Green Profit Academy Pros Podcast

In this episode, Steve and Christeen dive deep into the critical topic of pricing strategy and how it can significantly impact the profitability and sustainability of your business. They discuss the essential components every business owner must consider, including labor, equipment costs, material markup, and overhead. Christeen emphasizes the importance of understanding utilization rates, seasonal dynamics, and how to structure yo...

In this episode, Steve Bousquet is joined by long-time friend and peer, Bob Tunzi of Tunzi and Sons Landscaping, to discuss Bob’s over 30 years of experience in the landscaping industry. From starting his business in the early 1990s after a career change to completing $200,000+ outdoor living projects, Bob shares his journey of growth, challenges, and valuable lessons learned along the way. They discuss the evolution of the landsca...

In this episode, Steve Bousquet and Christeen Era take a deep dive into an often-overlooked aspect of business success—managing overhead costs. They break down the distinction between direct costs and overhead, explaining how expenses like rent, utilities, administrative salaries, and loan payments can impact your bottom line. With actionable insights, they outline the symptoms of overhead issues, such as low profit margins, cash f...

In this episode, Steve Bousquet and Christeen Era delve into the power of benchmarking as a tool to drive business success. They break down the concept of benchmarking, its significance, and how it can be utilized to measure performance against industry standards, identify gaps, and foster continuous improvement. From tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) like gross profit margins, sales per labor hour, and customer retention ...

In this milestone 100th episode, Steve Bousquet and Christeen Era reflect on the journey that brought them here, sharing their most valuable lessons and takeaways from years of entrepreneurship, coaching, and hosting 99 prior episodes. From the challenges of hiring and onboarding to the power of proper delegation, time management, and strategic planning, they dive into the practical insights that have helped countless small busines...

In this episode of the Green Profit Academy Pro's podcast, host Steve sits down with Rick Wallace, an accomplished entrepreneur running a thriving lawn care business. Rick shares his inspiring journey from starting at age 12 with a push mower to growing his lawn care company to over 8,000 clients, with locations in Georgia and Florida. Together, Steve and Rick dive into the challenges and successes Rick experienced while trans...

In this episode, Steve and Christeen discuss the top five ways small business owners can increase profitability in 2025. They dive into actionable strategies, including how to effectively raise your prices, stop offering low-profit services, and improve your estimating processes. Christeen shares insights on the importance of understanding costs, setting expectations for your team, and avoiding common pitfalls in pricing. The hosts...

In this episode, host Christeen Era delves into the critical importance of planning and goal setting for achieving business success in today's fast-paced environment. She unpacks the concept of strategic planning and its role in efficiently allocating resources and aligning efforts towards long-term sustainability and growth. Christeen emphasizes the significance of setting clear objectives that align with a company's mis...

In this episode, Christeen Era delves into the intricacies of maximizing the sales price of your business, a pivotal concern for any entrepreneur contemplating the sale of their company. Joined by Jim Parker, renowned as the "Lawn Boss" and a seasoned expert in the lawn care industry, they explore the nuances of preparing a business for market, from understanding the critical difference between selling a business and brin...

Join Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet in this engaging episode as they explore one of Steve's favorite business topics: the Five Functions of Business. As we step into 2025, they delve into how understanding these core functions—Marketing, Sales, Deliverables, Money, and People—can transform the clarity and ease of business operations across industries. Learn how each function contributes to the overall success of a business, ...

Join Steve Bousquet and Christeen Era as they explore the transformative power of Gallup Strengths in both personal and professional settings. As we approach the start of a new year, this episode offers valuable insights into how identifying and leveraging individual strengths can lead to enhanced leadership skills, improved team dynamics, and increased business profitability. Steve shares his personal experiences from being the gr...

In this engaging episode, Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet explore the "Retention Revolution" and discuss how to craft organizational cultures that truly stick. They delve into the critical importance of employee retention, sharing personal experiences and insights on creating a work environment that not only attracts but retains top talent. Christeen highlights how intentional culture-building efforts, like leveraging Cl...

Join Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet as they delve into the strategic steps that lawn application companies can take to maximize profitability. Drawing from their extensive experience in the green industry, they break down essential practices for optimizing daily routines, understanding seasonal cycles, and implementing efficient routing to streamline operations. Christeen and Steve emphasize the importance of leveraging technolog...

In this enlightening episode, we welcome Leslie F. Halleck, a distinguished Certified Professional Horticulturist with a notable 27-year career in the horticulture industry. Leslie's extensive experience ranges from botanical field research to public gardens, landscape design, and horticulture consulting, making her an invaluable resource for both businesses and home gardening enthusiasts. A seasoned author and speaker, Leslie...

In this insightful episode, join hosts Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet as they delve into the critical topic of pricing strategies to ensure profitability in your business. As they navigate through the nuances of pricing markups and margins, they share a five-step approach designed to help businesses identify, understand, and rectify common pricing pitfalls. Whether you're grappling with understanding your costs, determining ...

Christeen Era & Steve Bousquet delve into the powerful and life-changing "Profit First" methodology. Join us as we examine the core principles of this innovative approach that promises to turn traditional accounting on its head, by putting profit at the forefront of your business strategy. Steve and Christeen launch into an insightful discussion on how the Profit First system can shine a financial mirror on your busin...

Hosts Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet delve into the evolving landscape of sales in the lawn care and landscape industry. They reflect on the changing dynamics brought about by technology and discuss the pitfalls of relying solely on digital methods for sales. Steve shares insights from his 41 years of experience, emphasizing the importance of personal interactions and the pitfalls of a "lazy sales approach" that relies ...

Dive into an engaging episode with hosts Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet as they unravel the art of effective communication by leveraging Gallup’s CliftonStrengths. Discover how understanding different domains—Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building, and Strategic Thinking—can transform the way you connect with your team and loved ones.

Christeen and Steve share personal anecdotes and professional insights on bridging communi...

Join hosts Christeen Era and Steve Bousquet in an engaging conversation as they unravel the art of navigating employee performance. Discover insightful strategies for determining when to coach, support, or make the tough call to terminate. They share the secret sauce for creating a dynamic workplace: clear, written expectations paired with regular check-ins that supercharge productivity and slash turnover rates.

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