The Arborist Growth Partners Podcast

Graeme Knight
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Marketing

Tune into the Arborist Growth Partners Podcast for episodes packed with strategies on turning your tree service website into a lead‑gen machine, scaling your operations, and learning from industry leaders.

  1. Build a Business, Not a Job: An Interview with Saby Sattler

    Jun 22

    Build a Business, Not a Job: An Interview with Saby Sattler

    In this episode of the Arborist Growth Podcast, Graeme Knight sits down with Saby Sattler, an arborist of 18+ years across Europe, New Zealand, and Canada, and now Director of Sales at ArboStar. Saby shares hard-won lessons on what separates thriving tree companies from those just scraping by: knowing your real numbers, building systems instead of dependencies, and competing on reputation rather than price. We dig into his journey from firefighter to climber to tech, why "busy" doesn't mean "profitable," and how the right systems can give owners their life back. Whether you run a one-crew operation or 40 crews, there's something here for you. ⏱️ In this episode: - The biggest pricing mistake owners make. - Why the cheapest company is first to disappear. - Building a business that runs without you. - Pen-and-paper vs. modern systems. - Why professionalism wins clients (not your rigging). - What's next for the industry and AI. 📬 Connect with Saby Sattler: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saby-sattler/ Learn more about ArboStar: https://arbostar.com 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations on growing your arborist business. Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    55 min
  2. Serving People, Not Just Trees. An Interview With Matt Latham

    Jun 1

    Serving People, Not Just Trees. An Interview With Matt Latham

    In this episode of the Arborist Growth Partners podcast, I sit down with Matt Latham of Arborist on Demand to dig into what really separates thriving tree care companies from those barely surviving. Matt shares his journey from hauling limbs at $8/hour to becoming a board certified master arborist, surviving the 2008 collapse of his first business, and building an 80% closing ratio by treating tree care as a human care business. We cover the future of the arborist industry (ground-penetrating radar, sonic tomography, and where tech is headed), why professionalism and proper pricing matter, the case for plant health care over constant pruning, and the role of soil and microbes in tree health. Matt also drops his favorite book recommendations and explains why mentorship and ongoing education are non-negotiable. Find Matt: https://www.youtube.com/@ArboristOnDemand https://www.linkedin.com/company/arborist-on-demand-llc/ https://www.instagram.com/arboristondemand/ https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZzmLWU9UvWrEv6Wr7 https://twitter.com/ArboristOnDeman https://www.facebook.com/ArboristOnDemandUS/ Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    55 min
  3. Inside a $3M+ Tree Service: An Interview With Kacy Keeffe

    Apr 28

    Inside a $3M+ Tree Service: An Interview With Kacy Keeffe

    Kacy Keeffe joined his parents' tree service after a physics degree at USF and helped grow it from $300K to over $3M in Tampa. He's now a Board Certified Master Arborist, and a lawn care company recently bought out his parents' stake, keeping him on to run Arbor Bay and eventually expand tree care into the broader Southeast. Kacy walks through what's worked: defining an ICP for every season, getting every sales rep ISA certified, turning one-time removals into recurring plant healthcare revenue, and selling ethically in Florida's unregulated market. 🔗 https://arborbayinc.com/ | @arborbayinc | Kacy Keeffe on LinkedIn #TreeService #Arborist #TreeCareBusiness Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    52 min
  4. Why Tree Companies Are Adding Plant Healthcare. And Interview With Joe Boffa

    Apr 14

    Why Tree Companies Are Adding Plant Healthcare. And Interview With Joe Boffa

    Graeme sits down with Joe Boffa, Rocky Mountain Territory Manager at Rainbow EcoScience, to talk plant healthcare, what it is, how tree companies can get started, and why the margins might surprise you. Joe covers everything from the low-barrier entry points for small operators, to licensing requirements, CRM options, and how to sell PHC services to your existing client list. Topics covered: - What plant healthcare actually is (it's more than just spraying). - How one PHC tech can match the revenue of a 3-person tree crew. - Where to start if you're a small operation. - Licensing, what you need and what you don't. - CRMs for managing plant healthcare programs. - How to find your first PHC customers. Connect with Joe Boffa: 🌐 https://rainbowecoscience.com/ 📧 jboffa@rainbowecoscience.com 📞 720-854-8212 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jsboffa/ Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    53 min
  5. She Built It, Sold It, Then Built Something Better. An Interview With Rebecca Seibel.

    Mar 30

    She Built It, Sold It, Then Built Something Better. An Interview With Rebecca Seibel.

