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IM Landscape Growth Podcast

Date: June 16, 2024

“It’s the people, it’s the industry. We work hard, we play hard, we believe in sharing information.” – Linda Reindl

TLDL 😉

Linda Reindl, Director of Education at the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, discusses the evolving needs of the green industry with host Rob Murray, focusing on education, labor challenges, and effective marketing strategies.

Here’s what we discuss in today’s episode:

• Linda’s transition from a marketing professional to a key figure in the green industry, overseeing education and scholarship programs at FNGLA.
• The changing trends in industry education, especially regarding professional training and certifications for green industry entrepreneurs.
• The landscape industry’s culture of openness and mutual support among professionals across North America.
• Labor and marketing challenges facing the industry, with a focus on improving recruitment strategies and brand differentiation.
• The critical role of professional development and certification in career advancement within the landscaping sector.
• An in-depth look at FNGLA’s certification programs and their impact on raising industry standards.
• Effective marketing strategies for landscapers to improve visibility and engage customers through community involvement.
• The advantages of resource sharing and professional networking in fostering industry growth.

Actionable Key Takeaways:

• Explore certification programs like those offered by FNGLA to enhance team professionalism and credentials.
• Leverage community involvement and networking to build trust and enhance business reputation.
• Implement a marketing strategy that focuses not just on selling, but on educating and engaging potential customers.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

1. Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association (FNGLA) and its various educational and certification programs.
2. Speakers such as Simon Sinek and Jeff McManus, who provide insights into leadership and growth within the industry.
3. Landscape Show Conference, a significant industry event for networking and learning.
4. Horticulture Foundation’s executive scholarship programs, supporting professional development.

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Episode Transcript

Robert
Hi everyone, and welcome to the I am Landscape Growth podcast, where entrepreneurs help entrepreneurs grow faster, better, and stronger in the green industry. From leadership to sales to recruiting and operational excellence. We cover the topics holding entrepreneurs back and share how to get past those bottlenecks with the best in the industry. I’m your host, Rob Murray, co founder and CEO of Intrigue, a digital marketing company focused on helping landscape companies grow. So sit back and enjoy the show. Hi everybody. Welcome back to another episode of the I am Landscape Growth podcast. Today I have an amazing guest, Linda Reindell, joining us from the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association. Linda, thank you so much for doing this.
L

Linda
00:41
You’re welcome. It’s great to be here.
R

Robert
00:44
Linda has a kind of a neat perspective on the industry as a director of education at the association, kind of tasked with bringing people in to help grow entrepreneurs grow the industry, help educate people so they can figure out how to get their businesses faster, better, stronger. So I’m just excited to have it. I think the perspective is going to be really helpful for a lot of people listening right now. So maybe you can just give us a quick rundown of your time at the association and how you’ve gotten to where you are now and some of the things, the trends that you’ve seen changing over the last, say, five or ten years in terms of what these entrepreneurs need in the green industry to grow their businesses.
L

Linda
01:22
Sure, I started out back in my twenties, very green, I will say, no pun intended. But didn’t have a lot of background in the horticultural or nursery landscape industry. But my background was in marketing and pr, and it has been an incredible journey. I think the reason I have stayed with the industry for over 30 years was because it’s the people, it’s the industry. And we work hard, we play hard, we believe in sharing information. And so my job as director of education has been just an incredible journey. Working with industry members, working with, bringing in speakers that we hope can help build the professionalism of the industry and help shape how we go forward into the future. I also wear another hat, which is our national horticulture Foundation’s exec.
L

Linda
02:37
And we work hard with providing scholarships and education to students who are pursuing their careers in horticulture and also identifying research that the industry needs. So that’s kind of where my role has been over the years at FNGLA and in association management. We wear many hats and we have to figure out how to make it all fit.
R

Robert
03:04
And what you said about the industry, I think is pretty fitting. Like at intrigue. We’ve participated in many different industries over the years. We’ve been around, whatever, 17 years. And I have to say that the landscape industry across the board, Canada, USA, all are more open than the average group in terms of sharing information about what works and what doesn’t and what to avoid. And really just everybody’s trying to help each other. It’s super refreshing and it’s a ton of fun. Like, the people are just a blast. No matter where you go. It’s really cool. So when it comes to education and, you know, increasing the professionalism or building the professionalism of the industry, there’s no question it’s working. You know, five years ago, we would be in a room and we’d ask somebody like, who’s heard of Simon Sinek crickets?
R

