Robert Miller [00:00:00]:
It starts with you, with me as a leader, you know, and this goes for all business owners, you know, until you, as a leader, realize that you're a way more effective leader. When you take care of yourself, first go for delegating, like, do this, bring it back to me. You know, it's not. It's. You have to, you know, the true delegation is, you know, setting people up to succeed and, you know, letting them run with it, it helps me think a lot clearer. More as a visionary, I mean, that's a lot of my goal. I've worked so long in the business, and it's taken on those, you know, those roles, even events like this, like, I would never do this a couple years ago. And the takeaways from something like this is work.
00:41 - Welcoming Robert Miller from RPM Landscape Contractor
Jack Jostes [00:00:41]:
One of my favorite parts about Ramblin Jackson is seeing how my client's lives change and grow over time. And today, check out this conversation with Rob Miller. He runs RPM Landscape Contractor, and he's going to share how he has transformed his personal life. He's improved his fitness, how that's improved his finances, and ultimately helped him have better work life balance that he needs to continue growing his company. Hey, we're at the Ramblin Jackson booth at the SIMA Symposium in Pittsburgh, and I'm here with my client, Rob Miller from RPM Landscape Contractor in Folsom, New Jersey. And, Rob, I just kind of wanted to connect on a personal level with you. You look amazing.
Robert Miller [00:01:20]:
Thank you.
Jack Jostes [00:01:20]:
You look really healthy. Not that you were not healthy, but you've just lost a ton of weight, and you're. I see your updates on LinkedIn, and you're exercising, and you've joined some board at SIMA, and, like, you just. I don't know, it's cool to see you in person because we've worked together remotely for like, six years or something. And, uh, thanks for coming on the podcast.
Robert Miller [00:01:41]:
Thanks for having me. Thanks for having me.
01:43 - Robert’s Personal Growth Journey and the Role of Self-Care
Jack Jostes [00:01:43]:
So, yeah, what's. What have you been up to the last few years?
Robert Miller [00:01:45]:
I just, uh, pretty big personal growth journey. I really hit a breaking point within the business and personal life. I was just working too much. I need more balance in my life. And it was like October 21’, where just. I needed change. So I started eating right, doing, you know, working a little less, really looking and reflecting on where I wanted to be in ten years, and actually got in touch with Scott Lesak and we worked together for a little while.
Robert Miller [00:02:18]:
Helped me on. On, you know, just seeing things in a different light, having that, you know, abundance mindset that I'll throw it in. You got to fill the well. That's what it is: #FillTheWell. I don't know, it's just, it's been a great journey. My marriage has never been better relationship. The boys, you know, it's all more well-rounded in it all.
Robert Miller [00:02:40]:
It's hard. It's hard to balance it all. We all struggle with balancing work and home. I know you do. You're a business owner, so.
Jack Jostes [00:02:48]:
Yeah, it's, it's hard, you know. How many kids do you have?
Robert Miller [00:02:52]:
Two. Nine and a half and a five year old. Two boys.
Jack Jostes [00:02:55]:
Awesome. I have two boys also, and they're eight and nine. And, and it's a lot, and it's. And it's the greatest thing. And then you've got to grow the business, take care of your family. But if you spend too much time in the business, then your family's out of business, and then you. I was just talking with one of my best friends about this this morning, who's coincidentally here. And we rode the Pittsburgh, I'm going to mess up the river name.
Jack Jostes [00:03:19]:
It was one of the rivers that starts with a, with an M, and it merges with the other river to become the Ohio river. It is the.
Robert Miller [00:03:30]:
Mapahanic or something.
03:31 - The Importance of Being Intentional in Leadership
Jack Jostes [00:03:31]:
Yeah, something like that. Anyway, so we rode the incline and we were talking about that. Yeah, it's hard doing your, and then it's kind of this balancing act of, like, your family and the business and then your personal health, and it's this thing. So what have you, what have you found? So in the past few years, you've, you've figured something out? I'm just, I think it's a very meaningful thing to talk about. It's a show about business, but if your health is out of whack and your marriage is out of whack, all these things. So what did you figure out that's working for you that we could share?
Robert Miller [00:04:03]:
I think it starts with you, with me as a leader, we all talk about working in the business or on the business, but until, until you as a leader, you know, and this goes for all business owners, you know, until you as a leader realize that you're a way more effective leader when you take care of yourself first. That's my biggest takeaway with it, because if you consistently just focus on the business and whether it's, you know, eating fast food or, you know, working 100 hours a week, you know, there's times where you have to do those, you know, not eating fast food, but, you know, there's times where, you know, you have to work more and more and more, but it's finding that, you know, that. That balance and, you know, I think our dynamics are a little different because, you know, my wife Lindsay's, you know, very much involved in the business, and I, you know, I needed more out of her in her role, so I needed to give more to her on the home side. So I started working at home a little bit more. I started taking some of her responsibilities, trying to pick the boys up once a week or twice a, you know, thing, because I couldn't, you know, it's like the definition of something, sanity, isn't it? I want somebody to do something more, but I'm not going to give anything back in return. And that was a. That was a big point for me. But, yeah, I mean, you have to be intentional with it.
