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- [00:01]
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Have you ever noticed that the most successful people always seem to be a few steps ahead and they're not necessarily smarter and they're not always working harder. And believe it or not, they're usually not luckier. So what's different? I think I finally figured it out. They stopped insisting on learning every lesson the hard way and instead they borrow experience. And today I want to talk about what might be the biggest shortcut in business. The shortcut that almost nobody wants to take.
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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 business. Hosted by John Pajac, 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 Paycheck has valuable insights and action steps that you can implement today for creating long term success. Now here's John Pajak.
- [01:31]
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Welcome to Profits with Paycheck, the podcast where we dive into business strategies and financial insights for the green industry industry. And I don't know what it is about entrepreneurs, but we love figuring things out ourselves. Maybe it's pride, maybe it's independence, you know, I don't know, maybe it's just Gen X, but you know, there's a lot of new guys that are on the same track though. But you know, maybe it's also just trying to prove that we can do it. You know, I. I know I did. You know, for years I thought if I could just work a little harder, if I could read one more book, if I could, if I could make one more mistake, eventually I'd figure it out. And eventually I did. The problem was some of those lessons cost me years. Some of them cost me thousands of dollars, tens of thousands of dollars, and a few I wish I could go back and do differently. And a lot of times people ask me, hey, Jack, what's the best investment you've made in your business? And I don't know, sometimes I think they expect me to say, like, it's a truck or a piece of equipment, or maybe it's software or a marketing campaign. But really, I think the best investment I've ever made was putting myself in rooms with people who had already accomplished what I wanted to accomplish. And it's not because they gave me the magic formula, but it's because they helped me avoid mistakes I didn't need to make. Now think about that for a second. You know, learning from your own mistakes is valuable, but learning from someone else's mistakes, that's efficiency. That's like super efficient, efficient. I've learned this over the years, that success rarely happens by accident. You know, successful businesses, they've got their systems, they've got, you know, the leaders have their habits. And successful companies, they make decisions differently. And if you're paying attention, those things leave clues. And when I started surrounding myself with business owners who were operating at a higher level than I was, something cool happened. My thinking started to change. I stopped asking, how do I survive the season? And started asking, how do I build something that lasts for decades? And that's a completely different mindset. You know, you could learn from your own mistakes, or you can learn from someone who's already made them. And one of those options is a whole lot cheaper. And one of my favorite sayings is experience is a great teacher, you know, but it's. It's also an expensive one. And every mistake costs you something. Sometimes it's money, or sometimes it's time. It could be stress, it could be a relationship. But imagine if you could skip even half of those mistakes, not because you're smarter, but because someone who already walked that road simply says, hey, don't do it that way. And that's what mentorship is. That's what mastermind groups are. And what good communities do, they. They basically take that. They compress the learning curve. Now, let me be clear. I'm not saying that you copy someone else's business. Your market's different, your goals are different, your personality is probably different. But principles, those will travel very well. You know, integrity, profitability, systems, leadership, the communication, those lessons work almost everywhere. So, I mean, don't copy the business, but just learn the principles behind it. And some of the things that I've experienced over the years is that sometimes one conversation changes your direction. Not because someone gives you a secret, but because they ask you a question you never considered. Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs don't come from getting answers. They come from being asked better questions. And I've seen that happen in coaching sessions. I mean, it's happened to me personally. I've seen it happen in the business groups that I'm in. I've. I mean it like, literally. I've experienced that firsthand you know, one of my mentors asked me a question and kept not accepting my answer. He's like, no, no, no, that's not right. That's not the. That's not the answer. That's not the answer. And I'm thinking. I. I've really. I'm like, what do you mean? That's not the answer? That's what I want. No, no, that. That's just too vague, man. What. What do you really want? What could you do right now? And several other people kind of chimed in and, oof, man, I'm telling you, that was incredibly