Tory Chlanda [00:00:00]:
The longevity of video and the ability to cut it up and utilize it in different ways, whether it's selling to a lead, or warming a lead, or even just explaining a process to a current client and or a lead or a person that's coming through to work with you is huge.
Jack Jostes [00:00:17]:
We're gonna give you a bunch of little clips to put on social media, and some people might not see them there. They're gonna go on your website. So what I wanted to talk about was sending these to people, almost like prescribing them to people.
Tory Chlanda [00:00:29]:
I think it's a great tool, another great component to our entire sphere of marketing and promotion of our company.
Jack Jostes [00:00:38]:
When clients understand what you do, they tend to appreciate it more. And that, I believe, increases retention.
00:46 - Meet Tory Chlanda, Owner of Better View Landscapes
Jack Jostes [00:00:46]:
Hey, everyone. Welcome back to The Landscaper’s Guide. Today I'm in Amherst, Massachusetts, with my client, Tory Chlanda from Better View Landscapes. We just finished doing a ton of video content. We interviewed your employees. We did some process videos. We did a homepage video so people understand why you're different. And we interviewed the homeowner of this incredible property. Am I saying it correctly? Is it Amherst?
Tory Chlanda [00:01:11]:
There you go. He's got it.
Jack Jostes [00:01:12]:
It's not Amherst.
Tory Chlanda [00:01:14]:
It's Amherst.
Jack Jostes [00:01:15]:
Cool. So I'm excited to be with you. We've worked together for years, and now we're doing some videos. And today I wanna take people on tour of this property. Just tell us a little bit about you. If people haven't seen your other interview, you did 80/20 Snow Removal. Really interesting pricing strategy for residential.
Tory Chlanda [00:01:36]:
Residential snow removal service.
Jack Jostes [00:01:38]:
And so one of the few clients I have who like doing residential, we figured out the pricing.
Tory Chlanda [00:01:43]:
Yes, we did.
Jack Jostes [00:01:43]:
And tell us a little bit about yourself.
Tory Chlanda [00:01:46]:
Yeah.
Tory Chlanda [00:01:47]:
My name's Tory Chlanda. I own Better View Landscapes. We've been in business for 29 years, our 29th year. We are a full service landscape company. So we do everything from mowing to design, build and maintenance of property. So pretty much we're a soup to nuts. You don't need to call anybody else. Kind of a solution for residential clients here in the valley here, including Amherst and surrounding towns.
02:10 - Why This Location? The Story Behind the Client
Jack Jostes [00:02:10]:
And why did you choose this client? Tell me a little bit. How long have you worked with them and why did we pick this location for your client? Testimonial?
Tory Chlanda [00:02:18]:
Well, I think so.
Tory Chlanda [00:02:20]:
Glenn and Midge's house, we've been with them. We were trying to figure that out today. Actually, I think it's over 15 years, so. And we've done a lot to this property, and we take care of the entire property. So it's a really good representation of the things we do, and it shows, kind of showcases literally all of our different, unique strengths within the business. So, yeah, we've done a lot of different things here.
Tory Chlanda [00:02:46]:
We've done a patio. We've expanded their yard. We've had tree work done here. We've planted out the front yard. We've even done a sculpture, which we will see in a little while. It's really unique and kind of fun.
Tory Chlanda [00:02:59]:
So I'm excited about sharing that and the story behind it. But, yeah, ultimately, it's a good representation of a lot of the services that we offer to our clients, including snow. We take care of this property in the winter as well.
Jack Jostes [00:03:10]:
Well, let's take a tour of the property and start with this egg.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:13]:
Start with the egg.
Jack Jostes [00:03:14]:
Let's start with the egg.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:15]:
Yeah, sounds good. Let's do it.
03:19 - Exploring the Marble Egg
Jack Jostes [00:03:19]:
So, Tori, tell me about this. Is this a marble egg?
Tory Chlanda [00:03:22]:
It is a marble egg. So probably, I don't know, a year.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:27]:
Or two after we've been working here.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:30]:
Glen called me and was like, Tori.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:32]:
We bought an egg in Vietnam. And I'm like, okay.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:38]:
And he goes, it's marble. It's really cool. We're having it shipped to the Boston port. We would love to put it in the front yard. I'm not sure where. Let's figure out where to put it. So, once we figured out where we're going to put it, we were tasked with go out to the port of Boston and pick it up off of a ship and bring it here. We did just that.
