The Ultimate Landscape CEO - Jeffrey Scott

From Door Knocking to $20M+: Troy Clogg’s Blueprint for Building a Landscape Empire The Right Way

Troy Clogg, Founder of Troy K. Clogg Landscape Associates, based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, sits down with Jeffrey Scott to share the unfiltered story behind building a $20 million landscape and snow business from the ground up. Troy started the way most of us do — knocking on doors as a teenager, cutting grass four square miles at a time. Fast forward a few decades and he’s closing in on $20 million in revenue, with his first employee still on the crew after 40 years, a supply house built around a hot pink de-icer, and a company culture rooted more in humanity than P&L margins. He pulls back the curtain on what actually drove his growth — from offering full-time salaries in the trades before it was common, to running door-hanger campaigns with handwritten notes, to an upcoming acquisition that marks his first real move away from purely organic growth. He’s also refreshingly honest about what doesn’t work: he straight-up tells you the supply house doesn’t make money and why most contractors shouldn’t open one. Troy is a co-host at the Summer Growth Summit, August 18–20 in downtown Detroit — and if you’re a landscape or snow business owner ready to stop guessing and start scaling, this episode is your preview of what’s coming. 🎟️ Super early bird ends May 8th! Register now and save $400 per ticket. 👉 https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ [https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/] KEY TAKEAWAYS: Starting from zero works — if you’re willing to knock on doors. Troy built a base of 447 customers within four square miles as a teenager using nothing but door knocking and flyers — no internet, no social media, no shortcuts. Paying full-time salaries before it was industry standard was a game-changer. Offering year-round employment in the trades was rare in Troy’s early days — and it’s a big reason why his first employee, Greg, is still with him after 40 years. Employee retention is a culture decision, not an HR strategy. Troy attributes his long-tenured team to transparency, high expectations, safety, security, and genuinely caring about people — treating the business more like a family than a corporation. Snow and design-build drive the highest margins. Troy breaks down which parts of his business are most profitable — snow removal, design-build, tree work, and fertilizer all lead, while lawn cutting has become increasingly tight. The supply house is a passion project, not a profit center — and Troy will tell you that straight. He’s transparent that the supply yard rarely makes money, and cautions other contractors to think hard before opening one unless the motivation isn’t primarily financial. Hot pink branding wasn’t a gimmick — it became a philanthropic movement. The Hot Pink De-icer started as a product and grew into a charity-driven brand identity that now funds community fundraisers and gives Troy a platform to give back while building business. Door hangers + handwritten notes still work in 2025. Troy still uses neighborhood door-hanger campaigns combined with personal handwritten messages when crews are working nearby — and he measures results to prove it. Organic growth is powerful, but smart acquisitions can accelerate it. Troy has grown almost entirely through organic means, but reveals he’s about to sign his first acquisition deal — a strategic move for good people in a great location. Authenticity is your brand. From the hats he wears to still cutting his own grass with a vintage mower, Troy’s identity and business identity are the same — and he credits the years he tried to be different as the ones that didn’t go well. The Summer Growth Summit in Detroit is the place to dig deeper. Attendees will get a company tour, meet the long-tenured crew, see how Troy designs his facility for both summer and winter operations, and hear him speak on branding, charity, and scaling. 🔗 Link mentioned by Troy Clogg: https://hotpinkhelpers.com/ [https://hotpinkhelpers.com/] The post From Door Knocking to $20M+: Troy Clogg’s Blueprint for Building a Landscape Empire The Right Way [https://jeffreyscott.biz/from-door-knocking-to-20m-troy-cloggs-blueprint-for-building-a-landscape-empire-the-right-way/] appeared first on Jeffrey Scott [https://jeffreyscott.biz].

Building a Growth Machine: A Landscape Founder’s Raw Take on Leadership with Ivan Katz

