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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth says his farewell as the host of Green Industry Perspectives. 

After conducting more than 100 interviews, Jay highlights some of the key takeaways from those conversations, discusses his perspectives on what matters in the Green Industry, and shares his views on where he believes the industry is headed. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Marie Ambusk to the show!

A bad experience with a landscaper set Marie on a nearly two-decade journey to make things right. When the street trees in her neighborhood failed after less than 20 years, she asked the landscape company replacing them what happened. The answer, "You get what you get, lady," made her blood boil. 

Since then, she's not only become a Master Gardener. She's developed a way to determine if trees are going to fail.

Those street trees had root collar disorder. Once she realized the problem lay in the containers and growing phase, she developed a way to inspect the root systems of containerized trees. Using ground-penetrating radar (GPR), AI, and machine-learning, she's been able to map and grade the root systems of container trees to predict failure with a stunning degree of accuracy. Phase II of her project will focus on using the same GPR technology to map defects in planted trees, saving many hours of labor in excavation to look for problems. 

In this episode, Marie shares why customer satisfaction, employee opportunities, and company growth and profit make the difference to your success in the Green Industry. For her, they all boil down to one core issue: establishing trust. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Schylaur Moody to the show!

Schylaur worked as a buyer (also known as "procurement") for a couple of different Green Industry companies, including nurseries and landscapers. After losing her son to complications from cerebral palsy, she decided to venture out on her own with Levi's Leaf, named after her son. 

Levi's Leaf helps Green Industry companies establish and streamline their buying processes, improving efficiency and reducing waste in time, plant material, and money. In this episode, she unpacks how culture matters most, communication is everything, and of course, the importance of procurement for the success of your business.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Rob Treppendahl to the show! 

Rob started a landscaping company and quickly fell into a trap that many in the industry have - trying to do too much for too many people, and racing to "hit the million-dollar mark." He did that in less than four years. But that was also the first year his company lost money. 

After acquiring a lot of debt (and the accompanying stress), Rob found a mentor who helped him right the ship. Now things run so efficiently that he manages his company from a different state, and he gives back to the industry through his executive coaching. 

In this conversation, Rob shares why knowing your numbers, finding (and staying) in a narrow niche, and great marketing set you up for success in the Green Industry. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Scott Geddes to the show! 

Scott got started in the tree care industry at the age of 16. After that, he took on an apprenticeship at a major tree care company in his native New Zealand and even worked for a short time in Norway. In 2014, he was New Zealand's New Arborist of the Year. 

After that, he bought into and now runs Auckland Tree Services. He also runs Timber Forge, a business that repurposes the trees they've felled into consumer goods like jewelry boxes and cutting boards. 

He's become increasingly convinced that removing healthy trees is just not the way to be successful in this business. In this episode, Scott shares why the best companies in our industry measure themselves on things beside profit, they have a long-term plan, and they are invested in educating themselves and their teams.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Kevin Caldwell to the show!

Kevin started Caldwell Tree Care, located outside Atlanta. He led and grew the business for over 30 years before successfully exiting. Today, he still keeps a hand in; he is the Vice President of Sales for Tree Guardians, a private company that owns and manages almost a dozen tree care companies across the US.

In this episode, Kevin shares why keeping up with compliance, being fiscally responsible, and building a culture around quality keep you on the road to success in the Green Industry.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Jordan Upcavage to the show!

Jordan's family has run a tree care business for as long as he can remember. Playing in the yard around the equipment and watching (from a safe distance) as tree care operations were performed are some of his most formative memories.

Today, Jordan is the Vice President at Independent Tree Service. He worked his way up - nothing given. And as a result, he's become an increasingly intriguing, thoughtful leader in our industry. As a passion proejct, he's also a co-host of the Green Side Up podcast with is friend and former college roommate, Jason Lee.

In this conversation, Jordan shares why being honest, selling what you feel good about, investing in employee development, and keeping your foot on the gas are what set you up for success in the Green Industry.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Jason Lee to the show! 

Jason's family had a fern farm and sold the cuttings to local florists. That was his less traditional, but still formative, entry into the Green Industry. After studying at the University of Florida, Jason started Skyfrog Landscaping. 

He is also the co-host of the Green Side Up podcast, an industry podcast that helps professionals learn from one another and level up their leadership and business skills. 

In this conversation, Jason shares why the right people, having purpose, and implementing processes are the keys to a competitive edge in the Green Industry. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Molly Finch to the show!

Human Ecology is a term many will be unfamiliar with. In this episode, Molly, who has a degree in Human Ecology from the College of the Atlantic, will share what it is, why it's important, and how to practice it in your business. She also shares how she practices it at her business, Goldfinch Garden Design in Ohio.

She also shares deep wisdom about having a sense of humility in business and how to think about more than just your bottom line while also maintaining profitability.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Riley Marvin to the show!

