WEBVTT 00:00:22.030 --> 00:00:32.060 Welcome back to the podcast this is We talk about 00:00:32.060 --> 00:00:38.420 the real side of building a business. Not the 00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:44.759 Instagram version. Not the highlight reel. But 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:49.979 the real hustle. And today I want to talk about 00:00:49.979 --> 00:00:54.240 something that a lot of lawn care companies misunderstand. 00:00:56.579 --> 00:01:02.619 And that's brain. Because a lot of people think 00:01:02.619 --> 00:01:07.540 that their brand is the wrap on their truck. 00:01:08.700 --> 00:01:13.939 They think it's their logo, their yard signs, 00:01:15.019 --> 00:01:19.500 their hats, their shirts. Don't get me wrong. 00:01:21.200 --> 00:01:27.840 Those things matter. But your brand is way bigger 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:35.390 than a wrap. a logo, a shirt, or a hat. Your 00:01:35.390 --> 00:01:43.230 brand is you. In segment number one, we want 00:01:43.230 --> 00:01:47.069 to talk about the misunderstanding of branding. 00:01:50.049 --> 00:01:53.829 A lot of guys think when they get a nice logo, 00:01:54.590 --> 00:01:59.090 they wrap their truck, that they've built a brand. 00:02:00.939 --> 00:02:08.560 They order shirts. They put signs in yards. Maybe 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:15.439 they build a website or a Google Me page. And 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:21.960 they think that that is branding. But here's 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:33.319 the truth. Those things wraps signs, hats, shirts, 00:02:34.139 --> 00:02:41.240 websites, social media. Those things are branding 00:02:41.240 --> 00:02:53.520 tools. They're not the brand itself. Because 00:02:53.520 --> 00:03:00.599 branding isn't just what people see. Branding 00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:09.580 is what people experience. It's the way you answer 00:03:09.580 --> 00:03:17.360 the phone. It's the way you treat clients. It's 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:24.099 the way you show up when nobody else is. That 00:03:24.099 --> 00:03:30.789 is the brand. It's what you do. When nobody is 00:03:30.789 --> 00:03:38.689 watching When you don't have a crowd When you 00:03:38.689 --> 00:03:43.110 don't have an audience and you're not in the 00:03:43.110 --> 00:03:51.590 spotlight How do you respond what do you do Do 00:03:51.590 --> 00:03:55.930 you conduct yourself in a professional manner 00:03:55.930 --> 00:04:04.060 that is the brand. Let's take a short break and 00:04:04.060 --> 00:04:08.979 let's hear a word from my show sponsor. And I 00:04:08.979 --> 00:04:11.639 just want to say how much I appreciate Eartha 00:04:11.639 --> 00:04:17.339 Pro. It is a software designed for the lawn care 00:04:17.339 --> 00:04:24.759 or service based industries to help you run your 00:04:24.759 --> 00:04:31.639 business more smoothly. It eliminates a lot of 00:04:31.639 --> 00:04:36.680 office time so you can focus on working on your 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:41.100 business and not in your business. So, Eartha 00:04:41.100 --> 00:04:45.000 Bro, thank you for being a show sponsor. Tired 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:46.959 of chasing payments and losing track of jobs? 00:04:48.039 --> 00:04:50.699 Eartha Pro Backoffice software makes it simple 00:04:50.699 --> 00:04:53.860 for solo guys and small lawn care and landscaping 00:04:53.860 --> 00:04:57.680 crews. Schedule, invoice, and organize all in 00:04:57.680 --> 00:05:00.319 the same place. We also have a mobile app and 00:05:00.319 --> 00:05:03.019 integrate into QuickBooks. Sign up at EarthaPro 00:05:03.019 --> 00:05:06.620 .com with promo code THELAWNHUSTLE11 for a $50 00:05:06.620 --> 00:05:10.079 Amazon gift card, 10 % off, and personalized 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:13.040 onboarding. Eartha Pro, you run the outside work, 00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:19.110 we run the office. And today we're talking about 00:05:19.110 --> 00:05:26.529 branding and how we've already discussed branding 00:05:26.529 --> 00:05:34.110 is not your rap. Branding is not your logo. Those 00:05:34.110 --> 00:05:42.329 are tools to attract attention to you. You are 00:05:42.329 --> 00:05:52.540 your brand. Reputation is the real brand. Your 00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:58.040 brand lives in the minds of your customers. When 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:02.959 someone in town says your business name, what 00:06:02.959 --> 00:06:07.360 do people think? When they're setting around 00:06:07.360 --> 00:06:14.600 a table at the restaurant drinking coffee. and 00:06:14.600 --> 00:06:22.600 someone brings up your business. What is the 00:06:22.600 --> 00:06:26.740 conversation? Where does the conversation lead? 00:06:29.579 --> 00:06:34.879 What do they say? Do they say, those guys are 00:06:34.879 --> 00:06:41.160 reliable? They show up when they say they will. 00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:50.040 They do great work. Or do they say they're hard 00:06:50.040 --> 00:06:56.720 to get a hold of? They're inconsistent. They 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:07.579 rush jobs. Your logo doesn't control that. Your 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:16.509 behavior does. Your systems do. Your standards 00:07:16.509 --> 00:07:21.490 do. And if you have listened to this podcast 00:07:21.490 --> 00:07:24.949 for very long, you've heard me say before, I'll 00:07:24.949 --> 00:07:31.050 say it again, it's always right to do right. 