Robert Miller [00:05:36]:
That's the biggest. That's my most favorite word, is truly being intentional with. With what you're doing. So.
Jack Jostes [00:05:45]:
I agree. So what are you doing on the fitness front when you're. When you're talking about taking care of yourself? What. What are you doing spiritually, physically? What do you. What's your life like?
Robert Miller [00:05:55]:
So, trying to get in a gym. I actually just got a personal trainer because it's. It's hard, you know, after working all those years, you know, 20 years of 25 years, and your mindset is, go, go, go, get up, go to work. You know, it's. That's been a struggle for me, you know, because one thing lacks, if you're focusing more on the fitness, the business is lacking, just like you were saying. So I. That's. That's very hard for me, the fitness, but I run a lot more now.
Robert Miller [00:06:26]:
I ran four times this week, did 6 miles with Mark Shandenberger the other morning.
Jack Jostes [00:06:33]:
Were you at the SIMAthon?
Robert Miller [00:06:36]:
Yes, I was. And then Mark and I just dipped off. We had a plan prior to that coming about to run, so we just kind of scooted.
Jack Jostes [00:06:44]:
Okay, because I ran the SIMAthon and I thought I saw you there, but I don't know. We weren't running together necessarily.
Robert Miller [00:06:50]:
Yeah, no, we ended up going across the bridge and up to the island. We did. Like, we didn't run all 6 miles. Mark would have, but I couldn't do it. I'm like, dude, can we stop, please? I got about three, three and a half in.
Jack Jostes [00:07:03]:
Yeah. So it is hard to focus on the fitness because it's probably during the time that you would have been grinding another hour of work or whatever. Have you increased your strength, though? During this time?
Robert Miller [00:07:16]:
Oh, yeah. Mentally and physically.
Jack Jostes [00:07:18]:
So how has that increased your capacity in the business?
Robert Miller [00:07:23]:
It makes me more intentional with my time. It helps me think a lot clearer, more as a visionary. I mean, that's a lot of my goal. I've worked so long in the business, taking on those, you know, those roles, even events like this, like, I would never do this a couple years ago. And the takeaways from something like this is work, you know, and this, these are the things I need to be doing. And I think that through this journey, it's allowed me to see that. And I didn't see that. Oh, I can't.
Robert Miller [00:07:50]:
I got too much to do. I can't go spend a week. I mean, I've been here since Sunday. It's been an amazing experience, and I'm taking so much away from it to take back to the business to make it better.
Jack Jostes [00:08:01]:
Has it created other opportunities? So, one, it sounds like with your wife working with you, she's taken on some more work. What about has it created… have you delegated some of those things to other people in the company?
Robert Miller [00:08:12]:
Yep. Yeah. So we just. Our biggest push has been, you know, with software, so that. Well, now that that's all built out, it's allowing me more time to delegate the proper way. I would delegate before, but it was more of, like, you know, go for delegating, like, do this, bring it back to me. Do, you know, it's not. It's.
Robert Miller [00:08:32]:
You have to, you know, the true delegation is, you know, setting people up to succeed and, you know, letting them run with it. And I think that, you know, so many things. I mean, that's another whole conversation of, you know, what all this has helped me with, to realize how to be a better leader. You know, I always thought I was a great leader, but I wasn't, you know, and now. And that comes through events like this, that comes through talking to people, that comes through, you know, just the whole gamut of trying to better yourself. 1%, that's all you need. 1%.
Jack Jostes [00:09:03]:
Yeah. One little thing that you take away. And, uh. Well, thanks for sharing this story. Uh, you know, it's been cool just seeing you and your family grow in your business and, uh, I don't know, it's just. Thanks. Thanks for working with me and for sharing this story with us.
Robert Miller [00:09:19]:
We should connect more. So.
Jack Jostes [00:09:20]:
I agree.
Robert Miller [00:09:21]:
It'll be good.
09:23 - Implementing Traction and EOS for Business Growth
Jack Jostes [00:09:23]:
Um, so what. What is your vision for the company next? So you've talked about the vision. We've worked together for a while. Where. Where are you heading in the future?
Robert Miller [00:09:30]:
So my goal, our goal this year is five and a half million. Now that we're with the software here, I can start focusing on, you know, on truly where I want to go.
Jack Jostes [00:09:41]:
But I think you were around 1 million when we met.
