Build a Business, Not a Job: An Interview with Saby Sattler

Build a Business, Not a Job: An Interview with Saby Sattler

In this episode of the Arborist Growth Podcast, Graeme Knight sits down with Saby Sattler, an arborist of 18+ years across Europe, New Zealand, and Canada, and now Director of Sales at ArboStar. Saby shares hard-won lessons on what separates thriving tree companies from those just scraping by: knowing your real numbers, building systems instead of dependencies, and competing on reputation rather than price. We dig into his journey from firefighter to climber to tech, why "busy" doesn't mean "profitable," and how the right systems can give owners their life back. Whether you run a one-crew operation or 40 crews, there's something here for you. ⏱️ In this episode: - The biggest pricing mistake owners make. - Why the cheapest company is first to disappear. - Building a business that runs without you. - Pen-and-paper vs. modern systems. - Why professionalism wins clients (not your rigging). - What's next for the industry and AI. 📬 Connect with Saby Sattler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saby-sattler/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/saby-sattler/] Learn more about ArboStar: https://arbostar.com [https://arbostar.com] 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on growing your arborist business. Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com [https://arboristgrowthpartners.com/] to connect or learn more.

Serving People, Not Just Trees. An Interview With Matt Latham

In this episode of the Arborist Growth Partners podcast, I sit down with Matt Latham of Arborist on Demand to dig into what really separates thriving tree care companies from those barely surviving. Matt shares his journey from hauling limbs at $8/hour to becoming a board certified master arborist, surviving the 2008 collapse of his first business, and building an 80% closing ratio by treating tree care as a human care business. We cover the future of the arborist industry (ground-penetrating radar, sonic tomography, and where tech is headed), why professionalism and proper pricing matter, the case for plant health care over constant pruning, and the role of soil and microbes in tree health. Matt also drops his favorite book recommendations and explains why mentorship and ongoing education are non-negotiable. Find Matt: https://www.youtube.com/@ArboristOnDemand [https://www.youtube.com/@ArboristOnDemand]https://www.linkedin.com/company/arborist-on-demand-llc/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/arborist-on-demand-llc/]https://www.instagram.com/arboristondemand/ [https://www.instagram.com/arboristondemand/]https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZzmLWU9UvWrEv6Wr7 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZzmLWU9UvWrEv6Wr7]https://twitter.com/ArboristOnDeman [https://twitter.com/ArboristOnDeman]https://www.facebook.com/ArboristOnDemandUS/ [https://www.facebook.com/ArboristOnDemandUS/] Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com [https://arboristgrowthpartners.com/] to connect or learn more.

Inside a $3M+ Tree Service: An Interview With Kacy Keeffe

Kacy Keeffe joined his parents' tree service after a physics degree at USF and helped grow it from $300K to over $3M in Tampa. He's now a Board Certified Master Arborist, and a lawn care company recently bought out his parents' stake, keeping him on to run Arbor Bay and eventually expand tree care into the broader Southeast. Kacy walks through what's worked: defining an ICP for every season, getting every sales rep ISA certified, turning one-time removals into recurring plant healthcare revenue, and selling ethically in Florida's unregulated market. 🔗 https://arborbayinc.com/ [https://arborbayinc.com/] | @arborbayinc | Kacy Keeffe on LinkedIn #TreeService #Arborist #TreeCareBusiness Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com [https://arboristgrowthpartners.com/] to connect or learn more.

Why Tree Companies Are Adding Plant Healthcare. And Interview With Joe Boffa

Graeme sits down with Joe Boffa, Rocky Mountain Territory Manager at Rainbow EcoScience, to talk plant healthcare, what it is, how tree companies can get started, and why the margins might surprise you. Joe covers everything from the low-barrier entry points for small operators, to licensing requirements, CRM options, and how to sell PHC services to your existing client list. Topics covered: - What plant healthcare actually is (it's more than just spraying). - How one PHC tech can match the revenue of a 3-person tree crew. - Where to start if you're a small operation. - Licensing, what you need and what you don't. - CRMs for managing plant healthcare programs. - How to find your first PHC customers. Connect with Joe Boffa: 🌐 https://rainbowecoscience.com/ [https://rainbowecoscience.com/] 📧 jboffa@rainbowecoscience.com 📞 720-854-8212 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsboffa/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsboffa/] Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com [https://arboristgrowthpartners.com/] to connect or learn more.

She Built It, Sold It, Then Built Something Better. An Interview With Rebecca Seibel.

Most people sell their business and retire. Rebecca Seibel sold hers and started over. This time, entirely on her own terms. She bought a horse, moved to an off-grid cabin in the Wisconsin woods, and built something she actually wanted to wake up for every day. Now, as the founder of Tree Spirit Consulting, Rebecca travels North America training tree crews on everything from chainsaw safety to aerial rescue to leadership. Weaving decades of hard-won field experience into every course she teaches. In this conversation, we get into: - Why your "internal drive" determines whether your business survives. - What it's really like being a woman in field arboriculture. - The training most tree crews skip, and why that's dangerous. - Why the $200 bid is disrespectful to the entire industry. - What "build a company you want to work in forever" actually means in practice. Connect with Rebecca: - Website: https://www.treespiritconsulting.com/ [https://www.treespiritconsulting.com/] - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treespiritconsulting [https://www.instagram.com/treespiritconsulting] - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@treespiritconsulting [https://www.youtube.com/@treespiritconsulting] #TreeService #Arborist #TreeCare #TreeSpiritConsulting #WomenInTrades #ArboristPodcast #Chainsaw #TreeClimbing #SmallBusiness Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com [https://arboristgrowthpartners.com/] to connect or learn more.