Loading summary
Transcript5 lines
- [00:01]
A
I don't know who needs to hear this today, but it's too hot to be a hero. And if you're listening to this while you're sitting in your truck, you got sweat running down your back and your shirt is soaked through, wondering how you're going to finish the rest of the route. Well, this episode's for you because this isn't just uncomfortable anymore. You know, when it's 95, 96, 97 degrees with a heat index over a hundred, you're not just fighting the job, you're fighting the environment. And if you don't respect it, it's going to beat you.
- [00:30]
B
Today's episode is brought to you by Yardbook, the all in one CRM for your lawn care business. And as an exclusive partner of this podcast, you can get started today and begin simplifying your business and maximizing your profits. Sign up now@yardbook.com the link is in. The show notes Time now for Profits with Paycheck, an essential podcast for you in the green industry who are looking to unlock the full potential of your. Hosted by John Pajak, your certified financial coach, the show features in depth discussions with successful entrepreneurs, thought leaders and industry experts. Providing practical advice and proven strategies on financial planning, operations, marketing and sales. Profits with PayJack has valuable insights and action steps that you can implement today for creating long term success. Now here's John Pajek.
- [01:32]
A
Welcome to Profits with Paycheck, the show where we talk about business strategies and financial insights for the green industry. I'm toasted right now. I've been out there working with my guys and it's been very high temperatures. You know, like in the morning it's not so bad. But then, you know, come noon, one o', clock, that's when the heat really starts to sink in. And I know there's going to be some Southern boys that heard the intro and they're going to make fun of me because they're like, 95, that's light work, buddy. I'm like, yeah, I know. You know, I, I get it. You know, my Texas folk that are down there are bragging about, you know, 102 degree days with 125 degree heat index. You know, you can't even like look at your truck without like your eyeballs singeing. You know, it's weird stuff like that. But you know, I'll tell you, you know, one of the things that people don't realize is we're not the only ones struggling when the heat gets this high. The lawn is too, you know, and specifically, I should say this. It's for us northern people here, because our cool season grasses, when it gets into those temperatures, it's 100% under stress. You know, Kentucky bluegrass starts to go, you know, feel stressed out and wants to go dormant when it's 85 degrees. You know, with my business, you know, I'm really careful about what we're doing during these stretches. You know, we're not, you know, we're not going to fertilize, you know, because we're not trying to push growth. This is the wrong time of the year. We're going to do more damage. You know, we're in lawn care, not lawn damage. Right. And if we push that, we throw, you know, fertilizer down. At this time of year, it's. It's no bueno, you know, and we're not really. It's just. We're not just. We're not trying to force the lawn to do something it just simply can't do. And sometimes the best application is waiting, and sometimes the best thing you could do is leave the lawn alone. But, you know, I want to just point this out. You know, we spend thousands of dollars maintaining our equipment. You know, we do oil changes, we do, you know, greases the zerks and all this stuff. We sharpen blades, we replace filters. But how many of us ignore the one machine that could actually make all of the money? It's our own body. You know, if you go down, nothing else matters. And essentially, you know, I can't emphasize it enough, everybody's going to say the same thing. You know, hydration is the most important thing. And really, you know, from my experience and from the research that I've done, hydration starts the night before. You know, a lot of times, you know, we drink cold water all day thinking, oh, man, we're gonna get. If we. If you start drinking at night, you know, like, remember carb loading? I remember when I was in high school and I was on the wrestling team, my coach would advise us not to eat any meat or anything. He said, no, no, no, you gotta eat pasta. You gotta eat pasta the night before, because then you'll have all this energy. Now, that's different. It was a different world back then, right? Things are different. I'm not. I'm not gonna. You know what? Let's not even go down that route, because I'm just gonna say, eat meat, you'll be better. Don't eat carbs. I mean, we still need carbs, but carbo loading is just a bad idea, right? But here's the thing, you know, like the night before a lot of times, what I. When I'm at home, I will drink weird stuff in a sense. Like, I will drink weird water that