powerful. Like, made me snap a little bit, you know, like something in my head just literally snapped. And I'm like, oh, I don't want that. I want something else. And really, you know, anyway, the thing is that that conversation, for me, it altered the course of the way I thought. It altered the way how I moved. And the next steps that I started making, I actually took just about everything and scrapped it. I thought I had some really great plans and ideas and everything, but I was like, no, this. This is. No. Why. Why spend time on this? This is not gonna make. This isn't gonna move the goalpost. This isn't gonna move. This is gonna move the needle to get to the goal. So I ended up scrapping all that and coming up with better goals. And again, like, I've seen this happen around the dinner table with other entrepreneurs. You know, we kind of get together, talk, break bread, and, you know, I've seen it happen with other people. And once you know what that looks like, it's like you could sense it anywhere. So never underestimate the value of being around people who challenge you, and they challenge the way you think. 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. 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 PAYJACK to get your first 30 days on me. If you've been thinking about attending Equip Expo this October, don't wait right now. Registration is only $30. And when you use promo code PAYJACK, you're going to get your ticket for just $15. But here's what most people don't realize. Registration jumps to $60 after September 10th. And if you wait until the show starts in October, you're going to pay 120 bucks at the gate. Why spend $120 for something you can lock in today for 15 bucks? Equip Expo is the biggest event in the green industry. You're going to get access to three days of exhibits, education, networking, outdoor demos and free parking at the Expenses Kentucky Expo Center. Head over to equipexpo.com use promo code PAYJACK and I'll see you in Louisville this October.
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Lawn 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 equipment. And it's gonna 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 million 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 infocrsummit.com or just tap the link in the podcast description. That's lcrsummit.com Stop guessing. Start growing. Build the business you've always imagined at the LCR Summit.
- [09:50]
A
Now everybody wants a shortcut. And here's the funny thing. The shortcut isn't avoiding the work. I mean, you still have to do the work. But the shortcut is avoiding unnecessary mistakes. It's learning in months instead of years. It's spending hundreds instead of thousands. And it's gaining confidence because someone ahead of you says you're on the right track. And that's not cheating. That's wisdom. And if I could go back and give my younger self one piece of business advice, it would be this. It would be Stop trying to prove that you could do everything alone. Find people who are where you want to be and listen to them. Listen more than you talk. Because unfortunately, our pride and our egos kind of get in the way. And I'm guilty of this myself. Years ago I was trying to feel important In a way. And instead of listening to some of the greatest, you know, business minds that I had available to me at the time, I was kind of trying to, you know, like, you know, play, you know, keeping up with the Joneses, in a sense, you know, like, oh, yeah, I'm doing this and this. And it's like, why did you talk over this guy? This guy was just about to tell you something really cool that maybe could have been mind blowing and saved you years of, you know, the blood, sweat, tears, and years, you know, why did you start talking? Why did you make it seem like you got it all squared away? You know? So again, you know, listen more than you talk. Ask questions, you know, don't just, you know, if you fall into, like, imagine you. There's a super group of people that you want to talk to, you know, I don't know who they are. You know, it's different for everybody. But just imagine you're in a room, like, you know, and there's like, three of these people that you want to talk to. What questions would you ask them? You know, not like, hey, how you doing, bud? Oh, my God, I love you so much. You know, don't be a fanboy. You know, still be nice and everything, but ask them questions. A lot of times it's amazing to me that how many people that I've met through the podcast or like, when we go to a quip expo down in Louisville, there are so many people that open up, and it's almost like there's no holds barred. You ask them almost any question and they are willing to answer it. It's like, oh, hey, man, I got this problem. I don't know how to fix this. Oh, this is what we did in our business. And actually, we. You know, it's still a pain in the butt, but at the same time, it's made it a whole lot easier, and now it's not as big of a deal. Wow. You know, all it took was for you to, one, ask a question, and two, shut your mouth for a little bit and let this person talk. Because sometimes that's what's required. But the biggest thing is to stay teachable. You know, don't let your ego convince you that you're. You're struggling alone is somehow more honorable. Okay. Just sometimes we. I don't know what it is. It's