“You can teach horticulture. You can’t teach passion for people.” — Kim Hartman

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

Aspire & LMN – ERP platforms used by landscape businesses to track performance, manage projects, and mine customer data more effectively.
iLandscape Tradeshow – One of the top green industry trade shows in North America, held annually in Schaumburg, IL. iLandscape Website
Stephen Covey – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – A timeless leadership resource cited by Kim as a key influence.
Cultivate – Industry event where AI applications in landscaping were discussed, especially in the grower segment.
Landscape Illinois – Newly unified industry association serving over 1,000 members across all sectors in Illinois. Landscape Illinois Website

Topics Discussed:

[00:00] Meet Kim Hartman of Landscape Illinois and Rossboro Partners
How Kim transitioned from HR consultant to landscape industry leader—and why communication never left her toolkit.

[02:00] Why Landscape Illinois Was Born
The behind-the-scenes journey of merging two associations to better represent the full green industry in Illinois.

[05:00] Building a Tradeshow that Rivals the Best
How iLandscape became one of the top 3 industry shows in North America—with 7,000 attendees and 60+ sessions.

[08:00] The Real Growth Bottleneck: Middle Management
Why account managers, operations leaders, and sales staff—not crew or owners—are the missing growth link.

[11:00] Training = Retention + Growth
How Rossboro Partners created a Director of Team Development role to upskill internally and drive culture.

[14:30] Business Education is Finally Getting Its Spotlight
Why leadership, marketing, and finance sessions are now as packed as design workshops at conferences.

[16:30] Sales is Human Again
Face-to-face time, targeted marketing, and client audits are working better than wide-net funnels.

[18:00] Site Audits: The $250 Strategy That Makes $8K
Why getting on-site with past clients is one of the best upsell strategies—and how to calculate ROI.

[21:30] AI in Landscaping: Curious, But Cautious
Where AI is showing up (job descriptions, inventory management, early design prompts) and where it’s falling short (tone, trust, context).

[28:00] How to Get More From Your Association
Kim breaks down how Landscape Illinois builds programming for everyone—from field staff to future board members.

[33:00] Why More Leaders Should Join Committees
How serving on a committee can unlock industry relationships, career growth, and real influence.

Actionable Key Takeaways:

Middle management is make-or-break. Companies stuck at a growth plateau often lack skilled ops leaders and account managers.

Grow leaders from within. Operational roles are best filled by people who already understand the industry’s seasonality and pace.

Retention starts with development. Regular reviews, mentorship, and KPIs create a culture that top performers want to stay in.

Smarter sales = more revenue. FaceTime, site audits, and client re-engagement beat wide-net marketing every time.

Use your data before you chase new leads. Mine your CRM or ERP to upsell existing clients with relevant offers.

AI is a tool, not a shortcut. Use it to save time—but validate outputs and pair it with real expertise.

Associations are growth accelerators. The most successful landscape companies are deeply involved in their associations—for a reason.