Trades Talk

John Pajak: Secrets to Building a Profitable Contracting Business

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Co-host Maggie Wymore and Justin White have on special guest John Pajak, host of the Profits with Paycheck podcast, discuss John’s journey in the lawn care industry and the challenges he faced starting his own business.
John shares invaluable lessons on understanding business financials, setting profitable pricing, and managing overhead to build a successful contracting business. The conversation touches on strategies for managing growth, contract renewals, and creating a strong brand through marketing and branding. With years of experience turning his own business around, John now helps others succeed through coaching and mentorship.
Packed with actionable advice on financial management, branding, and sustainable growth, this episode is a must-listen for contractors ready to elevate their business.
 
Profits with Pajak Podcast 
 

James Szojka: How Yard Dawgs is Dominating Lawn Care and Their Plan For Rapid Growth

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with James, founder of Yard Dawgs Lawn Care, to explore how he turned his Calgary-based lawn care company into a thriving business. James shares how niching down to fertilizer, weed control, and soil enhancements helped accelerate growth, and why their customer-first approach, with guaranteed 48-hour response times, is a game-changer.
The conversation dives into Yard Dawgs’ plans to expand into three new cities—Edmonton, Red Deer, and Saskatoon—while maintaining a lean, high-margin operating model. James also highlights the importance of hiring the right people to protect their culture and using HubSpot as a CRM to scale efficiently. Packed with insights on focus, culture, and leveraging technology, this episode offers invaluable lessons for businesses aiming to grow strategically.YouTube

Chase Gallagher: Landscape Biz Owner, Real Estate Investor and Private Jet Enthusiastic

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie are joined by Chase Gallagher, a 23-year-old entrepreneur who turned a lawn-mowing gig into a 7-Figure landscape construction business in the Philadelphia suburbs. Chase shares his journey from mowing lawns at 13 to transitioning into project-based landscaping, highlighting the importance of understanding pricing, overhead, and profitability.
Chase also runs CMG University, an online coaching program where he teaches lead generation, marketing, and networking strategies to grow landscaping businesses.
Beyond landscaping, Chase dives into his real estate ventures, sharing how he purchased his first property at 20 through owner financing and uses tax-saving strategies like cost segregation.
The conversation explores Chase’s daily routine as a young CEO, his focus on time management, and the critical aspect of having the right mindset. The group even touches on private aviation and how jet ownership creates unique networking opportunities.
This episode offers valuable insights into Chase’s rapid entrepreneurial success and the strategies that helped him grow his landscaping and real estate businesses at such a young age.
 
To Connect with Chase, follow him here:
https://www.instagram.com/chase_gallagher_/
https://www.tiktok.com/@chase_gallagher1
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-gallagher-309036177/

John Vlay: A Career Fueled by Partnerships & Connection

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with John Vlay, a seasoned leader in the landscape industry, to explore his impressive career and his vision for the future. Starting as an assistant estimator at Jensen Landscape in 1983, John worked his way up to CEO, where he helped transition the company to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). He shares the benefits and challenges of ESOPs and why Jensen ultimately sold to Monarch Landscape in 2015.
John’s post-Jensen career is just as inspiring. He discusses his work promoting battery-powered and robotic equipment with Garden Land and his latest venture with Cold Bore Capital, where he’s building a platform to acquire and grow landscape companies using cutting-edge technology like AI, robotics, and battery power. Throughout the episode, John emphasizes the importance of partnerships, innovation, and staying connected in the industry.

Trades Talk Rewind: A Year of Insights, Highlights, and a Big Reveal!

A special episode drop, with some exciting news!

Mark Tipton & Whitney Griffin: How Aspire is Revolutionizing the Landscape Industry with Innovation

 
In this episode of TradesTalk, CEO and co-founder Mark Tipton and Senior Product Owner Whitney Griffin take us through Aspire’s incredible 11-year journey, from a small startup to a powerhouse serving over 1,500 customers in the landscape industry. They reveal how Aspire’s partnership with ServiceTitan has fueled growth, tripling investment in new features like estimate revisions, equipment scheduling, and enhanced site audits. Whitney dives deep into how customer feedback drives innovation, while Mark shares the company's vision for the future amidst an evolving industry and economic uncertainty.Mark's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-t-tipton/
Whitney's LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-griffin-phd-acspo-01357040/ 

Jason & Tony Batallan: Building a $35M Landscape Empire from the Ground Up

In this episode of Trades Talk, Justin sits down with Jason and Tony Batallan, the founders of Property Works, a $35 million commercial landscape empire. The Batallan brothers share their remarkable journey of leveraging their real estate expertise to build one of the most successful landscape businesses in the industry.
Listeners will discover how Property Works scaled quickly through strategic acquisitions, while maintaining a focus on professionalism and operational excellence. The Batallan brothers explain how they expanded into complementary services like janitorial and painting, creating a one-stop solution for commercial property management.
With a goal to hit $50 million in revenue in the next two years, Jason and Tony break down the systems they’ve developed to ensure sustainable growth while keeping employees engaged and clients satisfied. They share insights on balancing rapid expansion with maintaining company culture and profitability.
If you're looking to grow and diversify your business, this episode is packed with actionable strategies from the Batallan brothers’ playbook, offering a roadmap to take your company to the next level.
Tune in now to learn how Property Works became a $35 million success story—and how you can apply the same principles to your business!
 
How to find Jason and Tony:
https://propertyworksonline.net/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-batallan-47957385/
 

Matt Budnick: How Cam Property Services Is Redefining Recurring Revenue In California

In this episode, TradesTalk welcomes Matt Budnick, Director of Key Accounts at Cam Property Services, to discuss his role in managing key clients and Cam's strategic growth. Matt explains how Cam has evolved since its founding in 1987, offering eight service lines and focusing on commercial and multifamily properties. He highlights the company's shift in strategy following the Aspire Ignite conference, including changes in compensation programs, leadership rebuilding, and a focus on high performance and retention. The episode also covers Cam's hiring strategies, accountability, and the importance of networking.
 
If you want to reach out to Matt you can fine him on LinkedIn here: 
 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-budnick?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Greg Herring: Unlock the Secrets to Skyrocketing Profits and Free Time

 
In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Greg Herring, founder of The Herring Group, to reveal the secrets to boosting profits and work-life balance for landscape and trade businesses. Greg breaks down why tracking operating profit margins is essential for success and how tools like Aspire can unlock powerful data insights. Learn how early financial expertise and empowering key employees can transform your business, giving owners more freedom and control. If you're ready to maximize profits and reclaim your time, this episode is a must-listen!
Click here for or more information on The Herring Group

Barry Schulman: Revolutionizing Hiring with the Predictive Index

In this episode of TradesTalk, Justin and Maggie sit down with Barry Schulman to explore the transformative power of the Predictive Index (PI) in the hiring process. Barry, drawing on his extensive experience in executive search, explains how the PI tool delves into key behavioral drives—like dominance, extroversion, patience, and formality—to ensure candidates are matched with roles where they can excel. Through real-world examples, the discussion highlights how PI can optimize team dynamics, uncover hidden talent, and drive business growth, offering a fresh approach to talent management.