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Ep. 53 – Drive, Data, and Disruption: Bob Carey’s Landscape Success Formula

📅 April 24, 2025 ⏱️ 54:25 🎤 Tommy Cole, Bob Carey

Chapters

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  • 0:00
    Early Days & Hard Work
    Bob Carey recounts his early entrepreneurial ventures in landscaping, starting at age 12 with a walk-behind mower and eventually managing 65 accounts in high school and college.
  • 0:05
    Branch Management & DC Experience
    After selling his business, Bob managed a new branch for a landscaping company in West Virginia and later worked for a high-end residential company in Washington D.C., emphasizing the importance of learning in the field.
  • 0:09
    West Coast Operations & Data
    Bob moved to the West Coast and joined Crystal Greens Landscaping, where he specialized in challenging projects and developed data-driven systems for operational efficiency, particularly in irrigation.
  • 0:13
    Grow Outdoor & Maintenance Growth
    At Grow Outdoor Living, Bob achieved a 200% increase in maintenance sales by positioning himself as a 'landscape financial advisor' and using data to educate clients, especially homeowners associations.
  • 0:23
    Training & Collaboration
    Bob highlights the critical role of training, developing, and collaborating with his team to support clients and foster professional growth.
  • 0:27
    Crest Outdoor & Battery Power
    Bob's current role at Crest Outdoor Power Equipment involves spearheading the adoption of battery-powered tools and autonomous robotic mowers, emphasizing their cost savings and environmental benefits.
  • 0:39
    Disruptive Technology & Future
    Bob explains how Crest's 8-minute charge battery system and autonomous mowers are disrupting the market, stressing the importance of planning for future electric and robotic integration.
  • 0:42
    Robotics & Labor Shortage
    Bob details Crest's advanced robotic mowers, highlighting their unique features, quality of cut, and the potential to address labor shortages by creating new technician roles.
  • 0:50
    Personal Philosophy
    Bob shares his personal mantra of doing 'hard things' and building for capacity, illustrating it with his annual tradition of running a mile for each year of 2024.

Speakers

T
Tommy Cole
Host
B
Bob Carey
Business Developer for Oregon, Washington, and Idaho for Crest Outdoor Power Equipment

Key Takeaways

✦

Embrace data-driven decision-making to understand and communicate value to clients, especially in financial terms, like presenting yourself as a 'landscape financial advisor'.

✦

Invest in continuous training and development for your team; your people are your most valuable asset and can achieve higher levels with proper support and a clear career path.

✦

Proactively plan for the transition to battery-powered and autonomous equipment, considering long-term infrastructure needs and potential cost savings.

✦

Challenge traditional business approaches by looking for disruptive technologies and processes that can provide significant advantages, like unique battery charging systems or advanced robotic mowers.

✦

Foster a culture of collaboration within your team where all members, regardless of their primary role, are empowered to support clients and contribute to problem-solving.

✦

When evaluating new equipment, conduct thorough trials and metric tracking to quantify the benefits (e.g., cost savings from reduced fuel and repairs) before full-scale adoption.

✦

Look for opportunities to reduce labor costs and increase efficiency through innovative solutions, such as using specialized equipment like conveyor trucks for material delivery or adopting robotic mowers.

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