Trades Talk

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White and Maggie Wymore sits down with Carlos del Pozo, founder of Team Engine, to dive into how technology can reshape hiring and retention for blue-collar industries like landscaping and construction.

Carlos shares how his background in small business and the military led him to develop Team Engine, a software platform built specifically to recruit, retain, and engage field-based work...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie are joined by Paul Sanneman, founder and CEO of Contractor Staffing Source, to dive into one of the most critical and misunderstood aspects of the trades industry: recruiting.

With over 50 years of experience coaching and working with more than 2,000 contractors, Paul brings a deep, no nonsense perspective on what it really takes to build a winning team. From the early days of pagers...

In this powerful episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Chris O'Donohue owner of the Great Canadian Landscape Company, to explore how personal transformation can fuel professional success.

With 25 years in business, 50 employees, and $10M in revenue, Chris opens up about the pivotal experiences that reshaped his life—starting with a transformative ski trip organized by LMN founder Mark Bradley. What started as a helicop...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Mike Loftus, founder of Connor’s Landscape, to break down how he scaled his business from a single truck and $10,000 to a $6 million commercial landscaping powerhouse.

Mike reveals his acquisition-first approach, using SBA 7(a) loans and seller financing to buy small, overlooked businesses that larger companies ignore. He shares how annual price increases, strategic diversi...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin sits down with Kris Kiser, President & CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and EquipExpo, the industry’s largest trade show for landscape professionals.

Kris shares how EquipExpo, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, has grown into a must-attend event, offering hands-on equipment demos, networking with top manufacturers, and valuable learning opportunities. The conversatio...

In this episode of TradeTalk, host Justin White interviews Derek Derdivanis, a seasoned entrepreneur and Vistage coach, who shares his insights on the seven key principles for building a successful business. Derek emphasizes the importance of accountability, a strong company culture, understanding team dynamics, strategic planning, and the value of having an executive assistant. He also highlights the significance of lifelong learn...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White is joined by industry veterans Bryan Mours and Sean Eddy to discuss the role of technology and innovation in driving efficiency and productivity in the trades industry. Bryan, with over 45 years of experience in landscaping and HVAC, shares his journey from helping build Aspire software to advising companies like Top Green. Sean brings his sales expertise and passion for b...

Disruptors Link: https://www.skool.com/disruptors/about

In this episode, Justin White underscores how a clear vision and consistent communication keep teams aligned and motivated—especially important as businesses brace for the challenges of 2025. He points out that many companies, particularly in the landscaping sector, struggle with profitability due to inadequate pricing structures that fail to account for true costs. By focus...

Interested in Joining the Disruptors?! Link Here: Join Here

Co-host Maggie Wymore and Justin White have on special guest John Pajak, host of the Profits with Paycheck podcast, discuss John’s journey in the lawn care industry and the challenges he faced starting his own business.

John shares invaluable lessons on understanding business financials, setting profitable pricing, and managing overhead to build a successful contracting bu...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with James, founder of Yard Dawgs Lawn Care, to explore how he turned his Calgary-based lawn care company into a thriving business. James shares how niching down to fertilizer, weed control, and soil enhancements helped accelerate growth, and why their customer-first approach, with guaranteed 48-hour response times, is a game-changer.

The conversation dives into Yard Dawgs’ ...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie are joined by Chase Gallagher, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who turned a lawn-mowing gig into a 7-Figure landscape construction business in the Philadelphia suburbs. Chase shares his journey from mowing lawns at 13 to transitioning into project-based landscaping, highlighting the importance of understanding pricing, overhead, and profitability.

Chase also runs CMG University, an online...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with John Vlay, a seasoned leader in the landscape industry, to explore his impressive career and his vision for the future. Starting as an assistant estimator at Jensen Landscape in 1983, John worked his way up to CEO, where he helped transition the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). He shares the benefits and challenges of ESOPs and why Jensen ultimately s...

In this episode of TradesTalk, CEO and co-founder Mark Tipton and Senior Product Owner Whitney Griffin take us through Aspire’s incredible 11-year journey, from a small startup to a powerhouse serving over 1,500 customers in the landscape industry. They reveal how Aspire’s partnership with ServiceTitan has fueled growth, tripling investment in new features like estimate revisions, equipment scheduling, and enhanced ...

In this episode of Trades Talk, Justin sits down with Jason and Tony Batallan, the founders of Property Works, a $35 million commercial landscape empire. The Batallan brothers share their remarkable journey of leveraging their real estate expertise to build one of the most successful landscape businesses in the industry.

Listeners will discover how Property Works scaled quickly through strategic acquisitions, while maintain...

In this episode, TradesTalk welcomes Matt Budnick, Director of Key Accounts at Cam Property Services, to discuss his role in managing key clients and Cam's strategic growth. Matt explains how Cam has evolved since its founding in 1987, offering eight service lines and focusing on commercial and multifamily properties. He highlights the company's shift in strategy following the Aspire Ignite conference, including changes in compensa...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Greg Herring, founder of The Herring Group, to reveal the secrets to boosting profits and work-life balance for landscape and trade businesses. Greg breaks down why tracking operating profit margins is essential for success and how tools like Aspire can unlock powerful data insights. Learn how early financial expertise and empowering key employees can tr...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Barry Schulman to explore the transformative power of the Predictive Index (PI) in the hiring process. Barry, drawing on his extensive experience in executive search, explains how the PI tool delves into key behavioral drives—like dominance, extroversion, patience, and formality—to ensure candidates are matched with roles where they can excel. Through real-world example...

In this insightful episode of "Trades Talk," hosts Maggie and Justin delve into the unexpected obstacles facing the trades industry, providing practical advice and expert insights. They cover seven main areas:

Supply Chain Disruptions:

• The hosts discuss challenges with irrigation supplies and materials, such as long lead times and the need for substitution approvals.
• They emphasize planning ahead, maintaining strong vendor rela...