like we almost get addicted to the struggle. It's like, oh, man, I'm just climbing this hill, climbing this hill. Keep looking up, and I can't see the top yet. Why I don't know. Instead of trying to always, you know, figure out why you're struggling, look at each step that you're taking, every foot that you put in front of the other. That's success. That's you're moving forward. You keep pushing through, right? I say that all the time. You keep pushing through until what? Until you break through. You know, it's just. But the thing is, a lot of times, you know, you could do that, it takes you forever. But if you get, you start talking to the right people and understand that they, you know, whether they're a coach or whatever, if they might just be another business owner that is doing the things you want to do, right, they might have been in business for, you know, 30 years. Maybe it just took a long time and you're being impatient, right? But along, I could guarantee you if there's somebody that's been in business for 30 years, they have a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that you could possibly tap into and kind of shortcut everything. It's a, it's all about communication and networking, trying to find, you know, it's funny, it's trying to find the right people to talk to. In one sense, I'm kind of getting burnt out on. Anytime I go online, like my Instagram feed is just filled with guru after guru after guru. And I get emails and it's like, man, I just wanted to click on your link just to see what you're doing. Now I'm getting bombarded with stuff. It's like, man, that doesn't seem like you're just trying to sell me something. You know, it's like the whole reason that you're rich is because you're selling the solution, but you're really not selling the solution. You're selling the illusion of a solution. And that's why when you find a great mentor or someone that you could look up to, it's important to value that relationship, nurture that relationship and just talk to them, because that could be the true shortcut. I'll tell you, there's been two people in my life, I had a 20 minute discussion with them over lunch and really don't see them very often. But they fundamentally changed the way I do business and it's crazy. You know, I would. If I ran into them today and told them, man, I did what you said, and they'd be like, I don't know what I saw. I told you. You know what I mean? I'd be like, I don't think I gave you advice. It's like, yeah, you did. You said something very impactful. So, anyway, what I'm saying is, you know, the strongest business owners I know aren't the ones who know everything. They're the ones that never stop learning, and they understand that success leaves clues, and they're humble enough to follow them. So if you're looking for a shortcut, here it is. Borrow experience. It's going to save you years of frustrations, thousands of dollars, and countless mistakes. I'll tell you from personal experience that I'm very grateful for. The people that have mentored me in. Some of them weren't even attempting to mentor me, but they just were kind enough to give me some of their time and their input. And, you know, this. This is. I look back at my entire life and I could pick these people out, and it's amazing to me that, you know, something that happened, you know, 25, 30 years ago. Well, 25. I'll just say 25 years ago, for sure. I know there was one man that kind of changed my perspective on things, and it kind of got me thinking different. And then that kind of. I don't know, you know, I went on a path. Ever since that path, I'm like, what if I never had that conversation? What if I never met that guy? What would my life be like? Would it be the same? Probably not. But it just makes me wonder, you know, how things would have been different if I didn't communicate with that guy, if I didn't just ask a single question. Because, again, it's just had a ripple effect throughout my life and throughout. You know, I look at it now, it's like I'm. I'm. You know, not to sound like. I'm not bragging or anything, but the fact that I have the ability to help others with their business is so satisfying to me. You know, it's. It's just being able to reach out, see what people are struggling with and go, hey, I did that, too. I. I made it through that, like, 10 years ago. Let me show you what I did. Maybe this could help you. You know, it's. It's things like that that, you know, just make it. Make it worthwhile. And I know I'm kind of talking about myself a little bit, but again, it's like from my own experience, the. You know, if you can't talk from experience, then why are you even talking? You know, it's like, well, I read this in a book, and I heard a podcast that was telling me this, and I'm just going to regurgitate it, you know, now you know, you got to remember, you know, sometimes the most painful lessons are the most memorable ones. So I don't want to steal that from you, but I'm just saying if you could borrow experience from others that have already been where you you want to go. I'm telling you, man, it is a super shortcut. So just some food for thought. I hope that you, you know, get something from this episode. And yeah, I'm just gonna leave it there. 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 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. Sam.