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Oct 2025

Posted at 13:39h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

Setbacks are an inevitable part of a business. A challenge can feel discouraging when it happens unexpectedly. However, the ability to recover, learn, and stay motivated during tough times often separates resilient business owners from those that struggle. Below, I explore some common examples of setbacks faced by landscaping businesses (such as financial losses or losing a valuable team member) and offer strategies to bounce back while keeping morale high.   Example 1: Losing Money After Finishing a Project One of the toughest situations for a landscaper is

Aug 2025

Posted at 18:17h in Blog, Leadership

In landscaping, where teamwork, reliability, and attitude matter every day on site, one toxic employee can drag down the entire team, annoy your clients and cost you time and money through disrupted workflow, mistakes and substandard workmanship. Here I outline how to spot a toxic employee, what their behaviour does to your business, and how to deal with them properly.   5 Examples of a Toxic Employee’s Behaviour Constant Complaining or Negative Attitude This person brings bad energy to the job site. They complain about the weather, the tools,

Jul 2025

Posted at 10:28h in Blog, Leadership

For many years, whenever something didn’t go well in my business, I’d get annoyed or frustrated. That all began to shift about 18 years ago when I studied NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) and was introduced to a powerful tool called reframing. It changed the way I handled setbacks. Instead of getting stuck in frustration, I learned to view challenges through a different lens, a more constructive one. Realism Still Matters It’s important to point out that reframing doesn’t mean denying reality. I still acknowledge when something has gone

Jun 2025

Posted at 13:50h in Blog, Leadership

Perhaps you have noticed a change in an employee’s behaviour or attitude over the last month or two. And if that is the case, how can you approach them so they feel supported, and provide them with a safe space to explain what they are mentally and emotionally struggling with? The information below was taken from the Beyond Blue website. They are an organisation that provides a free online and telephone helpline for people with depression, anxiety or other mental health issues. What is anxiety? Anxiety is when

May 2025

Posted at 05:26h in Blog, Leadership

Charles M Schwab was one of the world’s most successful business leaders during last century. He was paid an enormous amount of money each year to run US Steel Corporation and manage its thousands of employees by owner Andrew Carnegie. Schwab's unique approach to understanding, connecting and inspiring his employees is still highly admired throughout the world today. Here is a summary of Schwab’s approach. He Avoided Criticism and Used Encouragement Schwab believed the way to get the best out of people was through genuine encouragement. He didn’t

Oct 2024

Posted at 06:00h in Blog, Leadership

Why do some businesses and sports teams have great cultures and long-term team members? Dan Coyle found when researching this topic for his book, ‘Culture Code’, that the main reason great companies retain staff for longer is they satisfy their team’s innate human need for belonging and purpose. Culture is built on relationships, connectedness, growth, and a shared goal. Culture, like any relationship, is built up over time through everyday moments. Shaping your company’s culture hinges less on big moments and more on those seemingly mundane interactions

Sep 2024

Posted at 08:12h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership, Marketing, Systems

In early August, I interviewed Grant Boyle from Fig Landscapes on Zoom. I invited my clients to attend the meeting and ask Grant questions about the way he runs his business. We are all fans of his work and loved his humble, open and honest chat with us. Here is a summary. John: What do you attribute your success to? Grant: "Having passion for this industry, and for designing and building gardens. I live and breathe landscaping. I am always researching materials, designs, trends. I find it hard

Aug 2024

Posted at 05:37h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

What does above the line mean? It starts with thinking and playing above the line of responsibility. When you take responsibility and ownership for all that is happening in your business (good and bad), you are empowered to do whatever it takes to make your business successful. When you don’t operate above the line of responsibility, you are not in control and operate from the area of being a victim and feel at the effect of everything. Let’s go into this important explanation in a little more

Apr 2024

Posted at 17:21h in Blog, Leadership

Leadership is one of the most challenging, fulfilling and exciting roles a business owner faces. Leading your team in a fun, supportive, yet assertive way is key to your business thriving and your team wanting to grow with you. While it's essential to cultivate positive relationships with your employees, it's equally important to balance structure, clear communication, empowerment and direction, while ensuring you are not just 'too friendly'. So here are some ways to lead your team so it works for you, your employees, and your business. Clear

Feb 2024

Posted at 12:42h in Blog, Entrepeneurship, Leadership

We are 5 weeks into the new calendar year and it's a good time to act on some important strategic decisions for your business if you haven’t already. It might be that you are seriously thinking about hiring or removing a skilled worker, removing or adding a service, increasing charge out rates, improving a system in your business or buying an expensive piece of equipment. Whatever the important decision is, it’s always better to follow a structure to ensure you are not going to potentially cost

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