In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin dives into the leadership systems behind his $20 million landscaping company (K&D Landscaping) and how lessons from military aviation are helping him raise the bar in the trades. From debriefing strategies that build team accountability to repeatable systems that scale across departments, Justin shares how he's building a company culture that values transparency, learning, and execution.

He breaks down his 10-minute debrief framework: Fact, Focus, Root Cause, and Forward; then explains how it drives continuous improvement. He also discusses the power of “process over personality,” how to create safe environments for teams to learn and fail, and what it takes to build infrastructure that supports long-term growth.

Whether you're leading a crew or scaling a company, this episode offers practical insights into leadership, accountability, and culture-building in the trades.

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin sits down with brothers John and Mark Stephens, co-founders of Stephens Landscape Professionals, to talk about how two teenagers with a mower turned their passion into a professionally recognized business featured in Lawn and Landscape Magazine’s January 2025 cover story.

The story starts in high school, where their parents handed them a commercial mower. What began as a family chore grew into an entrepreneurial drive; John took a business class project seriously, designing early flyers with tear-off tabs, logos, and door-to-door marketing. Together, the brothers combined grassroots hustle with a long-term vision.

They discuss their bold decision to pitch themselves to Lawn and Landscape years before getting featured, their standout branding (black trucks, polished logo), and how media exposure helped expand their reach and attract top talent. They also share how annual planning, strategic storytelling, and professional branding set them apart in a crowded industry.

This episode is about more than landscaping, it’s about vision, follow-through, and building a company that gets noticed.

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Joe Lafigliola, founder of Process Smart, to explore how trades and service businesses can scale efficiently without breaking the bank on overhead.

Joe shares how Process Smart uses a remote team in India and the Philippines to handle critical back office tasks like estimating, AR and AP, lead follow ups, data entry, and more, which is giving owners breathing room to focus on growth.

They dig into why many companies stall between $4 to $10 million, how overhiring can kill profitability, and why you should build infrastructure for $20 million before you hit it.

If you are tired of wearing too many hats or overloading your team, this episode breaks down how to add horsepower without adding headcount and grow the right way.

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Craig Muirhead, founder of Canopy Insurance Services, to talk about what it takes to build long-term business partnerships and scalable safety programs in the trades industry.

Craig, based in Santa Cruz, started his brokerage in 2020 after years in the corporate insurance world. He shares how he built his book of business from the ground up and why he walked away from the big firm model to deliver more personalized, relationship-driven service.

Justin reflects on their 12-year journey together, from when K&D was a $1 million business to now a $20 million company and how Craig was one of the few vendors to scale with them, playing a key role in shaping their internal safety culture.

Craig shares actionable advice on launching employee-led safety committees, when to implement them, and how to get real results with full management buy-in. He also explains how safety programs can reduce insurance costs and become a long-term asset, not just an annual task.

Whether you're focused on scaling your company, improving internal safety, or building better vendor relationships, this episode is packed with practical insights from one of the most trusted names in trades insurance.

In this episode of Trades Talk, host Justin White interviews Michael Ding, founder of Bobyard, a startup focused on leveraging AI to improve the landscaping industry. Michael shares his journey from growing up in Cupertino to building a company that trains AI models to read construction drawings, specifically for landscaping. The conversation delves into the importance of focusing on a niche, the challenges of implementing AI in traditional industries, and the significance of execution in startup success. Michael emphasizes the potential for AI to revolutionize estimating processes in landscaping, allowing companies to increase their capacity without necessarily hiring more staff. The discussion also touches on the vibrant startup ecosystem in San Francisco and the importance of attracting top talent in AI. Michael concludes with insights on the hard work and dedication required to build a successful startup, highlighting the lessons learned along the way.

Michael Ding LinkedIn

https://www.bobyard.com/

Chapters

00:00

Introduction to Bobyard and Michael Ding

02:19

The Evolution of Bobyard's Focus

05:50

Understanding AI in Construction

10:09

Narrowing Down to Landscaping

13:13

The Impact of Focused Strategy

15:39

Increasing Estimating Capacity with AI

18:06

The Role of Early Adopters in Technology

24:40

Commitment to Execution in Startups

29:02

Scaling Revenue Without Increasing Team Size

31:26

The AI Gold Rush: Opportunities and Challenges

32:09

The Startup Ecosystem: Hype vs. Reality

34:06

Investment Dynamics in AI

34:58

Evaluating AI Startups: Fundamentals Matter

39:23

Attracting Top Talent: The Engineer's Perspective

44:41

Future Vision: Smarter Drawings and Beyond

49:04

The Hard Truths of Startup Life

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 workforces. From automated text communication with applicants to onboarding support and internal team messaging, Team Engine helps bridge the gap between office and field.

With turnover rates in the trades averaging 50% and some roles needing to be filled 4 to 5 times per year, Carlos shares why speed and consistency are the new keys to successful hiring. He outlines practical strategies including keeping your pipeline full year-round, responding to applicants faster, and even over-hiring to account for training time.

If you’re struggling to find and keep great people, this episode is packed with smart, tech-forward solutions you can implement today.

Team Engine Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-engine/

https://www.teamengine.io

Disruptor Links:

Disruptors Community Home Page

Landscape Intelligence Chat GPT

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 to the age of AI, he has seen how talent fuels growth and how the right hiring strategy can make or break a company.

Paul breaks down the biggest myths in the industry, including the idea that you should only recruit when you need someone or that internal hiring is always the best route. He makes the case for continuous recruiting, writing job ads that inspire, and outsourcing your hiring to experts who know how to find and evaluate top tier candidates.

Whether you are running a small team or scaling a multimillion dollar company, this episode will challenge how you think about hiring and give you the tools to do it better.

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 helicopter skiing adventure turned into a deep, vulnerable mastermind with 16 industry leaders, leading Chris to re-evaluate his health, leadership, and priorities.

Chris shares how he lost 40 pounds, restructured his business, started 6 AM workouts, and began leading with empathy—all driven by his desire to be more present for his two daughters and break generational health patterns.

The episode dives into how self-care became his most important business strategy, how he’s navigating challenges in Vancouver’s real estate and labor markets, and why he believes in abundance over competition.

Through honest reflections, leadership lessons, and inspiring mantras, Chris challenges listeners to rethink success—not just in terms of growth and revenue, but by how well you take care of yourself, your people, and your purpose.