has salt in it. You know, I take like a pinch or two of high quality sea salt and add it to my water. And this isn't, this is not table salt, okay? That stuff's poison. But I'm talking about, you know, there are numerous brands out there that have very high ratings and like the ones you want, you open up the bag and it literally looks kind of gray. You know, for the guys up north, you know, if you're salt that you're, you know, we're salting for snow, right? We're doing de icing. You know, that bag that you open up, Ah, man, this one got wet. That's what you're actually looking for in the salt that you want to consume. Because a high quality sea salt has all these minerals and stuff in it and it actually almost feels wet, you know, when you touch it. It's not really wet, but it's. You could feel it. It's like actually hydrating. It's so crazy. But, you know, that's something that's worked really well for me over the years because it helps replace the electrolytes without relying on all the, you know, sugary drinks and stuff that we get at the gas stations and things like that. But, you know, and that's, that's my routine. You know, everybody's. Everybody's body's different, so you got to find what works for you. But, you know, another. While we're talking about it, like another part of my, you know, high heat routine is making sure we're wearing the right clothes. You know, wear moisture wicking clothing. You know, our uniforms are moisture wicking. I wish I could find something that was more natural, but, you know, I'm thinking about looking at bamboo, but I'm not. I don't know. I'll figure it out. But so far, you know, the moisture wicking stuff has been working really well for us. And I'm going to say this might not be the most appropriate thing, but good underwear matters. And you know that. I'm serious. You know, nobody talks about it, but everybody who's worked outside knows exactly what I'm talking about, you know, because chafing can make the second half your day miserable. And I know what I'm about to say is, you know, maybe not the most. It's maybe uncouth, you know, but I'm telling You, if you've spent any amount of time outside during a heat wave, you know exactly where this conversation is going to start going, you know, besides wearing. You know, you go outside, right? You're out there and it's not so bad in the morning. And as the day gets by, you're still used to it, but at the same time you're sweating more profusely. You're getting every nook and crannies, you know, stewing in its own juices. And you know, if you don't have the right clothing on that could actually dissipate that moisture very quickly. You're headed a one way ticket to chafe town. And you know, when you get that raw, sensitive skin burning, oh man, you know, it's, it's horrible, right? I, you know, throughout the day, I know when I'm in trouble, you know, like literally like I was out there working today and I wore the wrong underwear. Sounds weird, but I wore the wrong underwear. I was wearing a pair of really comfortable underwear that I use usually put on at the end of the day, like after my shower and everything. And I kind of sleep in them and everything. It's like, yeah, those are the nice ones. They are terrible for work because instead of shedding the water, the sweat, it grabbed onto it, hung onto it much longer. And yeah, I was not in, I was not in a good position. But the thing is, when you, when you're in that position, the first thing I say is go take a nice shower, clean yourself. Know it's gonna hurt, but just get yourself cleaned up right? And I'll tell you what, this is going back over 25 years. One of the things that's helped me after these like super brutal days is after I get out of that shower, I dry off really well. I kind of air dry a bit too. Kind of, you know, go in the bedroom, close the door so, you know, nobody sees me and stand in front of the fan for a bit, Just kind of air everything out. And then this is the secret that you should know about. What do you put on? What do you put on to ease that pain? Back when I was getting my lawn care business off the ground, I was juggling routes, invoices and customer notes with paper and prayers. It was chaos. Until I found Yardbook. Yardbook gave me the structure. It helped me track chemicals, route efficiently, invoice faster, and most importantly, it helped me grow a profitable business business. If you're tired of duct taping your systems Together, go to yardbook.com and sign up for free. And if you're ready to go premium, Use Promo code Pajak to get your first 30 days on me. Hey guys, John Pajak here. If you're a lawn care operator, landscaper, hardscaper dealer, or anyone working in the green industry, I want to highly encourage you to take a serious look at Equip Expo this October in Louisville, Kentucky. Because Equip Expo is the largest truck trade show and educational event in our industry. For three days you're going to