    Most people sell their business and retire. Rebecca Seibel sold hers and started over. This time, entirely on her own terms. She bought a horse, moved to an off-grid cabin in the Wisconsin woods, and built something she actually wanted to wake up for every day. Now, as the founder of Tree Spirit Consulting, Rebecca travels North America training tree crews on everything from chainsaw safety to aerial rescue to leadership. Weaving decades of hard-won field experience into every course she teaches. In this conversation, we get into: - Why your "internal drive" determines whether your business survives. - What it's really like being a woman in field arboriculture. - The training most tree crews skip, and why that's dangerous. - Why the $200 bid is disrespectful to the entire industry. - What "build a company you want to work in forever" actually means in practice. Connect with Rebecca: - Website: https://www.treespiritconsulting.com/ - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/treespiritconsulting - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@treespiritconsulting #TreeService #Arborist #TreeCare #TreeSpiritConsulting #WomenInTrades #ArboristPodcast #Chainsaw #TreeClimbing #SmallBusiness Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    55 min
  6. Stay Curious or Fall Behind. An Interview With George Trott

    Mar 17

    Stay Curious or Fall Behind. An Interview With George Trott

    In this episode, Graeme sits down with George Trott of G Trott Tree Consultancy in the UK - the first international guest on the podcast. George watched a tree crew swinging chainsaws at a holiday park when he was 18 and never looked back. He shares the full journey from climbing trees commercially to running his own arboricultural consultancy, and what finally pushed him to go out on his own two years ago. They dig into what makes tree companies thrive versus just survive, the key differences between the UK and North American industries, and why staying curious might be the most important thing any business owner can do. Topics covered: - From tree surgery to consultancy - George's career path. - UK qualifications vs ISA certifications in North America. - Why three is the magic crew number in the UK. - How to find ideal clients on LinkedIn. - AI tools for lone workers and tree consultants. - Planning applications, tree safety, and a wild WWII bomb shelter story. Connect with George Trott: Website: https://www.gtrotttreeconsultancy.co.uk/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetrott/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gtrott_treeconsultancy/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558119736660 Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    47 min
  7. ISA Exam Prep Done Right. An Interview With Chris Comer

    Feb 24

    ISA Exam Prep Done Right. An Interview With Chris Comer

    Studying for your ISA Certified Arborist exam doesn't have to be boring. In this episode, I sit down with Chris Comer, founder of Tree Nerd, a visual, engaging ISA exam prep platform built by an arborist, for arborists. Forget dry PowerPoint lectures. Tree Nerd pairs real video footage of arboricultural work with the science behind it, making complex material far easier to understand and retain. Chris walks us through how to use the platform alongside the official ISA study guide, and introduces the community and study group features that make exam prep a collaborative experience. Whether you're a tree service owner looking to get your crew certified, or an arborist ready to level up your career, this one's for you. Find Chris at: Joshua Tree: https://myjoshuatree.com/ Tree Nerd Academy: https://www.treenerdacademy.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-comer-2b9a561b5/ Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    34 min
  8. He Failed at Rock & Roll, Then Found His Calling in Trees. An Interview With Gabe Fielding

    Feb 10

    He Failed at Rock & Roll, Then Found His Calling in Trees. An Interview With Gabe Fielding

    From Mediterranean Navy cruises to fronting a band called the Loaded Bananas to climbing trees in Colorado, Gabe Fielding's path to building Fielding Tree Care is anything but ordinary. In this episode, Gabe sits down with me to share the raw, unfiltered truth about 16+ years of running a tree service company in Denver. He opens up about going $1.5M into equipment debt, the gut-wrenching pain of laying off employees in winter, and why internalizing rejection nearly broke him. But this isn't a sob story! It's a masterclass! Gabe breaks down: - Why knowing your numbers is the single biggest difference between companies that thrive and those that barely survive. - How he built his entire crew culture through Craigslist and word of mouth. - The "Noah's Ark" equipment strategy that saved his business. - Why he's already planning for winter 2027, in February 2026. - How the Old Man and the Sea is secretly one of the best business books ever written. Whether you're a tree service owner, thinking about starting one, or just love hearing real entrepreneurial stories with zero fluff, this one's worth your time. 🔗 Find Gabe at Fielding Tree Care: Website: https://fieldingtreecare.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldingtreecare/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FieldingTrees/ Visit ArboristGrowthPartners.com to connect or learn more.

    58 min
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Tune into the Arborist Growth Partners Podcast for episodes packed with strategies on turning your tree service website into a lead‑gen machine, scaling your operations, and learning from industry leaders.

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