The Lawn Care Grow Show

Mark Lamberth

Welcome to The Lawn Care Grow Show, where ambitious lawn care entrepreneurs share the real strategies behind building profitable, scalable businesses. Each episode features candid conversations with successful lawn care company owners who’ve navigated the challenges of growth—from landing their first customers to managing multiple crews, from surviving seasonal slumps to building six and seven-figure operations. You’ll hear battle-tested insights on pricing strategy, crew management, customer retention, marketing that actually works, and the systems that separate thriving companies from those stuck in the grind. Whether you’re running solo operations from your truck or managing a fleet, this show delivers actionable takeaways you can implement immediately to grow your revenue, reclaim your time, and build the lawn care business you’ve always envisioned. Brought to you by LawnCareMarketer.com—helping lawn care companies dominate their local markets. New episodes every week. Subscribe now and start growing.

Episodes

  1. Specializing to Win: How Vintage Lawn Service Scales Maintenance and Profitable Extras

    1d ago

    Specializing to Win: How Vintage Lawn Service Scales Maintenance and Profitable Extras

    In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Jacob Romkee of Vintage Lawn Service in San Jose, California about how he and his brother built a high‑review, maintenance‑focused lawn company straight out of high school by thinking like subscription entrepreneurs instead of “Chuck in a truck.” Jacob shares why they intentionally centered the business on recurring weekly and bi‑weekly mowing and trimming, then layered in higher‑margin one‑time services—cleanups, irrigation repair, aeration, and lawn renovation—only after they had two full routes of dependable maintenance that kept cash flowing even in the slow winter months. He breaks down exactly how they’ve collected hundreds of five‑star reviews in just a few years using a simple, scripted walkthrough question (“Is there anything here that would stop you from leaving a five‑star review?”), why they obsessively track feedback metrics, and how that social proof fuels steady growth without racing to the bottom on price. You’ll also hear Jacob’s playbook for getting your first 20 clients on a shoestring budget, his reasoning for adding specialized services like aeration and boiling‑water weed control where there’s almost no competition, and his philosophy that you either have time or money when you start—so you’d better use the time wisely. What you’ll learn on this episode: How Jacob launched Vintage Lawn Service one week after graduation and grew it to two full maintenance routesWhy he chose to prioritize recurring maintenance first, then bolt on one‑time services like cleanups, irrigation repair, and aerationThe psychology‑driven question his crews ask at every walkthrough to fix issues on the spot and turn happy clients into five‑star reviewersHow to get your first 10–20 clients with almost no money using door hangers, in‑person visits, and low‑risk lead platformsWhy specialized services like core aeration and lawn renovation can pay off equipment costs in weeks and face far less price competitionAn inside look at a potential “boiling water + foam” weed‑killing service that is pet‑ and kid‑safe yet premium‑pricedJacob’s warning about competing on price with low‑ball operators—and how to position your business so you never have toHis long‑term view on growth: add specialty offerings your existing clients already want, while letting strong reviews and word of mouth compound over time

    21 min
  2. Scaling Evergreen Landscapes: From Teen Mower to 15-Person, Year-Round Operation

    May 31

    Scaling Evergreen Landscapes: From Teen Mower to 15-Person, Year-Round Operation

    In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with David Romanoff of Evergreen Landscapes in Skokie, Illinois about how he grew a one-mower neighborhood gig into a 15-person, full-service lawn, landscape, and snow operation serving Chicagoland within a two-hour radius. David shares how he started as “David’s Lawn Care” in high school, then came back from three years studying in Israel, invested his savings in a first truck, and stacked formal training in botany, horticulture, pruning, and design at the Chicago Botanic Garden to build a company that now handles residential and commercial maintenance, turf care, enhancements, and snow removal. He breaks down how Evergreen separates its work into clear departments—mowing, turf science, pruning, planting/softscape, tree work via arborists, hardscape via subs, and winter snow with both owned equipment and subcontractors—so each crew can specialize and stay efficient, while most core staff stay on the team year-round. You’ll also hear how he thinks about slow-and-steady growth, trusting and empowering employees, and winning reviews: do excellent work, listen for genuine compliments, then make it easy for happy clients to share their experience online. What you’ll learn on this episode: How David grew from “one mower and a few neighbors” to a 15-person landscape and snow companyWhy Evergreen rebranded from David’s Lawn Care and now balances 60% maintenance with 40% enhancements and constructionHow they structure the business into departments: mowing, turf care, pruning, planting/softscape, arborist partners, and hardscape subsWhat goes into high-quality turf care beyond mowing: fertilizers, weed control, grub control, fungicides, and timingHow they run snow removal as an emergency service using a mix of owned plows/equipment and subcontractor capacityWhy David offers winter positions to most of his summer staff to avoid retraining new crews every springHis philosophy of “slow and steady wins the race”: adding crews, equipment, and service area only as systems and people are readyA simple, low-tech way to get five-star reviews consistently: deliver great work, listen for praise, and send a direct review link right then

