Chapters

00:00 Weekly Update Kickoff

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In this weekly update, Justin White discusses the launch of a six-week sprint aimed at achieving record revenue for K&D. He shares insights from a recent webinar with Jeff Harkness on business acquisitions and the importance of being selective in the buy-and-build strategy. The conversation also touches on preparing businesses for potential exits, highlights industry leaders, and emphasizes the growing role of AI in business operations. Justin concludes with a book recommendation that offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs.

K&D is entering a six-week sprint to boost revenue.

Accelerating Growth: The Six Week Sprint

"K&D is on fast forward."

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Tom Heaviland, a landscape industry veteran whose journey began in 1985 when he bought a small company in Carlsbad, California and turned it into one of the most respected operations in the region.

Tom started with just one truck, a few workers, and $11,000, billing around $14,000 a month. After weathering a major recession in the 1990s and learning hard lessons about risk and diversification, he grew the business by focusing on contract stability, recurring revenue, and strategic pricing. In 2019, Tom sold the company to Brightview, and went on to work with their M and A team identifying strong acquisition targets in underserved markets.

In this episode, Tom shares:

Tom also opens up about the challenges of performance management, the importance of financial literacy, and his goal to create $150 million in employee wealth by 2035. If you are in the trades and thinking about scale, exit strategy, or how to build a company with lasting impact, this episode is a masterclass.

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Paul Voresis from Delta Landscape, a second-generation landscape professional based in Sacramento, California, who shares the story of how his family’s business evolved and how he’s rethinking what leadership looks like in the green industry.

Founded by Paul’s father in 1980 after immigrating from Greece, Delta Landscape has deep roots and a powerful legacy. Paul grew up in the business but initially swore he’d never follow in his father’s footsteps. After studying construction management and briefly working in the construction industry, he returned home and took over the company in 2012, following his father’s passing. That experience, paired with a personal health scare, forced him to look at the business, and his role in it, through a different lens.

In this episode, Paul shares:

Paul also reflects on the emotional weight of being the oldest son in a Greek family, the future of commercial landscape services, and why he believes the trades can, and should, attract top-tier talent. If you're in the green industry and thinking about where it’s going, what needs to change, and how to lead differently, this episode is a must-listen.

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White checks in from Lake Oroville, California, where he’s kicking off a wake surfing weekend with a 7:30 AM podcast session and an already blazing 85 degrees on the deck. But before hitting the water, Justin shares three powerful insights that every business leader should be thinking about this August.

The episode opens with lessons from the Disruptors Live event featuring Ken Thomas, focused on helping landscape and service businesses scale toward eight figures. Justin breaks down three core pillars of growth: the importance of personal and team development, building strong systems like the Green Dot Operating System, and finding clarity around roles instead of simply hiring more people. The takeaway is simple but powerful: more people is not always the answer to chaos. Clean systems, smart hiring, and clear processes are.

In this episode, Justin shares:

Justin also gives a quick demo of ChatGPT 5’s capabilities, including how he used it to generate a steak recipe by uploading a photo of his grill. With tools that now understand emotional tone, manage calendars, and write complex documents, the future of AI is not only here; it is business ready.

If you are leading a company and looking to finish the year strong, this episode is packed with real insights, new tools, and a sharp reminder to execute now or fall behind later.

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Nick Knight and Christian Padgett of Baldwin Group to explore how insurance can be more than a backup plan. For growing landscape companies, it can become a tool for strategy, stability, and even profit.

Nick comes from a family of insurance professionals, and Christian brings over ten years of hands-on landscape industry experience with companies like Valley Crest, Brickman, and ASI Landscape Management. Together, they explain how captive insurance programs are becoming more accessible, giving business owners the ability to share risk with similar companies, control claims, and potentially receive dividends on unused premiums.

In this episode, Nick and Christian share:

If your company is scaling and you want a better way to protect your people, manage risk, and build trust, this episode will change the way you think about insurance.

On this week's update, Justin White breaks down the realities of running a service-based business in today’s environment, covering AI, client accountability, and what it really takes to stay profitable.

From testing out AI agents in his inbox to planning an automated system for financial forecasting and zero-based budgeting, Justin shares how technology is becoming part of his day-to-day operations. He also talks about the risks and rewards of holding clients accountable, especially when delays start eating into revenue.

In this episode, Justin shares:

If you're navigating growth, managing people, or trying to build a smarter, more resilient business, this episode offers a direct, honest look at what it takes to stay in the game.

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Cole Weller, co-founder of Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, a company that started as a high school side hustle and grew into a multi-branch, multi-million dollar business serving the Midwest.

Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Weller Brothers now employs over 200 people and operates in Rochester, Minnesota and Des Moines, Iowa. The company offers a full range of services, from commercial and residential maintenance to residential construction, and recently expanded into pool construction and service—now accounting for nearly 20 percent of their revenue.

In this episode, Cole shares:

• How becoming a father shifted his approach to business and growth

Cole also reflects on the personal milestone of buying a home that was one of the first lawns he ever mowed as a teen. If you’re looking for real talk on scaling, team building, and staying grounded through growth, this episode is a must-listen.

This weekly update comes from Las Vegas, where Justin's at the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference. The have brought together over a thousand professionals to explore the future of the industry. From robotic mowers to AI-powered estimating tools, the message was clear: technology is becoming a core part of how landscaping businesses will operate.

Robotic mowers were front and center, with manufacturers like Scythe and Kress showcasing autonomous machines that charge themselves and maintain perfectly trimmed turf. Experts predict they will make up 50 percent of the market by 2027 or 2028.

Artificial intelligence also took the spotlight. Tools like BobYard and Deep Lawn are already helping teams measure properties, automate takeoffs, and generate budgets with minimal input. The concept of fully autonomous AI agents handling tasks like reporting, budgeting, and scheduling is quickly becoming a reality.

In this episode, we cover:

If you're thinking about what technology your company needs to adopt next, this episode will give you a clear look at where the industry is heading.

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White talks with Tiffany Peters, the newly appointed President of North by Northwest, a family-owned landscaping business in Austin, Texas.

Founded by her parents in 2003, North by Northwest started as a small residential mowing company with just 20 employees and $1 million in annual revenue. Tiffany grew up with the business—but wasn’t always sure she wanted to be part of it.

After college and a brief move to Houston, she returned home and found herself stepping into a crucial role: building office systems from the ground up. What started as being the sole admin turned into a leadership journey rooted in process, autonomy, and growth.

In this episode, Tiffany shares:

How she evolved from “just helping out” to running the show

The leap from family-run to structured and scalable

The dynamic of working alongside her brother Jordan, who brought design and sales firepower

The balance between family loyalty and business responsibility

Why she’s driven to lead without micromanaging and how that shaped the company’s culture

Tiffany describes the business as a “gang” she was born into and ultimately chose to grow. If you’ve ever wrestled with joining (or staying in) the family business, this episode is for you.