The Landscaper's Guide to Modern Sales & Marketing

Hosted by Jack Jostes

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

346

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

The Landscaper’s Guide To Sales and Marketing is a weekly video and podcast series dedicated to helping lawn and landscape contractors attract more of the RIGHT customers to Increase Profits + Enjoy A Better Lifestyle. Hosted by Amazon best-selling author, keynote speaker, and Ramblin Jackson CEO Jack Jostes, this show is packed full of the latest green industry sales, marketing, and business trends to keep your business growing in the right direction.

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60 recent

November 6, 2026Episode 34817 min

How Consistency Helped Wickenburg Landscape Grow From $1M to $3.8M

What does it take to grow a family landscape business from $1 million to $3.8 million? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes features Aaron Wolfe, second-generation owner of Wickenburg Landscape and winner of the 2026 Landscape Leader of the Year award. Aaron shares how consistency transformed his approach to leadership, customer service, and marketing. From showing up on time and delivering on promises to creating educational videos every day, Aaron explains how small, consistent actions build trust and long-term relationships. You'll hear how his Landscape Chef events helped generate an estimated 500,000–700,000 in sales, why his social media strategy took seven months to gain traction, and how leading by example helped create a stronger team and a multimillion-dollar landscape company. You'll Learn: How punctuality and keeping promises build customer trust. Why consistent social media marketing attracts better-qualified leads. How relationship-building events can generate significant sales opportunities. Why business owners must lead by example to create accountability. How living your core values strengthens customer and employee relationships. Connect With Today's Guest 🌳 Wickenburg Landscape: https://wickenburglandscape.com/ 👤 Connect with Aaron Wolfe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-wolfe-5a449331/ 🏢 Wickenburg Landscape Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wickenburglandscape/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Wickenburg-Landscape/100090996053832/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

October 30, 2026Episode 34713 min

How to Build a Landscape Business That Gives You More Time for Life

What’s the point of building a successful landscape business if you never have time to enjoy your life outside of work? In this solo episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes, CEO of Ramblin Jackson, shares lessons from his annual archery elk hunting trip in Colorado, where he spent time with family, challenged himself physically, and unplugged from the demands of running a business. From hiking steep mountain trails to celebrating his first harvest with a bow, Jack reflects on the importance of family, fitness, and having something meaningful to work toward beyond your business. Jack also explains how consistency in fitness mirrors the habits required to build a profitable company. Plus, he shares why having a clearly defined ideal customer, automated marketing systems, and effective sales processes can help landscape and snow removal business owners reclaim their time. He also introduces his new book, The Landscaper’s Guide to Direct Response Sales and Marketing, and explains how the right systems can help your business grow without requiring you to work nonstop. You'll Learn: Why family, fitness, and fun should be priorities alongside business growth. How consistent daily habits lead to long-term success in business and fitness. Lessons from Jack's archery elk hunting trip and his first bow harvest. How marketing automation and a clearly defined ideal customer can help you reclaim your time. How to get a copy of Jack's new book on direct response sales and marketing. Connect With Today's Host 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: https://ramblinjackson.com/ 👤 Connect with Jack Jostes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjostes/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events 📖 Get Jack's New Book: https://landscapersguide.com/books

October 23, 2026Episode 34628 min

How Archer Landscape Design Rebranded After 18 Years to Attract Better Clients

After 18 years in business, how do you know when it's time to rebrand your landscape company? And what happens when you invest in better SEO, professional video, and a stronger sales process? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with brothers Aaron and Paul Doud, owners of Archer Landscape Design in Magnolia, Texas. They share how they transitioned from Archer Services to a more recognizable brand, recovered from declining SEO leads, and invested in video marketing to build trust with high-end residential clients. They also discuss hiring dedicated managers as their company grew to around $5 million in revenue, using AI to document operating procedures, and why a consistent sales process matters more than ever as homeowners begin bringing AI-generated landscape designs to their consultations. You'll Learn Why Aaron and Paul decided to rebrand after nearly two decades in business How SEO and professional video help attract and build trust with high-end clients When to hire dedicated managers and build stronger business systems How AI can streamline operations and improve landscape design conversations Why following a consistent sales process creates a better customer experience Connect With Today's Guests 🌳 Archer Landscape Design: https://archerlawns.com/ 👤 Connect with Aaron Doud: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-doud-71594927/ 📸 Company Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archerlawnservices/ 🏢 Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/863440417167824/archer-services/ Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

