Trades Talk Podcast

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Nick Knight and Christian Padgett of Baldwin Group to explore how insurance can be more than a backup plan. For growing landscape companies, it can become a tool for strategy, stability, and even profit.

Nick comes from a family of insurance professionals, and Christian brings over ten years of hands-on landscape industry experience with companies like Valley Crest, Brickma...

On this week's update, Justin White breaks down the realities of running a service-based business in today’s environment, covering AI, client accountability, and what it really takes to stay profitable.

From testing out AI agents in his inbox to planning an automated system for financial forecasting and zero-based budgeting, Justin shares how technology is becoming part of his day-to-day operations. He also talks about t...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White sits down with Cole Weller, co-founder of Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, a company that started as a high school side hustle and grew into a multi-branch, multi-million dollar business serving the Midwest.

Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Weller Brothers now employs over 200 people and operates in Rochester, Minnesota and Des Moines, Iowa. The company offers a full ra...

This weekly update comes from Las Vegas, where Justin's at the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference. The have brought together over a thousand professionals to explore the future of the industry. From robotic mowers to AI-powered estimating tools, the message was clear: technology is becoming a core part of how landscaping businesses will operate.

Robotic mowers were front and center, with manufacturers like Scythe and Kress sh...

This week on Trades Talk, host Justin White talks with Tiffany Peters, the newly appointed President of North by Northwest, a family-owned landscaping business in Austin, Texas.

Founded by her parents in 2003, North by Northwest started as a small residential mowing company with just 20 employees and $1 million in annual revenue. Tiffany grew up with the business—but wasn’t always sure she wanted to be part of it.

After college and...

In this week’s episode of Trades Talk, Justin White delivers a direct and practical breakdown of what it takes to grow a landscaping business that is truly built to last. He challenges the common mindset that success in the trades is just about working harder and taking on more jobs. Instead, he introduces a bigger vision: one focused on building lasting value, creating systems, and developing a company that can thrive beyo...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Christian Heaviland to unpack the evolution of a family landscaping business into a major acquisition by BrightView. Christian shares what it was like growing up in the green industry, the behind-the-scenes of selling a company, and how he’s navigating the current wave of private equity interest flooding the market.

They dig into the real challenges facing landscape compani...

In this week’s episode of TradesTalk, Justin White shares what’s happening behind the scenes at K&D Landscaping as the company navigates Q3 of 2025. With $20 million in annual revenue, Justin breaks down how his team is aligning for continued growth, investing in people, and doubling down on strategic clarity.

He also previews two major industry events: The Lean Scaper Conference in Charlotte, where he’ll speak on Sweat Equity,...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Mark Sedgley, CEO of the newly merged LMN and SingleOps, to unpack his unexpected journey from mowing lawns in high school to leading one of the largest software platforms in the green industry.

Mark reflects on a career that spans teaching English in Poland, building a 300-student academy, entering the tech world through startups, and eventually running high-growth compani...

🎙️ Trades Talk Weekly Update #5: Own Your Three – Taking Control & Planning for Success

In this week’s episode of Trades Talk, host Justin White discusses the planning sessions for Quarter Three at K&D Landscaping, emphasizing the importance of setting three key goals, performance indicators, and daily non-negotiables — the foundation of K&D’s quarterly theme: Own Your Three.

Justin reflects on the significance of the ...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White sits down with Tony Battistella, the new Director of Growth at K & D Landscaping, to talk about how the industry is changing and what still matters most. Tony walks through his journey from park service attendant at 16 to running his own business in New Zealand, and now helping lead one of California’s fastest growing landscape companies. Along the way, he’s worked at nearly every lev...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White breaks down why midyear alignment is a non-negotiable for business leaders looking to finish the year strong. He shares a practical framework that includes leadership planning sessions, departmental check-ins, and all-hands meetings designed to align goals, clarify roles, and create momentum across the organization.

Justin also emphasizes the connection between strategic planning and team...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin sits down with Eugene Lee, a longtime financial advisor who left a cushy 5-hour workweek to build "Love Your Neighbor"—a startup aiming to revolutionize home repairs.

Inspired by casual “yard beers” with neighbors, Eugene spotted a major gap: when you need a contractor fast, there’s no reliable way to find someone nearby who’s off duty but available. So, he built it. Despite knowing almost noth...

In this forward-looking episode of TradesTalk, Justin White unpacks his recent visit to the Kress Next Summit in Los Angeles, where top landscapers from across the West Coast gathered to see the future of the industry in action.

At the center of the conversation: the Kress Voyager- a fully autonomous, 48-inch zero-turn mower with a 5000-hour lifespan and cutting-edge level 5 autonomy, capable of mowing 5 acres in just 6 hours. With...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin White interviews Meg Butterly, whose unconventional path took her from a Detroit bar to a career in country radio and now to leading brand communications at Kress, a cutting-edge electric power equipment line by Positec.

Meg shares how she went from pursuing radiology to working with major radio stations across the country, including stints in Detroit, Pittsburgh, West Palm Beach, and Charlotte...

In this solo episode of TradesTalk, Justin White shares key lessons from a recent stay at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida  and how their legendary service philosophy can apply to any service business.

From a dropped fork instantly replaced to a manager personally fetching a guest’s favorite matcha drink, Justin unpacks how Ritz empowers every employee to deliver memorable moments with a $2,000-per-guest service budget. Daily ri...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin interviews Ellen Rohr, one of the most respected voices in the trades industry. Known for her no-nonsense approach to business, Ellen shares how leaders can grow personally and professionally through community, connection, and consistent execution.

They talk about two major industry events happening in Anaheim this September:

• Pantheon (Sept 17-19) — ServiceTitan's flagship event for home ...

In this solo episode of TradesTalk, host Justin White unpacks why trust is the key to building a scalable business.

Justin reflects on his own leadership evolution, from micromanaging to empowering his team. A recent moment stood out: while out sick, his leadership team ran a major meeting without him and crushed it. That kind of success only happens when you trust your people.

He also dives into the challenges of generational tran...

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie reflect on the end of an era as Maggie steps away from the mic after more than 60 episodes. What started over steak dinners and shared vision grew into a podcast that’s helped spotlight the fast-changing trades industry, elevate voices, and build a loyal community of listeners.

Maggie shares how her role at Service Titan continues to evolve, balancing career growth and family life, w...