Riley started Alpha Landscapes in 2017, while he was still in college. After having some employees quit on him, he took a long look in the mirror and realized his management approach had been the problem. 

After graduating college in 2019, Alpha had its first full year of business with Riley at the helm in 2020. He's turned it into an eight-figure business in those five short years. 

In this episode, Riley shares why you should avoid being a "jack of all trades," why there are no excuses for inefficiency, and why throughput per man hour is a better metric than gross profit margin.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Scott Harrison to the show!

Scott's an unusual guest for Green Industry Perspectives; he's not in the Green Industry. Rather, he's a professional negotiator.

With a background in the oil and gas industry, Scott had to learn (and master) the art of negotiation to be successful. In his career, he's led negotiations for over 25 years in over 40 countries around the world. Today, he runs Apex Negotiations. He trains executives around the world on how to conduct their own high-stakes negotiations.

He is a member of the Association of International Energy Negotiators, co-lead of the Entrepreneur's Mentoring cohort for Asia Professional Speakers Singapore, and a member of both the International Association of Facilitators and the International Coaching Federation. In addition to all this, he volunteers his time with Babseacle, a pro-bono organization that trains lawyers and other government officials throughout Southeast Asia, where he now resides.

In this episode, Scott walks us through the keys you need to keep in mind to succeed in every negotiation: preparation, keeping a relationship-focus, and strategic flexibility.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Chris Stoudt to the show!

After working for years in the restaurant industry, Chris discovered the Green Industry. He quickly realized that not only was hard work rewarded in our industry, but that he could become a business owner.

Chris' desire to help others learn about how amazing the Green Industry is has also led him to start his podcast, The RootZone Podcast. Similar to this show, you can get insights from other Green Industry leaders about what has worked for them and their experiences.

In this episode, Chris shares why successful people in our industry embrace challenges with a positive mindset, understand how to network and learn from others, and how far compassion goes towards helping you achieve your goals.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Dave Sheridan to the show! 

Like many of us, Dave started in a different field before discovering a passion for the Green Industry. Unlike many of us, that field was software. 

After realizing his brother had a tremendous aptitude for tree work, Dave ran the numbers to see if they could make a go of it as a viable business. After going into "full spreadsheet mode," Dave and Dan started Ascension Tree Care. 

In this episode, Dave shares why having a good customer experience, organized data, and continuously improving are the secret sauce to Green Industry success. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Christopher Regis to the show!

Christopher worked in sales for some of the most iconic brands in America, like Ford and Xerox. And, growing up in Brazil, Christopher also developed a passion for protecting the environment. That led him to start Suntek Lawn Care (and Suntek Franchising), a company using all electric equipment recharged using solar power.

Christopher shares why working on the business rather than in the business, obsessing over improvement, and falling in love with your customers (rather than your services) are the keys to success in the Green Industry.

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Email Christopher: christopher@sunteklawncare.com
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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes John Perlin to the show!

A physicist by training, John set out to research the history of solar power in antiquity. What he discovered, however, was transformational in our understanding of the way people relate to trees.

Those discoveries led him to write A Forest Journey, a book that explains how mankind's relationship with trees has developed throughout recorded history. In the updated edition, published by Patagonia, John goes even further in time, using the fossil record to help us learn about the very first trees on Earth and explaining how humanity's relationship with them impacts us today. 

In this episode, John shares how trees (and our relationship to them) are vital for all life on Earth. He also shares why understanding how trees developed can inform the decisions we make today when it comes to tree management, and how there’s an intersection between “good for business” and “good for the environment;” they’re not mutually exclusive. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Ted Glaser to the show!

What started as a way to earn extra income maintaining his family's rental properties turned into a legitimate business. Ted grew Summit Lawns to $1 million in revenue in just four short years after his official launch. 

And then he blew it up. On purpose. He said it had become a "Frankenstein business," pieced together from saying "Yes" to just about any opportunity. It lacked focus and, as a result, had a poor culture, struggled to be profitable, and turned over employees consistently. 

After finding his lane and deciding to own it, Ted has rebuilt Summit Lawns to nearly $4.5 million in revenue. In this episode, Ted shares why having a clear vision, having your finances in order, and building your team are the keys to success in the Green Industry.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Dr. Jessica Turner-Skoff to the show! 

Encouraged by parents who were always willing to pick up a plant during visits to the local garden center as a child, Dr. Turner-Skoff developed a love for the natural world at an early age. 

Today, she is the Associate Director for Science Communications at Longwood Gardens outside of Philadelphia, one of the most prestigious gardens in the United States. In her role there, she crafts messaging that helps convey complex ideas about the way plants live and grow so they are readily understandable to the public at large. 

