Open-Book Management Training & Peer Group

Certified Coach-Led Implementation of The Great Game of Business

12 Week Master Class plus 6 months of 1-on-1 and peer support. I will coach you to implement the Great Game of Business into your landscaping business.

Starts Fall 2024 One Company Ticket – up to 3 attendees. Only $13,995 USD!

12 Seats Only!
Learn More

“Ryan Markewich has been in the industry for nearly 30 years and started out just like most with just a shovel and a truck. Learning from his mistakes and experience is a huge opportunity for any entrepreneur. He runs a hyper-successful landscape company using a system called open book management where, through education and sharing of operational and financial information with the entire company, he gets everyone to speak the same language and work as a team to score against the same goals.

I think Ryan’s leadership style is incredible, and any contractor/owner would benefit from sitting with him for some open, honest dialogue to get your business ‘unstuck, ‘make higher profits, and have fun doing what you love. I highly recommend.”

Mark Bradley – LMN (Landscape Management Network) CEO

Other than perhaps a sore back…

What’s holding you back the most?

You struggle to find and keep
engaged employees

You don’t have a succession plan and it scares the shit out of you

Your Vision, Purpose and Guiding Principles are not crystal clear

You don’t know how to share profits
without putting yourself and your company at risk

If you can relate to any of these, then I can help.
Or I can just give you a few tips on helping that sore back.

book a free call with me

Insights & Resources

Hear How Open Book
Management And
Transparency Build Great
Landscape Company
Culture

April 17, 2020

Ryan talks about Open Book
Management and how it’s helped to
create a more accountable workforce
and positive company culture within
his business.

Open-Book Management: Don’t Be Fooled by the Buzzword

You can’t just share the numbers and think your employees will “get it!”  In the [...]

read now
29
Aug
OWNERSHIP RULE #9 of 14: “Getting Out Is Harder Than Getting In.”

“Embracing Employee Ownership: My Experience Of Selling to Employees.” After three decades of guiding my [...]

read now
01
Jul
OWNERSHIP RULE #8 of 14: “You Build an Ownership Culture by Breaking Down Walls.”

Another Insight from 30 Years at Creative Roots Landscaping 2024 marks my 30th year since [...]

read now
14
Feb
OWNERSHIP RULE #7 of 14: “The BIG Benefits of Psychic and Actual Employee Ownership”

Selling equity to an employee can offer valuable learning experiences in ownership. Still, it won’t [...]

read now
23
Dec
OWNERSHIP RULE #6 of 14: “Failures Are Fine As Long As They Strengthen The Company.”

Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win, or I learn.”  As a [...]

read now
31
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #5 of 14: “There is No “I” in “Team”

As the African proverb tells us, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If [...]

read now
21
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #4 of 14: “Stock is NOT a Magic Pill” Employee Ownership in the Landscape Industry

In the world of business, there are rules, principles, and strategies that have been tested [...]

read now
08
Oct
OWNERSHIP RULE #3 of 14: The Bigger the Pie, the Bigger the Individual Slices.

Building a thriving landscaping company isn’t just about landscaping; it’s also about people. Our ownership [...]

read now
19
Sep

Join my mailing list

Join other landscape company owners who recieve
Ryan’s advice straight to their inboxes.

subscribe now

About me

After growing my landscaping company the hard way for 15 years, I realized the toll it was taking on me — mentally, physically, and emotionally.

It was all on me, and I hated it. And despite the fact I was making good money, I was tempted to walk away from it all many times. I was no dummy, and I worked hard but couldn’t see a way to make it fun again. I FELT STUCK!

In 2005, a friend of mine introduced me to Open Book Management as a way of operating, and I was hooked. I remember saying, “If I can’t run my company this way, I don’t want to run one at all.”

I can’t say the transformation was easy, but it sure was worth it. We defined and devised ways to use our Vision, Purpose, and Guiding Principles to move toward our clearly defined success and hire the right people. We began to teach our employees financial literacy so we all knew exactly how we made and spent money.

We opened our books and created financial and non-financial scoreboards, so rewards were based on targets EVERYONE understood and not some arbitrary CEO-decided Christmas bonus. We hosted a weekly 1-hour huddle for all staff to check the score and create action plans to achieve better results. We created a leadership culture to grow and honor our people. Then, we tied it all together with our branding so our staff, customers, and community knew exactly what we were all about. We were talking business with the people we were literally in business with each and every day…Our employees!

We were working on the company as the ultimate product and building a business with employees who could think and act like an owner simply because they now had the same information as one.

In 2016, I began to sell a good portion of the company to key employees as they earned the opportunity. This next generation of leaders ensures the landscaping company I started will not only continue beyond me but also thrive without me. Now, I’m showing other landscaping company owners how to do the same.