Scott Lesak [00:00:00]:
People don't know who's their ideal client, who's their ideal site, what are they going after, what is their offering. So getting the clarity around that to focus in and laser focus on creating systems and processes to directly relate to your ideal client and your ideal offering needs to happen.
Scott Lesak [00:00:17]:
What's your mission? What are you actually focused on? It's not the landscaping you're doing, it's not the snow you're plowing, that's the commodity that we provide. So what are you doing deeper than that? And figuring out that passion and that purpose aligned with it.
00:28 - Meet Scott Lesak & Kasel Rocks
Jack Jostes [00:00:28]:
All right, folks, we're here at the SIMA Symposium in Pittsburgh with a repeat guest, Scott Lesak, who we met on LinkedIn because I posted something about fly fishing. We were just talking about this. You commented and then I introduced you to Wayne Herring, who is also here, who lives pretty close to you.
Scott Lesak [00:00:45]:
Yeah, we’re practically neighbors.
Jack Jostes [00:00:47]:
And then we did an interview, really good topic on Scale First, Grow Second, was a talk and a theme of a lot of your work. Scott runs Kasel Rocks, your snow and landscape company in Allentown, Pennsylvania. And you also have a consulting business, too. So what's the name of that?
Scott Lesak [00:01:04]:
Jack Jostes [00:01:05]:
Inspire You. So Scott has a lot of cool stuff. You should connect with him on LinkedIn. We're doing a short conversation about focus. So why focus? And we were kind of getting ready to do this podcast, and you were saying, you know, one of the things that I see many snow and landscape companies struggling with is focus. What do you mean by that?
01:26 - Defining Your Hell Yes Client
Scott Lesak [00:01:26]:
There's a lot that goes on in our industry that people don't know who's their ideal client, who's their ideal site, what are they going after, what is their offering? So getting the clarity around that to focus in and laser focus on creating systems and processes to directly relate to your ideal client and your ideal offering needs to happen. A lot of people are focused on HOAs and apartments, then they want to go to retail, then they throw some residential in there.
Scott Lesak [00:01:54]:
And each one of those are similar, but take a little bit different of a management structure. So really focusing in on that and figuring out why you're doing what you do starts with a mission statement of core values. So for focus, you need to understand what your mission is and what you're going after, and then start to create your ideal client portfolio, your ideal site portfolio, because they are two different things, and figure out how those areas can help you accomplish your mission.
Jack Jostes [00:02:22]:
Yeah, I agree. So I call that Hell Yes Customer, ideal customer, target customer, whatever. There's a lot of different words for it, but I believe it is the foundation of all of it. And it ties into the mission of serving someone. Who are you serving? I think guides everything else. Our mission is Helping Small Businesses Ring the Bell.
Jack Jostes [00:02:44]:
And it may have expanded its snow and landscape companies. That's who our hell yes customer is. But the root of it is Helping Small Businesses Ring the Bell is our mission that I rally my whole company behind. And now this podcast, I interview people about things that Help Small Businesses Ring the Bell, and it guides everything that we're doing.
03:02 - Sneak Peek: Join Us at ELEVATE 2024!
Jack Jostes [00:03:02]:
Are you ready to ELEVATE your business and smoke your competition? Join us at ELEVATE 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina from November 3rd to the 6th. The Ramblin Jackson team will be at Booth #1111 and we’ve got a lot going on!.
Jack Jostes [00:03:20]:
We’re showcasing how we help snow and landscape companies grow with smart marketing and custom website solutions. Plus, we’re shooting episodes of The Landscaper’s Guide podcast right at the booth! You want to share your story? Stop by and be a guest on the show. And don’t forget! We’re giving away a free Trager grill to one lucky recipient. Come chat with us and put your hat in the ring to win a brand new grill.
Jack Jostes [00:03:45]:
I’m also hosting two Breakfast with Champions sessions on November 5th, and November 6th. We’ll talk about how to get you, the owner, out of the sales process so you can run your business more smoothly without you having to be involved in every sale. I’ll also be sharing exclusive marketing strategies for design build companies to attract more Hell Yes Customers.
Jack Jostes [00:04:08]:
So mark your calendars and get ready for an amazing time at ELEVATE 2024 in Charlotte. Come see us at Booth #1111, and let’s ELEVATE your business together. I can’t wait to meet you, share some laughs, and help your grow your snow and landscape company. Book a podcast interview slot and learn more at landscapersguide.com/elevate2024. See our show notes for a link!
