Released: October 4, 2024
In this episode, Grant Harrison from Nextra Consulting joins the podcast to discuss the top growth constraints facing landscape business owners, including mindset around money, managing people, and time management. Grant shares actionable insights on overcoming these challenges to create a more successful, sustainable business.
“You cannot grow your business without leveraging your team. Trusting people isn’t just a leadership trait, it’s a growth strategy.”
Here’s what we discuss in today’s episode:
Introduction and Grant Harrison’s Background in the Green Industry (Start – 3:10):
Rob introduces Grant Harrison from Nextra Consulting, who shares his journey from working with local contractors to starting Nextra Consulting, helping landscaping businesses grow through HR, financial services, and coaching.
Primary Growth Constraints for Landscaping Entrepreneurs (3:10 – 4:11):
Grant outlines the three primary growth constraints that hold landscaping entrepreneurs back: their relationship with money, managing people, and time management.
Money Mindset and Overcoming Scarcity Thinking (4:11 – 6:25):
Grant discusses how many business owners struggle with a scarcity mindset around money, which can prevent growth, and shares tips on shifting to a more abundant mindset by surrounding yourself with the right people.
Changing Your Perspective on Money for Business Growth (6:25 – 9:02):
Rob and Grant talk about the importance of seeing money as a resource for growth and investing in your business rather than viewing spending as a negative.
Building a Strong Team and Avoiding Micromanagement (9:02 – 12:38):
Grant emphasizes the importance of trusting your team, avoiding micromanagement, and hiring people smarter than yourself to delegate tasks and scale your business effectively.
Promoting Leaders from Within vs. Hiring Externally (12:38 – 18:35):
Grant shares insights on promoting employees from within and the importance of proper training, leadership development, and balancing internal promotions with external hires for long-term business success.
Time Management for Landscaping Business Owners (18:35 – 30:10):
Grant explains how owners often become too busy and wear too many hats, leading to burnout. He discusses prioritizing high-impact tasks and controlling your calendar to focus on what truly matters in the business.
Setting Routines and Controlling Your Calendar (30:10 – 39:26):
Grant talks about the power of setting daily, weekly, and monthly routines, and how planning ahead helps business owners take control of their time and avoid overcommitting.
The Importance of Prioritizing Family Time and Personal Well-being (39:26 – 41:09):
Grant highlights the need to prioritize personal and family time, making sure entrepreneurs don’t sacrifice what matters most for the sake of their business.
Final Thoughts and Key Resources for Business Owners (41:09 – 45:03):
Grant recommends key resources like The E-Myth, Crucial Conversations, and Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell for business owners looking to improve their operations and mindset. He encourages listeners to find a mentor or coach for support.
Actionable Key Takeaways:
- Shift Your Money Mindset: Surround yourself with people who see money as a resource rather than a scarcity. This will help you view investments in your business, such as marketing, as growth opportunities rather than expenses.
- Delegate and Trust: Stop micromanaging. Hire people smarter than you in areas where you are not an expert, and trust them to handle those tasks.
- Focus on Impact: Identify which activities you, as a business owner, should prioritize based on your strengths and delegate the rest.
- Time Management: Control your calendar by blocking off time for the most important tasks and setting boundaries around less critical activities.
- Invest in Leadership Development: Clearly outline job descriptions, expectations, and provide proper training for leaders in your organization.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Episode Transcript
00:00
(Rob)
Hi, everyone, and welcome to the “I Am Landscape Growth” podcast, where entrepreneurs help entrepreneurs grow faster, better, and stronger in the green industry. From leadership to sales to recruiting and operational excellence, we cover the topics holding entrepreneurs back and share how to get past those bottlenecks with the best in the industry. I’m your host, Rob Murray, co-founder and CEO of Intrigue, a digital marketing company focused on helping landscape companies grow. So sit back and enjoy the show. Hey, everybody, welcome back to another episode of the “I Am Landscape Growth” podcast. Today, we have an amazing guest, Grant Harrison from Nextra Consulting. I think I’ve known Grant for the better part of five, maybe six, maybe more years than that.
00:49
(Rob)
We had a chance to hang out in a lot of different industry associations over the last couple of years, and I think the audience—all of you listening—are going to be pumped to hear the perspective from Mr. Harrison. So, Grant, thank you so much for doing this, man.
01:03
(Grant)
Rob, thank you so much for the great introduction. And yeah, it’s been a couple of years since we’ve met each other, and it’s always exciting to hang out with you and to be part of the landscape industry. I’m excited to be on the podcast today.
