Learning, Growing, and Networking

Howdy OC! Forgive the accent as I just came back from Louville KY. Yup its pronounced Lew-ville for some reason! Last month was a busy one for me. I attended two expos: the Landscape Expo in Long Beach and the GIE+EXPO in Louisville.

At the Landscape Expo, I had the privilege to be a speaker (on behalf of CLCA) at a business seminar. There was a great turn out and I got a lot of valuable feedback from the attendees. It always amazes me how much you can learn even as a speaker. I had the opportunity to dig deeper into some of our industry’s issues—primarily organizational structure, or the lack thereof. Organizational structure is important so that a company can run smoothly. As per Gino Wickman, author of the book Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, every business has three major functions that evolve into your different departments. Once you break down your business, you can build your accountability chart. Anyway, enough of that, just go read the book so you know what I am talking about!

My second endeavor last month was attending the GIE+EXPO. I checked out the HNA tradeshow and NALP expo too, also held in Kentucky. This year I decided to get out of my comfort zone and network at the national level. Doing this allowed me the privilege to meet many other contractors throughout the U.S. I would like to mention that we are so blessed to be a major player within the landscape

industry. Statistically speaking, the California market alone is the second largest within the landscape industry. A lot of money flows through here so there is plenty for all of us. We should also be proud to be members of our association. Personally, I get comfortable and can sometimes take for granted that I am part of the CLCA, but I am proud to be a member amongst all of you.

Lastly, I’d like to leave you on this note… if you are a new contractor, student, or wanting to become a contractor, I cannot say this enough—networking is the key to your success. You learn so much; you get the benefits of so many years of experience all put together in a simple conversation. Come on by to our board meetings or our events and see for yourself. Our next event is our holiday party on December 16 at Dave & Busters in Irvine. Events for next year are already on the calendar too. Check them out here. All in all, attending CLCA events through the years have allowed me to learn, grow, and network.

For this month’s book, I encourage you to read, The E-Myth Landscape Contractor: Why Most Landscape Companies Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber, Anthony C. Bass, et al.

~Sincerely, Sal, 2021 CLCA OC Chapter President