The Turf Magazine Podcast

Why Some Landscape Companies Scale—and Others Don't

In this episode of the Turf Magazine Podcast, Managing Editor Jessica Schwartz sits down with Bryan Clayton, CEO and co-founder of GreenPal, for a conversation focused on leadership, scalability, and building resilient landscape businesses that last.

Drawing from more than two decades of experience in the lawn and landscape industry, Bryan shares lessons learned from growing and selling a successful landscaping company before launching GreenPal, a national platform serving hundreds of thousands of customers.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• The operational habits that separate successful contractors from struggling ones
• Leadership mistakes landscape business owners make while scaling
• Building reliable systems across crews and accounts
• Delegation, accountability, and company culture
• Labor retention and workforce stability
• Preparing operations for economic uncertainty and industry disruption
• Long-term strategies for sustainable growth in commercial landscaping

Whether you’re managing a single crew or leading a multi-location operation, this episode offers practical insights for landscape professionals looking to build stronger systems, better teams, and more durable businesses.

Marketing Advice Every Landscape Business Should Hear with Caitlyn Braegelmann of The Landscape Marketing Agency

Seasonality is one of the biggest challenges facing landscape and lawn care businesses. When spring and summer are packed, fall and winter slowdowns can quickly disrupt schedules, crews, and cash flow.

 

In this episode of the Turf Magazine Podcast, Turf 's Managing Editor Jessica Schwartz is joined by Caitlyn Braegelmann, Founder of the Landscape Marketing Agency, to discuss how smart, well-timed seasonal promotions can help contractors break the feast-or-famine cycle. From early-bird spring offers to summer upsells, fall improvement packages, and winter visibility strategies, Caitlyn shares practical, real-world ideas contractors can use to stay busy year-round.

 

This episode offers actionable insights on planning promotions ahead of time, positioning offers without cheapening your brand, and building a simple promotional calendar that keeps your business running consistently in every season.

The Bright Stuff: Kirk Brown On Holiday Lighting

In this episode of the Turf Magazine Podcast, we explore one of the most profitable and fastest-growing add-on services in the green industry: holiday lighting.

As landscape businesses across the country look for smart ways to generate revenue once mowing slows down, more contractors are turning to professional holiday light installation as a reliable winter service. With demand booming among homeowners and commercial property managers, this niche has evolved into a lucrative seasonal opportunity—one that requires creativity, organization, and the right systems to do well.

To dig deeper into what it really takes to get started, we sit down with industry professional Kirk Brown, who has successfully grown holiday lighting into a thriving winter division that supports staff, strengthens customer relationships, and keeps revenue flowing well past fall.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why holiday lighting has become one of the hottest off-season services
• How to get started without overextending your current landscaping business
• Essential tools, training, and safety practices
• Pricing strategies that maximize profit
• Scheduling systems that make the short season more efficient
• Tips for long-term growth, storage solutions, and repeat business

Kirk shares real-world insights from years of experience—what worked, what didn’t, and what he wishes he had known his first season. Whether you're a solo operator or running multiple crews, his advice offers a practical blueprint for breaking into this fun and profitable market.

Game-Day Ready: Tony Leonard on Building Elite Turf for the Philadelphia Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles Vice President of Grounds, Tony Leonard, takes us inside the year-round playbook of managing elite NFL turf. From balancing player safety with TV-ready aesthetics to turning a multi-use stadium over between games, practices, and concerts, Leonard shares how his team plans surfaces weeks in advance and adapts hour-by-hour to weather, wear, and scheduling. We dig into grass selection and seasonal transitions, renovation windows, mowing heights and growth regulation, sand profiles and drainage, and how data (surface testing, moisture mapping, and traffic tracking) now informs day-to-day decisions. Leonard also discusses protecting the field during non-football events, collaborating with coaches and equipment staff on footwear and field prep, and building the next generation of sports-turf pros through recruiting, training, and culture. Whether you manage municipal fields, college venues, or professional surfaces, this conversation offers practical, field-tested tactics for delivering consistent performance under pressure—without losing sight of sustainability, budget realities, and fan expectations.

Powering Progress: Battery Solutions for Mid-Size Businesses with Greenworks' OPTIMUS Crew

In this Equip Expo episode, Tony Marchese - SVP Commercial Business Unit explores how Greenworks’ OPTIMUS Crew is redefining commercial landscaping with smarter charging solutions. From compact cubes to full depot systems, OPTIMUS Crew helps mid-size businesses cut fuel costs, reduce maintenance, and keep crews running at full productivity. Built electric from the ground up, Greenworks tools often exceed gas performance while delivering quieter, cleaner jobsites. Marchese will also highlight the exciting Equip Expo giveaway and showcase how attendees can experience the future of battery-powered solutions firsthand.

Segway Navimow Glides Into The North American Robotic Mower Market

Segway, the worldwide leader in personal transportation, is taking their robotic expertise and entering the gardening and outdoor tool market. With the goal of offering users a labor-saving, autonomous solution to many of today’s Green Industry challenges in mind, Segway Navimow aims to encourage the world to choose a life without boundaries. 

In this podcast, Turf Magazine talks with Wayne Kreifels, Head of Sales for North America at Segway Navimow, to discuss their entrance into the North American robotic mower market and what attendees should expect to see from them both inside and outside in the Demo Yard at this year’s Equip Expo.  

How To Get Commercial Landscape Contracts

Mike Andes of Augusta Lawn Care shares his tips for nabbing commercial contracts.