01:15
(Rob)
Sweet. All right, quick Cole’s notes. Give people a quick summary of your experience in the green space and what you’re up to today.
01:23
(Grant)
Yeah, so I grew up like so many landscape contractors in the industry. Started as a summer job in high school, ended up going to Humber College in Toronto for my landscape technician diploma, and really just stayed within the industry since then. Still working in the industry today. After graduating, I got married, moved to London, worked for a couple of local contractors in London, and then ended up with the London Klyntar franchise and eventually at head office. We also did a stint of owning a design-build company for five years. And then, six years ago, my wife and I started Nextra Consulting. Now we’re coaching and helping contractors make money with their trade, offering HR services, financial services, coaching, and education.
02:19
(Grant)
We love education and doing all that kind of stuff. It’s really about teaching people not to make the same mistakes we did and helping them with their businesses. So we’re excited to talk about owners’ growth constraints today, and hopefully, people will walk away with some tips.
02:38
(Rob)
Well, that’s beautiful, right? Because the whole theme of the podcast is about what’s the primary growth constraint holding entrepreneurs back in the green industry. It’s all about helping people grow so they can make more money, have more success—whatever they define as success—and build a business designed to serve them. So, we’re going to talk a little bit about money mindset, teams, and time management. But why don’t we just ask you the question: What do you see as the primary growth constraint holding entrepreneurs back in the green industry?
03:10
(Grant)
Yeah, so I think, and I’m guilty of this too, but the three things we see are relationships with money, people skills, and time management. The time management one is becoming more and more prevalent lately, but if an owner can get a handle on these three things, there’s a huge opportunity to take the next step in the business and start to grow.
03:49
(Rob)
Okay, well, let’s break them down then. You mentioned relationships with money. Are we talking about how they do their accounting, running their business by their bank account, or maybe having guilt about making money? How do you break down this relationship with money for folks?
04:11
(Grant)
I think most of the time, what we see is that owners have a relationship or viewpoint of money that started early in their lives. Maybe they grew up in a household where money was scarce, and they were taught to save every penny. That mindset follows them into adulthood and into their businesses. If you grew up seeing money as something to hoard or fear, it hampers your ability to grow. And as a business owner, you need money to grow, but if you have a scarcity mindset, it can hold you back. For example, in your world of marketing, people often don’t see it as an investment—they see it as an expense.
05:25
(Grant)
And that rolls into how they handle money in their business. A lot of owners didn’t take accounting courses, don’t know how to read a profit and loss statement, or understand cash flow. They’re just looking at their bank account and panicking when the numbers get close to zero. But sometimes, you could budget for a temporary deficit and see it as part of the bigger picture. Without a healthy relationship with money, though, those numbers feel like they have more emotional weight than they actually do.
06:25
(Rob)
So let’s assume I have a scarcity mindset around money. What’s something I can start doing today to shift that into a more positive, healthy, and abundant mentality?
06:39
(Grant)
The best thing is to surround yourself with people who see money as a resource. Learn from those who think differently about money. Get help—whether it’s a coach, a mentor, or even a professional. The landscape industry has so many people willing to help. You just have to ask for that support, and it can change your perspective on money.
07:46
(Rob)
I think that’s spot on. Even myself, growing up, we didn’t have much at all, so I didn’t have an investor’s mindset out of the gate. One classic resource that helped me was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. It does a great job diving into money concepts and our relationship with money. But like you said, being around others who look at money differently—a peer group, coach, or mentor—can be massively helpful. It has been in my life.
So, you’re a coach, and you’re obviously helping people with this. Where do you see places people can go if they’re listening right now and thinking, “Okay, I need to start hanging out with people who look at money differently”?
08:37
(Grant)
Yeah, the landscape industry is great for that because there are plenty of people who are willing to help. There are also a lot of great resources out there—books, podcasts. Even building a good relationship with your banker can help. They deal with money all the time, and if you have a strong relationship, they can offer insight. But the number one thing I recommend is finding a mentor who’s been where you are and has come out on the other side. Someone who’s built a business, gone through the scarcity mindset, and now views money as a resource. They can help guide you through that journey.
09:38
(Rob)
That’s awesome—peer networks, associations, or even reaching out to someone who’s run a business. I also love that you mentioned the landscape industry specifically because it’s such a collaborative space. You know, at Intrigue, we’ve worked with a lot of industries over the years, but only over the last, like, three to five years have we really focused on the green industry. It’s been eye-opening how open and collaborative people in this space are. Landscapers are way more willing to share than many other industries I’ve seen.
All right, you also mentioned people. I love the saying for entrepreneurs: “If it wasn’t for customers and staff, I’d love my business!”