    11 min
  3. From High School Side Hustle to Two Crews: Diamond Lawn Care’s Fast Track Growth

    May 22

    From High School Side Hustle to Two Crews: Diamond Lawn Care’s Fast Track Growth

    In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Aiden Sullivan of Diamond Lawn Care in Wentzville, Missouri about how he turned mowing his parents’ yard in high school into a fast‑growing maintenance and landscaping company serving St. Charles County and beyond. Starting in 2022 with a handful of neighborhood lawns, Aiden now runs two trucks, multiple trailers, a full‑time crew of three plus part‑time help, and maintains 90–100 lawns a week alongside two to three landscape jobs per day. He shares how he’s expanding from core services like mowing, fertilization, mulch, trimming, and spring cleanups into drainage work, French drains, and small retaining walls, while learning to step out of the field and run two crews from the driver’s seat of the business instead of the mower. Aiden opens up about the real challenges of scaling at his age—documenting jobs clearly so crews know exactly what to do and what tools to bring, pricing projects after a few painful underbids, and finding dependable help in a competitive suburban St. Louis market—plus how strong communication and five‑star service have kept customers coming back for every new project they dream up. What you’ll learn on this episode: How Aiden grew from mowing his parents’ yard in high school to managing ~100 weekly lawns and multiple crewsThe services Diamond Lawn Care offers today, from mowing and fertilizer to drainage solutions and small retaining wallsWhat changes when the owner stops riding on a crew and starts managing two trucks and teams from the officeHow he’s learning to estimate landscape projects (materials, man‑hours, overhead) after underquoting some early jobsWhy clear job notes, checklists, and tool lists are critical so crews don’t waste time running back for forgotten equipmentThe hiring reality in his area and why he’s considering seasonal guest‑worker programs to solve labor shortagesHow tight routing in St. Charles County and careful service‑area limits keep his mowing operation efficientThe role of reviews, relationships, and “do‑it‑right” quality in turning first‑time mowing clients into long‑term full‑service customers

    12 min
  4. May 16

    Transforming Tiny Brooklyn Backyards with Steel Frames, Ipe, and Smart Design

    In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Adam Seim of Urban Exteriors in Brooklyn, New York about how he turned a background in finish carpentry, cabinetry, and metalwork into a niche business renovating tight, hard‑to‑access backyards behind 100‑plus‑year‑old brownstones. Adam explains what makes NYC row‑house yards so challenging—no alleys, 20x40‑foot spaces, everything carried through high‑end kitchens and living rooms—and how that’s forced him to operate as much like a white‑glove service company as a contractor, with meticulous dust control, protection, and logistics. He dives into why he prefers welded steel frames with Ipe, concrete curbs, and permeable resin‑bound stone over traditional pressure‑treated framing, how sun, shade, mildew, and freeze‑thaw cycles punish outdoor work in New York’s climate, and what “sustainable” really means when you want a deck or fence to last 30+ years instead of rotting out in ten. What you’ll learn on this episode: How narrow, 150‑year‑old Brooklyn row‑house backyards create unique construction and access challenges Why Adam treats outdoor work like finish carpentry plus logistics, with dust‑collection, zip walls, and floor protection How welded steel frames with Ipe decking and wood infill fences dramatically extend the life of exterior projects Why climate, orientation (sun vs shade), and hyper‑local conditions matter more than product brochures suggest What resin‑bound stone patios are, how they’re built, and where they make sense as a permeable surface The trade‑offs between pressure‑treated lumber, tropical hardwoods, and metal when you care about sustainability How working with high‑end clients and designers shapes material choices, detailing, and expectations Why most of Urban Exteriors’ work comes from word of mouth and long‑term relationships that carry into winter interior projects

    16 min

About

Welcome to The Lawn Care Grow Show, where ambitious lawn care entrepreneurs share the real strategies behind building profitable, scalable businesses. Each episode features candid conversations with successful lawn care company owners who’ve navigated the challenges of growth—from landing their first customers to managing multiple crews, from surviving seasonal slumps to building six and seven-figure operations. You’ll hear battle-tested insights on pricing strategy, crew management, customer retention, marketing that actually works, and the systems that separate thriving companies from those stuck in the grind. Whether you’re running solo operations from your truck or managing a fleet, this show delivers actionable takeaways you can implement immediately to grow your revenue, reclaim your time, and build the lawn care business you’ve always envisioned. Brought to you by LawnCareMarketer.com—helping lawn care companies dominate their local markets. New episodes every week. Subscribe now and start growing.