The Landscaping Podcast

Landscaping Unlimited

The Landscaping Podcast is where real landscapers talk shop. Hosted by Shay Brickhouse (CEO of Landscaping Unlimited, Inc.) and Zac Small (COO & Media), each episode dives into landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, turf installation, and the realities of running a company. From managing crews and scaling a business to balancing family and faith, we bring unfiltered conversations with experts, entrepreneurs, and tradesmen building lives outdoors. Whether you’re laying pavers, leading a team, or want to grow a landscaping company with integrity, this show is for you.

  1. 3d ago

    80. Thank You for 80 Episodes of The Landscaping Podcast

    Eighty episodes. That number does not happen because two guys sat down in front of a couple of microphones... It happens because people showed up, hit play, shared episodes with their crews, and sent us messages about what hit home. In this episode, Zac steps back from the usual talk about crews, equipment, mindset, and jobsites to say something simple: "Thank you." Thank you for listening on the drive to the first (or last) stop of the day. Thank you for the comments, the shares, and the honest feedback that has shaped where this show goes. Zac also looks ahead. More guests are coming, regular people and business owners alike with real stories from the field, and we are also opening the show up to sponsorship partners who want to reach landscapers, hardscapers, and green industry pros across Eastern North Carolina and beyond. If you have been riding with us since episode one or you just found us, this one is for you. Interested in sponsoring The Landscaping Podcast? Reach out to us and let's talk.

  2. 4d ago

    79. Why Your Landscaping Photos Aren't Booking Jobs

    Every landscaping company on the internet is posting the same picture. Finished patio, two in the afternoon, truck in the corner of the frame, caption reads "another one in the books." It proves work happened, and that is all it does... Proof you exist stopped being a competitive advantage the day everybody started carrying a camera in their pocket. In this episode, Zac breaks down the difference between showing a photo and telling a story, and why that difference decides whether somebody scrolls past you or picks up the phone. A photo tells a stranger what your patio looks like; a story tells them the backyard used to hold water for three days after every rain and that a family with two little kids had a mud pit instead of a yard. Same patio; completely different piece of content. Zac shares how to shoot the before so it lands, why the ugly middle of a job builds more trust than the finished product ever will, and why a hardscape shot at two in the afternoon looks like a parking lot. The same rule runs through real estate work, landscape work, and commercial brand content... A listing photo sells square footage; a story sells the house. 89% of buyers rated photos as very useful in their home search, and 52% of recent buyers found the home they purchased through the internet. Photos matter, so don't just show the picture; share the story with them.

  3. 5d ago

    78. Landscaper Mental Health: The Addiction Problem Nobody Talks About

    Landscaper mental health is the conversation this industry keeps refusing to have. One in six men in the trades drank heavily in the last thirty days, and the suicide rate in construction runs four times the general population. In this short solo episode, Zac Small of Landscaping Unlimited lays out the real numbers on heavy drinking, substance use, and mental health among men in landscaping, lawn care, hardscaping, and construction. Why this work makes us more vulnerable than almost any other trade. Why the heat, the seasonality, the pain, and the tough guy code all stack against you. Why so many veterans end up in this industry carrying the same weight, and why a man's best is enough, even on the days it does not feel like it. No lecture. No judgment. One question worth sitting with on the drive home. If you or someone you work with is struggling, call or text 988. The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is free and available around the clock.

  4. 6d ago

    77. How to Raise Prices Without Losing Customers (Landscaping Business Pricing)

    Fuel is up. Equipment is up. Labor and insurance are up. And a lot of landscaping business owners still haven't raised their prices, because the idea of telling a customer their rate is going up makes their stomach turn. In this solo episode, Zac Small breaks down why that fear is costing you far more than you think. You'll hear the exact math on how a 15% jump in fuel, materials, and equipment costs can wipe out 37% of your profit without you losing a single customer, and why the fix is a price increase of less than 4%. You'll also learn what to track quarterly, why annual reviews are too slow, and how to write a price increase letter that gets accepted instead of argued with. Every other company in America raised prices this year and nobody blinked. When a small business does it, it feels personal, because you know the customer's dog by name. This episode is about why that closeness makes owners eat cost increases a corporation wouldn't absorb for a single quarter, and how to get past it. What's covered: What to track quarterly: fully burdened cost per man hour, fuel by crew, equipment cost per hour, materials, insurance renewals, and overhead per billable hourWhy your P&L isn't enough and job costing is what actually drives pricing decisionsThe full profit math on a $1,000 job, walked through slowlyWhy waiting three years turns a painless 4% into a 15% increase that actually loses accountsWhat happens if you raise prices 5% and lose 5% of your customers (the answer surprises most owners)Why you should not raise every account the same amountThe four sentence price increase letter, word for wordWhat never to put in that letterHandling "the guy down the road is cheaper" and "can you hold my price one more year"Bid validity windows and material escalation clauses for design build work Set your lawn care business up or success, listen to the episode.