10:30
(Grant)
Yeah! If you own a business, at some point, people—whether it’s customers or staff—have been a source of your pain. That’s true for everyone. If it wasn’t for those two groups, business would be easy. But in reality, it’s the people in your business that allow it to grow. You can’t do it all on your own. We see too many business owners trying to handle everything themselves, which holds them back.
And we’ve all been burned by people at some point, especially when we hire someone and it doesn’t work out. That’s when we become cynical and stop trusting people. But that’s the exact opposite of what we should do. You need to trust people, stop micromanaging, and let go of those past negative experiences to move forward.
11:52
(Grant)
We see that the owner often becomes the bottleneck in their business. They’re trying to do too many things, and they need to delegate. But that can be hard because you’re hiring someone, and maybe they don’t do things exactly how you would. I think the best way to solve that is by hiring people who are smarter than you, especially in certain areas. And that’s hard for a lot of owners because of insecurities, but it’s essential for growth. You don’t need to be the smartest person in every aspect of your business.
12:38
(Rob)
Yeah, it’s tough to take a day off when everything has to go through you! You mentioned micromanaging, which, by definition, is a form of mistrust. You don’t trust your team to do their work, so you’re constantly checking in. If I’m someone who feels the need to micromanage and think, “If you want it done right, do it yourself,” how do I start shifting that mentality?
14:16
(Grant)
The first step is realizing you have to shift that mentality. Just because one person in the past didn’t work out doesn’t mean that every future hire will fail you. It’s not fair to the next person you hire to bring that baggage into the relationship. You need to hire someone, make sure they’re well-trained, and give them a fair shot. We talk a lot about the Peter Principle with our clients, where people are promoted into positions they’re not ready for. It happens all the time. And when that person struggles, we start micromanaging them because we didn’t give them the proper tools or training to succeed in the first place.
16:17
(Grant)
And it often comes down to the owner not doing their job. If someone isn’t performing, it’s usually because we didn’t set them up for success. And that leads to micromanaging. Owners feel the need to control every aspect because we didn’t properly train that person or set clear expectations. It’s not their fault; it’s ours. That’s why it’s important to trust, delegate, and ensure the person is properly equipped for their role.
17:05
(Rob)
Yeah, I think what you said there is key—trusting, training, and delegating properly is the foundation. And honestly, it ties back into money too. A lot of times, owners won’t hire the right person because they want to save money. So they hire someone less experienced or qualified, and that causes problems down the line. Everything is interconnected.
17:42
(Rob)
So if I’m listening to this as an entrepreneur, and I want to develop leadership within my team, any tips for training and developing leaders? Because a lot of people think training is this huge, daunting task, but I think it can be simpler. What’s your take?
18:35
(Grant)
The first thing is to create a clear job description. Define what’s expected, the skills required, and what success looks like. Then, have an honest conversation with that person about the skills they currently have and what they need to work on. If you can, use a personality assessment to understand where they’re strong and where they might need development. It gives you a roadmap for working with them on their weak points.
When those issues come up, you can refer back to the conversation you had when they were hired, so it doesn’t feel awkward or confrontational. It’s all about setting clear expectations from the beginning.
20:29
(Grant)
At the same time, always consider external candidates too. You might have a rock star come through the door, and you don’t want to miss that opportunity. But owners often avoid hard conversations with internal candidates. They don’t want to disappoint or upset them, so they’ll promote someone internally even if they aren’t the best fit. That’s a recipe for problems down the road.
If you’re clear with your internal candidates and say, “This isn’t a ‘no’ forever, but we’ve found someone better suited for this role right now,” that opens the door for future opportunities and growth. But a lot of owners avoid having those conversations because they fear the backlash.
22:17
(Rob)
That’s so true. I think the issue is reframing those conversations. It’s not about being difficult—it’s about being honest. If I promote you to a role you’re not ready for, I’m not setting you up for success. I’m actually doing the opposite. My job is to make sure everyone in the organization is happy and performing well, and that means making sure I don’t put someone in a position where they’re going to struggle.
22:56
(Grant)
Exactly. And it’s also about modeling that behavior as a leader. Most of us didn’t have these hard conversations modeled for us, so we don’t know how to handle them. But if you’ve ever read Crucial Conversations, it’s an incredible book that flips the narrative. It teaches you that having these conversations isn’t just necessary—it’s actually a way to show you care. Avoiding these conversations shows the opposite. It’s a must-read for any leader who struggles with difficult conversations.
