Unlock the hidden metrics that actually drive profitability in contracting and landscaping businesses. In this episode, LeanScaper CEO Mike Lysecki breaks down why profit numbers lie, how throughput reveals the truth, and the exact ratios you should track to make more money.
Expect to learn:
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Why profit numbers mislead business owners
07:30 – The steel plant story that changed everything
09:43 – Labor efficiency ratio explained in plain English
18:41 – Why labor isn’t really a variable expense
22:26 – The bottleneck analogy: assembly lines & paint booths
36:53 – Mowing vs hardscape: the shocking profit truth
46:49 – How TBG slashed overhead to 7%
51:46 – The one check every sales team should add
57:39 – Why a superstar foreman is worth 10 employees
01:05:58 – The data mantra that separates average from elite companies
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🔗 Connect with LeanScaper: https://leanscaper.com
📥 Need help? DM us or join the LeanScaper community
In this episode, Benji Carlson sits down with Brian Kaskavalciyan of The Wealthy Contractor to uncover why so many landscapers and contractors struggle with scarcity thinking—and what it really takes to build wealth in business.
Brian shares powerful mindset shifts, personal stories, and practical tools that help entrepreneurs overcome fear, reprogram limiting beliefs, and finally give themselves permission to win.
Expect to learn:
1. Why fear is the #1 reason contractors undercharge.
2. How most business owners accidentally have more faith in failure than success.
3. Why every contractor who delivers quality work deserves to be profitable (and wealthy). If you’re ready to stop playing small and start creating abundance in your business, this is a must-watch. ⏱
Timestamps:
00:36 – The fear-driven pricing trap
05:18 – Why competition is an illusion
06:43 – How to create opportunities out of thin air
09:29 – Mindset vs. skillset (why 90% is mindset)
15:08 – Stop asking “how” and ask this instead
22:37 – Why most people have faith in failure
25:45 – Reprogramming your subconscious stories
30:06 – Why mindset is like going to the gym
42:36 – Money only amplifies who you are
46:47 – How to stop moving the goalposts
53:06 – The truth: You deserve to make a profit
👉 Subscribe for more insights on building wealth and freedom in your landscaping business.
👉 Learn more at thewealthycontractor.com
Hiring in the trades is broken. Too many contractors “post and pray,” hoping the right people show up. In this episode, Benji sits down with Naomi Pitt and Josianne Gaudette from CrewHR to break down what real recruitment looks like in 2025—from building pipelines, referral programs, employer branding, and even using AI without losing the human touch.
If you’re struggling to attract and keep top talent, this episode is packed with tactical advice and powerful mindset shifts.
Timestamps:
00:50 – Why contractors fall into “post and pray” hiring
03:06 – The biggest mindset shift in recruiting
04:40 – Recruitment is a sales funnel
10:33 – Beyond job boards: new sourcing channels
14:36 – Referral programs that actually work
20:09 – The “Ideal Candidate Profile” (ICP) explained
25:20 – Gen Z and the rebranding of the trades
32:39 – Why remote work is overrated
35:10 – Mapping career paths visually
39:06 – Employer brand 101: more than logos
44:39 – AI in hiring: efficiency vs empathy
50:34 – Why small companies actually have the advantage
52:20 – CrewHR’s mission + what’s next
Marketing is the lifeblood of every small business — yet most entrepreneurs waste thousands chasing shiny objects, outsourcing to the wrong people, or tracking the wrong numbers. In this conversation with best-selling author Allan Dib (The 1-Page Marketing Plan, Lean Marketing), we unpack how to eliminate waste, focus on what matters, and build a marketing engine that works.
👉 Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@leanscaper
👉 Grab Allan’s free resources: leanmarketing.com
Timestamps:
00:00 – Introduction
01:19 – Why outsourcing marketing fails
04:52 – Marketing is like a marriage
09:18 – Defining marketing waste
13:41 – The cost of shiny object syndrome
17:49 – Advertising as pollution vs. gardens as goodwill
25:35 – Why vanity metrics don’t pay the bills (CAC & LTV)
32:57 – Why tradespeople lose leads
36:10 – The handwritten note hack that doubles show-ups
44:36 – Why 2025 is “2008 for personal branding”
47:42 – The 3 rules for waste-free marketing
Learn More About Our Accelerator Programs: https://leanscaper.com/programs
In this episode of the LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson sits down with Mark Bradley to break down the five stages of scaling a landscaping business—from startup hustle to legacy enterprise. Mark shares raw stories, painful lessons, and powerful frameworks that every entrepreneur needs to hear.
