Snowfighters Institute Podcast
This is the Snowfighters Institute podcast, where you will hear directly from some of the most interesting people in the professional snow and ice management industry – to learn about their successes, to hear about the challenges they faced along the way, and to have their perspective on critical issues facing our industry today. Hosted by Phil Harwood (Phil@GrowTheBench.com). Follow our social media feeds and check out upcoming events at SnowfightersInstitute.com.
Episodes
Josh Ferguson, Partner at Freeman Mathis and Gary LLP and 22-year insurance defense attorney, joins Phil to share legal insights from defending snow and ice management contractors nationwide. From handling salt shortages with proper contract language, to navigating multi-tier liability claims, to why lost text messages can sink a defense, Josh reveals why documentation is the foundation ...
Steven Walus, President of Great Lakes Snow Systems in Elgin, Illinois, joins Phil to share his journey from shoveler to skid steer operator to business owner through a five-year seller-financed buyout. From starting with two trucks and all subcontractors to building relationships with municipal contracts, Steven reveals why asking about succession planning opened the door to ownership, ...
Joel Wollum, President of The Emerald Companies in St. Cloud, Minnesota, joins Phil to share his journey from dairy farm kid to newspaper press operator to lawn care entrepreneur. From starting with a $100 garage sale mower and manually lifting snowblowers into trucks 15 times per storm, to building a business that still serves customers from 28 years ago, Joel reveals why referrals are ...
Cam Roberts, President of Laser Pavement Solutions and host of "Stripe It Like It's Hot" podcast, joins Phil to share his journey from facility maintenance to running a pavement and snow removal business in British Columbia. From lessons learned hiring contractors in small towns, to bleeding money for the first three years, to building a podcast that's now 151 episodes strong, Cam reveal...
Mike Bott, co-founder of Frost Solutions, joins Phil to discuss how mini weather stations are revolutionizing snow removal operations. From property-specific forecasting that outperforms local news and NOAA, to AI-powered alerts that eliminate middle-of-the-night property checks, to real-time pavement temperature readings taken every minute, Mike explains how technology can save money, i...
Jason Kane, National Sales Manager for Midwest Salt with over 14 years in the industry, joins Phil to share his journey from responding to a Craigslist ad to becoming a logistics expert in the salt supply chain. From explaining why salt is more of a commodity than people want to admit, to breaking down the complex journey from mine to contractor's truck, to learning hard lessons from con...
Stephanie Leveling, Brand Ambassador for Boss by Integra with over 30 years in the landscape and snow industries, joins Phil to share her journey. From discussing why snow contractors are professionals making massive investments before the first snowflake flies, to the importance of job costing data and supporting women in the trades, Stephanie reveals why proper software implementation...
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Jeen Stork from Stork's Plows about Snow Alliance, April 25-26, hosted by Stork's Plows at their Leesport, PA facility. If you're in the snow business, you will not want to miss 2025 Snow Alliance.
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Nataly Mualem, an attorney specializing in employment immigration. She is the founder of the Mualem Firm (mualemfirm.com). Her firm provides employment solutions for businesses throughout the United States, including snow contractors. If you're in need of a new source of workers, you will not want to miss this episode.
...Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Ted Lucia, President of Lucia Landscaping about his company's approach to snow & ice management, the snow industry, organizational culture, and more.
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Levi Jett about Mock Storm Training, a methodology based on military principles and applied to our industry. Levi is the founder of Jett Facility Consultants and will be presenting in person at OPS Management, September 11-12, 2024 at Storks Plows.
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Mike Cossins, President of The Integra Group and developer of Boss Software, and Tyler Johnson, Business Coordinator with Curbside Landscape & Irrigation, about using Boss Software for snow. By making significant investments in its capabilities and by engaging with Boss users involved in snow, Boss has developed a robust solution for snow contract...
Join Phil Harwood as he interviews Jason Case, CEO of Case Facility Management Solutions. Listen in as Jason shares his inspiring story and perspective on a wide range of topics.
Join Phil Harwood as he invites Tom Canete back for a follow up conversation about business strategy and more. Tom is the owner of Canete Snow Management and several other businesses. Based in New Jersey, Canete Snow Management is the provider of choice for MetLife Stadium, home of the New York Giants and the New York Jets.
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Tyler Jabaay from Priority Landscape & Maintenance, serving northwest Indiana, Chicagoland, and West Michigan. Tyler's story is filled with timeless and enduring lessons about business, family, and living life to its fullest, along with some inspiring takeaways for your business.
Listen in as your host, Phil Harwood, interviews snow business icon, Troy Clogg about his snow business, the snow industry, Hot Pink Deicer and Hot Pink Helpers, and, of course, Snowfighters Institute, as Hot Pink Deicer is a Platinum Sponsor and host of the Forum for Sales, being held August 14-15, 2024 in Novi, MI (Detroit area).
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Jeen Stork from Stork's Plows (storksplows.com). With the world's largest inventory of new and used snow plows and snow plow parts, Stork's is truly an industry leader. On this podcast, Jeen shares his story about growing up in a family business, how the business has evolved over the years, and business succession. Also, learn about upcoming events at...
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Lisa Rose of Allin / Rose Consulting (allinrose.com). Lisa brings a unique perspective, as she combines a legal background with years of experience in the snow industry. She will be a presenter at this year's SIMA Symposium in Hartford, CT.
Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Chris Pegnia, co-founder and Vice President of Busy Beaver Lawn & Garden, located just outside of Buffalo, NY about his experience with two massive snow storms that dropped 180" of snow in just these two storms. Here about Chris and his team managed their way through it and what they learned.
Listen in as Neal and Phil discuss what's coming up in 2023 at Forum for Sales (May & July) and Operations Management (June & September).
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