Jack Jostes [00:00:00]:
Find out what one veteran snow and landscape professional would tell himself if he could go back in time to 20 or 30 years ago when he started his business, plus how his Jesuit education shaped the business leader he is today.
Michael Anderson [00:00:14]:
With a friend of mine, we went in halves and spent ten dollars on a lawnmower that didn't work. We threw in five bucks a piece and spent a couple nights after school fixing it up and got it to run and went back to the old man that sold it to us and he agreed that if we cut his lawn for him ten times he would give us our ten dollars back.
Michael Anderson [00:00:33]:
I never thought that I would be able to make a living doing snow and I never imagined that I would be able to be an expert witness working on snow and ice cases. Whatever you dedicate your life to, take it seriously and give it all that you have. Make sure you do it 100% and do it the best that you possibly can.
00:53 - Meet Michael Anderson: Shared College Memories & Business Beginnings
Jack Jostes [00:00:53]:
All right everyone, we're here at the Ramblin Jackson booth at the SIMA Symposium with Michael Anderson from Snow & Ice Pros and I learned that Michael and I, we both went to Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Michael Anderson [00:01:06]:
The Warriors.
Jack Jostes [00:01:07]:
That’s right! We were just talking about the Warriors. We became the Golden Eagles by the time I was there.
Michael Anderson [00:01:12]:
That's sad.
Jack Jostes [00:01:14]:
I agree, I agree and I was just sharing with you that I wrote for The Warrior Newspaper which was started by some alumni who disagreed with the change to The Golden Eagles, which included me. And many many other people. But what were some of your favorite memories from Marquette off the cuff?
Michael Anderson [00:01:30]:
Just being out of the house and being able to live on my own for the first time in my life. I'll be honest with you, I'm from outside of Chicago and back then the drinking age in Illinois was 19 and the drinking age in Wisconsin was 18 and that's one of the reasons why I decided to go to Marquette which is in Milwaukee.
Jack Jostes [00:01:53]:
Yeah, you're not alone. So where in Illinois are you from?
Michael Anderson [00:01:56]:
Grew up in Des Plaines and went to school in Arlington Heights.
Jack Jostes [00:01:58]:
I'm from Arlington Heights. And I'm going back there right after this show to visit my family and my wife's family and her dad went to Marquette and when I went to their Christmas party for the first time when we were like getting serious dating, I brought him a 30 rack of hams.
Michael Anderson [00:02:15]:
Oh wow, how about that?
Jack Jostes [00:02:17]:
Yeah, so hams from the land of sky blue waters, right? And I learned then at that party that he worked in the hams factory in Minnesota. So there are lots of Illinois, Wisconsin things happening here.
02:31 - Values from Jesuit Education: Shaping Leadership Today
Jack Jostes [00:02:31]:
What I'm curious, so Marquette is a Jesuit school. What about the Jesuit education is still with you today at this point in your life?
Michael Anderson [00:02:39]:
Oh, interesting question. Just the the discipline I think was a big part of it. You know, respect for other people and doing whatever you dedicate your life to, take it seriously and give it all that you have. You know, whether it's your job or your wife or whatever you decide to do, make sure you do it 100% and do it the best that you possibly can.
Jack Jostes [00:03:09]:
Yes, absolutely. That was my experience there too and I remember one of their values was excellence. And pursuing excellence is something that is important to me and it's become a part of me. The other thing that stuck with me from Marquette was their motto was “Be the Difference.” Was that the motto when you were there? Do you remember?
Michael Anderson [00:03:27]:
No, I don't think so. I think that came later but I understand it and I agree with it.
Jack Jostes [00:03:33]:
Yeah, I think it's really at the heart of the Jesuits and the Jesuit education and be the difference. So our mission at Ramblin Jackson is Helping Small Businesses Ring the Bell and so to me that's an extension of “Be the Difference” that stuck with me from the work that I did at Marquette.
Michael Anderson [00:03:50]:
I like the way that Marquette influence has stuck with you in your life and helped create this successful business that you have.
Jack Jostes [00:03:57]:
Yeah, it did in ways that I never would have thought. Actually, one of the classes that I had to take that became the most impactful was logic. Did you take logic or did you study philosophy?
Michael Anderson [00:04:09]:
Yeah, I had what a three hour course in it that I remember. Mhm.
Jack Jostes [00:04:16]:
Well, I don't know. For me, I do copywriting and I'm writing persuasive things to help people with their marketing and a lot of that comes back to what I learned in logic class and how to persuade people.
Michael Anderson [00:04:28]:
That sounds logical to me.
