Green Side Up

Jason Lee & Jordan Upcavage
  • 5.0 (20)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to "Green Side Up: Tackling Entrepreneurial Weeds in Landscaping and Tree Care." Join hosts Jason Lee & Jordan Upcavage, a battle-tested landscaper, and a tree whisperer, as they peel back the layers of small business ownership in the green industry. Get ready for raw stories from the trenches, navigating unpredictable weather, managing demanding clients, and conquering the challenges that define entrepreneurial journeys. Whether you're knee-deep in the dirt or just planting your seeds, this podcast is your companion in the uphill climb of entrepreneurial success. Embrace the messy reality, find solace in shared struggles, and glean insights to thrive in the wild terrain of landscaping and tree care business. It's not always a walk in the park, but with "Green Side Up," you'll learn to thrive amid the chaos of entrepreneurship. Let's tackle those weeds together!

  1. 5d ago

    Ep 130. From Castrating Cows to Carbon‑Smart Soils: Biochar with Zack Farr

    In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and Jason sit down with Zack Farr, third-generation citrus grower, redneck entrepreneur, and co-founder of Biotech Applied Research, for a wild, unfiltered ride from castrating calves to carbon-smart soils. Zack walks through his journey from FSU to Miami sales, back home to struggling citrus groves, into industrial hemp, and ultimately to discovering the power of biochar after a "holy grail" 15' x 15' patch of supercharged soil changed everything. The conversation dives deep into the realities of Florida agriculture, the collapse of citrus, the politics and economics around hemp, and how biochar is being used for tree restoration, mitigation projects, turf and landscape installs, and large-scale soil remediation. Along the way, they swap stories about a high-spec Tampa tree mitigation job that unknowingly used Zack's product, talk practical application methods, ROI, and why biochar might be the "foundation concrete" of healthy soils rather than just another green-industry fad. If you're in trees, turf, landscape, or ag and want a real-world, boots-on-the-ground look at biochar and regenerative practices in Florida, this episode is for you. Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 11m

  2. Jun 18

    Ep 129. Selling Knowledge, Not Just Tree Work with Marti Machado

    In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and the team sit down with ISA Certified Arborist Marti Machado to trace his journey from hustling tree work out of a '72 Toyota dually to becoming one of Hillsborough County's most trusted tree professionals. Marti shares raw, entertaining stories from his early days climbing with a boat anchor line, the career-changing influence of industry legend Richard Bailey, and how he evolved from "just cutting branches for a paycheck" to selling knowledge, risk management, and long-term tree health. Along the way, the conversation dives into sales strategy in tree care, how to read customers and ask better questions, building a high-caliber crew and culture at Independent Tree Service, and why showcasing live job sites is their best closing tool. Outside of work, Marti opens up about family life, raising a volleyball standout daughter, and his infamous neighborhood guacamole and margarita showdown, blending humor, heart, and hard-earned wisdom from a lifetime in arboriculture. Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 5m

  3. Jun 11

    Ep 128. Can You Really Take a Vacation When You Own the Business?

    In this Vacation Edition of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jordan and Jason catch up from the road—Jordan broadcasting from a family beach trip on Florida's Panhandle and Jason checking in from the mountains near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They swap stories about night crabbing, offshore fishing, Dollywood, cave tours, and even a behind-the-scenes look at the Bush's Baked Beans factory. Woven through the vacation highlights is a candid conversation about what it really takes to step away from your business: how Skyfrog Landscape has evolved since the "Siesta Key chaos" days, the impact of hiring and culture on being able to unplug, losing a key office manager, and why owners never fully "clock out." They also touch on industry events like Trees Florida, the Arbor Next youth program, upcoming trade shows, and a surprising win using AI ("Switchy") to diagnose a boat motor issue. It's a relaxed, real-world look at balancing work, leadership, family time, and the never-ending responsibilities of business ownership. Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 1m

  4. Jun 4

    Ep 127. From Pitchford Design to Wilcox Nursery: Zack's Leap from Operator to Owner

    In this episode of Green Side Up, Jordan and Jason sit down with Zack Pitchford, owner of Wilcox Nursery & Landscape in Largo, Florida, to unpack his unconventional journey from high school nursery hand to retail nursery owner and landscape leader. Zack walks through his early days in environmental horticulture at UF, sweating it out on Jordan's maintenance crews, his eye‑opening internship at Valley Crest, and the multiple times he launched (and quit) Pitchford Design & Landscape before ultimately acquiring the historic Wilcox Nursery. He shares how he navigated the numbers, financing, and risk of buying a land-heavy business, rebuilt the team and hierarchy from the inside, and grew both the retail and services divisions. The conversation dives into leadership development, promoting from within, marketing strategy (Google Ads, SEO, email, and video content), and what he's seeing in today's softer design/install market. Zack also breaks down his water-conscious irrigation approach and lawn philosophy, talks about the rise of native plant demand and fine gardening maintenance, and reflects on building a business that can run without him while still serving his community and family. Connect with Zack: 🌐 Wilcox Nursery Website 📸 @wilcoxnursery on Instagram Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 6m

