Landscape Management, December 2018

EDITORS NOTE MARISA PALMIERI EDITOR Contact Marisa at 216 706 3764 or mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net Thanks to you I love the landscape industry which Ive been fortunate to cover for about a decade all told I love my team at LM Of course I love my two daughters and husband more and it is time for me to tip the scales on work life balance in my familys favor So in 2019 Im taking a step back from my full time role as editor of LM and editorial director of North Coast Media Ill be working part time from home as special projects editor for LM Ill also be helping second and third graders with their writing at my daughters school coaching my girls sports teams and volunteering with their Girl Scout troops As Ive shared my career change with people over the past few months so many of you have shared with me that your family made a similar decision at one point or that family flexibility was the reason you started your own business in the first place Thank you for the encouragement If its true as motivational speaker Jim Rohn is credited with saying that we are the average of the five people we spend most of our time with Id like to think Ive picked up a little bit of what the landscape industry has to offer during the years Ive been immersed in it I realize an industry isnt the same as a person but the landscape market does have a distinct persona that I respect admire and have learned so much from LESSONS LEARNED For instance Im so grateful to have learned that we control our own destinies Many of the most successful most interesting landscape professionals I know have prospered with no formal education or training in business or in landscaping They simply started mowing lawns and never looked back When my 9 year old daughter Sadie asked me how she could earn her own money this summer I steered her away from a one time lemonade stand or rummage sale Because Ive had the opportunity to interact with so many inspiring entrepreneurs I knew to encourage her to think bigger i e recurring revenue She came up with the idea to take out and bring in our neighbors trash cans for a dollar apiece She is happy to collect 3 per week from a few neighbors and she knows she can earn more if she wants to just by getting more customers This is just one small example but my point is the American dream is alive and Im thankful to have witnessed it firsthand from you so I can pass the message along Im also grateful for learning that its OK to shift gears in business and in life Ive met business owners who have transformed their companies and their lives when they saw new opportunities Maybe they started in mowing and changed to lawn care when they learned there were higher margins to be had Maybe they began working for someone else learning and saving until they could make it on their own Or maybe they worked in a different field entirely but followed their heart to launch a landscape company doing what they loved These transformation stories instilled in me the confidence to make a career change and the knowledge that if it doesnt work out I can change my mind again Im so grateful to have learned these lessons so I can pursue a slower pace of life with the people I love Thank you LANDSCAPEMANAGEMENT NET DECEMBER 2018 6 HEADQUARTERS 1360 East 9th St Suite 1070 Cleveland OH 44114 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor Marisa Palmieri 216 706 3764 mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net Senior Editor Abby Hart 216 706 3756 ahart@ northcoastmedia net Associate Editor Sarah Webb 216 363 7932 swebb@ northcoastmedia net Art Director Tracie Martinez 216 280 6127 tmartinez@ northcoastmedia net Graphic Designer Courtney Townsend 216 363 7931 ctownsend@ northcoastmedia net Digital Media Content Producer Kelly Limpert 216 363 7933 klimpert@ northcoastmedia net ADVERTISING STAFF Group Publisher Bill Roddy 216 706 3758 broddy@ northcoastmedia net Associate Publisher Craig MacGregor 216 706 3787 cmacgregor@ northcoastmedia net Eastern Regional Sales Manager Dan Hannan 216 363 7937 dhannan@ northcoastmedia net Western Regional Sales Manager Jake Goodman 216 363 7923 jgoodman@ northcoastmedia net Account Manager Chloe Scoular 216 363 7929 cscoular@ northcoastmedia net BUSINESS STAFF Administrative Coordinator Petra Turko 216 706 3768 pturko@ northcoastmedia net Sr Marketing Event Manager Michelle Mitchell 216 363 7922 mmitchell@ northcoastmedia net Marketing Event Manager Angela Gibian 216 363 7936 agibian@ northcoastmedia net Manager Production Services Terri Johnstone 216 978 9622 tjohnstone@ northcoastmedia net Senior Audience Development Manager Antoinette Sanchez Perkins 216 706 3750 asanchez perkins@ northcoastmedia net MARKETING MAGAZINE SERVICES Reprints Permissions Brett Petillo 877 652 5295 bpetillo@ wrightsmedia com List Rental Brahm Schenkman The Information Refinery Inc 800 529 9020 bschenkman@ inforefinery com Subscriber Customer Service 847 513 6030 landscapemanagement@ omeda com For current single copy or back issues CORPORATE OFFICERS President CEO Kevin Stoltman 216 706 3740 kstoltman@ northcoastmedia net VP Finance Operations Steve Galperin 216 706 3705 sgalperin@ northcoastmedia net VP Graphic Design Production Pete Seltzer 216 706 3737 pseltzer@ northcoastmedia net Director of Audience Engagement Bethany Chambers 216 706 3771 bchambers@ northcoastmedia net Editorial Directors Marty Whitford Marisa Palmieri 216 706 3766 mwhitford@ northcoastmedia net 216 706 3764 mpalmieri@ northcoastmedia net