MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

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Our industry is one that encourages growth. Without growth plants die and without opportunity, people move on to something else. In order to meet that demand, commercial landscape companies have grown to incredible levels all around us. Recently, Landscape Management magazine put out their top 150 landscape companies (based on gross receipts). Bright View came in with an astounding $2,346,000,000 and maintained its position as the world’s largest landscape company. Moving down the list you will find that nearly 10% of the top 150 are in California. It should be noted that another 10 companies in SoCal would have made the list if they decided to participate. No doubt the California weather plays a significant role in the growth of these companies. The surge in homebuilding and expansion into inland areas have also created a need for more landscapers. The question is simple- is this the best model moving forward?

In this copy of the Pollen press, Mike Evans gave some interesting insight into where he thinks the industry is going. He believes, and I agree, that people want to reconnect with nature. They want to be involved with the soil and plant life around them. Commercial, aka production landscape, is no doubt different from home gardening. Large landscapes require more labor, “bulletproof” plants, and a process that is repeatable for a large workforce. This is the rub, how are these top 150 commercial landscape providers going to meet the old but refreshed interest in one-to-one plant and people relationships?

I recently commented to a landscaping friend of mine, “being a landscape contractor is about the hardest job in the world right now.” He laughed but agreed. These large companies have become the backbone of our suburban lifestyle all while taking on wage hikes, managing through covid, drought, fires, assembly bills, supply shortages, and an increasingly educated customer base.

Big is not bad and big is not better but it feels as though our industry is having an identity crisis. I recently asked Monarch staff members to remember why they stepped into the green industry. Most responses were the same, I love nature, plants, being outside, and learning new things. It’s easy to move away from our first love over time. We have bills to pay, kids to feed, and thirsty cars to gas up. The danger is that if we continue to move towards top line dollars and away from healthy relationships with our plants and people we will surely fail.

The green industry has an incredible opportunity to care for the environment around us. All while reducing green waste, water, noise, and pollution and enhancing the quality of life. What a cool gig we have. Let’s make sure we remember why we got into this business in the first place!

 

Get your hands dirty,

Matt Davenport

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The End is Always the Beginning

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Recently, I had the privilege of listening to a friend reflect on how rejection can lead to new direction. This rang true for me as I realized that rejection acted as the launching pad for my current trajectory. As for many in this industry, the landscape has a way of choosing you rather than you choosing landscape.

After college, I worked at the mall. The reality is I was disenfranchised after being cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers which effectively meant my childhood dream was out of reach. As a young person in need of opportunity, the mall was a great place to experience low-risk failure. After a few months, I was craving Vitamin D and learning what was important in my work life.

In my pursuit of sunshine and fresh air, a friend from church fortuitously offered me a position at a landscape company. I spent 9 years at that company, going back to school to become a horticulturist and arborist all while learning what it takes to run a business.

Avoidance of rejection is avoidance of exploration, whether personal or professional. Had I not been rejected by the NFL and sent floundering to the mall, I may never have discovered a love of landscape. The truth is that the familiar path can feel comfortable and steady, but the constant pacing is causing erosion beneath our feet. It’s hard when your dreams aren’t what you expected but sometimes to find a new path you must either be rejected or do some rejecting.

All great people through history have failed. Not just failed but monumentally, historically, and all-time failed. These are the heroes we admire for their perseverance, the ability to see a new way out when the door closes behind them. They failed because they tried, they risked, they pivoted. If you want to do great things in your life, you will fail. And you will win.

2022 has risk and rejection written all over it. Embrace the turbulence because you are about to reach new heights.

 

Get Rejected,

 

Matt Davenport

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DATA

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Have you ever watched America’s Funniest Home Videos? If so, you probably laugh the hardest when some middle-aged man wipes out trying to act cool. We have all been that guy who attempts something that seems doable but upon approach learns that we may have become overzealous. This is called collecting data.

Data collection can only come from failure. We try and then we fail and then we try something else. Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first attempt on December 17th, 1903 lasted 12 seconds. The next 2 attempts improved dramatically before reaching a flight time of 59 seconds on the fourth attempt. Failure by falling out of the sky is involved, getting back in the plane 3 more times on the same day is a called commitment.

The truth is if we see failure as data we can’t lose. It’s easy for us to look back and criticize our failures. Don’t. The only failure would be not stepping back into the cockpit.

 

Wheels Up,

Matt Davenport

 
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THE SPRINT

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Sprinting is defined as a short spell of running at full speed.

Short Spell is the key phrase.

We take off on year-long and oftentimes decade-long sprints. Why is that? So much of our self-esteem is measured by how we are keeping up. Some of us get out of the gates fast and slow down later while others walk for a few years and then catch up.  Our lifelong sprints are unsustainable and damaging to our mental health. 2020 felt like we were sprinting on a treadmill. 2021 feels like we stopped running and have been launched off the exercise machine. 

We all remember the story of the tortoise and the hair. You may be a turtle or you may be a rabbit but there is a pace that is right just for you. Looking around and comparing yourselves to others won’t help your situation and it certainly won’t help your feeling of self-worth. As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I’m obligated to tell you the truth. Nobody is timing you. In fact, nobody is watching and fretting as to why your behind or ahead. You are the only one thinking about what you are or what you are not.

Self-evaluation is a shortcut to despair. Put on some crocs, take the scenic route because you are right where you need to be! 


Keeper movin,

 

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

 

 

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Use Your Power

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It is often said that the President of the United States is the most powerful person in the free world. While this may be true, the day-to-day actions of the President don’t affect you nearly as much as you think. The truth is, you have the power to control your mind, attitude, diet, exercise routine, habits, relationships, and work ethic.  In reality, you are the most powerful person in your world.

