My favorite part about hosting our GROW! Annual Conference each year is getting the chance to highlight landscaping companies that are doing amazing things in their market. My team always starts the planning process by identifying companies that would be great tour hosts.
It’s how we ended up bringing this event to Des Moines in 2024. I know that choice made some people scratch their heads given our event is always in February, but we felt that the opportunity to tour the amazing RJ Lawn and Landscape was too good to pass up. Company owners Ryan and Annette McCarthy have been working with me and Grow Group vice president Vince Torchia for almost 10 years now, and we’ve seen firsthand the strides they’ve made as they’ve grown.
I’m excited that the RJ Lawn and Landscape team will continue sharing their knowledge with our attendees at GROW! 2025 from Feb. 24-26 in Columbus, Ohio. They’ll lead a breakout session titled “Cultivating a Culture: Building a Thriving Landscaping Team.”
The culture they’ve created at RJ is very special. It’s a workplace where the team embraces every individual’s unique personality and strengths and works together to overcome any challenges. The public can see the impact of this on the RJ website and social media channels as the personality and quirkiness of their brand shine through.
There’s also a lot that isn’t public. This is a team that shows up for each other, going so far as inviting team members to their wedding. They enjoy spending time together to the point that team members can often be found hanging out at the shop even when they’re clocked out for the day.
Our team has worked closely with Ryan and Annette for years, so we know how intentional they’ve been about creating a company culture precisely like this one; none of it is accidental. Here’s what I see them doing to make that happen:
Celebrating differences
Their team celebrates and embraces differences among their team. Ryan and Annette talk frequently about how they modify their leadership style depending on the team member they’re working with and how they train other managers on their team to do the same. They allow team members to use those differences as strengths.
Embracing the fun
Their team is fun and quirky and has a ton of personality, and they embrace that in team activities and even in their marketing and brand. You can tell that they have fun working together and have genuine relationships with their coworkers. They are not transactional in their culture or leadership and aren’t worried about “what’s in it for me.” Last year alone, they hosted baby showers, parties and even a wedding at their facility. That is just who they are, and they embrace it.
Staying accountable
It’s not all rainbows and butterflies; to create a great workplace, you have to have tough conversations. The RJ team believes in coaching team members to do their best and being H.O.T. (honest, open, transparent) when something isn’t working out. At the end of the day, good team members want to work with other good team members.
We learned so much from the RJ team last year, and I’m excited to continue learning from them when we travel to Columbus in February for another great GROW! Conference. This year, we’ll tour another great company, Hidden Creek Landscaping. Known for its incredible design-build work, high-touch maintenance and famous in the industry for its incredible facility, Hidden Creek Landscaping will be a fantastic tour and learning opportunity for our attendees. For more information, click here. I hope to see you there.