Robert
03:52
You know, who’s heard of Jim Collins crickets? Who’s heard of Michael Gerber? Emyth revisited, you know, literally nobody. Maybe some people knew, but no one was putting their hands up. Last year we did our tour, we did maybe 15 talks, whatever, and half the room know these people now. And these are the best of the best that have made all the mistakes, done all the research and are writing. So I think that the industry is definitely becoming more professional. So, I mean, that’s a hats off to the work you and people like you across Canada and the US are doing. So then this year, over years ago in terms of trying to bring education. So to the landscape show.
R

Robert
04:32
As an example, in July, what do you see as like the number one or two issues that your members need to address so that you’re bringing speakers in to address those issues? What are they?
L

Linda
04:46
Well, first of all, it’s funny that you say, you mentioned some of the leaders in educating or speakers. We brought Simon Sinek’s information to our leadership of the association probably about five years ago and asking the question of what’s your why? And so that’s so cool that you mentioned him and some of the other ones as far as speakers. But in regards to the common thread or the two topics that I think that we’re really focusing in on is, of course, labor. Everybody is. It’s labor, labor. And then it’s the marketing. I always used to say, you know, we as an industry knew how to grow a really good plant. We knew how to plant a good plant. But as far as marketing ourselves and the industry and our professionalisms, we had some room to grow.
L

Linda
05:49
And so I think that’s where a lot of the topics and the things that we talk about for either our knowledge college at the landscape show or some of the other standalone educational programs, that it’s how do we market ourselves better? What’s the best way of doing that? Whether it’s social media, whether it’s face to face, what are those elements that we need to look at then from labor? It’s how do we recruit better people or train industry members? How do we retain those that are going to help our businesses grow? So I think those are the two primary.
R

Robert
06:37
Yeah, and I love it. I mean, this is not news, I think, but a lot of people don’t necessarily admit the marketing side. And the last three years the wind has been in the industry’s back. so, you know, even twelve months ago, if you could do the job, you got the job. And then eight months ago it softened. Now this year we’re seeing it not quite as strong as a year ago. And so, you know, sharpening that marketing sword so that you can differentiate yourself and maintain some price control because the last thing you want to do is just lower prices for the sake of getting jobs. I mean, that’s not good for anybody, is super important. So we’ll get to that one in a minute. I think that’s really important. I’m also biased because we’re marketing companies, so we’ll get there.
R

Robert
07:25
But the labor, labor like this is this, everybody’s saying it right. And then we’re seeing the advent of, you know, robotic mowers and equipment to, we don’t want to say replace people, but I’m, we’re not necessarily replacing them because there’s no one to replace. We’re just getting the job done with an alternative, I guess is more the idea. But I think what you said is really important about like how do we recruit, how do we train and how do we retain more people. And one of the things that’s come up pretty consistently as a theme in the podcast, talking to people about successful people that have recruited and maintained a really high growth path. They essentially consider themselves to be a training company. They just happen to be in landscaping.
R

Robert
08:09
And one of the things we are hearing across industries, not just landscape, is that young and not so young people want skill development. They want to be able to build their career. And if they’re in a place where they don’t see that opportunity, the odds of them staying there are pretty low. So when it comes to training and development, do you know of anybody doing a really good job or what are you seeing people do that’s working?
L

Linda
08:40
You know, I think it’s interesting, some of the conversations that we have with our committee when we’re talking about it is really kind of what you touched on is that the new generation of our workforce, if they don’t see their opportunities or see ways that they can grow, they’re, they’re moving on. You know, they don’t have that job loyalty of staying for the 30 years or, you know, they’re really looking for ways that they can move. So I think offering our companies, offering members incentives or training that will help that individual grow is the important part. Help? Yeah, just, you know, I don’t know.
L

Linda
09:41
I think there’s a lot of companies out there trying, but it’s identifying what those different roles are and what are the steps for those current employees to move up and become better, I think, is what their success will be.
R

