On this weekly update of Trades Talk, Justin White records from the Sierra Nevada mountains with a fresh snowfall and dives into one of the boldest culture experiments K&D has ever run. From AI agents and stock market corrections to leadership transparency and employee buy in, this weekly update covers a lot of ground.

Justin breaks down why speed is becoming a competitive advantage, how agentic AI is changing the game, and why he believes hiring opportunities may shrink over the next three years. Then he shares the headline moment: offering his team $15,000 to leave the company.

In this episode, we cover:

• The rise of agentic AI, OpenClaw, and autonomous workflows doing real work

• Why Justin sees the current tech pullback as a potential buying opportunity

• The importance of speed in decision-making, onboarding, and exiting

• How K&D runs monthly EBITDA transparency town halls

• Why Justin offered $15,000 to anyone on his team willing to quit

This update challenges leaders to think differently about loyalty, hiring, optimization, and conviction. If you are building a company for the next decade, not the last one, this one will push you to think bigger.

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Chris Angelo, CEO of Stay Green Inc. , to unpack the real story behind building one of California’s most respected landscape companies. From family roots in 1970 to multi branch commercial scale, this episode dives deep into disciplined growth, leadership transition, and what it truly takes to build something that lasts.

Chris shares how Stay Green evolved from residential beginnings into a commercial powerhouse, how he navigated taking over from his father, and why culture alignment is the hidden force behind sustainable expansion in a consolidating industry.

In this episode, we cover:

• The origin story of Stay Green and the shift from residential to commercial dominance

• How disciplined pricing and operational efficiency protect margins during growth

• Lessons from acquisitions, branch expansion, and scaling across California

• The impact of private equity on the landscape industry and staying competitive as a family run company

• Why culture, values, and behavior alignment are the real trade secret behind long term success

This conversation is a masterclass in steady, strategic growth. If you are thinking about scaling, succession, acquisitions, or protecting your culture while expanding, this one is worth your time.

On this Weekly Update of on Trades Talk, Justin White delivers straight from his backyard studio, reflecting on a near tragedy, a leadership wake up call, and a powerful question every operator needs to answer right now.

After a helicopter crash during a mastermind heli trip in Canada where every person walked away safely, Justin unpacks what it truly means to be calm under pressure. From witnessing real time heroism to confronting his own moments of frustration back at work, this episode becomes a raw reflection on standards, ownership, and leadership under stress.

In this episode, we cover:

• The helicopter incident in Canada and what true composure under pressure looks like

• Why most anger and frustration as a leader traces back to standards you failed to uphold

• The difference between grace and excuses in high performance cultures

• The leadership superpower of asking better questions and sitting in silence

• The question that changes everything: What are you waiting for?

• Why waiting for comfort, certainty, or more data is often just fear in disguise

• How making small bets and owning outcomes accelerates growth

This Weekly Update is about clarity, courage, and decisive leadership. If you know there’s a move you’ve been delaying, this episode will push you to stop waiting and start moving.

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White reposts his powerful conversation with Aaron Witt from Dirt Talk , by BuilWitt for a raw and wide ranging discussion on leadership, technology, discipline, and the future of blue collar work.

From boardroom mistakes and public transparency to robotics, AI, field labor efficiency, and mental health in construction, this episode dives deep into what it really takes to build durable companies in uncertain times. Justin and Aaron challenge surface level thinking and explore how discipline, ownership, and standards separate average operators from world class leaders.

• Why leaders must carry the burden and shield their teams instead of transferring stress

• The difference between atoms and bits and why blue collar work remains resilient in the AI era

• How field labor efficiency is the biggest profit lever in construction and landscaping

• The structural issues in construction around pay, addiction, and long term career viability

• Why clean trucks, tidy machines, and daily micro discipline directly win larger contracts

• How assigning equipment ownership to crews transforms culture and accountability

This conversation is about raising standards, embracing innovation without losing fundamentals, and building companies that can thrive through 2030 and beyond.

On this Weekly Update of Trades Talk, Justin White checks in from British Columbia with a big-picture look at life, leadership, and the power of vision.

After attending a mastermind retreat, Justin shares how a 5-year personal and business plan rooted in identity can become a compass for growth. He challenges a common belief: are your people really your greatest asset? Or is it your standards that drive long-term performance and culture?

