Jack Jostes [00:00:00]:
In today's episode, I talk with the leader of a multimillion-dollar Snow and Landscape company, who also runs a really successful podcast, a nonprofit, and is a bee farmer. Check it out to get inspired about our conversation about fitness and how business creates opportunity for other people.
Dave Wescott [00:00:19]:
As I think of snow contractors or landscapers, it's easier to look at your competition and say, man, they've got everything, but they're at a different place in business.
Jack Jostes [00:00:27]:
I don't know. In some ways, it is helpful to, like, see somebody else that is performing better than you, but also not getting too hung up on comparing yourself to them.
00:36 - Meet Dave Wescott: The Man Behind Transblue
Jack Jostes [00:00:36]:
All right, everyone, we're here in Pittsburgh. I'm at the Ramblin Jackson booth at the SIMA Symposium with Dave Westcott, who runs Transblue. And he also runs a different business. But before that, what is Transblue? Just for people who may not know?
Dave Wescott [00:00:49]:
Yeah, no, great question. We are a national snow and ice management provider.
Jack Jostes [00:00:53]:
And you also provide janitorial?
Dave Wescott [00:00:57]:
And a variety of janitorial, landscaping, parking lot sweeping. So exterior and interior facilities, maintenance.
Jack Jostes [00:01:04]:
Cool. And Dave runs The Entrepreneurial Journey Podcast.
Dave Wescott [00:01:10]:
Yes, sir.
01:11 - Inside the First-Ever SIMAthon: Building Community at SIMA Symposium
Jack Jostes [00:01:11]:
So you've got a lot of cool things going on. We met at SIMA in Milwaukee. At the Symposium in Milwaukee, you introduced me. You've got to connect with Dave on LinkedIn because he's always posting interesting things. And we ran the other day. You kind of helped organize the SIMAthon. What was that?
Dave Wescott [00:01:27]:
That's right, Josh Gamez and I got together and created the first annual SIMAthon. And that was where any member of the association gets together, run. If there's differences, issues, different types of business models, let's come together as one. Let's do a quick run. Let's have some, you know, community, build some relationship, and just get to know one another. So that's what the SIMAthon was all about. Some of us ran really fast, some of us jogged, and some of us walked. And the mission at the end was leave no man behind. And we kept that philosophy here in SIMA. The Snow and Ice Management Association.
Jack Jostes [00:02:04]:
Yeah, I love it. It was a fun run. It was early. It was 06:00 a.m. and I hope to do it again.
Dave Wescott [00:02:11]:
Yeah. You know what? I think we're going to do it next year.
Jack Jostes [00:02:15]:
I think there should be a SIMAthon every year.
Dave Wescott [00:02:17]:
I think so. And I've heard rumors that Martin Tirado, CEO of SIMA, wants to turn it into a 5k.
Jack Jostes [00:02:26]:
Well, that's good. Because I did. I didn't know that some people were doing two laps. I did one, and it was almost a 5k. It was. It was more of like a 3k.
Dave Wescott [00:02:35]:
Yeah, yeah, that's probably true. How fast did you get that first one done in?
Jack Jostes [00:02:39]:
I think, 19 minutes.
Dave Wescott [00:02:43]:
19 minutes. So you were hitting. What is that?
Jack Jostes [00:02:46]:
Just nine and a half?
Dave Wescott [00:02:48]:
Yeah, yeah. You're a good runner.
Jack Jostes [00:02:50]:
I usually sprint. I sprint twice a week, and I hike and I ruck. So doing just a straight run like that was. This is a challenge.
Dave Wescott [00:03:01]:
Really?
Jack Jostes [00:03:02]:
Oh, yeah. I was. No, it was good. It felt good.
03:06 - Fitness & Business Success: Why Staying Fit Fuels Growth
Dave Wescott [00:03:06]:
You know, the thing that I really felt about it was, and this is what I think about business, is, you know, I got out there and started running, and I've been training for a marathon for, like, three or four months. And the toughest thing was, like, I feel like I've been working really hard. I feel like I've been training and getting better at running. And I did a twelve mile run a couple of weeks ago.
Jack Jostes [00:03:27]:
I saw you post about that. That was inspiring, by the way. Thanks for sharing that.
Dave Wescott [00:03:31]:
Yeah, it was awesome. And when I got out there on the run, like, everybody blew by me. And I was the last group of running people besides the walkers. And it felt really discouraging, like, inside, but just my own mental talk was like, man, you've been training so hard. Why do you suck at this? Why can you not run any faster? I was running as hard as I could, and it was a good reminder that in business, we don't need to compare ourselves to everybody else out there. Just focus on your mission. Focus on where you're at. Because my beginning is not where your middle or end is.
