The Landscaper's Guide to Modern Sales & Marketing

Jack Jostes
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Marketing
  • Weekly

The Landscaper’s Guide To Sales and Marketing is a weekly video and podcast series dedicated to helping lawn and landscape contractors attract more of the RIGHT customers to Increase Profits + Enjoy A Better Lifestyle. Hosted by Amazon best-selling author, keynote speaker, and Ramblin Jackson CEO Jack Jostes, this show is packed full of the latest green industry sales, marketing, and business trends to keep your business growing in the right direction.

  1. 6d ago

    How Archer Landscape Design Rebranded After 18 Years to Attract Better Clients

    After 18 years in business, how do you know when it's time to rebrand your landscape company? And what happens when you invest in better SEO, professional video, and a stronger sales process? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with brothers Aaron and Paul Doud, owners of Archer Landscape Design in Magnolia, Texas. They share how they transitioned from Archer Services to a more recognizable brand, recovered from declining SEO leads, and invested in video marketing to build trust with high-end residential clients. They also discuss hiring dedicated managers as their company grew to around $5 million in revenue, using AI to document operating procedures, and why a consistent sales process matters more than ever as homeowners begin bringing AI-generated landscape designs to their consultations. You'll Learn Why Aaron and Paul decided to rebrand after nearly two decades in businessHow SEO and professional video help attract and build trust with high-end clientsWhen to hire dedicated managers and build stronger business systemsHow AI can streamline operations and improve landscape design conversationsWhy following a consistent sales process creates a better customer experience Connect With Today's Guests 🌳 Archer Landscape Design: https://archerlawns.com/ 👤 Connect with Aaron Doud: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-doud-71594927/ 📸 Company Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/archerlawnservices/ 🏢 Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/863440417167824/archer-services/ Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

  2. Oct 16

    How Jays Landscape Doubled Maintenance Profit Margins From 19% to 40%

    What does it take to turn a struggling landscape maintenance department into a profitable part of your business? In this episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Brad Irving, owner of Jays Landscape in Beaumont, Texas, to discuss how he and his wife, Melissa, transformed their family-owned landscaping company. Brad shares how they increased their maintenance gross profit margins from just 19% to approximately 40% by reevaluating contracts, managing labor hours, and building more consistent business processes. Brad also discusses the challenges of taking over a family business, setting measurable goals, and building a team that customers can trust. You'll hear how Jays Landscape is using SEO, website videos, and transparent pricing to attract better-fit customers, improve sales conversations, and prepare for its next stage of growth. You'll Learn: How Jays Landscape increased maintenance gross profit margins from 19% to approximately 40%.Why reviewing unprofitable contracts and crew labor hours can dramatically improve profitability.How setting clear company goals helps a family-owned landscape business grow.Why SEO, team videos, and transparent pricing help attract better-fit customers.How to build a repeatable sales and customer experience that doesn't depend entirely on the owner. Connect With Today's Guest 🌳 Jays Landscape: https://jayslandscape.biz/👤 Connect with Brad Irving: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brad-irving-90a75354/📸 Jays Landscape Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaysLandscape🏢 Jays Landscape Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayslandscape/ Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Join us for the Landscape Leader of the Year Livestream - Thursday, 10/22/2026! https://landscapersguide.com/leader/

  3. Oct 9

    Is Your Landscape Company Losing Sales? Take the Secret Shopper Test

    Is your landscape company losing high-value projects before you even get a chance to speak with the customer? You might have invested thousands of dollars in a professional website, beautiful project photos, and marketing that attracts affluent homeowners. But what happens when a potential customer calls your office or fills out your contact form? In this solo episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Jack Jostes, CEO of Ramblin Jackson, explains why your first impression could be costing you sales. Jack introduces the Ramblin Jackson Secret Shopper Test, a personalized evaluation of how your company handles incoming leads, phone calls, follow-up, and the overall sales experience. He also shares a real example of how one landscape company's phone-answering experience may have been hurting its sales. Discover why small details matter when customers are considering projects worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. You'll Learn: Why your office staff plays a critical role in converting high-end landscape leads.How your phone-answering experience can influence a customer's first impression.What the Ramblin Jackson Secret Shopper Test evaluates.Why response times and follow-up matter when converting marketing leads.How personalized feedback can help improve your sales process. Connect With Jack Jostes 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: https://ramblinjackson.com/ 👤 Jack Jostes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes/  Jack Jostes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjostes/ 🔎 Request Your Secret Shopper Test: https://ramblinjackson.com/secret Get Started With The Landscaper's Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