23:39
(Rob)
That’s great advice. Crucial Conversations is one of those books that really changes your perspective. I think a lot of the time, we play out these conversations in our heads, coming up with all these worst-case scenarios about how people will react. And it stresses us out to the point where we just avoid having the conversation altogether. But like you said, once you actually have the conversation, most of the time, the person appreciates the honesty and will thank you for it down the road. You’re doing them a favor by being upfront.
24:25
(Grant)
Exactly. And that’s why it’s so important to get a mentor or a coach—someone who’s been through this enough times to tell you, “Hey, you might not get a thank you right away, but this is going to be beneficial in the long run.” Most of the time, when you have these hard conversations, they don’t turn out as bad as you think. People often walk away appreciating the clarity and the respect that comes with honesty.
25:19
(Rob)
So true. I think it also helps to realize that a lot of us haven’t had this modeled for us by leaders in the past. If you’ve never seen these types of conversations handled well, it’s hard to know what’s possible. Once you do see it done right, it feels much more achievable. All right, let’s pivot to time management. This is a big one for leaders—what should we be prioritizing? Where should we be spending our time? As our business grows, how do we make sure we’re allocating time in the right areas?
26:23
(Grant)
Time management is a huge challenge for business owners, and I’ve been guilty of it myself. We live in a society that celebrates busyness, right? When you ask someone how they’re doing, the most common response is, “Busy!” We’ve almost equated being busy with being successful. But that’s not always true. Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you’re being productive.
A lot of us grew up with the mentality that if you’re not doing something, you’re not contributing. That mindset follows us into adulthood and business ownership. As business owners, we end up wearing too many hats—we’re the marketer, the technician, the salesperson, the accountant, and more. But that’s not sustainable, and it leads to burnout.
27:36
(Grant)
We don’t need to be doing everything ourselves, even from day one. The sooner you start delegating tasks, the more sustainable your business will be. If you try to do it all, things start to fall apart. You’ll miss things, and the quality of your work will suffer.
There’s a book I recently came across that’s been a game-changer for me called Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. It shifts the mindset from hiring people to grow your business to hiring people to buy back your own time. Instead of thinking, “How can I grow my business with this hire?” think, “How can I free up my time to focus on what I do best?”
28:57
(Grant)
For example, if you’re spending time on admin tasks that someone else could do better and faster, you’re not using your time wisely. You should be focusing on tasks that have the most impact on your business. Let someone else handle the things that don’t need your expertise. I always joke with owners: if you want to bill yourself out at $150 an hour, would you pay someone $150 an hour to pick up the mail? Of course not. So why are you doing it?
29:35
(Grant)
There are people out there who are really good at those tasks and energized by doing them. Let them do it. It will free you up to focus on the big picture. Owners in the landscape industry, for example, are often burned out by admin tasks, but those tasks are essential. If you don’t handle them, they’ll come back to bite you later. So it’s all about delegation and making sure you’re spending your time on the right things.
30:10
(Rob)
Yeah, it’s about being proactive instead of reactive, right? When you’re just firefighting and responding to what comes up, you’re not in control of your time. So what should owners prioritize? Where should they be focusing their time for the most impact?
30:35
(Grant)
The biggest thing is to focus on where you can have the most impact on the business. Depending on what you’re best at, that might be different for each owner. Some people are craftsmen and need to be on-site doing the work because that’s where they add the most value. Others are great at sales, so they should be in front of clients, closing deals.
Whatever you’re good at and whatever energizes you, that’s where you should spend your time. And then, you need to set boundaries and delegate the rest. Those other tasks still need to get done, but they don’t need to be done by you.
31:54
(Grant)
For me, coaching is where I add the most value. I can’t delegate that. But someone else can handle my emails, schedule meetings, and edit content. Those things don’t need to be on my plate. I always ask myself, “Is this a good use of my time?” If it’s not, I delegate it. That way, I can focus on what I’m uniquely positioned to do—helping owners build better businesses.
You also need to take control of your calendar. Block out time for specific tasks, and don’t let other things encroach on that time. You need to slow down to speed up. If you’re constantly rushing from one thing to the next, you’re going to make mistakes, and things will start to fall apart.
32:56
(Rob)
Yeah, that’s a great point—slowing down to speed up. I love that. You know, I do a CEO survey once a year where I get anonymous feedback from the team. It’s always tough to read, but it’s incredibly helpful. A couple of years in a row, the feedback was that I was making changes without explaining why. I was in a rush to implement new ideas without taking the time to communicate the strategy to the team.
I realized that taking an extra few hours to explain the changes to the team would actually save us time in the long run because once they understood the direction, they were fully on board. It’s that same concept—slowing down to speed up.