Dave Wescott [00:04:03]:
And I had to really keep that in focus, and that was a good reminder of me. Wait a minute, Dave, you've come a long way. Your miles were 22 minutes miles when you started. You're a 300 pound plus, dude. Like, you can accomplish this just because they are faster. They're in a better and different place. And so that really resonated with me. And as I think of snow contractors or landscapers, it's easier to look at your competition and say, man, they've got everything.
Dave Wescott [00:04:27]:
They've got it all figured out, but they're at a different place in business. And I think remembering that is really powerful.
Jack Jostes [00:04:35]:
Yeah, I love it. So how long have you been running? So you mentioned, like you.
Dave Wescott [00:04:39]:
Three months.
Jack Jostes [00:04:41]:
That's incredible. And you are. And you ran 12 miles?
Dave Wescott [00:04:44]:
I did. I did. I've got the Nike app. So here's a plug for the Nike app. But I turn it on and I run. And I'll tell you what, man, it's, sometimes when I get back from a run, this is a true story. I run, the long runs are on Saturday morning, and when I get back, sometimes I can't move the rest of the afternoon and sometimes Sunday comes and I can't get off the couch. But I don't quit.
Dave Wescott [00:05:09]:
I keep going. And it's like that in business, too. When we have a hard time or we have a loss or we lose a client or a key employee, sometimes we just want to quit, but we got to rest up and keep going. And I, that's a, that's a message that I just love to share, is that, you know, don't quit. You can do it. And that's kind of what I take for marathon running.
Jack Jostes [00:05:29]:
I love it when one of the, I agree. Yeah, it is hard. And one of the other thing about fitness and business that I found is, so you just started running a few months ago, you're going to keep getting better and better and better and then, like, you could, you might keep getting better and better and better for years, like four years in a row, and then you hit a plateau and then you go down.
Dave Wescott [00:05:49]:
Yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:05:50]:
Might happen. I don't know. I've had that in my fitness. I've had that in my business where I'm like, wow, I'm actually not as fit as I was three months ago or six months ago or a year ago or you never, you're never done building your business or building your health, right. It's kind of as ongoing.
Dave Wescott [00:06:09]:
It's true. You know, with your health, I feel like if you don't prioritize your own body, if you don't prioritize your own health and your own growth, you're never going to be able to take care of your business the way that you want to. If you're not sleeping good at night, maybe you're a little more cranky with your team members. You know, your own personal health is important. And I've got this goal and this mission. I want to live to a healthy 120, not 120, slumped over, drooling, can't walk like I want to live a healthy, active 120 years old. And so I'm working on it. I'm running, I'm dropping weight, I'm getting fit.
Dave Wescott [00:06:44]:
And hopefully I can get a mile like you, man, because, you know, that's inspirational. Nine and a half minute mile. I mean, I could only dream of that today.
Jack Jostes [00:06:53]:
Oh, I believe you can do it. And I was working really hard to get nine and a half minute mile, and I was not the first person to finish. Right. So I was feeling like you were really. Yeah. I was like, oh, man, these guys are killing me. Because I started out at the. At the front of the pack.
Dave Wescott [00:07:09]:
Yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:07:09]:
And then in the last, I don't know, half mile or so. Like, it was really. Well, part of it. I was watching my heart rate. I go elk hunting. That's kind of my favorite thing. I go elk hunting, and I was hiking. I was hunting with my.
Jack Jostes [00:07:25]:
I'll just call him my cousin in law. I think he's. I think he's. He's my wife's cousin.
Dave Wescott [00:07:29]:
Okay.
Jack Jostes [00:07:29]:
Is that a cousin in law?
Dave Wescott [00:07:30]:
You can call it that, because I am horrible with those.
Jack Jostes [00:07:32]:
I don't know. I really enjoy this person. And we were hiking, and we were, like, looking at our stats on our watch and stuff, and my heart rate was well over 150. And he's like, hey, man, you need to be careful. And I'm like, oh, why? He's like, well, you don't want to keep your heart rate above that level in that zone because you can have a heart attack or it puts a lot of stress on your system. So when I'm working out, I'm working to get into. So there's zone two.
Dave Wescott [00:08:01]:
Okay.
Jack Jostes [00:08:01]:
And. And that's in the blue for me. And then there's the aerobic zone after that, and that's, like, the sweet spot, but if you get beyond that, it can be dangerous.
Dave Wescott [00:08:10]:
I did not know that.
Jack Jostes [00:08:12]:
Yeah. So I hope I. And again, I'm sharing. I actually haven't talked to anyone about this, so I hope I'm explaining it decently. I'm sure there's somebody listening who's like, dude, you got it all wrong, but that's what I think.
Dave Wescott [00:08:23]:
Always one of those don't worry.
Jack Jostes [00:08:25]:
Yeah.
Dave Wescott [00:08:25]:
Fact checkers.
Jack Jostes [00:08:26]:
So when I. When we were running, though, I was just seeing myself getting past the aerobic zone for me, into that kind of red danger.