Robert
09:58
Yeah. And I find a lot of time talking to entrepreneurs that building a training program can be quite daunting. So, like, you know, they have an organization, say, of 2030 people, whatever it might be. You’ve got, you know, some green newbies, you’ve got some seasoned folks, you’ve got some tenured staff. And, you know, to build a one size fits all training program doesn’t necessarily work because everybody’s at different places. So it’s like, how do you start? Then you start building something, and then the next person that comes in uses it, but then it gets left and collects dust. But there’s an association that just happens to provide training for all different levels of folks. So can you give us a little bit of an insight in terms of, like what?
R

Robert
10:37
Like, if I’m an entrepreneur in Florida and I want to train my team, how can I leverage the FNGLA to support, you know, training our staff?
L

Linda
10:47
Well, we’re very fortunate with FNGLA to have actually seven certification programs. Our director of certification and, well, our certification department is a department of two, but they manage anywhere from our initial program, which is the Florida certified horticulture professional, that’s the base program, and then additional certifications that landscape companies can offer their members, from maintenance to the landscape technician to the whole certified contractor. And even though they’re not a required licensed certification, it’s a professional certification. It allows our industry members to be able to elevate their employees to a different level and an opportunity to train them. So we have a really robust certification program at FNGLA, and that’s a perfect opportunity for employers to offer something to their employees and really to help identify what employee is going to move up that ladder.
L

Linda
12:09
And then, you know, we all know in the landscape industry, there’s certain ones that will always be the ones, you know, on the tractor or.
R

Robert
12:19
Yeah, steady Eddie. No problem there.
L

Linda
12:22
That’s what they want. They don’t want to rise to the level, but there are, you know, that’s, I think, a challenge for an employer to identify the difference between those and the ones who are looking to move up the ladder.
R

Robert
12:36
Yeah, that’s cool. And one of the things I think is, you know, really important in this whole thing is as much as they might not be a mandatory required certification or to operate, but then if you flip that into the other thing that you’re talking about in terms of holding people back about marketing, if you have a staff fully certified in a statewide association certification, and then you go compete for a job and you’ve got a staff of fully certified people against a business that doesn’t. As a consumer, my trust level is way higher with a certified group. So I think that’s amazing. And then the fact is, I can just send my people there and not have to, like, do. It is also important. So if someone’s considering using the program, like, what would the time commitment be for somebody who’s getting trained?
R

Robert
13:25
I know it might be. It varies a little bit, but just to give up a ballpark so people can have an idea of what kind of commitment it is over time.
L

Linda
13:33
Well, the base. The base certification takes a little bit longer. There’s like a. There are courses offered that could be anywhere from six weeks to a semester type of a course, and then there’s a test involved. You don’t, as an industry member, have to go through that course, but that really, when they’re offered, it gives you a basis. It teaches you the things that you need to know to. To be successful in the test. The others. What’s been very successful for us with FNGLA is our certification department has gone around the state to offer reviews and offer the testing for employees. So if a company is looking to certify a dozen of their staff members or they will actually come to you and do the test.
R

Robert
14:39
Amazing.
L

Linda
14:40
Yeah, it’s super easy for them.
R

Robert
14:43
And what does it cost to do something like that? Let’s say every new team member I brought on board, I wanted to have them get involved with this foundational certification. And we’re gonna go look on the website. I guess while we’re doing this, actually.
L

Linda
14:56
They probably want to refer to Mary Mott in our office. I’m not sure all the specific costs. So I don’t want to give you the wrong pricing on it.
R

Robert
15:05
No, that’s okay. That’s okay.
L

Linda
15:07
But Mary in our office would be super helpful in providing all of those specific prices.
R

Robert
15:17
I’m just wondering if I can find something quick here. We’re talking about the FCHP, right?
L

Linda
15:26
Yeah. That’s the basis of.
R

Robert
15:28
It’s $120. It’s nothing.
L

Linda
15:30
Yeah, yeah.
R

Robert
15:32
So, like, if someone’s listening, it’s like, oh, 5000 bucks, three grand. No, no, $120. Like, it could be easily part of our recruitment budget, you know, to have somebody.
L