34:11
(Rob)
And I think, a lot of times, we spend too much time with people who are struggling in the business, trying to fix them, rather than spending time with our top performers and giving them more support. Do you see that a lot?
34:58
(Grant)
Absolutely. It’s a common problem. We spend so much time trying to fix the C and D players, and meanwhile, our A players are left on their own until they come to us and say they’re leaving for another opportunity. Owners are often shocked when their best employees leave, but it’s because they weren’t giving them the attention they needed.
Your A and B players are the ones driving your business forward, but we take them for granted because they’re not causing problems. That’s a sign that the owner is moving too fast and not spending enough time where it matters.
36:15
(Grant)
We also say yes to too many things. My wife and I were just talking about how busy our family has been lately, running around three or four nights a week. Everything we’re doing is good stuff, but it’s too much. We need to control our commitments and leave room for the things we really care about, so we don’t miss out on opportunities when they come along.
36:52
(Rob)
Right, slowing down to speed up. Giving yourself that space. You also mentioned routines earlier—daily, weekly, and monthly rhythms. Can you touch on that? What should an entrepreneur start doing to get control of their calendar and be more effective?
37:27
(Grant)
The first step is controlling your calendar. I’ve learned this the hard way, but now I have a solid morning routine. I wake up at the same time, get some exercise—whether it’s the Peloton or walking the dogs—have a smoothie, and then check my phone after I’ve had that time to myself. Most of us grab our phones first thing in the morning, which sets a reactive tone for the day. It’s the worst thing you can do.
So I have that routine, and it sets me up for the day. I also schedule regular meetings—whether it’s one-on-ones with team members or leadership meetings. Block those into your calendar. I’ve seen the best salespeople block time for sales calls, rather than letting them happen whenever the client wants. That way, they control their time and don’t sacrifice family time or personal time for work.
39:26
(Grant)
I also love the end-of-year planning. During the holiday break, I plan out the entire year ahead. When are we taking family vacations? When are the kids’ birthdays? What events are coming up? By January 1, I have about 50% of my year already planned. So when someone asks me if I can do something, I can check my calendar and see if I have the bandwidth for it.
40:00
(Grant)
I also encourage people to block time for hobbies and family. We always say family is important, but we don’t prioritize it in our schedules. Put it in your calendar—date nights, family dinners—whatever it is, make sure it’s there, so you don’t accidentally book something else.
We give so much time to our clients and staff, but we often neglect our families. And our spouses are so patient with us as entrepreneurs, but they deserve more of our time. Make sure you’re giving them the time they need. The same goes for your team—your A and B players need time with you. Even if it’s just a quick chat over lunch or a drive in the truck, make time for them. If you don’t, they won’t stick around for long.
41:27
(Rob)
That’s so true. So, to sum up, we’ve covered money mindset, managing people, crucial conversations, and time management. You mentioned Buy Back Your Time and Crucial Conversations as resources. I always ask guests: What’s one resource or book that’s impacted you the most and you’d recommend for entrepreneurs?
42:01
(Grant)
If you’re overwhelmed in your business and don’t know where to start, I always recommend The E-Myth by Michael Gerber. That book was a game-changer for me. I wish someone had handed it to me earlier in my career. It was a real eye-opener, especially when I was at the peak of my pain point with our contracting business. It helped me realize how I got into the mess I was in and how to get out of it.
43:11
(Grant)
Another book I love is Crucial Conversations, especially if you struggle with having difficult conversations. And as I mentioned earlier, Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell is a must-read, especially for owners with middle management or large teams. It’s very practical, and Dan has done an amazing job making it relatable and actionable.
But beyond books, I think the biggest resource is finding a mentor or a coach—someone you can talk to openly about your struggles and successes. There’s so much value in having someone who can guide you through the ups and downs of running a business.
44:15
(Rob)
That’s fantastic advice. If someone wanted to reach out to you, how can they do that?
44:21
(Grant)
The best way to reach us is through our website, nextraconsulting.ca. All our contact information is there. You can also email me directly at [email protected]. We’re also on Instagram and Facebook, so feel free to connect with us there. We’d love to talk to you and help in any way we can. If anyone wants a copy of one of the books I mentioned, let me know—I’m happy to send it out. We’ve got a lot of upcoming education events, and we’d love to connect.
45:03
(Rob)
Awesome. Grant, thank you so much for doing this. And to everyone listening, thank you for tuning in. You’re amazing, Grant. Really appreciate the time.
45:11
(Grant)
Thanks, Rob. Have a great day.