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Ivan Katz, founder of Great Lakes Landscape Design just outside Detroit, Michigan. Ivan’s been in the game for 37 years, but he’s moving like he’s just getting started. They dive into four surprise questions—from what he wants attendees to notice during his new facility tour, to the one thing he believes he does better than almost anyone else (hint: it’s not just design work). Ivan gets real about the hardest transition he’s made: moving long-time, loyal employees off his leadership team and bringing in outside talent without blowing up the culture. He also calls out where too many contractors settle—especially around training and promoting people into roles they’re not ready for. Plus, Ivan shares why he keeps bringing big teams to the Summer Growth Summit year after year, and what’s changed now that he’s co-hosting. If you’ve ever struggled with scaling, loyalty vs. performance, or keeping your team hungry, this one’s for you. Summer Growth Summit (Aug 18-20): The super early bird discount ends May 8th. For more info and to register, click this link: https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ [https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/] Key Takeaways: Facility as a growth tool: Ivan’s new 33,000 sq. ft. space isn’t just bigger—it’s designed around workflow, team movement, and intentional growth. He’s staying disciplined to avoid “deferred maintenance” creep. 70%+ repeat business isn’t luck: Most of their revenue comes from existing clients, and over a third is recurring contract work. They treat projects like annuities, stretching big visions over multiple years. Hardest move? Removing legacy leaders: Ivan pulled four long-term employees off his leadership team—including a 24-year vet—to make room for new thinking. It was emotional, messy, and necessary. Where owners settle: Promoting a good foreman to production manager without real training. Ivan says the industry gets complacent—real growth means building people up intentionally, not just filling seats. Bringing the whole team to a summit: Ivan’s not just attending the Summer Growth Summit anymore—he’s co-hosting. He’s using the event as a catapult, giving his people speaking slots, Slack channels, and real ownership over the experience. Being present > being busy: After losing his phone and dealing with IT outages, Ivan’s doubling down on showing up fully—with family, team, and clients. Clear words and real presence beat speed every time. The post Building a Growth Machine: A Landscape Founder’s Raw Take on Leadership with Ivan Katz [https://jeffreyscott.biz/building-a-growth-machine-a-landscape-founders-raw-take-on-leadership-with-ivan-katz/] appeared first on Jeffrey Scott [https://jeffreyscott.biz].

Inside the Dual Leadership Structure at Great Lakes Landscape Design, with Desiree Bouchard & Ellen Moore

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Desiree Bouchard, Integrator and General Manager, and Ellen Moore, Director of Continuous Improvement — both from Great Lakes Landscape Design in the Detroit, Michigan area. These two have built one of the most intentional leadership structures in the green industry. Des shares how she rose through the ranks over 13 years, from office support to becoming the obvious choice for integrator when the company adopted EOS. Ellen brings an unconventional background — from nuclear power to an MBA to landscape — and now serves as what she calls “the integrator’s integrator,” diving deep into process fixes so Des can focus on running the company. Together, they break down the real work of operational leadership: building meaningful KPIs, implementing daily huddles that actually stick, standardizing sales estimating in LMN, and using tools like the Five Why’s and tabletop customer journey exercises to eliminate process breakdowns for good. They’re honest about what change management actually requires — patience, persistence, buy-in strategy, and the courage to go through the hard stuff, not around it. If you’re a landscape business owner, integrator, or anyone trying to scale with better systems and a stronger culture, this one is packed with actionable insight straight from the field. 🌱 Great Lakes Landscape Design will be co-hosting the Summer Growth Summit — August 18–20th! Des and Ellen will both be speaking, and you won’t want to miss it. 👉 Grab your spot here — Super early bird discount ends May 8 – https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ [https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/] Key Takeaways: The “integrator’s integrator” model works. Hiring a Director of Continuous Improvement frees the integrator to focus on operations instead of constant fire-fighting. Daily huddles create instant alignment. A 10–15 minute morning check-in with live metrics gives teams a structured moment to flag issues before they become bigger problems. Track metrics that actually move the needle. Know what numbers to watch daily, weekly, and monthly — not just what’s easy to pull. Standardize your sales estimating process. Inconsistent, individual-driven estimating costs you money. Shared templates and systems keep the whole team on the same page. Announcing a change ≠ implementing one. Real adoption requires training, follow-up, and patience. Most leaders move on too fast. Walk the customer’s journey end-to-end. A simple tabletop exercise — tracing data from first call to final install — exposes exactly where your process breaks down. Scheduling belongs at the leadership level. It takes senior authority to push both sales and production. Don’t delegate it too low. Culture and systems have to grow together. Prep your team before the change arrives — buy-in is built before the rollout, not during it. Bring your whole team to industry events. When everyone hears the same message, going home and implementing it becomes a whole lot easier. Every level of leadership needs a strong second-in-command. It’s not just for owners — it multiplies impact all the way down the org chart. The post Inside the Dual Leadership Structure at Great Lakes Landscape Design, with Desiree Bouchard & Ellen Moore [https://jeffreyscott.biz/inside-the-dual-leadership-structure-at-great-lakes-landscape-design-with-desiree-bouchard-ellen-moore/] appeared first on Jeffrey Scott [https://jeffreyscott.biz].