00:07:32.649 --> 00:07:40.910 We should strive to be men and women of interest. 00:07:40.459 --> 00:07:47.180 integrity. Men and women who run our businesses 00:07:47.180 --> 00:07:55.279 professionally, yes. Consistently, yes. But with 00:07:55.279 --> 00:08:02.860 a spirit of integrity, honesty, and with a servant's 00:08:02.860 --> 00:08:08.220 heart. Because we are here to serve our clients. 00:08:10.600 --> 00:08:19.139 Do they say you're a man of your word or you're 00:08:19.139 --> 00:08:24.680 not reliable? It makes a difference what people 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:35.700 say when you're not in the room. The owner is 00:08:35.700 --> 00:08:44.399 the brand. And we hear a lot of people talk about 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:48.720 branding, running out and spending a lot of money 00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:57.580 on the wraps, the logos, the webpages, the signs, 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:01.539 the shirts, the hats. And I'm all for all of 00:09:01.539 --> 00:09:07.019 those things. But you cannot confuse what the 00:09:07.019 --> 00:09:16.509 real brand is. The real brand is the owner, especially 00:09:16.509 --> 00:09:24.409 in a service -based industry like lawn care. 00:09:26.309 --> 00:09:32.129 You are the face of the company. Now everyone 00:09:32.129 --> 00:09:37.450 wants to talk about LeBron James should be the 00:09:37.450 --> 00:09:43.649 face of the NBA. I have a very strong opinion 00:09:43.649 --> 00:09:47.750 about that. I won't share it with you today, 00:09:47.750 --> 00:09:56.470 but I think that would be a major mistake because 00:09:56.470 --> 00:10:01.649 the face of an organization makes the difference. 00:10:05.110 --> 00:10:12.389 And you are the face of your organization. your 00:10:12.389 --> 00:10:16.269 reputation becomes the company's reputation. 00:10:17.850 --> 00:10:25.710 If you are not dependable your business will 00:10:25.710 --> 00:10:30.409 not be dependable. If you are not reliable your 00:10:30.409 --> 00:10:34.769 business won't be reliable. If you are dishonest 00:10:34.769 --> 00:10:41.840 your business will practice dishonesty. I'm talking 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:46.779 about being the face of your company. Being the 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:53.820 brand. Being what you want to build. It makes 00:10:53.820 --> 00:11:00.220 all the difference. The way you talk to people. 00:11:02.379 --> 00:11:07.659 The way you solve problems. The way you handle 00:11:07.659 --> 00:11:14.399 mistakes. Do you try to hide them or do you own 00:11:14.399 --> 00:11:20.700 them? Well, we didn't do that. Well, who else 00:11:20.700 --> 00:11:23.820 did? You're the only one mowing the property. 00:11:25.240 --> 00:11:30.120 You're the only one on site. It didn't happen 00:11:30.120 --> 00:11:37.320 by itself. Instead of trying to hide it and avoid 00:11:37.320 --> 00:11:48.679 it, face it. Own it and correct it. That becomes 00:11:48.679 --> 00:11:54.840 the brand. When you get too close to a downspout 00:11:54.840 --> 00:12:01.899 and you put a dent in the downspout, own it, 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:08.110 fix it, that becomes the brand. The client thinks 00:12:08.110 --> 00:12:11.009 about your business, they think about the time 00:12:11.009 --> 00:12:18.389 that you took responsibility, you fixed a problem, 00:12:18.629 --> 00:12:22.049 you took care of it, you didn't deny it, you 00:12:22.049 --> 00:12:25.389 didn't lie about it, you didn't try to hide it 00:12:25.389 --> 00:12:31.429 or avoid it, but you accepted it. And that is 00:12:31.429 --> 00:12:39.019 the brand. The client. feel about you, what they 00:12:39.019 --> 00:12:47.320 think about you is the brand. I hope this is 00:12:47.320 --> 00:12:53.519 making sense. I really want to bring this home 00:12:53.519 --> 00:13:00.200 today because too many times we think if I can 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:07.379 just get a logo, I can be successful. Let me 00:13:07.379 --> 00:13:12.299 tell you, you can have the sharpest logo in your 00:13:12.299 --> 00:13:18.940 city. You can have the greatest wrap in your 00:13:18.940 --> 00:13:24.440 city, the best signs, the best shirts, the best 00:13:24.440 --> 00:13:32.519 hats. But if you don't run your business professionally, 00:13:34.679 --> 00:13:40.620 none of that matters. But if you are professional, 00:13:41.399 --> 00:13:47.179 all of that can make a world of difference in 00:13:47.179 --> 00:13:52.179 the number of leads you get, the number of contracts 00:13:52.179 --> 00:13:59.440 you sign, the amount of revenue you make. But 00:13:59.440 --> 00:14:06.899 it all comes back to the brand, you. as an individual 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:15.399 business owner, you are the brand. A wrap truck 00:14:15.399 --> 00:14:19.639 might get you attention, but your character earns 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:31.460 trust. And trust is what builds the brand. We're 00:14:31.460 --> 00:14:33.500 going to take another short break and hear a 00:14:33.500 --> 00:14:37.980 word from a show sponsor, Green Frog Web Design. 