She joins the show to talk about how Tree Care and Landscaping businesses can communicate well with their customers. She shares how knowing your audience, storytelling, and understanding the power of visuals help you communicate effectively in the Green Industry. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Ryan Drake to the show!

Ryan started working in the family business as a little kid, so he's literally grown up in the industry. After college, he went to work for a national tree care firm. The Green Industry is in his blood.

After returning to the family business and spending many years in the field, Ryan earned his way into a senior-level leadership role at the family business, JFD Landscapes.

In this episode, Ryan shares why being people-focused, having simple SOPs, and knowing your numbers give you an edge in the Green Industry.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Hannah Lewis to the show!

Hannah's Green Industry experiences are actually in the non-profit sector. She works for an organization called Renewing the Countryside. But she's also an internationally published author of a book called "Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World." It's been translated into multiple languages (including Dr. Akira Miyawaki's native Japanese). 

Hannah has also been a speaker at the International Miyawaki Symposium in Japan and the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) national conference in the past year. She's recognized as one of the world's leading experts in planting and propagating miniature forests. 

In this episode, Hannah shares her insights into what Green Industry businesses can do to be more sustainable: cultivate relationships to source plant material locally, identify the segment of your market that is interested in sustainable practices, and care enough about the environment to balance healthy practices with profitability. 

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Welcome back to a new season of Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Jeff Hempel to the show!

Like many of us, Jeff found himself in a career he wasn't happy with and made a change. Unlike many in the Green Industry, Jeff left several years of running his own business in a completely different industry to come to the "green" side. 

In this episode, Jeff shares why fine-tuning your bidding, finding people who excel where you don't, and consistency of service delivery are the keys to succeeding in the Green Industry. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Basil Camu to the show!

After running Leaf & Limb, the largest privately owned Tree Care company in North Carolina, Basil had a bit of a personal revelation: he did not want to perform tree removals any longer.

Listen to this fascinating episode where Basil shares his definition of success: doing what's good for the planet, people, and profit (in that order). He calls it the "triple bottom line" that Leaf & Limb strives for.

He also shares how to ensure you hit that "triple bottom line:" pursuing a purpose that matters, measuring success using something besides dollars, and constantly working to improve.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Ryan Hudson to the show!

People usually take one of two paths into the Green Industry; they either discover it by accident or were raised working alongside someone who does it. Ryan falls into the latter category; he worked alongside his father in the family company starting at about eight years old and took over the company while he was in high school. 

After studying to become a forensic accountant, Ryan realized while he enjoyed accounting, he really loved the Green Industry. Today Ryan is the General Manager for the Tampa, Florida branch of Baker Commercial Landscaping, a company that's been around for more than 30 years. 

In this episode, Ryan shares why excellent communication, great company culture, and being intentional with planning for the future are keys to success in the Green Industry.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Scott Seargeant to the show!

Scott's work has literally taken him internationally. He has not only worked in many places across the US, but he's been called in to share his tree care expertise on projects in both Canada and Mexico. In addition, Scott has traveled across the US on a book tour to promote his work on a book he wrote regarding allergies and trees. 

Scott joins the show and shares from his decades of experience why showing up on time, fulfilling the contract with some "extras" built in, and learning from and leaning into your network are the keys to becoming successful in the Green Industry. 

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Edward Morrow to the show!

Growing up on a farm instilled Edward's love of the outdoors from a young age. He was encouraged to learn another skill, so he studied and tried to earn his credentials as an accountant. But the trees kept calling him back. 

A creative by nature, Edward realized that there was a gap he could help bridge; many tree care company owners were passionate about their craft but didn't necessarily know best business practices. Eager to help but realizing that finances can quickly become dull, he created a fictional universe of tree care professionals incorporating these business practices. The book series is called Tree S.T.A.R.S., and you can find it on Amazon.

Edward also consults with many tree care companies about business development and speaks to communities about trees' important role in the ecosystem. 

Edward joins the show to share the keys to success from his time as a TRAQ arborist, author, and business consultant: building skills, investing in relationships, and developing great systems and processes.

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Welcome back to Green Industry Perspectives! In this episode, Jay Worth welcomes Mario Cambardella to the show!

With a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture and Master's degree in Urban Planning, Mario comes with some serious classroom chops. 

But that doesn't mean he's never gotten his hands dirty; Mario started with Valley Crest (now Brightview) and worked his way up to management before becoming Atlanta's (and America's) first Urban Agriculture Director, addressing the problem of "food deserts" in an urban environment. 

Now Mario runs Scapify, a software platform that connects growers to landscape companies directly. This ensures that growers get quality plant material in the ground faster than relying on a "middle man" like a nursery. 

In this episode, Mario shares why defining success, planning for that success, and determining the intersection of passion, experience, inheritance, and best contributions ensure you succeed in the Green Industry. 

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Email Mario: Mario@Scapify.com
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Visit the Georgia Green Industry Association Website