Whether you’re stuck at $500K, fighting to get past $3M, or steering a $20M company, this roadmap will help you scale with clarity, systems, and sanity.
Timestamps:
In this episode, Benji sits down with Isaac Barlow, founder of BusyBusy, one of the first time-tracking tools purpose-built for the trades. Isaac is a visionary entrepreneur and technologist who transformed the way contractors capture and use jobsite data.
Isaac shares his deep insights on the power of “jobsite intelligence,” the critical field data that helps contractors make smarter, more profitable decisions.
This conversation explores:
Whether you’re scaling a landscape company or leading a crew, this episode will challenge you to think differently about data, leadership, and field productivity.
To learn more about BusyBusy visit: https://busybusy.com/
If your business can’t run without you, it’s not a business - it’s a bottleneck. Barry Hartman built 505-Junk into a 7-figure operation because he built leaders - not just labor. In this episode, he shares the hard-won lessons behind building a leadership team that drives growth without bloated overhead.
✅ When to begin designing and building a leadership team (hint: sooner than you think)
✅ How to design roles that create ownership and eliminate confusion
✅ Why culture beats credentials in blue-collar leadership
✅ Where to find your next leader - inside your org or outside it
Timestamps:
0:00 – Why this episode matters
3:10 – How Barry knew it was time to build a team
7:45 – Structure vs. people: what comes first?
12:20 – Common mistakes contractors make in hiring leaders
16:00 – How to map out a lean leadership org chart
23:00 – Interviewing & onboarding: what really works
28:40 – Culture tips for leading leaders
33:50 – Closing advice from Barry Hartman
👉 Subscribe for more no-fluff leadership content
👉 Learn more at https://www.youtube.com/@leanscaper
Hiring your first salesperson can feel like pulling the cord on a chainsaw that won’t start; over and over again. In this episode, Benji sits down with Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency, to unpack why this hire is so hard and why most business owners get it dead wrong.
Asad has helped 1,500 companies make over $1 billion in sales hires, and he’s here to deliver hard truths and practical steps. They dive into why only 1 in 10 salespeople are actually good at the job, why the real obstacle is usually your systems, not your salesperson, and how supply-and-demand dynamics make top sales talent incredibly hard to attract.
You’ll Learn:
If you’re stuck on this hire, or burned out from false starts, this episode is your wake-up call and your playbook.
Big takeaway: Sales isn’t just another hire > it’s the unlock to real scale. But if you don’t get this right, you’ll be stuck wearing this hat in your business… forever.
Private equity is flooding into the landscaping industry, but why now? In this episode, Morgan from Breakwater M&A breaks down the massive shift in investor focus and what it means for blue-collar entrepreneurs.
We talk about:
• Why landscaping is suddenly a hot investment target
• How AI is pushing investors out of tech and into real-world businesses
• The “golden era” of exits—and how to avoid leaving money on the table
• The real reason most contractors can’t sell their business (and how to fix it)
• What makes your company irresistible to buyers—and how to get top dollar
If you’re running a landscape business and thinking about your future, this is the episode you can’t afford to skip.
👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes that challenge, educate, and help landscapers grow smarter, scale faster, and build serious value.
What happens when you hire a software programmer, not a landscaper, to help run one of the biggest jobs of your career? In this live talk turned podcast episode, Mike Lysecki reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how systems, transparency, and accountability became the backbone of TBG’s success and eventually the foundation for LMN and LeanScaper.
From a $5M residential project that ballooned into $12M, to a job interview where Mark opened his QuickBooks and doubled Mike’s salary on the spot, this conversation lays out the real playbook landscapers need to scale smarter.
✅ Why you might want to hire an operator instead of another landscaper
✅ How a $12M project exposed the need for systems
✅ The surprising power of financial transparency in leadership
✅ The first version of the Lean Playbook—and why it still works today
✅ Lessons from 20 years of cutting waste, building teams, and scaling businesses
This isn’t theory. It’s the operating system that transformed a company, and can transform yours.
You don’t run a profitable landscaping business by accident. In this episode, Benji sits down with Robert Gauvreau - CPA, author of The Wealthy Entrepreneur, and founder of Gauvreau Accounting, Tax, Law, Advisory - to expose the eight most common financial mistakes contractors make and how to avoid them.
Robert’s firm has worked with over 4,000 businesses across North America, including 700+ contractors, giving him a unique, behind-the-scenes look at what drives sustainable profitability in landscaping.