have the opportunity to see the latest equipment, test drive machines, attend educational sessions taught by industry leaders, and network with thousands of contractors from across the country. Now, I've been attending for years and every time I go, I come home with new ideas that make me money, save me time, or help me run a better business. So let's talk numbers. Registration is currently $30, but if you use promo code Paycheck, you're going to save 50% and get your ticket for just $15. And if you wait any longer, prices are going to keep going up. So the question isn't whether Equip Expo is worth the money. The question is whether you can afford to miss the opportunities waiting for you there. So head over to equip Expo.com use promo code PAYCHECK and I'll sign. See you in Louisville this October. Link is in the show Notes lawn
- [11:25]
B
care and landscaping pros Listen up. If you're tired of guessing your way through pricing, marketing, hiring and sales, this is your wake up call. The LCR Summit hits Downtown Louisville October 19th and 20th at the Galthouse the same week as Equip, and it's going to change the way you run your business forever. This is not another sit and listen event. It's two full days of hands on workshops from leaders who've actually built what you're trying to build. Neylor Taliaferro shows you how to generate better leads through smarter marketing. Paul Jamison teaches content that converts. John Pajak breaks down your numbers so you'll stop working for cheap Eric Triplett, the pond Digger reveals how he built a multi million dollar business, making more money with less work. Plus, you'll have a surprise guest speaker. Add in live Q and A panels, powerful networking, and an exclusive VIP dinner with all the speakers. When you purchase at the platinum level, grab tickets and info@lcrsummit.com or just tap the link in the podcast description. That's LCR summit.com stop guessing. Start growing. Build the business you've always imagined at the LCR Summit.
- [12:40]
A
Yeah, I did. I did It, I left a dangle in there. I did that on purpose. So here we go. Before we talk about what I did, just I want you to take a look@lcr summit.com go check that out. This is going to be a great event. It's going to be happening the week of Equip Expo. It's going to be basically coming on Sunday night and then Monday and Tuesday with some great people, great speakers. I'm going to include myself as one of those speakers. This, this event, this summit is really jam packed and it's there to help you grow as a business owner. And I'm. And it's specific to the green industry. Naylor Taliaferro has been putting this on for a few years now and everyone that goes to it has had nothing but rave reviews about it. Because it's not one of those things where it's like, hey, buy this and buy that and buy take my course and all. It's like, nope, you show up and all the speakers are giving you what you need and it's up to you to take notes and to remember everything. But you know, it's, it's just going to be a great thing. So anyway, let's get back to it. If you're interested in. It's in the show notes lcr summit.com you get tickets. There's a two for one special going on. It's, it's pretty good. So check it out and be there because you're probably going to be going to Equip Expo anyway. And by the way, use promo code PAYJACK and you're going to get 50% off your single ticket at LCR Summit. And you can use that same promo code for Equip Expo. Yeah, your boy's got a little bit of pull here. So you'll save a drastic amount on your tickets. You better get those Equip tickets before they start going up again. But anyway, let's get back to it. I left you on a juicy little hangover cliffhanger. The thing that I've used after, like I get done taking a shower, I'm all dried off and everything is Desitin. Yeah, Desitin, the baby rash cream. Right? Diaper rash. Right. It's for babies. I used to put it on my kid. I used to put, you know, growing up, I was the oldest of the boys and I was the, I was the oldest, I'm the oldest brother, you know, and my sisters and my brothers and everybody. I change her diapers and put all that stuff on them. You know, so I'm an old shrew with this stuff, and I know it sounds, you know, you're like, what? You know, I'm telling you, this is the best stuff. Everybody's like, oh, use the powder. Use this. I'm like, yeah, the powder's nice, but it doesn't heal you like the desitin does. I'm telling you, it's crazy. It's like after I get showered up and cleaned up and everything, you know, if I've, you know, managed to chafe myself raw here, basically, I will use that, put it some dab on all the areas that are, you know, affected and basically, like, if I can just wear some loose clothing and, like, maybe let the fan blow on me. Oh, man, I have coughing over here. We've got some really bad air quality. So anyway, it's messing up my throat. But anyway, the. The desitin, the. The