I say that in my older videos, you can look and see. I also have some announcements to make, so keep listening. If you go down and you see playlist or my older videos, I would say, what's up? It's Keith Kalfas with the landscaping employee trap. It's because when I first started this channel, I was a landscaper who was stuck in what I call dead-end landscaping jobs because I wanted to start my own business. So I said, let me make some videos for guys who are stuck in the landscaping employee trap, and the channel kinda took off. And so we also I created a podcast called The Untrapped Podcast.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:15:20 - 00:15:52

So if you don't have time to watch the videos, you can also go to Apple or Spotify, The Untrapped Podcast, and you can listen to it while you work. We just crossed 850,000 downloads. And then also, I have a whole much more announcements. If you need a great website, go to durable.co. Durable uses the power of AI to give you an amazing website to market your business. And with AI, it'll templatize your whole website out quickly. You just type in, like, make me a lawn care or landscaping website. And then you go in and you fill in all the blanks.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:15:52 - 00:16:30

And then, with my unique code, because I'm a durable ambassador, I'll put a link in the description below. You can click it, and you get a huge discount with my link. So next thing is keithkelphus.com is my website. You can get access to all my resources. If you go to keithkelphus.com/resources, you get access to everything that I talk about in my videos. If you need software, you need equipment, you need help with your business, I have also started something. We're beta-testing the untrapped alliance, which is a biweekly coaching group. So you can get on a Zoom calls with me and a few other people.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:16:30 - 00:17:12

It's a community where you can get your questions answered, and we can walk you through your business sales and marketing. And really excited about that. I'll also be having, from time to time, other experts come on that are have profound knowledge in running a service business, and then they can answer your questions too, so we have more diversity. So, I'll put the links to everything that I'm talking about below here. Make sure you hit the subscribe button and turn on notifications. If you wanna get on a call with me, it's keithkalfas.com/call. Sometimes people try to get a hold of me and I can't. I'm busy running a couple businesses and I'm married and I have so much stuff going on that I can't get on the phone with people anymore. And sometimes people are getting upset.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:17:12 - 00:17:40

They're like, yo, I wanna talk to you on the phone, bro. How come you won't talk to me? And I was like, I just can't. I spent a few years talking to people all the time on the phone and for free in Facebook, chatting and messaging, helping them the guys who are trying to start their businesses. And that's my favorite thing to do. That's what this whole channel is about. So I created keithkelphus.com/call. It's a paid 30-minute or 1-hour call you can get on the phone with me. And I also offer higher-level coaching because I'm completely obsessed with marketing.

 

Keith Kalfas  00:17:40 - 00:18:18

So Yeah. That's it. What up, though? My studio, I am remodeling a part of it. And I'm gonna be taking the podcast to a next level, and it's gonna be sweet. I can't wait for you to see it. Oh, also, another announcement. We just finished traveling around the country doing a season 1 of our shop tour series. And we've done amazing interviews with people like coach Carroll, Tommy Mello, Kirk Kempton from ResponsiBid, Ryan Johnson from Reach at Window Cleaning, we've done Troy Klog, and we've done, I said Tommy Mellow, a one garage doors.

 

Keith Kalfas 00:18:19 - 00:18:34

So that'll all be coming out soon on my YouTube channel here. I'm so excited about it. It's gonna be totally free. They're like full, almost like a TV show of amazing epic interviews. And that's it. Stay blessed.

 

In today's episode, Keith dives into a pretty intense story that could really make you stop and think. 

A few years back, in 2021, Keith had a near-miss that none of us would ever want to face—he almost got seriously hurt while working on a tree job near some high-voltage power lines. And he's shared why that experience serves as a major wake-up call about the realities and risks of working close to electricity. Keith's not just telling this story for kicks—he hopes it opens eyes and might even save a few lives. We'll hear how important it is to be cautious and learn about electrical safety so that nobody finds themselves in a similar scary situation. 

So, if you're in the green industry or know someone who is, you'll want to stick around and listen to this one!

 

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 Trimmed branches with a telescopic pole saw.

03:17 Felt weird after a close call with danger.

07:13 Firefighter calls it a miracle: mild injury.

10:09 Assume wires are live; check safety videos.

 

Key Takeaways: 

• Keep Your Eyes Peeled: Power lines might look like they're far away, but give them respect and distance—always.

• Assume Every Wire is Hot: Whether it’s an electrical, phone, or even a cable line, treat them all like they’re live. Better safe than sorry, right?

• Know Before You Go: Watch safety videos on electrical hazards and tree work. A little knowledge goes a long way toward keeping you safe.