Men and women pursue power for all sorts of reasons. Many see power as a way to eliminate obstacles around them. If you have the power then you have the ability to enforce behavior that is to your liking. What if we saw power as an entirely good force? For instance, you have the power to make someone smile, laugh, and enjoy their day. You possess the power to change someone’s life! This underrated and misunderstood ability is what makes the difference in our neighbors, communities, and country. While you may not sit in a castle on Park Avenue you do possess the power to improve your station while making life better for those around you.

 

As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I’m asking you to use your power this week. Show others what kind of power you possess. When power is expressed through encouragement it only grows in strength.

 

You are a superhero,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

 

 

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The Money is in the Monotony

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Most people want to be noticed and recognized for some historical achievement. Several years ago, I headed to a friend’s office to discuss strategy for my consulting company Monarch Environmental. After laying out my ideas and the case for what I was proposing, he pointed out two pictures on the wall. The first black and white framed picture was none other than Babe Ruth. Adjacent to the Bambino was an identical size and shaped framed photo of Ty Cobb. After admiring the photos, he simply asked who would you would rather be? With almost no hesitation I blurted out… Babe Ruth. He quickly retorted; you know they are both in the hall of fame, right?

The reality is that I wanted to build a company and a life that resembled mammoth home runs and other record-setting statistics. Ty Cobb is in the hall of fame for multiple reasons but namely for the number of hits he had. Sure, Cobb hit home runs but that is not what made him great. Besides his fierce attitude towards competition, Ty Cobb is immortalized for doing the basics well over and over and over again.

We love high marks in our lives and we work for moments of achievement. This is a noble pursuit but if we sincerely look at our stories, the real value of our years are measured in the monotony. Doing the little things right, treating others well, paying our bills, listening and so many other seemingly low-impact activities truly make up the measure of a person’s life.

Sound principles and truth work at home and the office. The money you are making is due to you getting up and being faithful in the monotonous task that nobody hands out awards for. Your future success will be contingent on your ability to remain humble so that you can have your picture next to Ty Cobb someday.

Keep Grinding,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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WORTH

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Worth is defined by Merriam-Webster to mean the value of something measured by its qualities or by the esteem in which it is held. Almost every time I drive to Newport Coast on the toll road, I see a Lamborghini. When that amazing car races past me I think to myself is that really worth $200,000. That comment in my head is usually followed by who would pay that much for a car?

The answer to the above stated question is the guy driving that beast would pay $200,000 for that car. The driver clearly has the resources but also sees the worth. Self-worth is no different. When we don’t see our self as having worth, we set a course for self-destruction.

Here are a few tips on valuing yourself appropriately:

  1. Discount your own opinion. The voice you hear and judge yourself with is rarely encouraging.
  2. Don’t shy away from a compliment. When someone compliments you, don’t relegate it to the sidelines. Embrace it.
  3.  Stay positive. It cost the same to be optimistic about the future as it does to be a pessimist. It takes discipline but it is entirely possible to rewire your brain and turn negative thoughts into excitement towards the future.

Know your worth,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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EXIT THE DRAGON

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Much of life feels like firefighting. We run around pouring water on flames and stomping out embers from past fires to prevent future flare-ups. These fires typically consist of relational issues, bills, lack of employment, anxiety, family, and an overall feeling of being unsettled.

The dragon in your life is happy to see you play volunteer firefighter. He laughs at our attempts to manage the heat with our bucket and garden hoses. He relishes the opportunity to keep you occupied while he hides in the corner.

The challenge for you all this week is to take a step back and find the dragon. We are spending too much time mitigating the damage when we should be picking up our sword and addressing the root cause of the inferno. Sure, some things may sizzle while you are on the hunt, but this may be your only shot to get to where you were meant to be.

Level Up,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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WALKING ON SUNSHINE

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Today is the day! Today is the day you were made for! Go ahead, say it out loud… I was made for today! Recently, I spoke to a longtime friend who expressed a feeling of being lost and untethered. During the conversation, it dawned on me that disillusion is closely tied to need. The harsh reality is that when you have a need you have purpose.

So how do you stay needy? How do you maintain a level of humility that continues to push you down the track? It starts with your goals. Most people set goals that have temporal qualities. For instance, I want to make this much money, buy that house or retire at this age. These types of goals when accomplished feel like a sugar rush but ultimately lead to a flat feeling.

Your goals need to be bigger than your life! Our goals must require two key components:

– Our goals must require other people’s help to accomplish them. (Keeps you humble)

– Our goals must be about the next generation. (Keeps you hungry)

I recently heard someone say that you can’t be hungry when you have a full pantry. If your pantry is full today you are blessed. As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I ask that you empty your pantry by investing what you have stored up into the next generation. By doing this, you put yourself in a place of need and dependence that will surely give you purpose.

Stay hungry my friends,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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SHARE YOUR BLOCKS

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I’m not an expert in human behavior but my life experiences have shown me that those who own the good, bad, and ugly outcomes of their life tend to be happier. I believe humility is the best soil for authenticity to grown in. Men and women that own their mistakes and celebrate their victories are nice to be around. They laugh at themselves; they work hard and at the end of the day they sleep well at night.

Pretending to be mistake-free is painfully obvious to the onlooker. Pretenders are those that when challenged blame others. Ownership requires courage and self-belief that the failures are necessary for where you are headed.  Pretending is the equivalent of working out and not being sore the next day. Aches and pains are part of the reward for pushing yourself. It hurts a little, but it also indicates that muscles are expanding, and bones are hardening.

As your Chief Encouragement Officer, I encourage you to start conversations with failures rather than successes. Sharing your building blocks with others is why we are here.

Own it,

Matt Davenport

C.E.O.

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