The LeanScaper Podcast

In this episode, Benji Carlson sits down with Brian Kaskavalciyan of The Wealthy Contractor to uncover why so many landscapers and contractors struggle with scarcity thinking—and what it really takes to build wealth in business. Brian shares powerful mindset shifts, personal stories, and practical tools that help entrepreneurs overcome fear, reprogram limiting beliefs, and finally give themselves permission to win. Expect to learn:1. Why fear is the #1 reason contractors undercharge. 2. How most business owners accidentally have more faith in failure than success. 3. Why every contractor who delivers quality work deserves to be profitable (and wealthy). If you’re ready to stop playing small and start creating abundance in your business, this is a must-watch. ⏱ Timestamps:00:36 – The fear-driven pricing trap 05:18 – Why competition is an illusion 06:43 – How to create opportunities out of thin air 09:29 – Mindset vs. skillset (why 90% is mindset) 15:08 – Stop asking “how” and ask this instead 22:37 – Why most people have faith in failure 25:45 – Reprogramming your subconscious stories 30:06 – Why mindset is like going to the gym 42:36 – Money only amplifies who you are 46:47 – How to stop moving the goalposts 53:06 – The truth: You deserve to make a profit 👉 Subscribe for more insights on building wealth and freedom in your landscaping business. 👉 Learn more at thewealthycontractor.com

Hiring in the trades is broken. Too many contractors “post and pray,” hoping the right people show up. In this episode, Benji sits down with Naomi Pitt and Josianne Gaudette from CrewHR to break down what real recruitment looks like in 2025—from building pipelines, referral programs, employer branding, and even using AI without losing the human touch. If you’re struggling to attract and keep top talent, this episode is packed with tactical advice and powerful mindset shifts. Timestamps: 00:50 – Why contractors fall into “post and pray” hiring 03:06 – The biggest mindset shift in recruiting 04:40 – Recruitment is a sales funnel 10:33 – Beyond job boards: new sourcing channels 14:36 – Referral programs that actually work 20:09 – The “Ideal Candidate Profile” (ICP) explained 25:20 – Gen Z and the rebranding of the trades 32:39 – Why remote work is overrated 35:10 – Mapping career paths visually 39:06 – Employer brand 101: more than logos 44:39 – AI in hiring: efficiency vs empathy 50:34 – Why small companies actually have the advantage 52:20 – CrewHR’s mission + what’s next 

Marketing is the lifeblood of every small business — yet most entrepreneurs waste thousands chasing shiny objects, outsourcing to the wrong people, or tracking the wrong numbers. In this conversation with best-selling author Allan Dib (The 1-Page Marketing Plan, Lean Marketing), we unpack how to eliminate waste, focus on what matters, and build a marketing engine that works. 👉 Subscribe for more insights: https://www.youtube.com/@leanscaper 👉 Grab Allan’s free resources: leanmarketing.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:19 – Why outsourcing marketing fails 04:52 – Marketing is like a marriage 09:18 – Defining marketing waste 13:41 – The cost of shiny object syndrome 17:49 – Advertising as pollution vs. gardens as goodwill 25:35 – Why vanity metrics don’t pay the bills (CAC & LTV) 32:57 – Why tradespeople lose leads 36:10 – The handwritten note hack that doubles show-ups 44:36 – Why 2025 is “2008 for personal branding” 47:42 – The 3 rules for waste-free marketing 

 Learn More About Our Accelerator Programs: https://leanscaper.com/programs In this episode of the LeanScaper Podcast, Benji Carlson sits down with Mark Bradley to break down the five stages of scaling a landscaping business—from startup hustle to legacy enterprise. Mark shares raw stories, painful lessons, and powerful frameworks that every entrepreneur needs to hear. Whether you’re stuck at $500K, fighting to get past $3M, or steering a $20M company, this roadmap will help you scale with clarity, systems, and sanity. Timestamps: 00:45 – Why scaling is harder than people think02:00 – Entrepreneurship = personal development04:03 – The fear of not knowing what’s next08:10 – The Starter Zone ($0–500K): hustle & accidental profit12:36 – Mark’s story: hiring at Home Depot & early struggle22:23 – The Grow Zone ($500K–$3M): the hardest stage30:21 – When your business feels like a plane going down38:56 – Scaling ($3M–$10M): grit stops working46:10 – Hire your mentors & specialists56:54 – Dreamer vs. visionary: the CEO shift1:02:53 – Enterprise & legacy: culture, coaching, and succession1:12:31 – Final advice to Mark’s younger self 