Tory Chlanda [00:03:54]:
This thing is completely marble. It is carved. So it is, as you see, it's open, and it has no drain, so it collects water. So we placed it here. Kind of find a nice little alcove. It's a really nice way to kind of see it when you come in. But it's not just the main feature. The colors are really cool.
Tory Chlanda [00:04:10]:
They tie in with this river birch behind us. So that was kind of cool. Yeah, it was our first sculpture. It was really fun. We learned a few things, and we had to make sure that it was supported. Like I mentioned, it's very heavy. So underneath this large marble block, underneath it, there's a large concrete base that supports it. So this is as true as it was the day we put it in, but really a fun project.
Tory Chlanda [00:04:34]:
It was a neat, neat thing to do.
Jack Jostes [00:04:36]:
So it got shipped to the Boston port, which is, like, roughly 2 hours from here.
Tory Chlanda [00:04:40]:
Yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:04:40]:
So then, like, what did you send to pick it up? Like, how did. How do you.
Tory Chlanda [00:04:44]:
We weren't sure. We actually brought one of our larger trailers. We didn't know how big or what we needed for it, so we brought our larger trailer out there.
Jack Jostes [00:04:51]:
Was it on a pallet or?
Tory Chlanda [00:04:52]:
It was on two pallets.
Tory Chlanda [00:04:53]:
So the pedestal and the egg itself. So. So on two pallets, all wrapped, really had no idea. And we also couldn't really tell if maybe it had broken. I mean, again, it's self supporting. So, yeah, we weren't sure, but we had a large trailer, and it ended up being sort of oversized trailer, but we were more safe than sorry on this one, for sure.
Jack Jostes [00:05:10]:
So what do you think people would search on Google when they're trying to find somebody to do this?
Tory Chlanda [00:05:16]:
That's a good question.
Tory Chlanda [00:05:17]:
I'm not sure I would. Sculpture, installation, but I think you'd probably find artists. Not the actual thing.
Jack Jostes [00:05:23]:
I don't even know.
Tory Chlanda [00:05:25]:
Yeah, I mean, I think.
Jack Jostes [00:05:25]:
Unusual thing that it is. I don't know if you would look for somebody to do it or just ask. Your landscape people ask.
Tory Chlanda [00:05:31]:
And I think, yeah, because we do construction, hardscape construction, we're familiar with how to install bases, so. And for anything, so we understand the logistics and what they require to support something like this. So I think any good landscape company that's doing hardscapes can do this type of work.
05:46 - Discovering the Pool Area
Tory Chlanda [00:05:46]:
So, pool area. We've done a lot of work in this space. One of these being actually this grill and a refrigerator unit. Their kitchen's on the opposite side of the house, so it made a lot of sense for them to be able to spend time in this upper patio and watch grandkids and play in the pool and be able to grill and still kind of be in the same space. One of the last things we did, which was this patio, but we integrated into these stairs that are here, and this wall was here previously.
Tory Chlanda [00:06:14]:
But this wall that we have right here, we did redo for structural reasons. Midge really loves hydrangeas, so we did pop these back in and kind of created this nice wall after we kind of cleaned all this up. This large, very large piece of goshen stone seat was one of actually the first projects we did after working on the front. This was not really situated this way and really wanted to have a nice seat so they could enjoy the pool. So we went and recentered this and planted out a lot of these sedums underneath here to let them grow into the space. So a really, really enjoyable space. This pool was original to when they first built the house. But we've pretty much expanded the patios around it to make the space really super enjoyable and accommodating to their family and grandkids as well.
Tory Chlanda [00:07:05]:
So behind the pool, this used just to end. There were some big junipers, and it just didn't feel. It felt really claustrophobic. And we really wanted to see out into the space. One of the things we utilized because we didn't want to do tons of maintenance in here was beach rose or rose a rugosa. And so in the spring, this is just filled with blossoms. And it really, it's such a progressive grower that it keeps everything else at bay and also kind of keeps the heights down so we don't feel like the woods is encroaching. There's another element that we can't see because it's daylight, but there are tons of lights in this space, and there's some big up lights on these trees back behind us on the oaks that really kind of set a nice scene here for the evening time. And that pretty much true throughout the property.
