In this episode I speak with Jason King from King's Pools and Gardens. Jason is based in Geelong and is one of the premier landscaping companies in the area, and recently added swimming pool construction to the business, and promptly won multiple awards for the pools he built.
We discuss how he went about adding pools to his services, as well as the reason why he no longer has a commercial side to the business.
Jason also talks about the benefits of some long term relationships he's had with staff and suppliers over the years, and he details a checklist he provides to clients during the initial consultation for a design/pool.
You can follow along with Jason's work on Instagram @kings_gardens_and_pools _
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
The Landscaping Podcast - Ep33 - Mitch Davies - Sand and Stone Landscaping
In this episode I speak with Mitch Davies of Sand and Stone Landscaping.
Mitch runs a landscaping business in Adelaide, South Australia and has been working for himself for around 6 years. Prior to that he worked for a couple of high end landscapers and also obtained his building licence in structural landscaping.
In the episode Mitch shares a bad experience he had with a client, which will hopefully help others avoid the same fate as he had. He also mentions which jobs are the best for making good profit on, and towards the end of the episode I ask Mitch what his goals for the year are, and his answer about training and education for staff is a great one that I'll be looking to implement also.
You can follow along with Mitch's work on Instagram @sand_and_stone_landscaping
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page @instyle_gardens @thelandscapingpodcast You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
The Landscaping Podcast - Ep32 - Caleb Auman - Auman Landscape
In this episode I speak with Caleb Auman of Auman Landscape, all the way from Ohio, USA.
Caleb and his wife Brittany run Auman Landscape, along with a few other side businesses such as The Hardscape Academy (which is an online training course, soon to be in person), The Kid Contractor Podcast (for which they create three episodes per week), they do business coaching for landscaping businesses and they also organise a conference or two each year including Together In The Trades, which is a couples conference for couples in the trade.
So it's clear that Caleb is not only busy, but also has a vast array of knowledge and experience, which he shares in this episode.
We speak about the lessons he learnt 'crashing' his first business, how he's been able to retain one employee for 20 years and two for 10, and he also goes into detail about the Together In The Trades conference, which sounds like an awesome idea.
Caleb's podcast, The Kid Contractor Podcast, is my favourite to listen to and I'm sure after listening to this episode, he'll have a few more fans.
You can follow along with Caleb on Instagram @aumanlandscapellc and you can view the YouTube Video we spoke about in the episode, along with Caleb's other videos here
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
The Landscaping Podcast - Ep31 - Bonnie Stacey - Bonnie Stacey Landscapes
In this episode I speak with Bonnie Stacey of Bonnie Stacey Landscapes.
Bonnie is a landscape designer based an hour north of Perth in Western Australia, and while she's only been running the business for around 18 months, she's quickly built a loyal following and provided plenty of value in that time.
Not only is she Booked out months in advance, but Bonnie has released an e-Book called Gardens that Grow, which educates DIYers about what to do and not to do when it comes to gardens, soil prep, plant selection etc. I love the idea so we discuss the book, as well as her new design course, again aimed at DIYers, which she has just released.
It was clear to me through chatting with Bonnie how passionate she was about designing gardens and educating people about gardens, so hopefully you'll enjoy this chat also!
You can follow along with Bonnie on Instagram @bonniestaceylandscapes and you can check out the eBook here
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
The Landscaping Podcast - Ep30 - Peter Shaw - Ocean Road Landscaping
In this episode of the podcast I speak with fellow Geelong landscaper Peter Shaw of Ocean Road Landscaping. ORL are a design, construction and maintenance company based in Anglesea, Victoria.
Peter has recently release a book titled Soulscape, so we discuss the contents of that, as well as the path Peter took from starting out working by himself, to running a team of 20+ staff.
There are quite a few business tips in this episode too, so a great one to finish the year, and the first season of the podcast with.
You can follow along with Peter on Instagram @oceanroadlandscaping and you can buy a copy of his book Soulscape here
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
In this episode I speak with Rich Wigley of Bluesky Landscaping. Rich is currently based in Sydney but about to move to the Central Coast of New South Wales, and runs a design and construction company.
I enjoyed my chat with Rich so much that we kept talking after I'd wrapped up the episode, and there was so much value in that 'after' chat that I've put it into the episode as well.
You can follow along with Rich on Instagram @blueskylandscaping_
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
The Landscaping Podcast - Ep28 - Jac Semmler - The Plant Society
In this episode I speak with Jac Semmler. Jac formerly worked at the Diggers Club and recently started a new role with The Plant Society as Head of Plants and Strategy.
We discuss her current and previous roles, as well as her work writing articles for The Planthunter.
Jac's own garden in Frankston, called 'Heartland' is open the weekend of the 4th and 5th of December 2021 as part of Open Gardens Victoria and we discuss the various spaces which make up her garden.
You can follow along with Jac on Instagram @jac.semmler
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page @instyle_gardens @thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
In this episode I speak with Sam Collie of Esjay Landscapes and Pools. Esjay is based in Melbourne and are a one stop shop for their clients, doing design, landscape construction, pool construction and maintenance. We discuss how Sam keeps on top of all of this.
Sam mentions who he worked for when he started out in the industry, including two Icons of the industry.
We also talk about some advice Sam has received through the use of a business coach.
And I was impressed at how Sam tracks his employees hours on site. Not just the simple '8 hours at X job', his employees break it down further into what role they were doing and for how long, so that they can then work out which tasks are going according to schedule, and which aren't, and make adjustments to change that.
You can follow along with Sam's projects @esjaylandscapes or on the website esjaylandscapes.com.au
You can follow along with the projects we're currently working on via our Instagram page
@instyle_gardens
@thelandscapingpodcast
You can view each episode on our YouTube channel or on our website
instylegardens.com.au/the-landscaping-podcast