October 16, 2026Episode 34327 min

How Jays Landscape Doubled Maintenance Profit Margins From 19% to 40%

What does it take to turn a struggling landscape maintenance department into a profitable part of your business? In this episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Brad Irving, owner of Jays Landscape in Beaumont, Texas, to discuss how he and his wife, Melissa, transformed their family-owned landscaping company. Brad shares how they increased their maintenance gross profit margins from just 19% to approximately 40% by reevaluating contracts, managing labor hours, and building more consistent business processes. Brad also discusses the challenges of taking over a family business, setting measurable goals, and building a team that customers can trust. You'll hear how Jays Landscape is using SEO, website videos, and transparent pricing to attract better-fit customers, improve sales conversations, and prepare for its next stage of growth. You'll Learn: How Jays Landscape increased maintenance gross profit margins from 19% to approximately 40%. Why reviewing unprofitable contracts and crew labor hours can dramatically improve profitability. How setting clear company goals helps a family-owned landscape business grow. Why SEO, team videos, and transparent pricing help attract better-fit customers. How to build a repeatable sales and customer experience that doesn't depend entirely on the owner. Connect With Today's Guest 🌳 Jays Landscape: https://jayslandscape.biz/ 👤 Connect with Brad Irving: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-irving-90a75354/ 📸 Jays Landscape Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaysLandscape 🏢 Jays Landscape Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayslandscape/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Join us for the Landscape Leader of the Year Livestream - Thursday, 10/22/2026! https://landscapersguide.com/leader/

October 9, 2026Episode 3443 min

Is Your Landscape Company Losing Sales? Take the Secret Shopper Test

Is your landscape company losing high-value projects before you even get a chance to speak with the customer? You might have invested thousands of dollars in a professional website, beautiful project photos, and marketing that attracts affluent homeowners. But what happens when a potential customer calls your office or fills out your contact form? In this solo episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Jack Jostes, CEO of Ramblin Jackson, explains why your first impression could be costing you sales. Jack introduces the Ramblin Jackson Secret Shopper Test, a personalized evaluation of how your company handles incoming leads, phone calls, follow-up, and the overall sales experience. He also shares a real example of how one landscape company's phone-answering experience may have been hurting its sales. Discover why small details matter when customers are considering projects worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. You'll Learn: Why your office staff plays a critical role in converting high-end landscape leads. How your phone-answering experience can influence a customer's first impression. What the Ramblin Jackson Secret Shopper Test evaluates. Why response times and follow-up matter when converting marketing leads. How personalized feedback can help improve your sales process. Connect With Jack Jostes 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: https://ramblinjackson.com/ 👤 Jack Jostes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes/ Jack Jostes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjostes/ 🔎 Request Your Secret Shopper Test: https://ramblinjackson.com/secret Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

October 2, 2026Episode 34320 min

Behind the Scenes at Ramblin Jackson: New Book, New Course, & the 3 AI Tools I Use Every Day

What’s happening behind the scenes at Ramblin Jackson—and which AI tools are actually helping Jack Jostes run the business more efficiently? In this solo episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack shares an inside look at his upcoming third book, The Landscaper’s Guide to Direct Response Sales and Marketing , a new implementation course, an updated marketing audit, and the systems Ramblin Jackson is building as the company enters its next stage of growth. Jack also breaks down three AI tools he’s using in his day-to-day work: Superhuman for faster email management and AI-assisted replies, Claude for automating recurring internal workflows, and Gemini for research, travel planning, and organization. You’ll hear practical examples of how these tools save time, why strong systems still matter, and how improving your sales and marketing process can help you close more landscape jobs. You’ll Learn: How Jack is turning his new book into a practical sales and marketing course Why Ramblin Jackson is updating its marketing audit and delivery systems How Superhuman helps Jack manage email and draft responses faster How Claude can automate recurring internal processes How Gemini helps with research, planning, and organization Connect With Jack Jostes: 👤 Connect with Jack Jostes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjostes/ 📸Jack Jostes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes/ 🏢 Ramblin Jackson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamblinJackson/ 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: https://www.ramblinjackson.com/ 🌳 The Landscaper’s Guide: https://www.landscapersguide.com/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide: 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