07:50 - A Stroll Through the Orchard: Apples on the Branches!
Tory Chlanda [00:07:50]:
Yeah. So, actually, there's seven apples here. So, Midge, we first started reclaiming the yard, really always wanted to have some apple trees. Like, hey, can I have some apple trees? And I said, let's make that happen. There's plenty of sun. Clearly, you could see it's beaming down today. And we actually bought in fairly mature apple trees.
Tory Chlanda [00:08:11]:
They were fruiting when we got them, and so much so when they were on our truck being delivered, apples were falling off the back. They have their years, but they're always fruiting. One of them is at least always fruiting. We've had years where the branches are just to the ground. With apples, it's a unique thing to have. They love it. We take care of them as far as they're relatively organic. We just put a little fungicide on them to keep them from really getting sort of gnarly and keep them edible.
08:38 - Overview of the Sitting Areas
Tory Chlanda [00:08:38]:
So one of the other elements that we like that we've kind of created around in this space is different sitting areas or areas to enjoy the space. This right here is a ashfield stone bench with ashfield stone supports. Solid one piece here on the top. And we put it here at the top of these stairs to the pergola again, so that you can sit here, look back at the house and the landscape behind us here, and really enjoy it. Springtime. The apple orchard here is in full bloom. A really nice, relaxing spot. There's always some color here, depending on the time of year.
Tory Chlanda [00:09:14]:
So, again, we like to kind of create these little contemplated spaces, the relaxing spaces that really help you enjoy your space more.
09:25 - The Pergola: A Closer Look
Tory Chlanda [00:09:25]:
One of the other things that Midge and Glenn really wanted is some more space in their outdoor environment. So we took and created this pergola and these retaining walls and built them into the hillside. Although the hillside, when we first started, wasn't actually here, it was a bit of a slope. But we've leveled this out and created a really nice space, including mosquito netting that goes around it, pulls around the pergola, and keeps mosquitoes at bay. We, of course, have a nice built in bench, but they've added really nice furniture to the space, along with one of my favorite things, and one of the best ways I like to do fire pits is to have a in line fire pit. So we have a hearthstone in the back and a big, wide fire pit hearth, which we can really have some very large fires if they wanted to. But also, what I love about this, for any home, really, is that you can bring chairs close to it when you're just an intimate, smartened fire.
Tory Chlanda [00:10:22]:
But if you're having a bunch of guests over, you can bring those seats back. So this is really accommodating in that way. Some other little details that we have underneath here. There's some drainage that way that all the ash and stuff like that doesn't fill up. And it actually keeps it well drained so that this doesn't turn into a big water pool. And then, of course, we have the backdrop of the valley here. Needs another round of some pruning and some clearing. However, as I mentioned earlier, there's some back lights, the up lights that shoot up in here.
Tory Chlanda [00:10:56]:
So at nighttime, this is a wash of light and really just a phenomenal place to spend time, in the evening especially. But anytime, really.
11:05 - Discussing Employee Testimonials
Jack Jostes [00:11:05]:
You guys did an amazing job with this property. So it was so cool for the tour. Thanks for working with us.
Tory Chlanda [00:11:10]:
Yeah, no, I really would share this with you. I'm really glad to share this with you. And to add to it, I think the testimonials from my staff was amazing. Listening to them while you were asking them about things, really insightful.
Tory Chlanda [00:11:24]:
I know it was helpful for me.
Tory Chlanda [00:11:25]:
To understand why they liked being here and how they found us. But I think how we're going to use it is going to be really great because it's going to help us translate to finding other great employees.
Jack Jostes [00:11:35]:
So what were some of the things that you heard them say that maybe surprised you?
Tory Chlanda [00:11:41]:
Yeah, I mean, I guess surprise, but just really good to hear was, you know, when I was looking for a job, especially like Bobby, who was coming here from North Carolina, he's like, well, I was online and I was looking at your, you know, what you did for work, and the kind of work you were doing really kind of was looking at what he was used to doing. And so he felt comfortable with the idea of applying with us. And those are the kind of employees we want. We want people that kind of are thoughtful and listen to what we're about and want to come and join and be a part of what we're about. And that was awesome. And I was like, oh, cool. And piling on top of that is the idea is that we're going to take and have this really great employee. Video that will be able to help. Recruit more great bobbies. We love Bobby. He's only been here a few months. Just a great guy. Really like him a lot.