Jack Jostes [00:04:30]:
Another just fun story to share that I shared the other night at dinner. The mafia came up as a topic at dinner and I said, oh well in Milwaukee, I lived in Carpenter Tower on 11th and Wisconsin Avenue and I think it was a bank at one point or something but in any case there is a bullet hole still in the wall from a shootout with Al Capone.
Michael Anderson [00:04:54]:
Really?
Jack Jostes [00:04:56]:
Yeah, and then did you ever go to Pudler's Hall?
Michael Anderson [00:04:58]:
I don't remember that. I remember I had a girlfriend who lived in Carpenter Hall.
05:04 - What Is Snow & Ice Pros? Inside Michael’s Company
Jack Jostes [00:05:04]:
Okay. I think it was the all girls dorm at that time. I can't remember but by the time I was there, it changed to Cobain. So tell us a little bit about Snow & Ice Pros, what do you do now?
Michael Anderson [00:05:15]:
We are exclusively a snow and ice management company. We do commercial snow plowing for office buildings, industrial parks, stores in northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago.
Jack Jostes [00:05:32]:
And how long have you been in? Oh, you helped, tell us about your history with SIMA.
Michael Anderson [00:05:37]:
I started coming to the Symposium back in, I was at the very second Symposium here in Pittsburgh. I missed out on the first one because I didn't know about it until three months afterwards and I've been to every one since.
Jack Jostes [00:05:54]:
And were you at that one, I just interviewed Rick Kier. Do you know him?
Michael Anderson [00:06:00]:
I know Rick, yes of course. Everybody knows Rick he’s been around SIMA for a long time.
Jack Jostes [00:06:04]:
Yeah, because he was telling me about the first Symposium unofficially. It sounded like it was like eight guys in a basement trading ideas. So when you were getting started, how many people were here?
Michael Anderson [00:06:15]:
I think for the second Symposium here in Pittsburgh, there were like 50 or 60 of us. And I asked John Allen yesterday, we had lunch together. We have a past presidents lunch. I used to be president of the board of directors here. So I asked him, I said, where exactly in Pittsburgh was that symposium? Because I don't recognize any of this. And he said it was at the Marriott hotel by the airport. And that's why I didn't recognize, there's no way we could have dreamed of filling up a convention center like we do now.
Michael Anderson [00:06:47]:
And it was really fun to grow with SIMA and realize that a lot of places where we had previously had our Symposium, we're no longer able to handle a group our size because it kept growing every year. That was amazing.
07:02 - From Lawn Mowers to Snow Pros: Michael’s Journey & First Client
Jack Jostes [00:07:02]:
Yeah, it is incredible to hear some of these stories like being at this massive conference and there's sponsors from all the national brands and like million dollar booths and whatnot. And it started out really small. So what I guess maybe in your business now, are you doing that you never dreamed you'd be doing when you started?
Michael Anderson [00:07:20]:
Well, first of all, I never thought when I was a six year old kid in kindergarten, setting my alarm for 5am and going out and shoveling driveway sidewalks and front porches before school. I never thought that I would be able to make a living doing snow. And I never imagined that I would be able to be an expert witness working on snow and ice cases for slip and falls, helping attorneys win their cases.
Jack Jostes [00:07:48]:
So you started doing this when you were six, did your dad do it? Or what motivated you to start doing that?
Michael Anderson [00:07:54]:
My dad gave me some entrepreneurial blood, I guess. But most people start off in landscaping, and then they get into snow in the winter to keep their crews busy. And for me, it was the other way around. My dad wouldn't even let me use a power lawnmower until 12 years old. So for six years, I was begging him to cut the grass.
Michael Anderson [00:08:11]:
And finally, when I was 12, he trusted me enough to use a lawnmower. And I went out with a friend of mine, and we went in halves, spent $10 on a lawnmower that didn't work, threw in five bucks a piece and spent a couple nights after school fixing it up and got it to run and went back to the old man that sold it to us. And he agreed that if we cut his lawn for him 10 times, he would give us our $10 back. And that was our first customer.
Jack Jostes [00:08:37]:
Who is your first customer?
Michael Anderson [00:08:40]:
The man who was on my paper route that sold us the first lawnmower that I ever bought.
Jack Jostes [00:08:47]:
So he fixed it for you?
Michael Anderson [00:08:50]:
No, we fixed it. We paid him $10 for this lawnmower that didn't work and then came back after we had it fixed. And he agreed to let us cut his lawn for him 10 times to give us our $10.
Jack Jostes [00:09:00]:
Oh, I got it. Okay, got it. Yeah, I love that story. So how many people work with you now?
