The Lawn Care Grow Show

Design-Build in Silicon Valley: How FLOR Landscaping Scales Premium Outdoor Spaces

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 06:00:27 +0000

In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Exequio De La Mora of FLOR Landscaping in San Jose, California about how he built a 25‑person, full design‑build outdoor living company in the heart of Silicon Valley by obsessing over communication, logistics, and client experience. Exequio explains how FLOR specializes in complete exterior transformations—pavers, concrete, porcelain, outdoor kitchens, lighting, planting, and mulch—while deliberately staying out of pools and house remodels, and how a separate DBA, FLOR Property Services, handles select commercial and residential maintenance accounts rooted in his family’s lawn care background. He breaks down their tight geographic focus within about 25 miles of downtown San Jose, why they’ve started trimming distant commercial work to keep projects within 20 minutes of the shop, and how internal roles (sales, operations, project managers, coordinators, three‑person field crews) are structured to keep foremen on site full‑time while the office team handles procurement and scheduling. You’ll also hear his philosophy of “overcommunicate, confirm, confirm, confirm,” how that translates into fast responses, proactive coordination with other contractors, and realistic expectations about project manager availability, and his advice to younger contractors on getting their first 10–15 clients using social media, door hangers, and at‑cost jobs that build a five‑star reputation.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

How FLOR Landscaping built a design‑build model that does “everything outdoors except pools and the house”
The separation between FLOR Landscaping (design/build) and FLOR Property Services (commercial and select residential maintenance)
Why they tightened their service area to roughly 20 minutes from downtown San Jose and began shedding far‑flung accounts
How Exequio structures his leadership team: sales, operations manager, project managers, coordinator, and foremen‑led three‑person crews
What “responsive scheduling and clear communication” looks like in practice, from instant callbacks to on‑the‑fly trenching help for GCs
How overcommunicating and setting expectations with clients smooths inevitable construction changes and builds long‑term trust
Exequio’s path from growing up in his father’s lawn care business to running a 25‑plus‑person design/build operation by age 27
His playbook for getting started today: talk on camera even before you have jobs, hit neighborhoods with door hangers, do some work at cost, and ask directly for honest five‑star reviews.

Specializing to Win: How Vintage Lawn Service Scales Maintenance and Profitable Extras

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 06:00:30 +0000

In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Jacob Romkee of Vintage Lawn Service in San Jose, California about how he and his brother built a high‑review, maintenance‑focused lawn company straight out of high school by thinking like subscription entrepreneurs instead of “Chuck in a truck.” Jacob shares why they intentionally centered the business on recurring weekly and bi‑weekly mowing and trimming, then layered in higher‑margin one‑time services—cleanups, irrigation repair, aeration, and lawn renovation—only after they had two full routes of dependable maintenance that kept cash flowing even in the slow winter months. He breaks down exactly how they’ve collected hundreds of five‑star reviews in just a few years using a simple, scripted walkthrough question (“Is there anything here that would stop you from leaving a five‑star review?”), why they obsessively track feedback metrics, and how that social proof fuels steady growth without racing to the bottom on price. You’ll also hear Jacob’s playbook for getting your first 20 clients on a shoestring budget, his reasoning for adding specialized services like aeration and boiling‑water weed control where there’s almost no competition, and his philosophy that you either have time or money when you start—so you’d better use the time wisely.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

How Jacob launched Vintage Lawn Service one week after graduation and grew it to two full maintenance routes
Why he chose to prioritize recurring maintenance first, then bolt on one‑time services like cleanups, irrigation repair, and aeration
The psychology‑driven question his crews ask at every walkthrough to fix issues on the spot and turn happy clients into five‑star reviewers
How to get your first 10–20 clients with almost no money using door hangers, in‑person visits, and low‑risk lead platforms
Why specialized services like core aeration and lawn renovation can pay off equipment costs in weeks and face far less price competition
An inside look at a potential “boiling water + foam” weed‑killing service that is pet‑ and kid‑safe yet premium‑priced
Jacob’s warning about competing on price with low‑ball operators—and how to position your business so you never have to
His long‑term view on growth: add specialty offerings your existing clients already want, while letting strong reviews and word of mouth compound over time

