In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Bobby Conley of Lawn More in Fort Worth, Texas about how he turned years of part‑time mowing into a steady, repeatable business that’s now about 80% recurring lawn maintenance and 20% higher‑ticket project work. Bobby explains how he keeps his core service simple—weekly and bi‑weekly mowing, edging, hedge and shrub trimming, light tree work, and seasonal cleanups—while slotting in landscaping projects, flower bed makeovers, and design work mainly in the fall and winter when grass growth slows. He shares how he first built his customer base with low‑budget tactics like flyers and business cards, then layered on a basic website, social media, and paid online marketing to bring in consistent leads, and why COVID briefly slowed demand when people were home doing their own yards before things rebounded and “took off” again. You’ll also hear his plans to add licensed irrigation work in response to customer requests, how he upsells existing mowing clients into pruning and tree jobs by simply pointing out what he can help with, and his advice to new owners on combining a solid online presence with on‑property conversations to fill an initial route.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

• What Lawn More offers today: recurring lawn maintenance, hedge and tree trimming, flower bed design, and general landscaping
• How Bobby balances his work mix at roughly 80% mowing and maintenance and 20% projects that fit best into fall and winter
• The simple marketing steps he used to get started: flyers, business cards, and then graduating to a website and social media
• How adding online advertising and maps listings now keeps the phone ringing with fresh leads
• The way he identifies and offers add‑on work (hedges, trees, bed cleanups) to existing mowing customers without being pushy
• How COVID briefly shifted demand as more homeowners did their own yards, and why business surged again afterward
• Why he’s considering getting an irrigation license to meet frequent customer requests and expand his service lineup
• Bobby’s advice for new lawn care owners in 2026: invest early in your online presence, market locally, and price projects by complexity, not just hours

In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with Emilio Gallegos of Leaf Green Lawn Care in Chicago about how he’s building a tight, profitable operation by combining recurring lawn care with carefully selected landscaping projects—and then ruthlessly tightening his service area for maximum route density. Emilio shares how his team focuses on core services like mowing, fertilization, lawn treatments, and seasonal cleanups, then layers in higher‑value work such as new garden bed installs, planting, sod replacement, and small retaining walls (kept to three courses and under to stay efficient and sub out the heavy structural work). He explains why, after initially taking anything within a 40‑minute drive, he now concentrates on a few “pod” neighborhoods from Garfield Ridge near Midway up through Berwyn and La Grange, even having hard conversations with legacy clients who fall outside that radius so he can serve a clustered 20‑property day in minutes instead of burning profit on gas and windshield time. You’ll also hear how he and his brother are growing slowly but intentionally, using a mix of branded truck wraps, location‑specific routes, and clever “instant quote” door hangers with QR codes and pre‑filled pricing to win new customers without feeling pushy.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

• The services Leaf Green Lawn Care offers, from weekly mowing and treatments to sod installs and small retaining walls
• Why Emilio targets a 65/35 split between recurring lawn care and one‑time landscaping projects to balance cash flow and profit
• How tightening his service area from 40‑minute drives to a few dense “pod” neighborhoods boosted efficiency and reduced fuel costs
• The process (and script) he uses to gracefully let go of out‑of‑area clients when routes get too spread out
• How he and his brother are hiring slowly and selectively to protect quality, even when demand is high
• The role of branded trucks and strong local visibility in generating calls without huge ad spend
• A behind‑the‑scenes look at his “instant quote” door hangers—complete with QR codes and pre‑priced mowing, mulch, and cleanup options
• Emilio’s advice for new owners on getting their first 10–15 clients using door knocking, simple leave‑behind offers, and low‑pressure, value‑first conversations

In this episode of The Lawn Care Grow Show, host Mark Lamberth talks with John Mikes of Gateway Lawn & Landscape Inc. in Edwardsville, Illinois about what three decades in the green industry teach you about growth, route density, and quality of life. John shares how his company now runs focused commercial mowing routes alongside commercial and residential landscape install and maintenance crews—including patios, walls, and boulder work—within a tight 20‑mile radius east of St. Louis so windshield time doesn’t eat profits. He explains why about 75% of their work is commercial, why residential landscapes still get extra time and attention (with no money down until the homeowner is happy at the final walkthrough), and how his wife’s “personal gardener” service keeps long‑time clients’ beds and plantings looking like park‑like retreats. You’ll also hear why he intentionally downsized from 25 employees back to a small, long‑tenured team, how “learning to say no” to the wrong properties protects routes and margins, and his advice to new operators: in the beginning, you have to hustle—knock doors, hang flyers, and be hungry.

What you’ll learn on this episode:

• How Gateway Lawn & Landscape structures its crews for commercial mowing plus commercial and residential landscaping
• Why John keeps his service area to roughly 20 miles to protect route density and reduce unprofitable windshield time
• The reasoning behind a 75% commercial / 25% residential mix—and why residential landscape installs still get white‑glove treatment
• How a “no money up front, pay when you’re happy” policy builds homeowner trust on landscape projects
• Why John intentionally shrank from 25+ employees back to a small, stable team and what that did for his quality of life
• How he’s retained key team members for 8–15+ years by taking care of his people so they’ll take care of the customers
• The importance of saying “no” to jobs that don’t fit your routes, crew capacity, or business model
• John’s playbook for getting your first accounts in 2026: door knocking, door hangers, and old‑fashioned hustle to land customers who stay for decades