zinc that's inside the desitin speeds up the healing of your skin. So it's always really seemed to help me heal faster overnight. Like, I could be red raw the night before. And then, like, I wake up in the morning and it's like, oh, look, it's like new skin again. Yay. So, I mean, that's been my experience, and it saved me more than once, but it's just. It's just something to consider, you know, if you're on the powder side of things and it's not working out for you, try the desitin. It works now. Also, you know, people forget your feet are in, like, little ovens all day. You know, if you can rotate boots, do it. Let one pair dry while you're wearing the other. But, you know, dry feet are happier feet and happy feet make long days possible. But I have a boot dryer that I put on. I have my favorite pair of boots that I like to wear, but I do have a backup pair of boots, and I try to switch those, especially when we sweat into them. But, you know, the thing is, you know, tough doesn't mean ignoring your body. You know, we got to tough through things. We got to kind of grunt through it. But tough means taking care of it so that you could show up again tomorrow, you know, because you could be a tough guy for one day, and then if you can't come back to work, well, you're not so tough. But if you could grunt it out every single day, especially when we got heat like this and the work needs to get done, gets it needs to get done. You got to do it. So. But another big Thing, let me tell you guys, this is. I never realized how bad the heat could mess you up. And it wasn't until I was, it was years ago when I was in construction. I was not listening to my body. I was starting to really feel bad. I was feeling miserable. We were doing this really big concrete pour and I base, I mean we started it at like 3:00am, you know, so we're going. And again, this is probably 3:30, 4:00 in the afternoon that, you know, we're still doing this and we're, you know, we, we got off the big pour and we were doing like these other supplemental pores. We're doing like these little foundations and stuff. But me and my buddy Andy, we're out there and the killer is like, I was working at an oil refinery and they, you have to wear fire retardant clothing. So you got to wear your clothes underneath it. Plus you got this, you know, we, we call them greens. They, you're like in a gumby suit, right? You know, you're wearing that. But then for some reason, I don't know what was going on, like that week in particular, it was like incredibly hot. And for some reason the safety guy is like, oh, you guys have to wear more ppe. It's like, we already wear enough. Like why do we have to wear, you know, oh, we gotta wear a full face shield. You know, you gotta wear your glasses. You gotta have goggles over the glasses and then you gotta have a face shield. It's like, why? And then on top of that, they're all. You guys have to wear safety vests too. And I'm like, oh man. And you know, so like they're just piling all this junk on us. And I'm telling you, it was a hard pour. You know, we had pumper trucks and everything that were, you know, they got these big booms that come over and you know, makes it a lot easier, but at the same time it's, it's still a lot of work, you know. But that day was. We were close to 100 degrees. That's why we started it like 3 o' clock in the morning. I don't know why we were still pouring at 100. 100 degree weather is just miserable in any circumstance, but I think we're under a deadline or something. But then the humidity was ridiculous and it's like you could like you're trying to breathe and it was like you could almost see your breath. Do you know how weird that is in the summertime to where if you Exhale. You actually see it. It's like. It was, like, crazy. But anyway, Andy and I are finishing something up, and I literally got to the point where I started shaking. And I was. I was. My vision was starting to kind of. I was getting tunnel vision. Things are starting to get dark, and I'm like, andy, I need you to hold the hose for a minute. He's like. He looked at me. He's kind of disappointed. He's like, I guess I can. I'm like, I can't pull this. You know, like, we stop pouring, but we're. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. We were done, and I just had him. I was like, can you drag this hose over here? And he's like, yeah. All right. And I'm fighting for my life right there. I can't. I'm not sweating anymore. I can't think. I'm shaking. I'm getting tunnel vision. And the only thing that I could think of was there was a permit shack not far from where I was at that actually had air conditioning in it. So I'm making a beeline for that. And, I mean, as I'm walking, I'm starting to stumble and all types of stuff. I just remember getting in there, and it was cold, and I started stripping off all the layers, and I'm laying on the floor, and I. I happen to have, like, you know, a bottle of water in my back pocket. And I'm just sitting there and I'm shaking, trying to drink it and everything. And it's just like, man, nobody knew where I was either, you know, because I was just. All I was thinking is, like, I gotta get here. And essentially, I mean, I got. I got better. I cooled down and, you know, whatnot. But I was still not right after that. But, you know, that taught me something I'll never forget. You know, heat exhaustion doesn't announce itself. It just. It sneaks up on you, and before you know it, you're in real trouble. So, you know, don't. Don't be afraid to cool down. You know, I. Most of the time when I'm driving around in that truck, like, in the summertime, the windows are always down. I usually don't have the air on, or I'm weird, and I'll turn the air on while the windows are down. You know, it's really just about, like, acclimation, you know, I'm just trying to cool down just a little bit between, you know, stops and everything. But there's times, you know, especially when it gets later in the day you know, that dreaded like two, three o' clock in the afternoon, I will literally roll up those windows, hit the Maxx AC button and, like, freeze that. I'll turn that truck into a freezer, man. You know, I'll sit there for like 10 minutes, just sit there sipping on a cool drink and basically let my core temperature come down. You know, basically, at that point, you know, if you're getting shaky or something like that, maybe you should just go home. But if you're not shaky and all that other stuff, that is a nice, refreshing thing. Of course, maybe I'm the weirdo. Everybody's probably driving around in their AC all the time, but I just find it's easier for me to not do that because I don't want to get acclimated to the heat again. But the thing is, it's like, just give yourself a chance to reset and then go back to work, you know, because you're not being lazy. This. This is a strategy to beat the heat. So I, you know, to kind of close this out here. I think our industry wears toughness like a badge of honor. You know, we brag about working in the rain, we work in the snow, we work in the heat. But there's a difference between being tough and just being reckless. And your family does not need you proving how tough you are. Okay? Your employees don't need a superhero. Your customers don't need a martyr. They need. They need you healthy enough to come back tomorrow. So respect the heat, take some breaks, hydrate, cool down, and take care of your body the same way you take care of your equipment. Well, if you take care of your equipment, I mean, if you're the guy that doesn't believe in oil changes and stuff like that, disregard. Okay, maybe I, maybe I can't help you. But, you know, at the end of the day, you're the most valuable asset your business has. So, you know, again, like tomorrow morning, before you leave the shop, ask yourself, what am I doing today to protect me? What am I going to do to make sure that my body is going to be able to survive the day and go home and thrive? You know, it's not just about survival. It's about thriving. Because when. When you get into that, you know, again, some of the Southern guys, if they're listening to this, they might be laughing at me right now. Yeah, you know, I can't take it when it's like, above 95. Hey, that's true. But at the same time, like, on the flip side of that coin, when it gets down to like zero. I'm still happy. I could take the cold, no problem. I could still function in negative degree weather. I just can't do the flip side of that. I could always put more clothes on. I can't take enough clothes off sometimes. Nobody wants to see that. I'm gonna just say that out loud. But anyway, before I keep going down this weirdo rabbit hole, I just want to say thanks for listening and if this has been helpful to you, just reach out profits with paycheck gmail.com any of your questions, we could answer those on air. And I think that's it for today. So God bless, keep pushing through and we'll catch you on the next one. Thank you once again for listening. If you've enjoyed the show, please leave a review and share it with fellow business owners. Your support means the world to me and helps keep the show going strong. I want to give a special shout out to our friends at your Yardbook. Their continued support has been instrumental in bringing this podcast to you week after week. If you haven't checked them out yet, visit yardbook.com and see how they can give you the tools to streamline and manage your lawn care business. Also, don't forget to explore the resources and upcoming events that I've collected just for you in the show Notes. These are curated to help you stay ahead in your business with the latest tips, tools and networking opportunities. Whether it's a new tool, an insightful article, or an event you don't want to miss, I've got you covered. Until next time, keep pushing through and God bless. It.