Robert Miller [00:09:45]:
Yeah. Yep. Yep. And a lot of, you know, at the, you know, four to 5 million where we're at, we've been just treading water the last couple years and, you know, it's hurt us financially because we've gotten the assets and the payments to the 5 million mark. And I just, you know, and that was a big push for me through all of it too, I got to do something here because this isn't working. So that's been a huge hurdle for us, getting over that 5 million mark. But I. The vision as a whole for the company, I'd love to be at the, you know, at 10 to 15 million and just, you know, having that freedom, you know, I mean, it's all commercial and government work, but I guess as a whole, I'm still figuring out what it looks like, you know, and I think that's, that's, that's a lot.
Jack Jostes [00:10:42]:
Well, so I use Traction and the EOS System, and one of the things is we have a 10 year target. Mine's 10 million, and I have a three-year picture of 5 million. And to me, I like the three year picture thing. I think sometimes this conversation about vision and where are we heading? Like, it is daunting because, like, five years ago, could you have predicted that there'd be Covid and shutdowns and, like, all that? Like, absolutely not. Or, like, AI, even in the last year has skyrocketed and changed everything. So I try not to get. I like to have an idea of, like, what I'm going for, but I I found that the three year, like, think, like, three years from now is a little more like, okay, I can actually think about three years and I can definitely think about a year from now. So that's how I kind of process through that.
Robert Miller [00:11:32]:
We're actually in the process of rolling out EOS, so.
Jack Jostes [00:11:36]:
Oh, cool.
11:37 - Struggles and Successes with EOS Implementation
Robert Miller [00:11:37]:
You've messed around with it. I tried self implementing. It didn't work. So I'd love to talk more with you about that, too, because you guys have been pretty successful.
Jack Jostes [00:11:45]:
Well, so we, we did self implement it, and I. Well, so it's. So I'm. I'm just struggling. Yeah. Yeah. Well, so I remember reading the book, and I say this on the show often. Like, I remember reading the book Traction, and I actually read it at a really cool cigar lounge in Chicago, Illinois.
Jack Jostes [00:12:08]:
I was there because at the time, I actually was trying to figure out which industry I wanted to focus on, and I thought for a while that it was going to be the HVAC industry, and puns intended. That show was so cold! Honestly. So this show is very, like, people are, like, people are sharing their proposals, and they're, like, giving talks about, here's how I estimate jobs. And, like, hey, everyone, come like competitors, okay? Come and see. Like, it's. It's.
Jack Jostes [00:12:39]:
I've never been in an industry like this where people are, like, always trying to help each other and help the industry. I didn't have that experience at that show. I just had one client that I really liked that got amazing results, and I'm like, oh, well, I'm just going to go replicate this client, and they're all going to be wonderful, like this guy. And they weren't. But anyway, so I remember reading that book there at this historic mansion cigar lounge, and in the book, it said that it typically takes people three years to implement this. And I'm like, three years? Like. Like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna get this done this weekend, right? Like, and I.
Jack Jostes [00:13:14]:
And I remember I printed out the vision traction organizer, and I started filling it out, and, like, it's very. It's deceivingly simple. It's like ten questions or something. And I'm like, this is one. I'm just gonna go have a cigar and get this done. But the vision, like, where are we going? And who is my, what I now call, “Hell Yes Customer” and stuff like that.
Jack Jostes [00:13:34]:
It took. It took years to figure out and go and test things and do things. So I'm excited that you're getting started in it.
Robert Miller [00:13:42]:
Yeah, we had. We started it with an implementer years ago, and it didn't work out then I was like, I could do this myself. And then it was, you know, we didn't have the right people in place, you know, on the leadership team, so I kind of. It just became more work for me, you know, with all the level ten meetings, and it fell off. But, you know, there's a lot we, you know, we're treading water, like I said, on a lot, and it is hard to see what that vision is. I know what it is in my head, but to articulate that, you know, so we did a lot of the work we did, you know, our ideal customer, we got all our value, you know, so we leave. But now it's time to get serious with it, hit it head on, and really try to change this thing.
Jack Jostes [00:14:23]:
So do you have an operations person who's, like, all in on helping you do this?
Robert Miller [00:14:28]:
Yeah. Kelly. Kelly, she. She'll be the point with it, so.
Jack Jostes [00:14:35]:
Because that was. I mean, I. I did self implement it with some key people on my team.
Robert Miller [00:14:41]:
So at the time, we have the leadership team at this point with Lindsey and Kelly and a few others, it'll.
Jack Jostes [00:14:49]:
Yeah. So I think. I think you. I think you. I think hiring an implementer is great. I have business coaches and people for different things, and you got to have the right person, and you've got to have team buy in and you got it. To me, one of the things that I will share that works is at the beginning of the year, we put our quarterly rock planning meetings in the calendar because, you know, like, a year goes by real fast and we're always looking. Next week, I got to sell to this client.