 

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

Here's the video and story about our Window Cleaning brother in the UK I was talking about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F_pxfE8A4k

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7QgzAauFCQ 

Tree Work Electric hazard awareness:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILGSn9Rx8f8&t=0s

The Time William and I climbed 115ft. in a tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVmT_Nhohjk&t=0s

Tree Work and Arborist Videos playlist:   https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLub0_q7i2mDRR3pk7GpX3k8JhZiE2IvYm

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇 Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

Transcript

(Note: this was transcribed using transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

Keith Kalfas 00:00:05 - 00:00:49

So this goes out as a warning to everybody in the green industry. I almost died a few years ago at work, and I keep avoiding making this video because of my ego is afraid of looking stupid and getting criticized, but I believe that what I'm about to talk about can very much save lives, and so I'm gonna tell you the story. I can't believe I'm making this video. So I'm not doing it for me. I'm doing it for the safety of others. Alright. So 2021, we're doing a tree job, and I'm removing a jack pine tree. This tree was maybe 25 feet tall behind a shed in a backyard. And so I'm actually pretty experienced doing tree work.

Keith Kalfas 00:00:49 -00:01:53

I just don't post it on social media, and well, there was primary power lines, but they were 15 feet away from the tree and way high up, so they're about 10 feet away and then another 12 feet up. I mean, they were so far back and up in the air that once I was up in the tree and I started removing branches, they're behind me. I stopped paying attention to them because they were literally really far away. Right? Well, there's this thing I needed to trim a branch in front of me that I couldn't reach and get out to. So I'll tell my guy on the ground, I'll be like, yo, hand me the Stihl PP 800. It's a telescoping 18-foot aluminum pruning telescoping pruner pole and with the saw head on it. Right? You attach the saw head. And what I'll do with it, I'm up in the tree, is he'll extend it all the way out and then push it up to me, and I'll reach down and grab it, and then I'll fish it up behind me, and then I'll collapse it back down and just trim what I need to trim.

Keith Kalfas 00:01:53 - 00:02:23

Well, in this instance, dude, I got my gear on ropes, I got my gaffes, which are my spikes, I got my saddle. I got my buck strap my lanyard around the tree. I've got my pruning saw. I'm fully geared up, and I'm in the tree. It's a dry, hot July day. Very hot, very dry out. And as I'm fishing, the saw up, and it's going higher and higher and higher behind me because I stopped paying attention to this wide-open aluminum primary line. I don't know how many volts it is.

Keith Kalfas 00:02:23 - 00:03:16

Like, let me know in the comments. 12,000 volts. And I've watched a lot of electrical videos. Like, you should just stay the hell away from electrical lines because you could touch something that's touching something that's touching something, and it'll take a full Thanksgiving turkey and set that mug on fire and fry it in like 20 seconds. So anyways, as I'm fishing it up, my hands on the aluminum, bare hand, and I take my hand off the aluminum because that's where, like, there's a rubber grip, and it's not insulated for electrical safety. Soon as my hand goes off the aluminum, I push up one more time, and I grab the rubber grip. I hear tink, and I felt a buzz go through me, and my hair stand on end. And I look behind me and I hit the primary line, and it swings back and goes pink and hits again. It goes bzzzz, dude. I pulled the pole away from the line.

Keith Kalfas 00:03:17 - 00:04:14

Right? Real quick. And my just whole heart my energy dropped. I got rid of the pole real quick, put it through down on the ground, rappelled to the ground, took my gear off, and immediately just walked and sat in my truck. So, as I'm sitting in my truck, this sounds really weird, like an out-of-body experience, and I'm still freaked out about this. There was a part of me that believed that I had died and that my spirit walked over and was sitting in my truck waiting for, like, the ambulance to come and watch my body get carried away and that I was just a witness. Because when you touch an electrical line, aluminum line with an aluminum pole, you don't just not get injured. It either sets your body on fire, your organs explode, your legs explode, you get stuck on it. You're toast.

Keith Kalfas 00:04:14 -00:05:02

You don't touch an electrical line without, first of all, dying, having an instant heart attack, being set on fire, or having severe injuries. And one of our brothers, he's actually in UK, is a window cleaner, and he's water-fed pole. He's cleaning windows two-story building, working hard, and building his business family at home. There was an airline, and the water, it was windy, was like misting off in the air because there's water jets when you clean windows. It's a really cool window-cleaning system, and this could happen to anybody. It arced, and it traveled along the water, ran down the pole into his hands, blew this guy back, like, 10 feet, and left burn marks in the grass. And this guy is I think he's just getting out of the hospital. He's had, like, 20 surgeries.

