The Hard Truth About Leadership in Landscaping with Tommy Cole

Recorded live in Scottsdale, Arizona, this episode features a deep conversation with Tommy Cole on leadership, operations, and what it really takes to build a scalable landscape business. Tommy walks through his 24 year career journey from landscape design to managing multimillion dollar construction and landscape operations, sharing the hard lessons that shaped him along the way. We dig into why most companies struggle with leadership clarity, how vision and people development drive real growth, and why operations is the hardest seat in the company. Tommy also breaks down the biggest operational mistakes he sees in the green industry, especially around sales to production handoff and labor efficiency. This conversation sets the stage for why mastering operations is the next critical step for contractors who want sustainable growth and healthier businesses.