Linda
15:42
That’s the manual cost. And. And then they’re required to have ceus over a three year period. But that manual is priceless. That manual goes every. Everything from plant identification to pesticide to you name it, pest management to interior information. So it’s a super good manual just to have as a resource.
R

Robert
16:12
And then there’s online training available. You have to pass with 70% or higher in every section. And the exam is dollar 90. So you’re looking at six weeks to three months, $200 all in, and you’ve got somebody certified on your team. Like, I just. Yeah, it seems like a no brainer. Everybody should be taking advantage of that.
L

Linda
16:32
Yeah, it’s a super way to, again, elevate the professionalism of, well, then you.
R

Robert
16:37
Got everybody on the same page, you know, from a base understanding inside the organization, and then there’s more after that. So you just go to fngla.org under professional development if you want to check out the programs available.
L

Linda
16:51
And what’s really great is that once they do get their certification, FNGLA provides those additional educational opportunities for them to get continuing ed credits that they’ll need to keep their certification. And so it not only provides a network, but it provides additional ways for them to become educated or more professional.
R

Robert
17:18
In their roles over the site over the time of their career. Ongoing.
L

Linda
17:21
Yeah, absolutely.
R

Robert
17:23
Very cool. So let’s flip over to this, you know, other piece you mentioned about marketing. And, you know, people are, landscapers have been historically really good at planting plants and growing plants, but not necessarily promoting themselves. And so, you know, this year being one of the main themes for the landscape show conference being held in July or August. Sorry. So what do you see as some of the pieces that aren’t happening or that need to be happening?
L

Linda
18:01
I think a lot of things that we’re offering are, you know, how to build your social media presence, how to utilize some of those marketing materials. I see more and more landscape companies trying to offer podcasts just like we’re doing right now, or offer connections on social media. LinkedIn is a super way for companies to offer or showcase what they’re doing. I think from a design company, anything visual can be a super good marketing tool for them. Show them what you’re doing and allow your customers to be able to see the success that your company can bring.
R

Robert
19:02
Yeah, that’s cool. I mean, and one of the things I think should be told or said is that there’s a fundamental principle when it comes to marketing and sales. A lot of people just kind of miss and. And it’s the idea. People hate to be sold, but they love to buy. And so often we see people trying to sell people on their services. This is why we’re good. This is why you should pick us. Here’s what the, you know, here’s three reasons we. Here’s our process. It’s just all about me. Look at me. Look at me. Buy from me. Where, like, if you walk into a department store and you’re there to buy something and someone comes up to you and says, can I help you? What’s your default? No, thanks. Just looking.
L

Linda
19:50
Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. Yeah, I’m good. I think that’s where education plays such an incredible role in the marketing aspect of your company. We saw it when Covid happened and where, I know we’re talking landscaping, but the interior scape industry or segment of our industry just boomed during COVID and it was because people had opportunities to be at home and learn about things. And I think consumers really want to know, well, how is this plant going to look in my landscaping or my front yard? The more you can educate your customers on watering techniques or what the new plant varieties that they might consider trying or anything like that, then that become, you become that expert that they’re going to go to and say, I want more of this. I want more plants in the front yard. And it sells itself.
R

Robert
21:07
Yeah, that’s. I mean, and that, I love it because the Google marketing live conference was last week, and there’s a new model called Gemini, which is going to be essentially Google’s AI being brought into everything. And as much as the technology is shifting rapidly and the platform is going to change drastically, you’ll start seeing it in the next couple of weeks and how your search results are actually changing. Now, the number one theme of Google has not changed, and it’s to help people. So if we build content that’s designed to help a consumer understand how to do something, how to maintain something, how to hire something better, it’s always going to do well. And it’s because people want that information that helps them become a more astute customer.
R

Robert
22:05
And I think this is where we’ve seen some really great successes, especially with social media on YouTube and even instagram, but videos of how to do stuff with experts on your team, so people actually get to know people. Like, we see it on websites all the time. When people inquire, they’re like, I saw Dave’s YouTube video, I want to speak to Dave. And Dave isn’t the sales guy or anything, but they’ve built a relationship with Dave, but watching his how to stuff and that can go a long way. And then the last thing I think is just really important because a lot of people miss it, is you need to be there when someone looks for you.
R