From burnout recovery to elevating your hiring bar, this episode is packed with practical insights for leaders ready to zoom out, reset, and play the long game.

• Masterminds help unlock clarity, perspective, and self-awareness

• A 5-year plan should focus on the person you're becoming, not just goals

• Standards may matter more than people when building great teams

• Tolerating mediocrity has ripple effects across culture and results

• Zooming out helps break burnout patterns and reframe leadership challenges

This one’s for disruptors building with intention in 2026.

In this special crossover episode of Trades Talk, we are flipping the script. Justin White sits down with Benji Carlson on the LeanScaper podcast to deconstruct the "boring" reality of scaling a company from $1.5M to $20M+.

While most operators are chasing the next marketing gimmick or shiny service line, the true revenue machines are built on rote, repeatable, and often unsexy processes.

In this episode, Justin and Benji break down:

• The "Pilot’s Checklist" for Sales: How to build a sales process so standardized that any team member can "land the plane" safely, removing the stress of the close.

• The Master KPI: Why Labor Variance (Estimated vs. Actual) is the single most critical metric for profitability and why missing it by even one day can bleed millions over a year.

• The "A-Player" Multiplier: The counter-intuitive reason you should spend less time with your struggling employees and more time with your top performers to unlock 3X-5X returns.

• The Discipline of "More": Why the fastest way to $40M isn't doing new things, but ruthlessly doing more of what you are already elite at.

• Flexing the Vision Muscle: How to set goals so audacious they scare you, and use them to create leverage even before you fully believe them.

If you are tired of the "hustle harder" mentality and want the actual mechanical playbook for a self-driving revenue engine, this conversation is your blueprint.

Connect with the Guest & Host:

• Benji Carlson: LinkedIn | LeanScaper

• Justin White: LinkedIn | K&D Landscaping | J. White Group

In this Weekly Update, Justin White breaks down one of the biggest shifts happening in marketing right now. How customers are using AI to find contractors and why traditional SEO alone will not carry your business into 2026.

Fresh off the Synked Live Conference in New Orleans, Justin shares key takeaways from Marcus Sheridan’s keynote and real conversations with contractors about AI search behavior, ChatGPT, and what it means to be “the best” in an AI driven buying journey.

This episode is a reality check for business owners still relying on outdated marketing playbooks and a practical guide for those who want to stay ahead.

In this episode, you’ll learn

1. Why up to 50 percent of consumers are now starting their buying journey inside AI tools like ChatGPT

2. How AI search changes the way customers ask questions and choose contractors

3. Why being humble on your website may actually hurt you in AI recommendations

4. How AI decides who the “best” contractors are in a given market

5. Why blogs written for Google SEO are not the same as content written for AI search

6. A practical strategy for creating content AI can find, trust, and recommend

7. Why competitors who are AI native will win leads if you do nothing

Justin also explains why your own AI results are biased, how to test real world visibility, and why your marketing strategy must evolve every few weeks, not every few years.

If you want more inbound calls in 2026, this episode is required listening.

Follow Justin on LinkedIn and Instagram for real time insights from inside the landscape industry. Learn more about The Disruptors

Key takeaways to remember

• Consumer behavior is changing weekly, not yearly • AI is becoming the front door to your business • Content depth beats generic marketing • If AI cannot understand why you are the best, it will recommend someone else

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Tony Battistella, Director of Growth at K&D Landscaping, to unpack what it really takes to build a winning sales system in today’s competitive market.

The conversation kicks off with a story about transforming Justin's backyard into a personal retreat not just a landscape, but an experience. From there, Tony lays out how a structured sales process helps K&D operate with clarity, accountability, and repeatable success. It’s not about guessing. It’s about process, speed, and service.

They also cover how outbound strategy, speed to lead, and client communication have shaped K&D’s growth trajectory. One of the biggest insights: businesses that invest in sales systems and client trust will outlast those that rely on charisma and luck.

• A structured sales process creates consistency and confidence

• Speed to lead improves conversion and sets the tone

• Outbound sales drives pipeline and team focus

• Clear client communication builds loyalty and lowers friction

This episode is for any trade entrepreneur looking to scale smarter, lead better, and build a business that thrives on clarity, not chaos.