Dave Wescott [00:08:33]:
You peeled it back a little bit.
Jack Jostes [00:08:34]:
Yeah. So I peeled it back a little bit while some of the other guys, there were, like, eight of them finished ahead of me, so I was feeling like, oh, I have so much more to go.
Dave Wescott [00:08:43]:
Well, you know what, man? You did a great job.
Jack Jostes [00:08:45]:
Well, thank you. You did, too.
Dave Wescott [00:08:47]:
You know, one man's ceiling is another man's floor, I guess.
08:51 - Competition vs. Collaboration: Leveraging SIMA for Business Growth
Jack Jostes [00:08:51]:
Yeah. And it is interesting when you come to these shows and you're seeing people and you're talking about your revenue and your number of vehicles and whatever. And I don't know. In some ways, it is helpful to, like, see somebody else that is performing better than you or is doing a higher level of revenue or whatever to see what's possible, but also not getting too hung up on comparing yourself to them. And you also never know the full story of, like, what isn't going well in their life.
Dave Wescott [00:09:21]:
I agree. And I think one of the great things about these shows is meeting experts like you, right? Like, you're an expert in a field. And I think so often as an entrepreneur, we try to figure it out on our own or we think we can do it cheaper. But a lot of times, if we can partner with, you know, a company like Ramblin Jackson or a company like Western or a company like, you know, Frost Cameras or whatever it might be, you know, you're able to, like, learn from those people and help, and they help you level up and they help you take your business to a new level. Because at this show, like, we're experts in plowing snow, that doesn't make me an expert in marketing. That doesn't make me an expert in sales. I'm good at my craft, and a lot of times, supplementing and bringing in somebody to help guide me through those waters is what helps me take my business to the next level. And I think when you look at the most successful entrepreneurs, they surround themselves with the very best people.
Dave Wescott [00:10:20]:
And I think that's one of the key takeaways, is like, can I work with a Ramblin Jackson? Can I work with a Western? Can I work with them? Are they going to help elevate me and take me where I need to go? Like, you shared something with me last night. Just, hey, think of each city as a branch, and off of that branch, we're going to have other little branches, and that's going to help us grow our business. And I was like, oh, what an amazing idea. You know, I hadn't thought of that. I've been doing this over 20 years, but I thought, okay, that's a really good tip. And I think those things help us to take our businesses to the next level. And that's what I love about the community, the association. Does that make sense?
Jack Jostes [00:10:59]:
Oh, totally. Yeah. I love the community and the association, and this association in particular is an incredible one.
11:07 - Honey4Hope: Dave’s Mission-Driven Nonprofit
Jack Jostes [00:11:07]:
So, Dave, we had planned to. That was awesome connecting with you about fitness and, and I'm glad the Tree of Good Fortune idea resonated with you.
Dave Wescott [00:11:17]:
It's awesome.
Jack Jostes [00:11:18]:
And we were talking. You've got your podcast.
Dave Wescott [00:11:21]:
Yep.
Jack Jostes [00:11:22]:
We're gonna put a link to that in our show notes. You've got Transblue.
Dave Wescott [00:11:26]:
Yes.
Jack Jostes [00:11:26]:
You have a nonprofit.
Dave Wescott [00:11:29]:
I do.
Jack Jostes [00:11:30]:
And you have this honey business. So tell us about Honey4Hope.
Dave Wescott [00:11:34]:
I'm, you know, I'm a green thumb at heart. I love landscaping. I love flowers. I love trees. I love green grass. I love all of that. And without bees, without pollination, those things don't grow. And for example, if I was to pollinate a blueberry farm and I would have put my bees on that, they're going to get eight times the production versus having no bees.
Dave Wescott [00:11:58]:
Right? So that's a huge win. So what we do at Honey4Hope is we take our bees all over the Pacific Northwest, and we pollinate blueberries, pumpkins, apple orchards, almonds, all sorts of things like that. Those things generate a profit. And while they're doing that, the bees are creating honey. And each hive produces, at minimum, about 50 pounds of honey. And what we do is we harvest that honey in August, September, and then we take it, we sell it, and then what we do is we give the profit to charity. And that's the big thing, because life is hard. If you're an entrepreneur, if you're a business owner, you know, it's tough.
Dave Wescott [00:12:39]:
And people need a helping hand, right? Like, I was a kid growing up, we didn't have enough money for Christmas presents one year, and my mom had to go to the food bank, and somebody had donated toys, right? And so my mom was able to get secondhand toys, wrap them. And some people say that's sad, but to a kid who grew up with nothing, it's amazing. Cause we actually got to unwrap something. And so for the mission of Honey4Hope is to take that profit and give it to amazing charitable causes, most of them Christian in nature. Cause I'm a Christian guy. And giving those back to community to help people who need a helping hand. And that's what Honey4Hope is. That's what the business is all about.