Beyond the Backyard: A Successful Pivot Into Home Building & Renovation – With Doug Taylor

In this episode, host Jeffrey Scott sits down with Doug Taylor, CEO of Frontiers Design Build in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Doug shares the fascinating 18-year journey of evolving his business from a landscape design-build firm into a high-performance construction company. He opens up about the real-world challenges of managing two vastly different business models—landscape and construction—under one roof, and how he navigated the financial tightrope to find the perfect balance. Doug also dives into his latest chapter: pivoting into multi-unit affordable housing by applying high-performance building principles. Finally, he offers a masterclass on moving beyond basic AI usage, explaining how he’s built a “knowledge base” to turn AI into a true strategic thought partner for business development and marketing. Registration is Now Open for the 2026 Summer Growth Summit: https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ [https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/] Key Takeaways: The Financial Trap: Why mixing a high-margin landscape business with a lower-margin construction business creates forecasting chaos unless you stabilize your overhead model. The “Gravy” Strategy: How Doug intentionally shifted to an 80% construction / 20% landscape model, treating the higher-margin landscape work as a stable “gravy” profit center. Defining High Performance: An explanation of what high-performance homes are (energy efficiency, occupant comfort, durability) and how they differ from standard builds. The Value Over Cost Pitch: How to sell high-performance building by focusing on long-term occupant outcomes and generational durability rather than just upfront costs. The Pivot Playbook: Why Doug advises landscapers against simply “dabbling” in winter renovations unless they are willing to acquire outside talent and accept a completely different operational structure. AI as a Thought Partner: Moving past using AI to write emails; instead, building a “knowledge base” (uploading SOPs, org charts, and even DISC profiles) to turn AI into a strategic partner for marketing and business development. The post Beyond the Backyard: A Successful Pivot Into Home Building & Renovation – With Doug Taylor [https://jeffreyscott.biz/beyond-the-backyard-a-successful-pivot-into-home-building-renovation-with-doug-taylor/] appeared first on Jeffrey Scott [https://jeffreyscott.biz].

Why Your Next Best Hire Might Be a Navy SEAL: Christian Ruf on Recruiting Veterans for the Trades

In this episode, Jeffrey Scott sits down with Christian Ruf, founder of Uncommon Elite and former Night Stalker helicopter pilot with the elite 160th SOAR, to break down one of the most impressive first years in recruiting you’ll hear about — 78 placements in 12 months, serving construction, home services, HVAC, fencing, foundation repair, and more. Christian pulls back the curtain on why special operations veterans outperform conventional hires in blue-collar leadership roles, how he’s built a headhunting firm that completes placements in days instead of months, and the lessons that surprised him most about working with small business owners. From defining outcome-based scorecards before you even post a job, to using military-style case studies as a pre-hire screening tool, this episode is a masterclass in hiring for keeps — not just filling a seat. Whether you’re a $5M landscaping company or a multi-location HVAC operator, if you’ve ever struggled to find a strong operations manager, GM, or sales leader, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. Takeaways: Who is Uncommon Elite? A veteran-focused executive search firm placing special ops talent — Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Rangers, Night Stalkers — into blue-collar businesses from CEO down to project manager Speed that blows the industry average out of the water — candidates sourced in under 10 business days vs. the typical 3–4 month recruiter timeline 78 placements in year one — across executive, operations/project management, and sales roles in construction, home services, HVAC, fencing, and more Lesson #1: Owners don’t know what they actually need — defining 3–5 measurable outcomes before hiring is the single biggest game-changer for a successful placement The case study method — how to simulate the real job before making an offer, straight out of how the 160th SOAR vets its own pilots over 5–7 grueling days Recruiting is more relational than transactional — repeat clients now make up the backbone of the business, with some companies returning for 5–7 searches Geography is NOT a limiting factor — quality veteran talent will relocate, including to rural and non-metro markets Sales roles were a surprise winner — VP and manager-level sales placements in plumbing, HVAC, artificial turf, and fencing opened up an unexpected growth lane What vets bring that others don’t — solutions-first mindset, tenacity, urgency, and the ability to problem-solve with zero hand-holding Pre-screened for the attributes you want — special ops selection processes already filter for integrity, accountability, and the refusal to quit before they ever walk into your office Complacency is the enemy — whether in the cockpit or in business, skipping steps and lowering standards is where things go wrong The post Why Your Next Best Hire Might Be a Navy SEAL: Christian Ruf on Recruiting Veterans for the Trades [https://jeffreyscott.biz/why-your-next-best-hire-might-be-a-navy-seal-christian-ruf-on-recruiting-veterans-for-the-trades/] appeared first on Jeffrey Scott [https://jeffreyscott.biz].