Growing In The Green Industry

After nearly six years, Brett and Skyler sign off with the final episode of the NALP Young Professionals Network podcast. Joined by Kim McCrossen, NALP’s Director of Education, they reflect on favorite moments, impactful guests, and the podcast's legacy. They discuss the value of NALP events, free contractor training, and leadership opportunities like the NALP Executive Leadership Program. While saying goodbye to the podcast, they invite listeners to stay engagedthrough NALP’s many resources, events, and upcoming Elevate conference. Thanks for listening—and see you at the next event!

In this replay episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome our guest Anita Palmer with Sperber Landscape Companies. Anita discusses the importance of organic growth through acquiring new customers and developing employees' skills and careers. She shares her passion for landscaping, architecture, and community, which alignswith the industry's flexibility in pursuing various paths. Anita also touches on embracing discomfort for personal growth and engagement as well as balancing personal and professional team needs.  This episode is hosted byBrett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard with LandCare.

In this episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome our guest Lynette Cordero, Finance Manager with the Klausing Group.   Lynette shares the journey toward B Corp Certification and what it means for business sustainability and stakeholder value. Lynette shares her financial leadership approach, including how she simplifies complex financial data for teams and supports strategic forecasting. The conversation also covers the use of AI in financial analysis, team training challenges, new hires, and how the certification process has already sparked positive changes within their company.  This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard withLandCare.

In this replay episode of Growing in the Green Industry, our guest Jacob Hong with Woodlawns Landscape Company is a former landscape management student; discusses his career progression from sales to company leadership. They also talk about the importance of personal and professional growth, the balance between current roles and future opportunities, and the significance of understanding and aligning with a company's culture. Lastly, they shared their personal experiences and challenges, with a focus on leadership in a rapidly changing organization.  This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard with LandCare.

In this episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome our guest Michael Davie, Senior Account Manager with M.J. Design Associates, Inc.  Michael emphasizes the importance of investing in employees through continuous training and personal development, noting it drives company growth and shows genuine care. He discusses the valueof sharing knowledge gained from industry events and integrating key takeaways into daily operations. Michael also highlights the need to relate to young people in mentorship roles by being supportive and engaging, aiming to sparkcuriosity rather than just solve workforce shortages. He stresses promoting the industry's career viability to parents and educators, while he shares both challenges like the H-2B worker program and optimism about client understandingand future opportunities.  This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard withLandCare.

In this replay host episode of Growing in the Green Industry, Brett and Skyler talk discuss the challenges ofmaintaining productivity and motivation during the summer season. Brett emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between work and personal time, while Skyler expresses struggles with feelings of guilt for investing time in self-improvement. They both share that quality of work is more important than quantity, and that it's satisfactory to do what needs to be done to a high standard, rather than being everywhere and doing everything.  They also touch on work-life balance and strategic time off.  This episode is hosted by Skyler Westergard with LandCare and Brett Lemcke with RM Landscape.

In this replay episode of Growing in the Green Industry, our guest Jacob Hong with Woodlawns Landscape Company is a former landscape management student; discusses his career progression from sales to company leadership. They also talk about the importance of personal and professional growth, the balance between current roles and future opportunities, and the significance of understanding and aligning with a company's culture. Lastly, they shared their personal experiences and challenges, with a focus on leadership in a rapidly changing organization.  This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard with LandCare.

In this episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome our guest Shaun Callaway, Vice President – Houston Market with Earthworks, Inc.   Shaun takes us through his journey, from studying landscape architecture to rising to the role of Vice President, sharing both the challenges and triumphs of launching a new business division. He also reflects on his experience attendingthe NALP Executive Leadership Program at the UVA Darden School of Business, where he gained valuable insights on leadership and networking with industry peers.  This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard with LandCare.

In this replay episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome Angela Hieronimus, Director of Engagement and Success with Blades of Green Lawn Care.  Angela talks about the importance of having those hard conversations and how her experiences have helped her be successful in her HR role.  She talks about recruiting, team member retention and engagement. She shares how they keep their team members engaged throughout the year through benefits, team gatherings and conversations.  This episode is hosted by Skyler Westergard with LandCare and Brett Lemcke with RM Landscape.

In this episode of Growing in the Green Industry, we welcome our guest Josh Chalfant, Associate Director of Training and Development with his focus on in-house training for tasks like spring cleanup, edging, and mulching. He emphasized the importance of continuous learning and taking initiative for career advancement. Josh also discussed the benefits of in-house training over external resources, with Josh explaining how his program reduced accidents and improved safety. They also touched on the value of certifications like CLT for employees’ professional growth and safety. This episode is hosted by Brett Lemcke of R.M. Landscape and Skyler Westergard with LandCare.