Jack Jostes [00:12:35]:
Yeah. You know, it's funny, when we were planning your Hell Yes Employee, you were like, well, maybe they're in the area and they're working at a landscape company and they're not being treated well, or maybe they're moving here. And then Bobby was like, exactly that. He had five or six years of landscape experience and did a ton of research.
Tory Chlanda [00:12:52]:
Yep.
Jack Jostes [00:12:53]:
Looked at your website, read your careers page, and now you're going to have these videos to share with people.
Tory Chlanda [00:12:58]:
Yep.
Jack Jostes [00:12:59]:
So we've worked together for maybe four or five years, I think. So we've done a lot of things and I'm thinking about our foundation of digital marketing. We've done a lot together. We've worked on your sales process, your branding and differentiation, the reasons to buy. We've worked on your website and local SEO, online reviews, and now we're kind of moving up the foundation of digital marketing. We're doing video.
Tory Chlanda [00:13:26]:
Yeah.
13:26 - Why Video Marketing Matters for Landscape Companies
Jack Jostes [00:13:26]:
So that made sense to me that that was what you needed. And I was just curious to hear from you as a landscape company owner. Like, why are we doing video today? And what could we maybe share with the audience to get them thinking about video?
Tory Chlanda [00:13:41]:
Well, I think the evolution of SEO and all that stuff, you've done some. Great work for us with the SEO side.
Tory Chlanda [00:13:49]:
Obviously, this is part of SEO, but the longevity a video and the ability to cut it up and utilize it in different ways, whether it's selling to a lead or warming a lead, or even just explaining a process to a current client and or a lead or a person that's coming through to work with you is huge. And then on the employee side. The same thing is true. I think it's more interactive. I think people connect to it better. There's some personality. I mean, all of my employees, the people that we met today and spoke with, even Midge and Glenn, hearing from other people, I could tell people to the moon what we do and what we're about. But I think really, the proof is in the people that experience Better View, be it an employee or a customer.
Tory Chlanda [00:14:35]:
I think that to me and to is a much better tool, because it shows that we can talk the talk, but we're also walking the walk. So the employees are, and the customers are actually saying, yeah, no, this is what we're about, and that's what they're doing. We love it.
Jack Jostes [00:14:52]:
I agree. And the cool thing about video is it never gets sick. Video can't get Covid. It can't call in sick and not work for you. So when you're low or you have Covid or whatever is going on in your life, that video, once it's done, just works for you. So you can send it to each employee, each customer. And that was one thing I wanted to touch on, is proactively sending it. So we're going to edit these videos.
Jack Jostes [00:15:17]:
We're going to optimize them on YouTube. We're gonna give you a bunch of little clips to put on social media, and some people might not see them there. They're gonna go on your website. So what I wanted to talk about was sending these to people, almost like prescribing them to people. Like, hey, before we meet for your initial meeting for your design, please watch this video. And it's gonna help save us both, like, half an hour by answering questions that people ask all the time. One of the ways I do that, and you've been a client for a long time, is we use Loom. So Loom.com.
Jack Jostes [00:15:51]:
there is a free version. I have the paid version, but you can upload these videos and then record personal screencast videos for your clients. So we were talking about, like, maybe there's a certain price point for design, build customers, or when, you know, there are multiple people you can't meet with. The video is really powerful, and you can insert these testimonials into the video, into the loom library, and literally, within seconds, edit it into the end of a video. So it's like, hey, here's your design. And by the way, you remind me of Midge and Glenn, and here's a short conversation we just had with them. And now, wow. Like, I'm excited for you to have that.
Tory Chlanda [00:16:31]:
I'm really excited. I think it's going to be a tremendous tool for people to gain confidence in our company and what we offer, both employment side and that, and educating. And I think that's one of the biggest things of my business. The business is that we love education, we love learning. And so that's not just like internally, but it's also teaching our clients, our future employees about us and teaching that way. I think it's a great tool, another great component to our entire sphere of marketing and promotion of our company.
Jack Jostes [00:17:04]:
Well, when clients understand what you do, they tend to appreciate it more. And that, I believe, increases retention.