Expect to learn:
• Why financial literacy is still taboo in the trades and how to get over it
• The biggest “cash flow killers” and how to fix them fast
• Why underpricing is not a math problem, but a mindset problem
• The truth about taxes and why “I bought it with cash” is just bad business
• How to build a simple financial scoreboard to make better decisions
Whether you’re just getting your books in order or gearing up for serious growth, this episode will show you how to become the CFO your business needs. Because doing great work is only half the battle. The other half? Knowing your numbers.
🔗 Connect with Robert: https://www.gauvreaucpa.ca/ 📥 Need help?
DM us or visit leanscaper.com
To come to our Financial Intensive Workshop in Dallas ON US click here
In this special episode of The LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson takes the stage to deliver one of his most impactful talks yet: how to build a one-year people plan that actually works.
Most contractors love strategy - it’s fun, exciting, and creative. But sooner or later, every great plan must run through people… and that’s where the real challenges begin. In this live session, Benji shares the painful lessons a particularly bad year in business taught him about leadership, and the simple but powerful framework any entrepreneur can use to align their team, prevent chaos, and drive results.
You’ll hear from a bunch of the business owners in the room too, raw reflections on leadership mistakes, and practical takeaways you can implement immediately in your own company. If you’ve ever wondered how to get your people to care as much as you do, this is the episode for you.
In This Episode:
• Why strategy always breaks down at the people level
• The lessons Benji learned from his “dumpster fire year” in business
• How to design your org chart around vision, not chaos
The three most common hiring and leadership mistakes contractors make
• Practical tools to build trust, accountability, and performance across your team
• Audience Q&A: real-world people challenges and how to solve them If you’re interested in coming to a LeanScaper event like the one this talk was taken from go to LeanScaper.com/events to see our event calendar. We’d love to see you at our next one!
Timestamps
0:00 – Welcome to The LeanScaper Podcast
2:15 – Why strategy fails without people
6:30 – Benji’s “dumpster fire year” story
12:50 – Vision first, structure second, people third
17:45 – Clear deliverables and written agreements
22:40 – Chaos addiction vs. structure
25:00 – Why management systems matter
29:10 – Real-world people challenges shared from the audience
34:05 – Nervousness around delegation and leadership growth
38:50 – How to earn respect and inspire your team
40:55 – Every pair of hands comes with a free brain
46:30 – Hiring, firing, and culture fit lessons
49:00 – Closing reflections and takeaways
To come to our Financial Intensive Workshop in Dallas ON US click here
In this powerful episode, Benji sits down with Jon DeWaal, Executive Director of Liminal Space, to unpack burnout from the inside out - what it feels like, why it happens, and how entrepreneurs can break free from the grind that’s stealing their energy and purpose.
Expect to learn:
• What “functional burnout” feels like and how it traps leaders in a life they can’t escape
• How burnout hijacks your presence, leadership, and decision-making
• Easy-to-spot signs you’re burning out (and what to do about it)
• 5 practical strategies to get back your energy and lead with purpose
• Why owning your limits can actually build trust and performance in your team
This episode cuts to the heart of a common but unspoken problem: the cost of grinding nonstop without pause. Jon gives you the tools to self-diagnose burnout and reframe it not as a failure, but as a signal that it’s time to lead differently. If you’re running low on energy but can’t slow down - this one’s for you.
Connect with Jon Learn more at inaliminalspace.org Email: jon@inaliminalspace.org
To come to our Financial Intensive Workshop in Dallas ON US click here
What’s holding landscapers back from their true potential?
In this episode, Justin White (CEO of K&D Landscaping) brings raw energy to his keynote in Charlotte. He shares how “sweat equity,” a championship mindset, and bold long-term vision can transform not just your business but your entire life.
Justin doesn’t just talk about growth; he proves it by living it. From nearly losing his family business to scaling it into a market leader, his story is a wake-up call for every landscaper who’s playing small.
✅ Why most contractors set goals that are way too small
✅ The “champion’s mindset” that separates winners from everyone else
✅ How private equity is reshaping the industry - and why grit still wins
✅ Why your 10-year vision is the most valuable thing you’ll ever build
✅ The truth about sweat equity and why most leaders never apply it This isn’t about easy hacks or shortcuts. It’s about discipline, mindset, and action.
👉 Subscribe for more no-BS leadership insights
👉 Join the LeanScaper Community: community.leanscaper.com
👉 Learn more about the Accelerator Program: leanscaper.com T
To come to our Financial Intensive Workshop in Dallas ON US click here
Sometimes it’s not your systems holding you back, but your mindset. In this episode, Benji sits down with Tom Reber - Marine Corps veteran, business coach, speaker and founder of The Contractor Fight - to unpack the real work contractors need to do: winning the inner fight.