  5. May 28

    Ep 126. The Permaloc Playbook: From Steel to Aluminum

    In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, Jason Lee and co-host Jordan Upcavage sit down with Mark Cohen of Permaloc to explore how aluminum edging has reshaped the landscape and hardscape industry. Mark shares the origin story of Permaloc, founded by landscape architect Daniel Zwier as the pioneer of aluminum landscape edging, and explains why aluminum's strength-to-weight ratio, sustainability, and longevity make it a superior alternative to steel and plastic. The conversation digs into spec-driven selling, how educating landscape architects fuels national distribution, and the role of trade shows, ASLA/CSLA partnerships, and student events like Labash and NCLC in influencing the next generation of professionals. Jason and Jordan add real-world contractor perspective—contrasting plastic and concrete edging with aluminum, discussing paver restraint practices in Florida, and talking through evolving applications like resin-bound aggregate and tree ring surfacing. Along the way, Mark highlights iconic projects featuring Permaloc, from the Lady Diana Memorial Fountain to major civic and cultural sites, illustrating how a "niche" product quietly defines and protects some of the most recognizable landscapes in the world. Learn More: https://permaloc.com/ Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 6m

  6. May 21

    Ep 125. Family Business to Destination Company: Jeffrey Scott on Building Better Landscape Firms

    In this episode of the Greenside Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan sit down in Tampa with renowned green-industry consultant Jeffrey Scott to unpack his journey from family pool-and-landscape business to leading coach, peer-group facilitator, and host of The Ultimate Landscape CEO. Jeffrey shares stories from growing up in his grandfather's pioneering gunite pool company, scaling a high-margin service division, and navigating the challenges of a crowded family business before launching his consulting practice. The conversation dives into the power of peer groups, why charging for estimates transformed Jordan's tree service, and how setting higher standards for employees and clients creates a "Destination Company." The trio also explores Lean management in practical, jobsite terms—from tool placement to shop organization—plus real-world challenges around sales slumps, weather, hurricanes, and cash flow, and how business owners can respond with better marketing, business development, and strategic experiments. They wrap with a look at mergers and acquisitions reshaping the landscape industry, the upcoming Summer Growth Summit in Detroit, and Jeffrey's framework for helping owners fix, scale, or exit their companies. 🌱 Connect with Jeffrey Scott Consulting 🌐 Website: www.jeffreyscott.biz 📲 Instagram: @jeffreymarkscott ☀️ Summer Growth Summit https://jeffreyscott.biz/summer-growth-summit-26/ 🎟️ Summer Growth Summit Discount Code / Registration Link: www.eventbrite.com/e/1983544708619/?discount=GreenSideUpPodcast Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 7m

  7. May 14

    Ep 124. Big Bids, Busy Seasons: Navigating Growth in the Green Industry

    In this episode, Jason and Jordan catch up on a busy season in the landscape business, comparing lead flow, close rates, and what's really driving sales in different markets. They swap stories about big opportunities—including a major 5,600-foot roadway bid in Kissimmee and a high-profile renovation at Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Gainesville—and break down how they think about strategic bidding for profitable commercial work. Along the way, Jordan spotlights his wife's children's book "Looking for Bunny Flies," now available on major platforms, and the two reflect on the challenge of growing a landscape company while staying smart about risk, equipment investment, and market positioning. Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    40 min

  8. May 7

    Ep 123. Partnership Done Right: Luke & Justin's Blueprint for Sky Palm Studios

    In this episode of the Green Side Up podcast, Jason andJordan hit the road to Gainesville, Florida to record at the impressive new home of Sky Palm Studios with co-founders Luke Lower and Justin Short. They dive into Luke and Justin's journey from running separate media companies—one focused on drone and aerial work, the other on video production—to recognizing they were better together and dissolving both businesses to form a new joint venture. The conversation covers how they met, why they chose a partnership despite all the horror stories, how they divided roles as CEO/COO, the impact of faith and family on their decisions, and the hard lessons learned from past failed partnerships, including Luke's front-row seat to his dad's physical therapy clinic struggles. Along the way, they talk burnout, retainer vs one‑off work, building out a beautiful studio space (complete with "sound reverberation walls"), the realities of S corps, K‑1s, and buying houses as young business owners, and what it takes to create a resilient, trust-based partnership in business. If you're a contractor, landscaper, or small business owner thinking about teaming up with a partner—or just wanting a peek behind the scenes of a growing creative agency—this episode is packed with stories and takeaways you'll recognize in your own journey. Connect with Sky Palm Studios: https://skypalmstudios.com/ https://www.instagram.com/skypalmstudios/ https://www.facebook.com/skypalmstudios/ Connect with Jason and Jordan: 🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website 📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com 📘 Facebook: Green Side Up 📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram 📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram Visit Our Businesses: 🌿 SkyFrog Landscape 🌳 Independent Tree Service Save with SingleOps: 💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription: 👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps Sponsors & Partners: 👉 MitoGrow 🌱 🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (@imintriguemedia) 📍 GS TrackMe Podcast Produced by: 🎧 Mr. Producer (@mrproducerusa)

    1h 30m
See All (130)

5
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

Welcome to "Green Side Up: Tackling Entrepreneurial Weeds in Landscaping and Tree Care." Join hosts Jason Lee & Jordan Upcavage, a battle-tested landscaper, and a tree whisperer, as they peel back the layers of small business ownership in the green industry. Get ready for raw stories from the trenches, navigating unpredictable weather, managing demanding clients, and conquering the challenges that define entrepreneurial journeys. Whether you're knee-deep in the dirt or just planting your seeds, this podcast is your companion in the uphill climb of entrepreneurial success. Embrace the messy reality, find solace in shared struggles, and glean insights to thrive in the wild terrain of landscaping and tree care business. It's not always a walk in the park, but with "Green Side Up," you'll learn to thrive amid the chaos of entrepreneurship. Let's tackle those weeds together!

Information

  • Creator
    Jason Lee & Jordan Upcavage
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Green Side Up

You Might Also Like