Tory Chlanda [00:17:11]:
Yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:17:12]:
So when people are like, oh, you told me what's going to happen next? And then you did it, that creates trust. And when you keep doing that and you're teaching them along the way, they're like, yeah, these are my landscape people. So it was cool to hear Glenn talk about how you're the one company that manages the whole property.
Tory Chlanda [00:17:27]:
Yep. And it's such an honor to do that. And that's what we love doing because we feel that that takes a lot of stress off of our clients and they don't have to be managing their properties when there's so many other things to be enjoying, like the property itself. And it should just be able to be taken care of with a call. Yeah. And I think we're able to now really easily express that utilizing the video that we've just shot this today. I'm really excited about it.
17:53 - Future Plans for Better View Landscapes
Jack Jostes [00:17:53]:
So what are you excited about with Better View moving forward? So we were trying to count the number of years in business. It was in the early nineties that you started the company?
Tory Chlanda [00:18:02]:
1995.
Jack Jostes [00:18:04]:
Yeah.
Tory Chlanda [00:18:04]:
So 29th year.
Jack Jostes [00:18:06]:
Yeah, 29. Coming up on 30 years.
Jack Jostes [00:18:09]:
Where are you headed in the future? And what are you excited about?
Tory Chlanda [00:18:14]:
Yeah, so I'm really excited because when we made the decision to grow this. Company, or we, it's the royal we. I decided to, I wanted to create opportunities for my staff. I had some great people, and I wanted to create opportunities where people could come work here and make a career. And so that, to me, so that's what I'm continuing to build, is a place where people can move up, they can continue to learn and feel like they are advancing in their career. And both not educationally speaking, but also financially too, that they have a reason to be here and that it supports their life outside of work, which, again, we've talked about it before, is one of the key points of the business is that like, live life, work balance, and we try to maintain that. We understand that. So I'm really excited. So we're growing, and that's where we're continuing to do, and this is another part of it. And really looking at just expanding the business and taking better care of our clients and just get better at what we do.
Jack Jostes [00:19:19]:
I really. I found that that's one of the things that I enjoy about running Ramblin Jackson is, you know, creating career opportunities. We're getting to work with. Rebecca is here behind the camera. Behind the camera today. You know, working with great people and seeing them grow and do things with their life is really rewarding.
Tory Chlanda [00:19:36]:
Yep.
19:37 - Funny Insights: The Nervous Beginnings of Better View and Ramblin Jackson
Jack Jostes [00:19:37]:
So I saw the receipt in your office from when you bought your lawnmower.
Tory Chlanda [00:19:41]:
Yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:19:42]:
When we first started and you had a business partner, and I did. You guys were nervous, and you bought a lawn mower. So what were you thinking at that time? Was it just like, I'm gonna mow lawns to make a little. You were working at McDonald's.
Tory Chlanda [00:19:55]:
We were.
Jack Jostes [00:19:56]:
So tell me, like, the quick history of, like, so you're working at McDonald's and you're like, I think I can make more money doing lawn. Lawn mowing.
Tory Chlanda [00:20:03]:
That's pretty much it, yeah. So, I mean, we were. It was like my high school job had other little fun jobs on the side. I think I even did some lawn mowing and some spring fall cleanups when I was a kid. I had a rake and things like that. And, yeah, it was like, hey, we're making $14.25 or whatever minimum wage was at that time. And I'm like, it seems like working a lot of hours and not making a whole lot of money. And so I put together a list. Of stuff that we had available to us.
Tory Chlanda [00:20:32]:
A truck, and, oh, you've got some mowers. Got a weed whacker. So that was what I was thinking. I'm like, hey, we can make a little bit more money. And as we started to do it, that entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. Oh, we could do this. And found to start listening to what our clients needed, too. Like, I don't need long.
Tory Chlanda [00:20:49]:
Hey, I also need. My beds are in really bad shape. I need some weeding. So cool. I grew up in a gardening household, so I understood that. So I'm like, oh, yeah. And we started to add those things on. So, yeah, I expanded the business.
Tory Chlanda [00:21:04]:
Right.
Tory Chlanda [00:21:04]:
The first mower we bought, two years after we started, remember buying it? We took out a loan from the local bank.
Jack Jostes [00:21:10]:
That's incredible that you got a loan to do that.