You’ll learn:
• Why fear is the #1 limiter of growth - and how to beat it
• The daily habits top contractors use to stay sharp and focused
• How to lead people instead of doing everything yourself
• Why success is an inside-out game (and how to start at home)
• A simple mindset framework (T-BAR) to reset your thinking and actions If you’re tired of repeating the same problems in your business, this episode will challenge you to look in the mirror and take your power back.
📚 Grab Tom’s book Sell Unafraid on Amazon🎯 Learn more at thecontractorfight.com
To come to our Financial Intensive Workshop in Dallas ON US click here
On Thursday July 24th, LeanScaper’s Founder Mark Bradley unveiled LeanScaper.ai, the first and only AI platform built for landscapers and their teams. Lana, the chat agent inside LeanScaper.AI, which you’ll see demonstrated in this video is available to you now for free.
Just click here to create an account in less than one minute.
In this groundbreaking keynote from the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference, Mark shares the deeply personal story behind Lana’s creation, a mission sparked by his son’s decision to join the landscaping industry and a determination to help the next generation avoid the burnout and chaos Mark once faced.
More than just tech, Lana represents a new era of leadership, efficiency, and empowerment for landscape business owners.
If you’re tired of the grind, overwhelmed by inefficiencies, and ready to unlock real growth, this episode is a must-listen.
Discover how LeanScaper.AI is built to eliminate waste, scale smarter, and give landscapers the tools and the freedom they’ve been missing.
The era of order-taking is over and if your sales team is still sitting around waiting for the phone to ring, you’re in trouble. In this episode, Benji sits down with Ryan Groth, CEO of Sales Transformation Group, to unpack what today’s high-performance contractor sales orgs actually look like and how you can build one from scratch.
You’ll learn:
• Why “sales culture” is your biggest lever in today’s market
• How to future-proof your sales org in an AI-driven world
• What sales leaders must master (hint: CRM, coaching, and culture)
• Why it’s time to lead from the front - not from the boardroom
Hard truth's and tactical next steps every $1M–$10M contractor needs to hear.
Connect with Ryan Groth and STG at salestransformationgroup.com
SEO isn’t what it used to be and if your marketing agency is still chasing backlinks and blog posts, you’re falling behind. In this episode, Benji talks with Devon Hayes, co-founder of Elevation Marketing, about how AI and large language models have transformed search and what landscaping business owners must do to stay visible and competitive.
You’ll learn:
• Why your brand is now the biggest factor in Google rankings
• What “entity SEO” means and how it’s already impacting your business
• How to audit your online presence with a Pre-SEO Checklist
• Why reviews, SOPs, and internal ops matter more than you think If you’re paying an agency to “do SEO,” this is your wake-up call.
Get aligned, get visible, and get modern.
Get the SEO Readiness Checklist here
Connect with Devon here
You don’t scale a landscape company past $30M without learning how to hunt elephants and survive the feast.
In this episode, we sit down with Steve Wheatcroft, founder of ULS and now a LeanScaper advisor, to unpack the high-stakes game of enterprise sales in landscaping. From university project to $100M powerhouse, Steve built ULS by mastering the art of landing massive municipal, institutional, and retail contracts and living to tell the tale.
We dig deep into:
• What it really takes to win big clients (and why most landscapers screw it up)
• How elephant hunting nearly killed his business and what systems saved it
• The three core risks that come with big revenue jumps (cash, complexity, talent)
• How to know if you’re ready or if that elephant will eat you alive
• His step-by-step sales strategy and what most entrepreneurs get wrong in the bid cycle This one’s not theory. It’s hard-earned wisdom from a guy who’s done it, exited, and is now helping the next generation do it smarter. If you’re serious about scaling this is your roadmap.
🤝 To learn more about Steve's advising click here
What does “Lean” really mean - and why should every landscaper care? In this episode, Benji sits down with Tom Hughes to unpack the origins of Lean thinking, straight from Toyota’s post-WWII survival mode to today’s jobsite inefficiencies.
You’ll learn:
-Why Lean was born from desperation, not inspiration
-The 7+2 types of waste every business leader should be targeting
-How landscapers lose time (and money) without realizing it
-Why focusing on the 98% of waste - not the 2% of value - is the secret to scale
From hanging a picture to running a multi-million dollar crew, this episode shows why most of what you think is productive… isn’t.
Favourite moment: “Comfort is the enemy of innovation.”
You don’t need to make your good stuff better - you need to kill your waste. Period.
👇 SUBSCRIBE for more episodes on building lean, profitable companies in the trades.