  4. Oct 2

    Behind the Scenes at Ramblin Jackson: New Book, New Course, & the 3 AI Tools I Use Every Day

    What’s happening behind the scenes at Ramblin Jackson—and which AI tools are actually helping Jack Jostes run the business more efficiently? In this solo episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack shares an inside look at his upcoming third book, The Landscaper’s Guide to Direct Response Sales and Marketing, a new implementation course, an updated marketing audit, and the systems Ramblin Jackson is building as the company enters its next stage of growth. Jack also breaks down three AI tools he’s using in his day-to-day work: Superhuman for faster email management and AI-assisted replies, Claude for automating recurring internal workflows, and Gemini for research, travel planning, and organization. You’ll hear practical examples of how these tools save time, why strong systems still matter, and how improving your sales and marketing process can help you close more landscape jobs. You’ll Learn: How Jack is turning his new book into a practical sales and marketing courseWhy Ramblin Jackson is updating its marketing audit and delivery systemsHow Superhuman helps Jack manage email and draft responses fasterHow Claude can automate recurring internal processesHow Gemini helps with research, planning, and organization Connect With Jack Jostes: 👤 Connect with Jack Jostes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackjostes/ 📸Jack Jostes on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackjostes/ 🏢 Ramblin Jackson on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RamblinJackson/ 🌳 Ramblin Jackson: https://www.ramblinjackson.com/  🌳 The Landscaper’s Guide: https://www.landscapersguide.com/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide: 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events

  5. Sep 25

    How a 25-Year Landscape Company Is Using AI to Scale Without the Owner

    What does it take to build a landscape company that can eventually run without you? In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Andy Sykes, owner of Garrett Churchill Inc., to talk about what he’s learned from more than 25 years in the landscape industry. Andy shares how his company has evolved from gardening and design-build into a growing operation with roughly 18–20 field employees during peak season—and why his next goal is building a company that doesn’t depend on him for sales, design, and day-to-day management. Andy also reveals how Garrett Churchill is putting AI to work right now. In a single day, his team used AI to help create job descriptions, onboarding plans, and career paths—work Andy says could otherwise have taken him weeks. Jack and Andy also discuss video marketing, customer reviews, recruiting, employee development, and how landscape companies can use AI to give managers and field employees better access to the information they need. You’ll Learn: How Andy is building Garrett Churchill to operate without depending on himHow AI helped create job descriptions, onboarding plans, and career pathsWhy structured 30-, 60-, and 90-day onboarding matters for growing teamsHow reviews, photos, and video build trust before the sales appointmentHow AI can help landscape managers support more people without simply adding more management overhead Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Garrett Churchill Inc.: https://garrettchurchill.com/ 👤 Connect with Andy Sykes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andysykes11/ 📸Garrett Churchill Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GarrettChurchillInc/ 🏢 Garrett Churchill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garrettchurchill/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events:  https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

  6. Sep 18

    From a Yellow Wagon at 14 to Building a Scalable Landscape Business with Andrew Lala