Tory Chlanda [00:21:11]:
Yeah, without collateral. That was pretty amazing. I think we put a little down, but it was really. It was pretty cool.
Jack Jostes [00:21:18]:
Roughly how much was that lawnmower?
Tory Chlanda [00:21:20]:
It was, like $1,900 or something. It's hanging in my office.
Tory Chlanda [00:21:24]:
I have two copies. One's in the office and one's just outside in the other part of the office. Just again, as I walk by that every day and I look it on my wall and it kind of reminds me of where we've come from and, like, how far I've really come. And to ask, like, what was, I think, what am I thinking at that time? I think it was just two kids that wanted to improve themselves and wanted to really make something. It became my college job, got out of college with a business degree, and was like, gee, I had a mentor at the time. He's like, what should I do? I should go, maybe do things like, you have a landscape company. You're really pretty good at it. Which was, at the time, exactly what I needed to hear of.
Tory Chlanda [00:22:02]:
And as they say, the rest is history.
Tory Chlanda [00:22:03]:
You know, I've taken a lot of time investing in myself as far as learning about certain aspects of the business, hiring really great people, hiring really great companies like yourself that helped build this company, because I realized pretty early on.
Tory Chlanda [00:22:20]:
You can't do it all yourself.
Tory Chlanda [00:22:21]:
And that opens up opportunity and the ability to grow. And then once started having people that I really wanted to support, it just sort of evolved. So, yeah, early on, two kids wanted to make a little bit more money and kind of have maybe some more, you know, some more play money, to have gas money, to go to the movies and things like that, and go out to lunch and dinner with girlfriends and things, but it became a career.
Jack Jostes [00:22:49]:
And now, how many people work with you in the peak season?
Tory Chlanda [00:22:50]:
Somewhere around 20-22? It depends. So, yeah, that's incredible. Similar numbers in the wintertime because we hire a lot of part time or on call staff for snow, but, yeah, pretty consistent that way. And it's a huge responsibility, and it's one that I don't take lightly. It means a lot to me to keep them working and to generate work, which is one of my key parts of my part in the business is the sales on the design build side. So, yeah, it's a huge responsibility, one that I don't take lightly. I'm always looking at ways to make their life a little bit better, be it benefits or whatever that they need.
Jack Jostes [00:23:29]:
Yeah. Well, it was great to interview your people and literally drive around with you in the truck. We saw Emily Dickinson's house.
Tory Chlanda [00:23:38]:
We did. Yep.
Jack Jostes [00:23:38]:
We saw. We went through Amherst, which was beautiful.
Tory Chlanda [00:23:43]:
Pronounce it correctly, Jack, you can move here now because now you can pronounce Amherst correctly.
Jack Jostes [00:23:49]:
Of course I can.
Tory Chlanda [00:23:50]:
Of course.
Jack Jostes [00:23:50]:
I had a really good teacher, but it was cool. Thank you. Because building your website, working with the Ramblers on your marketing, we look at your place on Google Maps, and we build all these pages for these different places, and they are real to us. But coming here and literally driving through it and going to one of your clients houses was a cool experience.
Tory Chlanda [00:24:09]:
I really thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm glad I got to share it with you.
Jack Jostes [00:24:13]:
Well, you've built an incredible company. Thanks for working with us.
Tory Chlanda [00:24:15]:
Yeah, no, I love working with Ramblin Jackson. You guys are just great. I've always said it, you know, you guys talk the talk, but walk the walk as well. And I think that is a rare thing, especially in your space. We find there's a lot of companies out there that don't always behave that way and offer the moon and deliver stone dust.
Jack Jostes [00:24:36]:
In some ways, it's not that different from landscaping. Right. Actually, probably. Honestly, basic stuff of, like, showing up and doing what you said you were going to do.
Tory Chlanda [00:24:45]:
Yeah, right.
Tory Chlanda [00:24:46]:
But also having a skill set to back it up, which you guys do.
Jack Jostes [00:24:49]:
You do need the skills, and you.