Jack Jostes [00:15:15]:
I got to go. I got to put this fire out or whatever, but having those rock meetings in the calendar and, like, they can only be moved if they're rescheduled, and then they happen. And that, to me, winning the 90 days at a time is the habit that I just announced our rocks actually here. So I use video a lot as I'm making a video, and I sent a video to my team and I'm like, here are the rocks. Give me your feedback. And then I send out a survey on Google Survey or Google Forums or whatever, and I get feedback from my team. So that's kind of. That's kind of how we're doing it.
Jack Jostes [00:15:52]:
But, yeah, we're seven or eight years in, and it's a key part of. It's just, like, part of the DNA of the company.
Robert Miller [00:15:58]:
Yeah, I'd love to talk more about it because I'm excited. I'm a believer in it. I just haven't been able to gain the traction yet.
Jack Jostes [00:16:06]:
Well, what have you done that's working so far?
Robert Miller [00:16:11]:
We literally just started again. It's. I got nothing on that right now.
Jack Jostes [00:16:18]:
Okay.
Robert Miller [00:16:18]:
We haven't. We, like I said, it was a good, you know, year and a half. We were doing our level tens. You know, we spent time, you know, figuring out our ideal customer and, you know, the VTO, but it's just. So we're. We're going to be back into it starting in July, so I'd love to see if.
Jack Jostes [00:16:40]:
Yeah, yeah, totally. I would say you've got to pick one thing at a time, you know, because, like I said, it's deceivingly simple. It's like, oh, I've got a mission and core values and vision and level ten, and, like, I'm just gonna. It's so. It's. It's hard. I'm just. It's hard.
16:58 - Robert’s Role in the Snow and Ice Management Association (SIMA)
Jack Jostes [00:16:58]:
It's hard. And it takes. It took a lot longer. It took, like, three years, like the book said, so. Yeah, and I'd love to follow up with you on that. Well, Rob, thanks for coming on the show. Before you go, what are you doing with SIMA? You're doing something I've seen on LinkedIn?
Robert Miller [00:17:13]:
Yeah, I'm. I just got elected to the Board of Directors of the Snow and Ice Management Association. So it's my first year. It was one of those things. Email came across, you know, and it was, ah, file it. I'll do it later. And I'm like, nope, you're doing it right now. Applied for it.
Robert Miller [00:17:32]:
Got it. Got interviewed. Got it. And it's been a great experience so far. Some amazing people helping me change the way I think on some things. So it's a great, great group of people, and I'm excited. So it's just still figuring out the role. So how much.
Jack Jostes [00:17:54]:
What's the time commitment like?
Robert Miller [00:17:56]:
So there's three in-person meetings a year and two virtual meetings, and then again, as much. That's pretty much the requirements. There was a few things required at the show here, you know, that they asked us to do, but, yeah, I think it's like anything. You give what you can, but, you know, you could always do more. I mean, the goal is to help make the association, help make the industry better. So, you know, it's what you put into it, so. But so, yeah, that's cool.
Jack Jostes [00:18:28]:
Well, thanks for doing that. I know it's a lot of. It's a big pitman on your part, and this association is amazing. I've interviewed a couple people who have been in it for, like, 25 years, and, like, one of the guys was the co-founder of it, Rick Kier.
Robert Miller [00:18:42]:
Yeah, yeah. And I wanted to meet him. I haven't got to meet him.
Jack Jostes [00:18:45]:
Yeah, he's. He's great, you know, so it's just. It's amazing what this has grown into. And then people like you are pushing it forward, so thank. Thank you.
Robert Miller [00:18:52]:
Yeah, you're welcome. Yeah, it's definitely. That was the group of people in this industry, like we were saying, it's. That helped bring me out and realize, like, oh, man, this is. This is amazing. So if I can help make it better. I'm going to try.
19:09 - Final Thoughts & How to Connect with Robert
Jack Jostes [00:19:09]:
So cool. Well, Rob Miller from RPM Landscape Contractor. If people listening want to connect with you, what's the best way to do that?
Robert Miller [00:19:15]:
All through LinkedIn. I love LinkedIn. Fell off a little bit with my post the last couple months. I had a lot of work to do, but that's the best I'll get right back to you.
Jack Jostes [00:19:26]:
So cool, man. Well, thanks for coming on the show. Hey, it's Jack Jostes, and you've been listening to The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast and I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Rob. He was super vulnerable, shared his transformation, things that are working for him. That's what it's all about. So I hope you enjoyed this conversation. And if you did, give us a five-star rating wherever you're listening to this so other people know about it. And hey, send this episode to a friend of yours in the snow and landscape industry.
Jack Jostes [00:19:52]:
Just text it to him. Help spread the word. Again, my name is Jack, and I look forward to talking with 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 Robert Miller: www.linkedin.com/in/robert-p-miller-jr-csp-04642a56/
RPM Landscaping: https://rpmlandscaping.com/