    Andrew Lala started Yellow Wagon Landscaping when he was just 14 years old, pulling landscaping equipment around in a yellow garden wagon because he and his business partner weren’t old enough to drive. More than 20 years later, Yellow Wagon Landscaping has grown into an award-winning full-service landscape design, build, and maintenance company serving northern New Jersey. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes talks with Andrew about the next stage of that growth: getting the owner out of the weeds. Andrew shares why spending nearly half his time on a division responsible for roughly 15% of company revenue was no longer sustainable, the challenge of hiring someone to take over responsibilities he has handled for years, and why documenting processes matters when scaling. They also discuss navigating a business partnership transition, investing in marketing, and using video to create consistent messaging as the company grows. You’ll Learn: Why Andrew is working to replace himself in design, sales, and project managementHow documenting processes can make delegation and onboarding easierWhy good business software is only valuable when someone owns the dataHow Andrew rebuilt his focus on growth and marketing after a major business transitionWhy video can help preserve your company’s message as your sales team grows Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Yellow Wagon Landscaping: https://yellowwagonlandscaping.com/ 👤 Connect with Andrew Lala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-lala-927a992a9/ 📸 Yellow Wagon Landscaping Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YellowWagonLandscaping  🏢 Yellow Wagon Landscaping Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yellowwagonlandscaping Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

  7. Sep 11

    How Transparency, Pricing & AI Are Changing Landscape Sales

    What happens when your customers research your company, study your pricing, and compare your proposal with competitors before you even get a chance to sell them? According to Chuck Harkins, Director of Sales at Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living, that’s already happening—and landscape companies need to adapt. In this episode of The Landscaper’s Guide, Jack Jostes sits down with Chuck to talk about how Miller Landscape uses transparent pricing, video, marketing, sales metrics, and even AI to make the sales process easier. Chuck also shares how his role has evolved since joining Miller in 2009, why teamwork matters in sales leadership, and why today’s landscape companies can’t rely on old-school “belly-to-belly” selling alone. You’ll Learn: Why publishing pricing can make landscape sales conversations easierHow educated prospects can reach realistic budgets fasterWhy transparency builds trust with residential and commercial buyersHow AI may change the way customers compare landscape proposalsWhy marketing, sales metrics, and teamwork must work together Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living: https://millerlandscape.com/ 👤 Connect with Chuck Harkins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-harkins-19835263/ 🏢 Miller Landscape & Outdoor Living Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillerLandscapeInc/ Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

  8. Sep 4

    Choosing Better Work: How Frank Di Sandro Built a More Profitable Landscape Business

    After more than 25 years in business, Frank Di Sandro, founder and owner of Di Sandro Landscape Group in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, has learned that growth isn't always about doing more. Sometimes, it's about becoming more selective about the work you take on. In this episode of The Landscaper's Guide, Frank joins Jack Jostes to talk about evolving from mowing lawns and residential maintenance into higher-margin landscape construction, hardscaping, stormwater management, and new home construction. Frank shares how focusing on the right opportunities, applying the 80/20 rule, and making deliberate changes have helped his company evolve without sacrificing quality. They also discuss industry-specific marketing, the power of video, accountability, and why business owners need to make time to disconnect from work. You’ll Learn: Why Frank transitioned away from lower-margin landscape workHow the 80/20 rule helps Di Sandro Landscape Group choose better opportunitiesWhy focusing on your ideal customer can improve margins and qualityHow accountability and deadlines make marketing partnerships more effectiveWhy video can help landscape companies build trust and stand out online Connect With Today’s Guest 🌳 Di Sandro Landscape Group: https://disandrogroup.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisandroLandscapeGroup Get Started With The Landscaper’s Guide 🎧 Watch the full episode + read the transcript: https://landscapersguide.com/podcast/ 🥓 Tell us where to send your beef jerky: https://landscapersguide.com/toolbox 📅 See upcoming live and virtual events: https://landscapersguide.com/events Schedule a 15-Minute Marketing Brainstorm with the Ramblin Jackson strategy team https://landscapersguide.com/brainstorm/

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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

The Landscaper’s Guide To Sales and Marketing is a weekly video and podcast series dedicated to helping lawn and landscape contractors attract more of the RIGHT customers to Increase Profits + Enjoy A Better Lifestyle. Hosted by Amazon best-selling author, keynote speaker, and Ramblin Jackson CEO Jack Jostes, this show is packed full of the latest green industry sales, marketing, and business trends to keep your business growing in the right direction.

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