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:42.700 And when we come back from this break, we're 00:14:42.700 --> 00:14:47.840 going to talk about the small things that build 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:52.259 a brand. I'm thankful for Green Frog Web Design. 00:14:53.679 --> 00:14:58.100 If you are in need of a website, visit Green 00:14:58.100 --> 00:15:03.679 Frog. Talk with Ezra. He can build you an incredible 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:09.360 web design. So let's hear a word from Green Frog. 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.500 Does your website look like it was built in 2008? 00:15:18.799 --> 00:15:21.320 Does this sound familiar? Glurry photos, clunky 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:24.779 button, varied phone numbers? That's costing 00:15:24.779 --> 00:15:27.700 you leads. At Green Frog Web Design, we build 00:15:27.700 --> 00:15:30.919 sharp modern websites built to bring you business. 00:15:31.460 --> 00:15:34.320 Not chase it away. Stop hiding behind that updated 00:15:34.320 --> 00:15:38.539 website. Visit greenfrogwebdesign .com and let's 00:15:38.539 --> 00:15:45.019 fix that website today. So let's talk about the 00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:51.440 small things that build a brand. Because the 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:56.480 brand gets built in the little moments Showing 00:15:56.480 --> 00:16:04.759 up on time Communicating clearly with your clients 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:12.639 Doing what you said you would do Fixing things 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:18.279 when something goes wrong Answering calls when 00:16:18.279 --> 00:16:24.379 the customer has concerns. These things, they 00:16:24.379 --> 00:16:29.799 don't go viral. They don't look flashy on social 00:16:29.799 --> 00:16:39.539 media. But they build a reputation. And they 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:48.480 build integrity. And they build trust. And the 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:53.080 strongest marketing tool in the world is your 00:16:53.080 --> 00:17:00.600 reputation. Now let's be honest, marketing gets 00:17:00.600 --> 00:17:08.640 you noticed. A website gets you noticed. A wrap, 00:17:09.819 --> 00:17:16.480 a logo, a shirt, a hat. It gets you noticed. 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:26.720 A nice truck can make people look at you. A good 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:31.859 website can get leads. But once you show up, 00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:40.940 your brand is how you perform. That's why I say 00:17:40.940 --> 00:17:48.799 when you show up, show out. Do the best work 00:17:48.799 --> 00:18:03.880 possible. every client's property the same because 00:18:03.880 --> 00:18:07.380 that's what decides whether someone calls you 00:18:07.380 --> 00:18:12.400 again next year, refers you to their neighbors, 00:18:13.259 --> 00:18:22.480 or forgets about your business entirely. So if 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.680 you are building a lawn care business right now, 00:18:25.859 --> 00:18:33.779 remember this. Your brand is not just the wrap, 00:18:34.660 --> 00:18:40.619 the signs, the hats, the shirts. Those are tools. 00:18:41.779 --> 00:18:49.460 Your brand is the way you work. Your brand. is 00:18:49.460 --> 00:18:56.140 being a man of your word, the way you treat people, 00:18:57.720 --> 00:19:01.859 the way you carry yourself as a professional. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:10.859 Your brand is you. And when you understand that, 00:19:11.859 --> 00:19:17.180 you stop chasing attention and you start building 00:19:17.180 --> 00:19:23.740 a reputation. and reputation builds a business 00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:31.079 that lasts. I've got clients I've served. This 00:19:31.079 --> 00:19:36.220 will be my 17th season serving these clients 00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:42.099 because I've been able to retain them through 00:19:42.099 --> 00:19:49.180 the years because I've worked hard at building 00:19:49.309 --> 00:19:54.349 a relationship, building a trust, building a 00:19:54.349 --> 00:20:03.289 reputation, by telling the truth, by doing what 00:20:03.289 --> 00:20:07.210 I say I'm going to do, by answering the phone, 00:20:08.150 --> 00:20:12.990 by showing concern with what concerns my customers. 00:20:14.410 --> 00:20:21.440 All of those things are building a brand. because 00:20:21.440 --> 00:20:28.980 I am the face of my company. If you got value 00:20:28.980 --> 00:20:32.720 out of this episode, share it with someone else 00:20:32.720 --> 00:20:37.460 in the green industry. And if you are out here 00:20:37.460 --> 00:20:41.980 every day trying to build something real, keep 00:20:41.980 --> 00:20:49.839 hustling because this is the Lawn Hustle. Thank 00:20:49.839 --> 00:20:53.279 you for listening to the show. We will talk again 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:54.200 real soon