Scaling Evergreen Landscapes: From Teen Mower to 15-Person, Year-Round Operation

Sun, 31 May 2026 06:00:26 +0000

In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with David Romanoff of Evergreen Landscapes in Skokie, Illinois about how he grew a one-mower neighborhood gig into a 15-person, full-service lawn, landscape, and snow operation serving Chicagoland within a two-hour radius. David shares how he started as “David’s Lawn Care” in high school, then came back from three years studying in Israel, invested his savings in a first truck, and stacked formal training in botany, horticulture, pruning, and design at the Chicago Botanic Garden to build a company that now handles residential and commercial maintenance, turf care, enhancements, and snow removal. He breaks down how Evergreen separates its work into clear departments—mowing, turf science, pruning, planting/softscape, tree work via arborists, hardscape via subs, and winter snow with both owned equipment and subcontractors—so each crew can specialize and stay efficient, while most core staff stay on the team year-round. You’ll also hear how he thinks about slow-and-steady growth, trusting and empowering employees, and winning reviews: do excellent work, listen for genuine compliments, then make it easy for happy clients to share their experience online.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

How David grew from “one mower and a few neighbors” to a 15-person landscape and snow company
Why Evergreen rebranded from David’s Lawn Care and now balances 60% maintenance with 40% enhancements and construction
How they structure the business into departments: mowing, turf care, pruning, planting/softscape, arborist partners, and hardscape subs
What goes into high-quality turf care beyond mowing: fertilizers, weed control, grub control, fungicides, and timing
How they run snow removal as an emergency service using a mix of owned plows/equipment and subcontractor capacity
Why David offers winter positions to most of his summer staff to avoid retraining new crews every spring
His philosophy of “slow and steady wins the race”: adding crews, equipment, and service area only as systems and people are ready
A simple, low-tech way to get five-star reviews consistently: deliver great work, listen for praise, and send a direct review link right then

From High School Side Hustle to Two Crews: Diamond Lawn Care’s Fast Track Growth

Fri, 22 May 2026 18:31:20 +0000

In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Aiden Sullivan of Diamond Lawn Care in Wentzville, Missouri about how he turned mowing his parents’ yard in high school into a fast‑growing maintenance and landscaping company serving St. Charles County and beyond. Starting in 2022 with a handful of neighborhood lawns, Aiden now runs two trucks, multiple trailers, a full‑time crew of three plus part‑time help, and maintains 90–100 lawns a week alongside two to three landscape jobs per day. He shares how he’s expanding from core services like mowing, fertilization, mulch, trimming, and spring cleanups into drainage work, French drains, and small retaining walls, while learning to step out of the field and run two crews from the driver’s seat of the business instead of the mower. Aiden opens up about the real challenges of scaling at his age—documenting jobs clearly so crews know exactly what to do and what tools to bring, pricing projects after a few painful underbids, and finding dependable help in a competitive suburban St. Louis market—plus how strong communication and five‑star service have kept customers coming back for every new project they dream up.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

How Aiden grew from mowing his parents’ yard in high school to managing ~100 weekly lawns and multiple crews
The services Diamond Lawn Care offers today, from mowing and fertilizer to drainage solutions and small retaining walls
What changes when the owner stops riding on a crew and starts managing two trucks and teams from the office
How he’s learning to estimate landscape projects (materials, man‑hours, overhead) after underquoting some early jobs
Why clear job notes, checklists, and tool lists are critical so crews don’t waste time running back for forgotten equipment
The hiring reality in his area and why he’s considering seasonal guest‑worker programs to solve labor shortages
How tight routing in St. Charles County and careful service‑area limits keep his mowing operation efficient
The role of reviews, relationships, and “do‑it‑right” quality in turning first‑time mowing clients into long‑term full‑service customers

Transforming Tiny Brooklyn Backyards with Steel Frames, Ipe, and Smart Design

Sat, 16 May 2026 20:30:23 +0000

In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Adam Seim of Urban Exteriors in Brooklyn, New York about how he turned a background in finish carpentry, cabinetry, and metalwork into a niche business renovating tight, hard‑to‑access backyards behind 100‑plus‑year‑old brownstones.