Keith Kalfas 00:05:02 - 00:05:41

It's affected his kidneys. He has burnt necrotic tissue, several infections, blood clots. They've had to remove part of his forearm tons of muscle tissue in his legs, and this is permanently negatively affected this guy for the rest of his life. And if you're part of, like, the tree care safety and being a certified arborist, which I'm not, and what is it? The ANSI standards and all this stuff. There's reports that come in every single week about all the injuries that happen across the United States. Most of them are actually homeowners with chainsaws trying to do work themselves or people getting electrocuted, people getting injured, people could it's like it's such a high severe risk.

Words From Our Sponsor 00:05:42 - 00:06:36

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Keith Kalfas 00:06:37 - 00:07:13

But especially electrocution. So I got on the phone. I instantly called one of my landscaping clients who climbs power poles and works on electrical lines, and I told him immediately what happened. I was embarrassed on a care. I say, “Hey, Mrs. Jones. Can I talk to Mr. Jones? I know he does this for a living.” I'm I'm the land “What's going on, Keith?” And I was like, I tell him what happened, and he says, “Brother, all I can say is that the good lord was on your side today, and that's a miracle that you are not burnt, and you are still here with us. The good lord is on your side.”

Keith Kalfas 00:07:13 - 00:08:00

I get on the phone with a retired firefighter lieutenant, and I tell him the story. Firefighters are highly trained when it comes to electricity. And he says, “Brother, what happened to you today was nothing short of a miracle. That you were okay.” Now, I did have some back pain for about 2 weeks. It wasn't too bad, but I felt like I had some kidney pain going on. It could have been from the saddle that I was in, just like a muscle. I can't tell. And I was very shaken up, but I talked to somebody else. I don't wanna throw them under the bridge, but I talked to one of my best friends who does tree work for a living. And he's, like, basically, well, he took it very serious, but he was also, like, I was overreacting.

Keith Kalfas 00:08:00 - 00:08:29

He's, like, “Quit being a wuss. Bro, what are you afraid of a little bit of electricity? I mess with electricity every day.” So, anyway but, I'm just trying to joke around to lighten it up a little bit. It's not funny. Oh, yeah. Here's the weird part I'll share. You know how, like, parallel universes? Sometimes, when I'm around my wife, I will think about that moment, and I feel very blessed. So if you're sitting around your house and you're bored and it's like a Sunday, you got no reason to be bored.

Keith Kalfas 00:08:29 - 00:09:08

If you are healthy and you're still here, you won. Okay? But I look at my wife sometimes, and I go, like, what if I really didn't make it that day, and it split off into like an alternate reality? I know that sounds crazy and like don't think that, don't think that, that's crazy thoughts because you know, it's like some.. Anyway, so here's the moral of the story, man. Stay the hell away from electricity and electrical lines. If you see a downline, don't even go near it. Don't even pick up branches. Dude, there could literally be. Oh yeah, also, the power line guy said maybe because it was so dry out that it didn't have anywhere to ground. My spikes were in the tree.

Keith Kalfas 00:09:08 -00:09:35

Right? If I would have been touching the aluminum, it probably would have fried me. But I was touching the rubber grip. The rubber grips and not insulated for electrical protection. Like, so You know, I was barehanded. It was dry out. My spikes, I was wearing long pants, and I was wearing gaffes that were coming off of rubber boots going into the tree. The electricity didn't have any place to go through me and ground. So it allegedly, I think, it kinda went in me and just went back out. It didn't have anywhere to ground.

Keith Kalfas 00:09:35 - 00:10:09

Say if it grounded out of my right gaff into the tree, it would have blown a hole in my leg or set my leg on fire. Right? So I was, like, so extremely lucky. I don't know what I would. I guess my gut says that was probably less than a 10%, maybe a seven, or as low as a 3% chance. 3% that I didn't get injured at all. Freaking unbelievable. So I feel incredibly blessed. So stay away from electricity. If you're trimming some tall shrubs and there's lines going through it, I don't think you should do it.

Keith Kalfas 00:10:09 - 00:10:53

There's phone lines, cable lines, internet lines. You should treat every single wire as if it's live and active. You know, I'm gonna put some links in the description below to electrical safety training videos. That wasn't the next thing I'm gonna say. Spend an hour watching videos of tree workers failing, dropping trees on houses, crushing vehicles, getting injured, being projected, you know, like a projectile 30 feet their whole body because they get hit by a branch. Literally, them being set on fire and being fried to death like a roasting marshmallow. Watch electrical safety training videos of where, like, they'll have like a wagon and then a pole and then something else and then they'll touch a stick with these big rubber gloves to a hot dog—five things touching the wire.