Robert
22:39
And as much as it seems simple, because it is, to say it sounds intuitive, but getting some people to Google services, not your name, just Google the types of services you do and see how well you rank. Everybody gets emails all the time about, we can get you the top of Google from people all over the world saying they can do that, but they don’t excessively tell you for what. And one thing, I guess just as a tip for people listening right now, in 2023, the most profitable search term, so the search term with the highest commercial intent, with the highest value projects was landscape contractor near me. But a lot of people don’t have landscape contractor as a term they’re trying to rank for.
R

Robert
23:21
So there’s a ton of opportunity to look into the data and Google provides a really great opportunity to do that. But be there when people are looking is super important.
L

Linda
23:31
I agree.
R

Robert
23:33
And then, oh, go ahead.
L

Linda
23:35
No, they just, I just, I don’t think that’s changed over the years. It’s just educate, educate. Whether it’s educate the industry or whether it’s educate, you consume.
R

Robert
23:51
Yeah. And the thing is, some people, to your point, like, they’ll gravitate to it and then, and a lot of times people will say things like, well, you know, we don’t want to necessarily do DIY videos because our customer aren’t diyers. No, they’re not. But they want to learn what’s involved and then they want to hire you because they know you know how to do it. So it’s, and there might be some diyers that take it and use it and whatever, it’s fine. That’s not going to hurt anybody. but it definitely builds a lot of trust, showing people that you know what you’re talking about and giving it all away, you know, educate, educate. So then. But if you go the other way. So, I mean, we’re digital marketing companies, so that’s my slant.
R

Robert
24:27
But if you look at face to face and community involvement, you know, over the years, whether it’s, you know, getting involved with, you know, hospital foundations in your area or, you know, fundraisers and networking in your community, is there anything that kind of pops out from your perspective that’s been, you know, kind of a constant? This is, this is working. This always is important for people because we see it all the time. The more involved you are in your community at any level, over a period of time, you build a reputation as someone who cares. And again, people want to buy from people they trust, and if you care, they trust you. So anything you’ve seen helpful in that line with FnglA?
L

Linda
25:08
We have local chapters of FNGLA that work very closely with a lot of the local communities to either do community projects, community gardens, they work with FFA students to actually inspire them to get into the industry. So I think we’re very fortunate because FNDLA is one of the largest nursery and landscape associations across the country. So we have a lot of members and a lot of different chapters across the state that can engage with their local communities, and it makes a tremendous difference. We plant sales and that kind of thing, too.
R

Robert
26:01
Yeah, plant sales, fundraisers for schools. You know, community gardens, there’s so many applications. If you’re a landscaper and you haven’t done a community garden project, I mean, that’s a put it on the list of things to get done this year or next, that’s a huge opportunity. Whether it’s a mental health piece or maybe it’s for seniors or maybe it’s for young kids getting into it and you do it out of school, there’s so many opportunities for that. That’s cool. So you did mention five years ago that Simon Sinek was brought, you know, or that content was brought into leadership at the executive level. What is one or two resources, authors, speakers that you’ve found over the last couple of years that really hit home you think people should check out?
L

Linda
26:45
Simon Sinek is one of my favorite. I love listening to him and the way he does or approaches leadership. And so I think it was very fitting for our organization from an industry perspective. Jeff McManus, he’s out of the University of Mississippi. He’s one of our speakers at the landscape show in August. Does a super job. He not only speaks to the industry, but he has webinars and podcasts that he offers to our industry. And because he was in the industry and he understands training programs and how to recruit and how to retain, he is a tremendous resource and fun to listen to. So I really enjoy him.
R

Robert
27:43
Well, I think he’ll be stoked that you put him in the same sentence as Simon Sinek. I mean, that’s awesome. Cool.
L

Linda
27:51
There’s a lot of, we have such a great resource of experts in the industry. That’s made my job real fun planning, because so many people are willing to share their information.
R

Robert
28:07
Love it. Well, thank you for doing this, Linda. And thanks, everybody, for listening to another episode of the immunity growth podcast.
L

Linda
28:13
Well, thanks for having me.