In this conversation, Isaac Barlow, founder of BusyBusy and a trailblazer in jobsite intelligence, dives into the transformative power of accurate data in the trades. He explains why time tracking is vital but often elusive, while emphasizing the cultural shift needed for data-first companies. Isaac shares insights on mitigating bad data, coaching strategies for crew leaders, and how transparency fosters trust and attracts top talent. Best of all, he reveals how data-driven innovation will determine the industry's future success.

Barry Hartman, founder of 505-Junk and leadership coach, shares transformative insights on building a robust leadership team. He emphasizes starting the process sooner than expected to prevent burnout. Hartman explains how to design roles that foster ownership, while noting the importance of culture over credentials in blue-collar leadership. He discusses strategic hiring and when to prioritize internal leaders versus external candidates, ultimately helping businesses thrive without relying solely on the founder.

In this discussion, Asad Zaman, CEO of Sales Talent Agency, shares his wealth of experience in sales hiring, emphasizing the challenges of finding the right talent. He reveals that only 1 in 10 salespeople truly excel, and highlights common pitfalls founders face, like underestimating hiring complexity and structuring improper compensation. Asad advocates for starting small with lead generation and carefully building a talent pool through headhunting. His insights offer a crucial playbook for businesses looking to scale effectively.

Morgan Tate, an M&A advisor at Breakwater M&A specializing in blue-collar exits, dives into the booming landscaping sector as private equity positions itself for opportunity. He discusses how AI's rise is reshaping investor interests, moving focus to tangible businesses. Tate sheds light on maximizing sale prices and demystifies common pitfalls in business valuation. He emphasizes the importance of operational systems, predictability in cash flow, and a strong client base to boost saleability. Essential insights for landscapers thinking about their future!

What happens when you hire a software programmer, not a landscaper, to help run one of the biggest jobs of your career? In this live talk turned podcast episode, Mike Lysecki reveals the behind-the-scenes story of how systems, transparency, and accountability became the backbone of TBG’s success and eventually the foundation for LMN and LeanScaper. From a $5M residential project that ballooned into $12M, to a job interview where Mark opened his QuickBooks and doubled Mike’s salary on the spot, this conversation lays out the real playbook landscapers need to scale smarter. ✅ Why you might want to hire an operator instead of another landscaper ✅ How a $12M project exposed the need for systems ✅ The surprising power of financial transparency in leadership ✅ The first version of the Lean Playbook—and why it still works today ✅ Lessons from 20 years of cutting waste, building teams, and scaling businesses This isn’t theory. It’s the operating system that transformed a company, and can transform yours. 

You don’t run a profitable landscaping business by accident. In this episode, Benji sits down with Robert Gauvreau - CPA, author of The Wealthy Entrepreneur, and founder of Gauvreau Accounting, Tax, Law, Advisory - to expose the eight most common financial mistakes contractors make and how to avoid them. Robert’s firm has worked with over 4,000 businesses across North America, including 700+ contractors, giving him a unique, behind-the-scenes look at what drives sustainable profitability in landscaping. Expect to learn: • Why financial literacy is still taboo in the trades and how to get over it • The biggest “cash flow killers” and how to fix them fast • Why underpricing is not a math problem, but a mindset problem • The truth about taxes and why “I bought it with cash” is just bad business • How to build a simple financial scoreboard to make better decisions Whether you’re just getting your books in order or gearing up for serious growth, this episode will show you how to become the CFO your business needs. Because doing great work is only half the battle. The other half? Knowing your numbers. 🔗 Connect with Robert: https://www.gauvreaucpa.ca/ 📥 Need help? DM us or visit leanscaper.com