Keith Kalfas 00:10:53 - 00:11:17

Five independent things, and then they touch a hot dog to it, and the hot dog freaking sets on fire. So it what it is. It's a silent unaliber. It's a silent. You don't know that it happened until it happened. So you could just be walking up, and it's totally quiet. Just watch all the videos, man. Alright, I'm going back to running my Saturday errands. I got that off my chest. I hope that saves someone's life or protects somebody.

Keith Kalfas 00:11:17 - 00:11:22

I'm so thankful that I'm here and everything's okay, and I ain't never doing that ever again.

 

 

 

In this episode, Keith Kelfas shares a personal story about cutting corners on a landscaping job due to fear and lack of confidence. He recalls how he started his landscaping business with an obsessive focus on quality and customer care, only to land a wealthy client whose massive property overwhelmed him. Keith recounts undercharging for extensive landscaping work and making a critical error by not using enough weed barrier fabric. This mistake haunted him for years, teaching him valuable lessons about knowing his worth and the importance of doing the job right the first time. He emphasizes the significance of providing top-notch work and charging appropriately, highlighting the stress and emotional toll of undercharging and cutting corners. Keith also touches on using Jobber Software to improve his business operations. With a focus on continuous improvement and learning from mistakes, Keith aims to inspire landscapers to deliver exceptional results and run healthy businesses.

 

"True mastery in business comes from the pain and suffering of lessons learned the hard way. Charge what you're worth, commit to top-quality work, and never let fear drive your decisions. Build your confidence, stay connected to your heart, and you'll create a business that serves both your clients and your dreams."  - Keith Kalfas

Topics Covered:

• Establishing the Landscaping Business
• The Wealthy Client Experience
• Financial and Emotional Struggles
• Examples of Other Business Challenges

Key Takeaways

• Undercharging and Low Self-Esteem: Starting out with low confidence led to significantly undercharging for services, which resulted in cutting corners and causing long-term stress.

   

• Learning from Mistakes: Hard lessons were learned about the importance of charging appropriately for work to ensure quality and avoid future stress and financial strain.

   

• Importance of Self-Worth in Business: Understanding and valuing one's worth is crucial for running a successful business, delivering high-quality work, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

 

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇  Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS  How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

Keith delivers a profound narrative on navigating life's darkest moments in this compelling episode of The Untrapped. He recounts his experiences of financial hardship and emotional challenges, illustrating how he discerned a faint glimmer of hope amidst seemingly insurmountable despair. Keith emphasizes the importance of developing resilience and the readiness to receive life's blessings when they eventually appear. He invites you to consider the broader aspects of success beyond material wealth, challenging them to cultivate inner peace and purpose. 

Join us as we uncover the significance of being prepared to emerge as guiding lights for future generations, reinforcing the enduring truth that there is a light at the end of every tunnel.

 

Check out these episode highlights:

00:00 Patience and perseverance build the readiness needed for responsibility.

03:10 Embracing inner peace invites blessings; firmly resist negativity.

 

Key Takeaways: 

• Embrace the Journey: Success doesn't happen overnight. The challenges we face today are preparing us for the responsibilities of future blessings. Develop the skills and resilience needed to handle what's coming your way.
• Internal Peace Leads to External Success: Sometimes, the breakthrough comes not from what's happening outside but from maintaining peace and surrender. Let go of the need to control everything and focus on your inner tranquility.
• Persevere Through the Dark Times: Even in the darkest moments, there's a light destined for you. Keep taking action towards your dreams, regardless of the naysayers, and remember that others count on you to reach your potential.

 

Connect with Keith

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keithkalfas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelandscapingemployeetrap Website: https://www.keithkalfas.com/resources Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keith-kalfas

 

Resources and Websites: 

🙋♂️Get My Free Landscaping Business Startup Video Series Here👇  Here https://www.keithkalfas.com/Landscaping-Series

Landscaping Course https://keith-kalfas.mykajabi.com/store/8bFERMcs

LANDSCAPING BUSINESS  How to Guide: https://www.keithkalfas.com/16

Get Jobber: https://getjobber.com/im/ambassador-referral/?gspk=a2VpdGhrYWxmYXM4NTIx&gsxid=Rs6pwtznLDcs

Get Ballard: https://www.ballard-inc.com/

Easy Budgeting Blueprint: keithkalfas.com/budget

Smartphone Video Creation Guide: Keithkalfas.com/smartphone

Identifying Your Superpower: Keithkalfas.com/superpower

Become An influencer And Monetize Your Expertise: https://www.keithkalfas.com/influence