Michael Anderson [00:09:06]:
Well, we got out of landscaping 20 years ago. So we are a snow only company now. So we have just four of us that work year round. And then we staff up in the winter with operators and drivers for our trucks.
09:20 - Advice to My Younger Self: Lessons for Future Business Owners
Jack Jostes [00:09:20]:
So if you could go back to yourself, how old were you when you started the snow company? Not your six year old business.
Michael Anderson [00:09:28]:
That was after I graduated from Marquette. I took a white collar job downtown Chicago for like six years. And then I got back into landscaping and snow. So I would have been like in my mid 20s.
Jack Jostes [00:09:42]:
So if you could give your mid 20s person some coaching or an idea that would like save you a lot of time and heartache and money, what would it be?
Michael Anderson [00:09:54]:
Go at it 100% learn as much as you can about the business and ask a lot of questions. Don't worry if you think they might be dumb questions because there's always people out here, especially through SIMA, that are willing to help make the best run at it that you possibly can.
10:11 - Sneak Peek: Join Us at ELEVATE 2024!
Jack Jostes [00:10:11]:
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 [00:10:29]:
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 [00:10:55]:
I’m also hosting two Breakfast of 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 [00:11:17]:
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!
11:43 - Supporting SIMA: Education & Giving Back to the Industry
Jack Jostes [00:11:43]:
Cool. I love that. Michael. So what are you doing as a volunteer at the show today?
Michael Anderson [00:11:47]:
I'm working as a representative of the SIMA foundation. The last hour of the show, I have to be over there in a few minutes. Just helping to get contributions to support the foundation and educate people more on what it's all about and the good that we're doing for them.
Jack Jostes [00:12:07]:
So a lot of the folks here listening might donate. So if you could ask them to donate, why should they do it? And how does the SIMA foundation help people?
Michael Anderson [00:12:18]:
Well, we're all about education and helping people grow their businesses. And so recently we spent a lot of money on a survey that we did. And we just had a presentation about the survey, the results of the survey this morning. And it gives a lot of data about sizes of the companies and how much they pay certain employees doing certain levels of work and how they promote their businesses.
Michael Anderson [00:12:45]:
And there's a lot of things that you can use as a benchmark for your own company to figure out what you should be doing more as far as offering benefits, what types of benefits are better off. And it works for United States and Canada too. They broke it out over the two countries.
Jack Jostes [00:13:01]:
The other thing the SIMA foundation does is it has a scholarship. And so I interviewed Jacob Peffer. Have you met Jacob?
Michael Anderson [00:13:08]:
I have not, but I was on the committee that helped vote for him to be one of the three winners of the scholarship.
Jack Jostes [00:13:16]:
Cool. Well, so you should check out my podcast with him because I interviewed him last year and then I interviewed him this year. He's massively grown his business and the SIMA foundation and the scholarship and everything he's gotten from the organization has really helped him.
13:28 - Final Thoughts & How to Connect with Michael
Jack Jostes [00:13:28]:
So I know you got to run, Michael, for folks who want to network with you and connect. How can we get in touch?
Michael Anderson [00:13:34]:
You can email me, mike@snowandicepros.com.
Jack Jostes [00:13:40]:
Cool, Michael. Well, thank you very much for coming on The Landscaper’s Guide.
Jack Jostes [00:13:44]:
Hey, it's Jack Jostes. You've been listening to The Landscaper’s Guide Podcast. I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Mike Anderson. It was cool to connect with him. We both went to the same college. He lived pretty close to where I grew up in Illinois, and we just share a lot of things in common. Hey, there are a lot of other people out there like you, if you enjoyed this, that would benefit from hearing this show.
Jack Jostes [00:14:06]:
So make sure if you liked it, please give us a 5 star rating wherever you're listening to this and then share this episode. You could take a screenshot of it on your phone and text it to a buddy or click the link to share this episode and send it to somebody in the industry who should be listening. Make sure that you subscribe at landscapersguide.com/podcast for our email newsletter where we'll send you not only the podcast when it comes out every Friday, but also exclusive invitations to live and virtual events that we're hosting coming up that I'd love to see you at.
Jack Jostes [00:14:39]:
So again, check out the show notes for a link to landscapersguide.com/podcast. Subscribe. And my name's Jack Jostes. 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 Michael Anderson:
???? Email: mike@snowandicepros.com
???? Website: snowandicepros.com
Join us at ELEVATE 2024!
???? Ready to grow your business? Meet the Ramblin Jackson team and book a podcast interview slot at landscapersguide.com/elevate2024