Adam explains what makes NYC row‑house yards so challenging—no alleys, 20x40‑foot spaces, everything carried through high‑end kitchens and living rooms—and how that’s forced him to operate as much like a white‑glove service company as a contractor, with meticulous dust control, protection, and logistics.

He dives into why he prefers welded steel frames with Ipe, concrete curbs, and permeable resin‑bound stone over traditional pressure‑treated framing, how sun, shade, mildew, and freeze‑thaw cycles punish outdoor work in New York’s climate, and what “sustainable” really means when you want a deck or fence to last 30+ years instead of rotting out in ten.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

How narrow, 150‑year‑old Brooklyn row‑house backyards create unique construction and access challenges

Why Adam treats outdoor work like finish carpentry plus logistics, with dust‑collection, zip walls, and floor protection

How welded steel frames with Ipe decking and wood infill fences dramatically extend the life of exterior projects

Why climate, orientation (sun vs shade), and hyper‑local conditions matter more than product brochures suggest

What resin‑bound stone patios are, how they’re built, and where they make sense as a permeable surface

The trade‑offs between pressure‑treated lumber, tropical hardwoods, and metal when you care about sustainability

How working with high‑end clients and designers shapes material choices, detailing, and expectations

Why most of Urban Exteriors’ work comes from word of mouth and long‑term relationships that carry into winter interior projects

From a Prius to $500K: How This Chicago Landscaper Built a 5-Star Business Using Only Google Reviews

Sat, 16 May 2026 20:34:55 +0000

Daniel Opalchenski started Fresh Cutz Lawn Care nine years ago with just a Toyota Prius and a lawnmower. In this episode of the Lawn Care Grow Show, Daniel shares how he built a thriving landscaping company in Chicago without spending a dime on advertising.

*What You'll Learn:*

How Daniel went viral by hauling equipment in his Prius and turned it into free marketing

The exact Google Business Profile strategy he used to rank higher than big competitors (with 79+ reviews)

Why he intentionally limits growth to 2 crews to keep overhead low and prices fair for customers

The 50/50 balance between maintenance and landscape projects that maximizes both income and job satisfaction

How to build a sustainable business without expensive advertising by focusing on Google reviews and client relationships

Starting a lawn care business with minimal equipment (yes, even a bicycle can work)

Daniel's approach proves you don't need massive budgets or huge crews to build a successful lawn care company. His focus on customer relationships, efficient operations, and strategic Google optimization shows there's a smarter path to growth.

*Connect with Fresh Cutz Lawn Care:*

Website: freshcutz-lawncare.com

Phone: 872-888-4224

Location: Chicago, Illinois

#LawnCare #Landscaping #SmallBusiness #GoogleMyBusiness #ChicagoSmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #LandscapingBusiness #BusinessGrowth

Lawn Care Grow Show Trailer

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:25:00 +0000

Welcome to The Lawn Care Grow Show – the podcast built for lawn care professionals and landscapers ready to scale their business in 2026 and beyond.

Hosted by Mark Lamberth, a trades industry veteran and business growth strategist, this show goes deep with lawn care business owners at every stage – from single-truck startups to companies generating mid-seven figures annually.

What You'll Get:

Real conversations with successful lawn care entrepreneurs
Business growth strategies that actually work in the field
Behind-the-scenes insights into operations, systemization, and scaling
The mindset, habits, and psychology of high-performing business owners
Personal stories about balancing business with life outside of work

Whether you're running your first route or managing a multi-crew operation, each episode delivers actionable insights to help you build a more profitable, sustainable lawn care business.

New episodes drop every week. Subscribe now and join a community of lawn care professionals committed to growth.

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🎧 Grab your coffee and let's grow together

#LawnCare #Landscaping #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Podcast