Multiple Ways to Monetize: https://www.keithkalfas.com/multipleways

LevelUp Your  Landscaping Business to $100K and beyond: https://www.keithkalfas.com/LEVELUP

 

Transcript (Note: this was transcribed using a transcription software and may not reflect the exact words used in the podcast)

 

00:00:00

Bro, I want to talk about a time that I was in such a pit of despair and depression that I couldn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel. It was so small it was like a pinhole. It might as well been a whole black sky and me looking up at one single star. I was broke, I was in debt, I had debt collectors call me, and I would go out to the park at night, look at the sky, and get on my knees, and I would pray to God, and I would say, "God, please let me be successful. Please. Please." I was begging him, and I felt God say, "No, you got a long way to go. It's gonna happen, but you got a long way to go."

 

00:00:35

But here's the thing: even in the pit, I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel because I could see it. I could see it. Even though it was this small, there was still a light. So all I had to do was just put my focus on it and put one foot in front of the other. I was walking the line. And bro, it took another 15 years. And here's why because: if God gives you what you want, that you say that you want, that you're praying for, that you're begging for, that you're asking for, if he gives it to you right now, you have not developed the skill set. You hadn't been through the real hard work and actually got the stars and stripes to be able to deal with the responsibility of what you're asking for.

00:01:15

Are you ready for all that? You better be careful what you wish for because you might only get it once and you squander it, you mess it up? No. So I'm asking god, "Please delay my blessing until I'm ready for it because I see the light at the end of the tunnel." This is a blessing that I'm going through the pit right now in despair because now I got all this time to walk it out. So when I do get there, when I do get there, when you do get there, you'll be ready to walk into your blessing. And you can handle it because you're a good steward of your blessing. And it's not just about money. If you read the book, The Wealth Money Can't Buy by Robin Sharma.

 

00:01:58

Bro, he talks about how wealth is just one little tiny piece of the pie. There's all these other things you got to learn. Some people who make a lot of money are complete failures. No amount of financial success can compensate for failure in the home, and no amount of worldly success can compensate for failure with your relationship with your creator. So, if you're not yet where you say you want to be, I want you to take a minute and think real clearly about where you're at and get humble. Get humble. And then, I want you to think about who are you honoring and praising right now and who are you gonna continue to honor and praise when things are good. Because they're gonna get good.

 

00:02:46

Your blessing is coming, and when it comes, it's gonna come quick. I remember very clearly each level up in my life. It was when something changed inside of me. I had to get to the point where I was like, you know what? I deserve better than this. I'm worthy of this. I put in the work. It still didn't happen. It was when I finally threw in the towel, and I surrendered, and I said, you know what? I'm done.

 

00:03:10

I'm done being so upset about what's not happening on the outside. I'm gonna maintain peace on the inside. So that's when the blessing just went right into my life. And one thing, the naysayers, the toxic people in your life, and I know you got one because I know I got one too, you have to go to war with these people, not physically. It could just be drawing new lines in the sand and staying in your square and saying, "You know what? I have a huge dream, and I'm gonna keep chasing that dream and taking action every single day towards that dream," despite if you're in depression, if you're in the pit, no matter what. And I'm telling you, I'm a walking testimonial. I'm a walking testimonial. I've watched it happen in my life.

 

00:03:53

I went from being broke and debt all of it. Right? And scared to literally walking into having multiple business, being a keynote speaker, having millions of views on social media, having a happy marriage, being able to literally go all over the country and do what I want, when I want, how I want, and have multiple streams of income. I'm a walking testimonial. I'm I'm so serious right now. If I can do this, if I could do it, if I could do it, if I could do it, then you can do it. I want you to not give up. I want you to keep trying. I want you to keep fighting.

 

00:04:23

I want you to give everything that you've got. Don't give up. Don't give in. Don't ever compromise, and you will watch these blessings open up in your life. It is going to happen for you. And if it ain't happening right now, that's fine because there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And how dare you? How dare you put your head in the sand and avoid sick? Because you know how the time's gonna go by, and you're gonna wake up in regret.

 

00:04:50

Regret. Now, wake up in regret. The light is at the end of the tunnel, and it's real. And I wanna leave you with one last thing. Who better to be a testimonial to others than somebody who's gone through it themselves? I'm telling you right now, if you have a vision and you have a dream, stick to it. There is a light at the end of the tunnel because there are people waiting for you on the other side that are gonna need your help, they're gonna need your mentorship, they're counting on you—people that you don't even know yet, maybe people that haven't even been born yet. There are people that are depending on you.

00:05:33

There's a light at the end of the tunnel. You got this, bro. You got it.