Tory Chlanda [00:24:50]:
Guys do, but a lot of people can. Again, same thing. Like, oh, yeah, we can do all this, but there's no metrics. There's nothing behind it. It's like, sort of a. So I've told many people, and we've.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:00]:
Offered up a lot of people to.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:01]:
You, and I've pushed a lot of people towards you, or at least suggested it, because the honesty and the integrity that Ramblin has is just bar none. And probably the thing that makes me really happy to be working with you. And it's. It really is. It's a treat. And I. I really feel honored to be able to work with you, which is, you know, it's an interesting role, but, like, it's a really. It's a nice thing.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:23]:
I really. I really enjoy the relationship, and I.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:25]:
Enjoy when we know it's nice to be able to spend a day with you.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:27]:
I do. We spend a couple different times, you know, when we had this skiing a.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:31]:
Couple years ago, which was a lot.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:32]:
Of fun videos, so it's enjoyable.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:35]:
So.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:35]:
And those are the things that I think I love about my job now is I get to meet really cool people that are really great in their in their field and get to like appreciate that as well.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:44]:
Well.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:44]:
And utilize it to help build my company up as well.
25:46 - Connecting with Tory: Snow Season, Skiing, and More
Jack Jostes [00:25:46]:
Well, Tory, I appreciate you saying that and it's a pleasure working with you. So for folks watching or listening who want to network with you, how can they learn more?
Tory Chlanda [00:25:56]:
Yeah. So if you look at work with me, either business or, I mean, we.
Tory Chlanda [00:25:59]:
Do a little bit.
Tory Chlanda [00:26:00]:
I do help people like on the consulting side of element, just offering advice, a lot about snow specifically. reach out, LinkedIn is a good way on the business side of things, but also through my Website Contact Form or even just emailing your friends at Better View Landscaping and it'll get to me and kind of go through, hey, I saw your video of Ramblin or whatever. I have questions. Even if it's like, hey, I have questions about you working with Jack. I'm always happy to answer an email.
Jack Jostes [00:26:28]:
Well, thank you. I'll put all that in the show notes. And I'll also put a link to the podcast that we've mentioned about The 80/20 Principle that you've applied to residential snow. Cause that was an awesome interview.
Tory Chlanda [00:26:39]:
If you're doing residential snow and you're in what I call more of a transitional, sort of wonky donkey market where the snow is not always there, I guess I'm happy to always share what we've been doing because it has really helped support the business.
Jack Jostes [00:26:57]:
So here's another, and this is one of my favorite things about the landscape industry in general. It's like, hey, can I ask you about your pricing model? And you thought through it and you're like, yes, actually. Because if my competitors all had this unlimited snow removal model, it would level up the whole market in some ways. So I just appreciate that mindset.
Tory Chlanda [00:27:19]:
A rising tide raises all ships, for sure. It's so true. And I think it's. I want other businesses, even in my market, to survive. I hate seeing, you know, at the end of a bad snow season that, you know, so and so companies not doing snow or went out of business because they just didn't have a model that helps support their snow business. And that makes me sad because I think about it like, people are really proud of their businesses, as I am with mine, and they have employees and all those things, and I don't want. To see that happen for sure. So anyway, yeah.
Jack Jostes [00:27:49]:
Well, Tori, about snow. You gotta come skiing. And there's this ski event.
Tory Chlanda [00:27:53]:
I heard this ski event in January.
Jack Jostes [00:27:56]:
So you gotta come to that they are fun.
Tory Chlanda [00:27:58]:
They are fun, so if you're thinking about it.
Jack Jostes [00:27:59]:
Okay.
Jack Jostes [00:28:01]:
All right. Thank you, Tory.
Jack Jostes [00:28:03]:
Hey, it's Jack Jostes, and thanks for listening to The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast. So today I was shooting some content with Tory's employees, and they learned that we send free beef jerky to people. And they were like, really? I'm like, yeah. So, hey, if you're listening and you haven't received our Landscapers Marketing Toolbox, go ahead and order yours at landscapersguide.com/toolbox we will ship you a Marketing Toolbox with a Field Guide that'll help you figure out which marketing you should focus on first to get the best and most lasting results. And it includes some delicious Beef Jerky. So check it out. See our show notes for a link to landscapersguide.com/toolbox. And I look forward to talking with 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
Get in touch with Tory Chlanda & Better View Landscapes:
????Connect with Tory: linkedin.com/in/tory-chlanda/
???? Better View Landscapes: betterviewlandscaping.com
???? Get in Touch with Better View: Yourfriends@BetterViewLandscaping.com