September 25, 2026Episode 34222 min

How a 25-Year Landscape Company Is Using AI to Scale Without the Owner

What does it take to build a landscape company that can eventually run without you? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Andy Sykes, owner of Garrett Churchill Inc., to talk about what he’s learned from more than 25 years in the landscape industry. Andy shares how his company has evolved from gardening and design-build into a growing operation with roughly 18–20 field employees during peak season—and why his next goal is building a company that doesn’t depend on him for sales, design, and day-to-day management. Andy also reveals how Garrett Churchill is putting AI to work right now. In a single day, his team used AI to help create job descriptions, onboarding plans, and career paths—work Andy says could otherwise have taken him weeks. Jack and Andy also discuss video marketing, customer reviews, recruiting, employee development, and how landscape companies can use AI to give managers and field employees better access to the information they need. You’ll Learn: How Andy is building Garrett Churchill to operate without depending on him How AI helped create job descriptions, onboarding plans, and career paths Why structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day onboarding matters for growing teams How reviews, photos, and video build trust before the sales appointment How AI can help landscape managers support more people without simply adding more management overhead Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Garrett Churchill Inc.: https://garrettchurchill.com/ 👤 Connect with Andy Sykes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andysykes11/ 📸Garrett Churchill Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GarrettChurchillInc/ 🏢 Garrett Churchill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrettchurchill/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

September 18, 2026Episode 34126 min

From a Yellow Wagon at 14 to Building a Scalable Landscape Business with Andrew Lala

Andrew Lala started Yellow Wagon Landscaping when he was just 14 years old, pulling landscaping equipment around in a yellow garden wagon because he and his business partner weren’t old enough to drive. More than 20 years later, Yellow Wagon Landscaping has grown into an award-winning full-service landscape design, build, and maintenance company serving northern New Jersey. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes talks with Andrew about the next stage of that growth: getting the owner out of the weeds. Andrew shares why spending nearly half his time on a division responsible for roughly 15% of company revenue was no longer sustainable, the challenge of hiring someone to take over responsibilities he has handled for years, and why documenting processes matters when scaling. They also discuss navigating a business partnership transition, investing in marketing, and using video to create consistent messaging as the company grows. You’ll Learn: Why Andrew is working to replace himself in design, sales, and project management How documenting processes can make delegation and onboarding easier Why good business software is only valuable when someone owns the data How Andrew rebuilt his focus on growth and marketing after a major business transition Why video can help preserve your company’s message as your sales team grows Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Yellow Wagon Landscaping: https://yellowwagonlandscaping.com/ 👤 Connect with Andrew Lala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lala-927a992a9/ 📸 Yellow Wagon Landscaping Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YellowWagonLandscaping 🏢 Yellow Wagon Landscaping Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellowwagonlandscaping Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

September 11, 2026Episode 34022 min

How Transparency, Pricing & AI Are Changing Landscape Sales

What happens when your customers research your company, study your pricing, and compare your proposal with competitors before you even get a chance to sell them? According to Chuck Harkins, Director of Sales at Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living, that’s already happening—and landscape companies need to adapt. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Chuck to talk about how Miller Landscape uses transparent pricing, video, marketing, sales metrics, and even AI to make the sales process easier. Chuck also shares how his role has evolved since joining Miller in 2009, why teamwork matters in sales leadership, and why today’s landscape companies can’t rely on old-school “belly-to-belly” selling alone. You’ll Learn: Why publishing pricing can make landscape sales conversations easier How educated prospects can reach realistic budgets faster Why transparency builds trust with residential and commercial buyers How AI may change the way customers compare landscape proposals Why marketing, sales metrics, and teamwork must work together Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living: https://millerlandscape.com/ 👤 Connect with Chuck Harkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-harkins-19835263/ 🏢 Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillerLandscapeInc/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

September 4, 2026Episode 33924 min

Choosing Better Work: How Frank Di Sandro Built a More Profitable Landscape Business

After more than 25 years in business, Frank Di Sandro, founder and owner of Di Sandro Landscape Group in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has learned that growth isn't always about doing more. Sometimes, it's about becoming more selective about the work you take on. In this episode of The Landscaper's Guide , Frank joins Jack Jostes to talk about evolving from mowing lawns and residential maintenance into higher-margin landscape construction, hardscaping, stormwater management, and new home construction. Frank shares how focusing on the right opportunities, applying the 80/20 rule, and making deliberate changes have helped his company evolve without sacrificing quality. They also discuss industry-specific marketing, the power of video, accountability, and why business owners need to make time to disconnect from work. You’ll Learn: Why Frank transitioned away from lower-margin landscape work How the 80/20 rule helps Di Sandro Landscape Group choose better opportunities Why focusing on your ideal customer can improve margins and quality How accountability and deadlines make marketing partnerships more effective Why video can help landscape companies build trust and stand out online Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Di Sandro Landscape Group: https://disandrogroup.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisandroLandscapeGroup Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/