The landscape industry is at an inflection point. Robotic mowers are being deployed at scale. AI is automating executive-level admin work. And the companies that fail to adapt are not just falling behind on efficiency — they're creating a competitive gap that will be nearly impossible to close in three to five years. The question for green industry leaders is not whether to modernize. It's whether they're moving fast enough.

Justin White is the CEO of K&D Landscaping, a Central California company his parents founded in 1986. He grew up working in the field, took the helm at 25 following his parents' divorce, and has spent the last decade scaling the business from $1 million in revenue to over $20 million. He's also the founder of The Disruptors, a peer community for green industry operators, and the host of Trade Talks.

In this conversation with Rooted in Innovation host Dionisio Roman and co-hosts Jim Mancini and Mike Nusser, Justin walks through the three foundational moves that started K&D's turnaround: shifting to an employee-first culture, building a pay-for-performance model, and raising the company's professional brand presence. He's equally candid about the $1.5 million loss K&D sustained in 2021 after over-investing in technology without the operational infrastructure to support it.

The episode goes deep on K&D's current technology strategy, including the deployment of 12 robotic mowers over 90 days, a plan to reduce lawn maintenance pricing by 30 to 40% over three years while simultaneously raising crew wages, and the creation of a dedicated technology leadership role. Justin calls this the overlooked "fifth pillar" of growing a landscape business. K&D's new tech lead built a custom fleet management app in two days, replacing what would have cost $30,000 to $40,000 per year in licensing fees.

Justin also shares the 90-day vision exercise he credits with breaking through his own leadership stagnation, and explains how The Disruptors community gives 80 member companies a way to test and share innovations collectively, accelerating learning at a rate no single company can match on its own.

If you run or lead a green industry business and you're trying to figure out where technology fits, how to lead your people better, or how to get out of your own way, this is a blueprint worth your time. Learn more about The Disruptors at jwhitegroup.com.

Timecodes:

00:00 – 00:27 | Welcome to Rooted in Innovation
00:27 – 07:02 | Guest Introduction and K&D's Origin Story
07:02 – 10:02 | The Three Pillars That Started the Turnaround
10:02 – 13:12 | Community Partnerships and the Leo's Haven Project
13:12 – 16:55 | The $1.5M Tech Mistake of 2021
16:55 – 21:19 | Skin in the Game: Jim's Subcontractor Ownership Model
21:19 – 27:31 | Intentional Tech: Robotic Mowers and the 30-40% Pricing Advantage
27:31 – 32:45 | The Fifth Pillar: Why Every Landscape Company Needs a Tech Leader
32:45 – 35:22 | Where Technology Pays the Most in the Field
35:22 – 40:15 | Robotics by 2030 and What's Coming for the Green Industry
40:15 – 43:32 | Automating 80% of CEO Admin and Getting Back to People
43:32 – 46:21 | Why Justin Built The Disruptors
46:21 – 53:54 | The 90-Day Vision Exercise for Leaders Who Feel Stuck
53:54 – 54:19 | Outro and How to Stay Connected

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-mancini-743b386/
Connect with Dionisio Roman III on

On this episode of Rooted in Innovation, we sit down with Joseph Marker, owner of Marker Elevated Landscapes, to explore what it really means to lead a residential landscape firm with vision.

From his signature 3-2-1 design process to his hybrid use of drone imagery and hand-drawing, Joe walks us through the artistic, technical, and deeply personal aspects of designing meaningful outdoor spaces. We also hear the story behind a 144-acre Tuscan-inspired estate, why Vastu Shastra shaped its layout, and how Joe honors the legacy of his family business while pushing the boundaries of what modern landscape design can be.

Whether you’re a designer, contractor, or homeowner, this episode will challenge the way you think about space, communication, and the role of technology in the design-build process.

Timecodes

00:00 – 01:21 - Intro: Meet Joseph Marker and Marker Elevated Landscapes
01:22 – 03:16 - The 3-2-1 Design Process: From Concept to Master Plan
03:17 – 05:12 - Inspiration Sources: Travel, Books, Social Media & Gardens
05:13 – 07:06 - Drone-Backed Hand Drawings: Communicating Clearly with Clients
07:07 – 10:14 - The Role of Process in Avoiding Miscommunication
10:15 – 13:32 - Flexibility, Late Nights & Sunrise Site Visits
13:33 – 16:04 - Designing a 144-Acre Tuscan Estate in Pennsylvania
16:05 – 17:35 - Applying Vastu Shastra Principles to Landscape Design
17:36 – 20:00 - Flat Lots, Rolling Hills, and the Role of the Client
20:01 – 22:06 - Maintenance: Growing Slowly and Preserving Quality
22:07 – 24:49 - Family Legacy: Honoring His Father’s Company & Vision
24:50 – 27:11 - Leadership, Hard Work, and What Joe Learned from His Dad
27:12 – 29:21 - Low-Maintenance Design, Deer Pressure & Plant Strategy
29:22 – 32:06 - Golf Course Inspiration & Finding Creativity Outdoors
32:07 – 34:49 - Designing Par-3 Greens for Clients (and for Fun)
34:50 – 37:19 - Tree Favorites, Annual Preferences, and Unique Palettes
37:20 – 39:58 - Final Reflections: Communication, Creativity, and Vision

In this episode of Rooted in Innovation, we sit down with Rob Ambler, founder and owner of Ambler Industries, LLC, a design/build and maintenance firm based in Pennsylvania. Rob shares his deeply personal story of burnout, renewal, and the business transformation that followed. From restructuring his leadership team to adopting Aspire software, Rob rebuilt his company around culture, clarity, and faith-driven leadership. We explore what it takes to attract great people, make bold software investments, and lead with purpose in a fast-moving, often chaotic industry. If you’ve ever felt stuck in the growth cycle, or questioned how to scale without losing your soul, this episode is for you.

Timecodes:

00:00 – Welcome to Rooted in Innovation

01:05 – Meet Rob Ambler of Ambler Industries

02:25 – The mission: build a values-driven landscape company

04:01 – What culture looks like in practice: hiring, retention, clarity

06:14 – Burnout at $5M: sleepless nights, high anxiety, tough calls

08:52 – Replacing great-but-misaligned leaders

10:47 – How Rob found his new leadership team through divine timing

12:29 – Creating a no-turnover workplace through vision & loyalty

14:55 – The ripple effect of servant leadership at all levels

17:08 – Aspire software: from sticker shock to game-changer

19:36 – Tracking labor variance and tying it to performance

21:44 – Addressing pushback: “You only care about money”

23:03 – Gamifying incentives and linking data to growth paths

25:22 – Leading with faith and integrity: what it means on-site

27:00 – The story of one foreman’s transformation

28:38 – Rob’s personal “why”: faith, family, and making an impact

30:02 – Reflections on Plumstead Christian School and giving back

32:14 – Final takeaways on growth, leadership, and long-term vision

Resources:

Have an upcoming landscaping project? Contact Tree Staple for a quote treestaple.com

Connect with Jim Mancini on LinkedIn

Connect with Dionisio Roman III on LinkedIn

Connect with Rob Ambler on LinkedIn