  5. Jul 17

    76. Does Your Business Really Need a Website or Social Media?

    "I get all my work from word of mouth; Why do I need a website?" Every landscaper has said it. In this episode, we break down what happens when a referral Googles your company name and finds nothing, why your online presence is proof of legitimacy before anyone ever picks up the phone, and what actually matters versus what's a complete waste of your time. You don't need viral videos. You don't need to post every day. You need to look like a real company when someone checks you out, because they will. We cover the handful of things worth doing, the stuff you can ignore, and what we've seen firsthand at Landscaping Unlimited serving Eastern North Carolina. Your website and socials aren't marketing; they're the handshake before the handshake.

  6. Jul 15

    75. 5 Ways to Beat the Heat As A NC Landscaper

    Summer in Eastern North Carolina doesn't care about your schedule. When the heat index pushes past 100, the work still has to get done, and how you handle those days is the difference between a crew that finishes the season strong and one that falls apart by August. In this episode, Zac breaks down 5 ways to beat the heat on a landscaping crew: why hydration starts the night before, why long sleeves beat short sleeves in full sun, what a real break looks like (hint: it's not a cigarette and a Monster), how to use electrolytes the right way, and the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke that every crew member needs to recognize in themselves and each other. Whether you run the crew or ride in the truck, this one could keep you or the guy next to you out of the ER. The Landscaping Podcast is brought to you by Landscaping Unlimited, serving Eastern North Carolina.

  7. Jul 10

    74. Satisfied and Still Hungry (+The Lie That You Can't Be Both)

    You've been told, somewhere along the way, that you have to pick either being grateful for what you have or keep chasing more. Pick contentment, and you risk getting soft, complacent, aka "settling." Pick ambition, and you're never allowed to feel like enough until you hit the next milestone. Nobody ever tells you that's a false choice. In this episode, we dig into why that either/or thinking has quietly hijacked how so many of us measure our own worth, and why wanting more doesn't have to mean you hate where you are right now. The real problem was never ambition... It's when "more" becomes the only thing that lets you feel worthy. Zac talks about where that belief comes from, why it's so sticky, and how to hold both gratitude and growth at the same time without one canceling out the other. If you've ever felt like you should be happier with what you've built but can't shake the pull to keep going, this one's for you.

  8. Jul 8

    73. When The Worksite Speaks Louder Than the Work

    The finished job might be flawless, but the client stopped judging your work hours before you packed up. They judged the truck when it pulled in, the trailer when it opened, the way the gear came off, and where it landed at 10 am. In this solo episode, Zac digs into why the worksite speaks louder than the work itself. Why an organized trailer and clean workspace build more trust than any website or ad ever will. Why the crew that stages equipment right is usually the crew that gets everything else right. And why the state of your jobsite in the middle of the day tells clients more about your company than the final walkthrough. A recent reminder of how much is riding on that equipment got this one rolling, and the full story on that is coming in a future episode.

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About

The Landscaping Podcast is where real landscapers talk shop. Hosted by Shay Brickhouse (CEO of Landscaping Unlimited, Inc.) and Zac Small (COO & Media), each episode dives into landscaping, hardscape, irrigation, turf installation, and the realities of running a company. From managing crews and scaling a business to balancing family and faith, we bring unfiltered conversations with experts, entrepreneurs, and tradesmen building lives outdoors. Whether you’re laying pavers, leading a team, or want to grow a landscaping company with integrity, this show is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Landscaping Unlimited
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    81
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright Landscaping Unlimited Inc.
  • Show Website
    The Landscaping Podcast