Category Archives: People

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 and proven over time. Among these rules, as described by Jack Stack in his book A Stake in The Outcome, rule #4 stands out as a critical lesson for businesses of all sizes and industries: “Stock Is Not a Magic […]

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 team was recently working on the next level of our plan to continue to bring more employees into ownership when the time becomes right. The question is, “When is the time right, and what do we need to do to […]

OWNERSHIP RULE #2 of 14: A Company isn’t worth anything if nobody wants to own it.

Alright, let’s talk business, but not the boring, run-of-the-mill stuff. We’re diving into the landscape industry—where beauty meets business. Here’s the deal: your company’s worth isn’t just dollars and cents. Nope, it’s about being the kind of company that everyone wants a piece of. That’s where the Great Game of Business (GGOB) swoops in with […]

OWNERSHIP RULE #1 of 14: “The Company is the Product.”

In the ever-evolving landscape industry, success hinges not only on the beauty of the environments we create but also on the innovative strategies we employ to run our businesses. One such transformative concept that has been making waves across various industries, including ours, is “The Company is the Product.” At its core, this concept encapsulates […]

With every set of hands I get a free brain! – OBM from an employee’s perspective

Oh, boy…is it that time again? It feels like I just posted an article last month, and already I am a few months behind on delivering this one! A problem, right?  Well, yes, I did break my own personal deadline and now that I’m on it I hope I can redeem myself!  But to do […]

Open Book Management: To Win the Game, You Need the Right Team

“Great vision without great people is irrelevant.” Jim Collins.  “Take our best 20 people away, and I tell you that Microsoft will become an unimportant company.” Bill Gates About halfway through my 26 years as the owner of Creative Roots Landscaping, I started to hit the same roadblock that most overly ambitious, chaos-thriving, “I can […]