Episode Overview
When Justin White took over the family business and became CEO of K&D Landscaping, the company was profitable and most employees were happy with the status quo.
Not White. He had his eye on multimillion-dollar growth.
In the 2020-21 Covid years, K&D bumped up the bottom line to $10 million in annual sales. After a minor hiccup, the company got back on track again and expects to do $22 million in 2024, with 130 employees.
White’s game plan for avoiding growth slumps focuses on adjusting and communicating his company’s vision and creating a robust leadership team.
“It starts with a vision,” he says. “You need to tell your team you want to be a $10-million company. No one's going to assume that out of you.”
White says he and his leadership team are always looking for strategies that are outside the box.
“I call it our unfair advantage,” he says. “We want to create unfair advantages in our business mix. And that, you know, frankly pisses off a lot of competitors, but we follow a very strict moral code.”
For example: White is always looking for effective business deals or discounts that allow him to reduce overhead costs. At that point, K&D will reduce their prices. Some competitors think he’s undercutting the market. White says they’re charging a fair price – and often still making a bigger profit than the competition.
White, who calls himself a “conference junkie,” because he likes to attend industry events (like ServiceTitan’s Pantheon), enjoys the chance to share his business knowledge.
“I love the fact that you can help other people in the community,” he says. “A lot of people think entrepreneurs just want to learn. But truly, we want to give back. We want an opportunity to inspire.”
Justin White recently joined ServiceTitan’s Jackie Aubel on the “Toolbox for the Trades” podcast, which included White’s thoughts on:
[9:43] The challenges of being a young CEO
[11:34] The importance of self-trust for company leaders
[20:03] Why many companies stagnate in yearly revenue
[27:31] How to communicate, cultivate and modify your company’s vision
[35:00] Finding and exploiting “unfair advantages” for your company
To hear more stories from the trades, subscribe to “Toolbox for the Trades” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or anywhere you get podcasts.
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