Dave Wescott [00:13:18]:
And I believe in sharing and giving and helping.
Jack Jostes [00:13:21]:
Love it.
Dave Wescott [00:13:22]:
Thank you.
Jack Jostes [00:13:22]:
So what charities do you end up donating to? Does it change, or how do you decide who you're going to help?
Dave Wescott [00:13:28]:
That's a great question. So our nonprofit, EmBridge Global, you can check it out, vets out about 15 different charities. And so some of them are like Big Winds Camp in Montana. And one of the things we did there was we donated all of the firewood to 5,000 native american families. We spent many, many thousands of dollars getting firewood and delivering it. If they don't have that firewood, they don't have the money in the winter to buy the firewood. People freeze, they can die. We support Dawson Place, which helps and supports 1,125 sexually abused children every year.
Dave Wescott [00:14:03]:
We support Next Step Pregnancy Clinic, which provides free formula, free diapers, and free medical care to any woman who's pregnant and needs help. These are some of the organizations New Heart Foundation, which provides Christ centered recovery for men and women with life controlling substance abuse issues. We all know somebody who suffered from alcoholism, drug addiction. So these are big things that we support, and that's how we run that. And EmBridge's entire job is to vet those out and make sure that they're a good organization making a big impact in a local community.
Jack Jostes [00:14:38]:
Love it.
Dave Wescott [00:14:39]:
Thank you.
14:39 - How Do You Transport 60,000 Bees?
Jack Jostes [00:14:39]:
Well, uh, Dave, you're doing a lot of incredible things. One. One of the other things I'm just curious about was you said we bring, I think you said we bring the bees to all these places. What does that mean? Like, like, how do you actually do that? And then do you bring them back or do they stay there? Or, like, I haven't. I haven't worked with bees before, so can you help me? Like, at a very basic level? Like, how does that work?
Dave Wescott [00:15:02]:
So each pollination contract is for about one month. So what we do is we got a big F-550 pickup truck, and we got a big trailer. And what we do is with a forklift at night, when the bees are sleeping in our bee suits, we get in the tractors and we load the beehives onto the trailer. And then what we do is we strap them down with big four inch straps, and then we put a big net over top of them. And when we do that, that ensures that when they're traveling, the bees can't fly out and escape.
Jack Jostes [00:15:30]:
Do you personally do this? No. Have you ever done it?
Dave Wescott [00:15:36]:
I've definitely gotten the hives. I have a bee suit. I look crazy in a bee suit.
Jack Jostes [00:15:40]:
I'm thinking you and I need to go do this together.
Dave Wescott [00:15:42]:
Absolutely.
Jack Jostes [00:15:43]:
We should wear bee suits and go do this. I think this sounds amazing. What do you think?
Dave Wescott [00:15:47]:
Have a blast. You will have a blast.
Jack Jostes [00:15:49]:
I will. And I'm also kind of terrified of all these bees. So it would be a good thing to just go do and put on the bee suit.
Dave Wescott [00:15:56]:
And I'll tell you the very first time that you put the bee suit on and you have a thousand bees, because each hive has about 60,000 bees in it, and you have a thousand bees around your head. The only thing you want to do is start smacking. But you know they can't get to you because you've got the bee suit on. But it is the most eerie, creepy feeling, and it takes a while to get used to hearing that buzz the first time you're in a bee suit.
16:22 - Final Thoughts & Connecting with Dave’s Resources
Jack Jostes [00:16:22]:
Cool. Well, Dave, I really appreciate you coming on The Landscaper’s Guide. We keep talking about a number of things, but I know you've got some other cool things to do at the Symposium for folks listening. Where can we connect with you and tell us again about the name of your podcast.
Dave Wescott [00:16:36]:
Yeah, the best place to connect with me is on LinkedIn. Just search Dave Westcott. And my podcast is The Entrepreneurial Journey. Check it out. It's on LinkedIn Live. It's on the major download channels. Check it out. And thanks for having me on the show. And definitely check out Ramblin Jackson. They're awesome people.
Jack Jostes [00:16:53]:
Cool. Thank you.
Dave Wescott [00:16:54]:
Awesome. Thank you, man.
Jack Jostes [00:16:55]:
Hey, that was fun.
Dave Wescott [00:16:56]:
That was a lot of fun.
Jack Jostes [00:16:56]:
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 5 Star Rating and share it with somebody in the industry. And make sure you subscribe to 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: landscapersguide.com/podcast
Tell us where to send your beef jerky: landscapersguide.com/toolbox
🔗 Connect with Dave: linkedin.com/in/thedavewescott
🏢 Check out TransBlue: transblue.com
🍯 Support Honey4Hope: honey4hope.org
🎙️ The Entrepreneurial Journey Podcast: youtube.com/@thedavewescott/streams