04:34 - Scott’s Tips for Client Focus
Jack Jostes [00:04:34]:
How do you figure out though, in your opinion, who is your ideal customer, your Hell Yes Customer? And you mentioned we're at the SIMA Symposium, so there's a lot of mainly snow removal companies here that also have a landscape division. And in commercial, yeah, is it HOAs? Is it hospitals? Is it retail? I think you kind of need to try them out or to arrive at becoming like a mature company with a Hell Yes Customer.
Jack Jostes [00:05:00]:
Or at least this is how I figured out for me was like going and selling and doing the work. And then looking back at my financials that like, did I actually like this? Does my team like it? Do I want more of it? How do you coach your clients to figure out where to focus?
Scott Lesak [00:05:15]:
Well, it again, it all goes back to that mission. What is your mission? What is your mission statement? And at Kasel Rocks, our mission statement is: We're a group of like-minded individuals passionate about bettering ourselves and our industry alike. Simply, we create peace of mind.
Scott Lesak [00:05:28]:
So we're passionate about bettering ourselves and bettering our clients, bettering the people around us. So what demographic of client could we choose that's going to allow us to do that most effectively? And that's where it all starts. Have that thought process around: how can I support the mission? And then from there, I agree with you a hundred percent trial and error. And you'll have an alignment.
Scott Lesak [00:05:48]:
A lot of people love HOAs. A lot of people can't stand HOAs. Well, the ones that love it, it's a value alignment. The ones that can't stand it, it's not a value alignment and there's nothing wrong with the HOAs. There's nothing wrong with the company. We just got to find who you're going to focus with and what's going to create the most impact. For us, we're in the industrial states.
06:05 - Stick to your mission, make decisions around your mission.
Scott Lesak [00:06:05]:
We do large scale industrial sites, distribution sites. And we ramp up to 120 employees in the winter. We're running big iron, big machines, big metal pluses, lots of trucks. And that keeps our people happy. We don't have many people that have to be exposed to the elements to shovel sidewalks. We can get a lot of work done really fast.
Scott Lesak [00:06:26]:
And we've been able to scale that division of the company 300% year over year for the past two years because of what we're able to do with that. Directly aligns with our mission. We get more bodies in place, more people to influence, more people to change their lives and more clients to serve. So it's a direct alignment with our mission.
Scott Lesak [00:06:45]:
And anybody out there listening to this right now needs to think about what's your mission? What are you actually focused on? And it's not the landscaping you're doing. It's not the snow you're plowing. That's the commodity that we provide. So what are you doing deeper than that? And figuring out that passion and that purpose aligned with it.
Jack Jostes [00:07:00]:
I love it.
07:02 - Connect with Scott & Final Thoughts
Jack Jostes [00:07:02]:
Scott, where can we connect with you to learn more? You produce some content on LinkedIn, and you have some groups and different things. So tell us about that.
Scott Lesak [00:07:08]:
Absolutely. LinkedIn is a great place. Scott Lesak on LinkedIn. You can also check out our website, myinspireyou.com. Another great place to link up with us. There's all kinds of contact forms, organizational health surveys, and all kinds of ways to get a hold of us there. So those would be the two best places. Reach out to me.
Scott Lesak [00:07:28]:
I would love to talk to you, love to have a conversation. And it doesn't have to be about me selling you anything. I just like getting to know people, but we do have options available if you need help.
Jack Jostes [00:07:36]:
Cool, man. Well, thanks for coming back for this short interview and helping people get clear on their mission. I totally agree. It's essential.
Scott Lesak [00:07:44]:
Essential. Absolutely. Thanks, Jack. Thanks for having me. It's always a pleasure.
07:48 - Thank You for Tuning In!
Jack Jostes [00:07:48]:
Hey, it's Jack Jostes, and you've been listening to The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast. If you enjoyed today's show, make sure you give us a five-star rating and share it with somebody in the industry. And make sure you subscribe at landscapersguide.com/podcast, where I'll instantly send you our top three episodes plus invitations to our upcoming live and virtual events. I hope to see you at one of them. Again, it's Jack Jostes. Thanks for listening, and I look forward to talking to you next week on The Landscaper’s Guide.
Show Notes:
Watch the full episode + see the transcript at: landscapersguide.com/podcast
Tell us where to send your beef jerky: landscapersguide.com/toolbox
Connect with Scott Lesak:
???? Kasel Rocks Landscape Company: kaselrocks.com
???? Inspire You: myinspireyou.com
???? Scott on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/scott-lesak-csp-b1a71b24