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Some of the biggest breakthroughs in my business never came from sitting behind a desk. They came from hallway conversations. They came from dinners after the event. They came from finally getting in the same room with people who were operating at a higher level than I was. And honestly, that's why I believe some business owners stay stuck for years. Not because they're lazy, but because they never put themselves in an environment that forced growth. Let's talk about that today.
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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 Jo, 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 Pajak.
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Welcome to Profits with Pajak, the podcast where we talk about business strategies and financial insights for the grain industry. I'm your host, John Pajak and today we're going to be talking about something that can absolutely transform your business if you approach it correctly. And that's Events. You know, we're heading into some major industry events here soon, just to name a couple. You know, we got Profit Accelerator Live, the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference, and of course Equip Expo. And I want to talk to you about why these events matter, you know, what, what makes each one unique and why investing in yourself and your business is one of the hard, the highest ROI decisions that you can make. Because the operators that continue to grow are usually the ones that are willing to get uncomfortable, travel, do some networking, learn and then and surround themselves with people who's going to or going to challenge them to level up. So you know, at this time, you know, we live in a world where information is everywhere. You know, you could watch YouTube, you could listen to podcasts, you could ask AI questions, you could buy courses, you could. But there's all these things you could do, but there's still something that cannot be replicated digitally and it's the environment. When you physically put yourself around motivated people and profitable operators and innovators and high achievers, something changes mentally. It's It's. You could feel it. There's like a chemical reaction that you could start. It's like you could watch these people online and it's not the same, okay? You. You actually listen to them in a real setting where, you know, we're sharing the same air. Things change. There's electricity in the air, the chemistry, something. There's something powerful there. You stop thinking small. You start to realize, you know, that other people struggle to. Other companies have problems to. Growth is possible and your goals are not crazy. And honestly, some of the best information I've ever received wasn't even on stage. It was, you know, conversations in the hallway. You know, you're grabbing a bite to eat with somebody after the sessions or talking in a hotel lobby until the wee hours of the morning. You know, I've had. I've shared Ubers with people and had great conversations while stuck in traffic while get. Trying to get to an event and essentially just seeing how somebody else thinks. You know, that's where a lot of the real breakthroughs happened. And it's just amazing that, you know, we. This is a world that we. Even though we're far apart from one another and we're digitally connected, sometimes we're afraid to go out into the real world and experience life the way we. We should experience it. And, you know, that kind of brings me to the first one that I'm. The first event that I'm going to be attending this summer season. It's going to be Profit Accelerator Live, and that's going to be in Richmond, Virginia. And again, I'm a bit biased. It's not just that I would buy a ticket for this every day of the week to go, but I'm actually going to be speaking at this event, so is a little bit twofolded, but at the same time, hey, listen, I wouldn't suggest you go to something that I wouldn't attend myself. You know, this event is really just going to be more about clarity. You know, we're. This is not going to be about. This is not going to be fluff and I'm going to make you try to feel. Make you feel better about your life and tell you all these things. This isn't going to be like all motivational hype and everything. This is really going to be about understanding your numbers, your pricing, your profitability and your systems. There's going to be a lot of input from Naylor Taliaferro, Eric Triplett, the pond digger and myself. And this is really designed for the business owner that works very Hard, but they still feel broke. You know, it's. The reason is, you know, I think like, the reason why is they put a ton of effort into what they're doing, but they don't have the financial clarity. And all this does is it creates chaos. And I'm going to tell you, I've worked with Naylor for a while. We have done many events together. We have attended a lot of things together. There's a group of us that travel and go to the same events just to be participants. But, you know, in this case, we're the ones that are going to be the speakers. And when we go to events, we want to make sure that we're getting the most out of it. And a lot of times we look at some of the events that we decompress. We, you know, we debrief after each and every one of them and we're like, did you get enough out of this? It's like, I didn't feel like I did. So that's why when we do an event together, we are trying, we want to make sure that you're getting everything you wanted and more. And like, specifically for this event, for the profit accelerator live, you know, you're going to understand, you know, what the costs of your services are, what your break evens are, your profit margins, labor efficiencies, you know, pricing, psychology, and we're going to even talk about marketing roi. You know, how. How do you get money back from your marketing that, you know, that's. You put X amount in, how do I get X amount out? You know, these are all things we're going to be discussing and it's going to be a small event. But what I love about these smaller, focused events is the access, because you could actually talk to people, you could ask questions, you network, you could find relationships, you build relationships, you know, and sometimes at smaller events, you could get more personalized value because you're not lost in a crowd of 30,000 people. And this is where operators can get serious about transforming the back end of their business. So, for one, I hope that you can join us in Richmond, Virginia this June. 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.
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Are you mowing lawns, running crews, and still wondering where all the money went? You're not alone. Naylor Taliaferro of LCR Media has been there. And that's exactly why he created Profit Accelerator Live. Join Naylor and expert speakers John Pajak and Eric Triplett for two powerful days of hands on workshops designed specifically for lawn care and landscaping business owners in Richmond, Virginia, June 26th and 27th. This isn't a conference where you'll sit in the back and take notes. You'll leave with an actual business plan in hand, knowing exactly what to charge, how to manage your time, and how to attract better customers. Tickets are just $299, but right now you can bring a partner or a fellow business owner free. With our two for one special, tickets are just $299, but right now you can bring a partner or fellow business owner free. With our 2 for 1 special. Only 75 spots are available and they will fill up fast. Use the link in the show description or go to profitacceleratorlive.com to secure your spot today. Put more money in the bank and more time in your schedule with Profit
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Accelerator Live Equip Expo 2026 is coming up October 20th through the 23rd in Louisville, Kentucky. If you're serious about growing your business, this is where you need to be. We're talking live equipment demos, the latest technology, and thousands of contractors all in one place, sharing what's actually working right now. And here's the deal. Tickets are normally $120, but right now you can get them for $12.50cent. Use promo code PAYCHECK. That's 50% off the already discounted early bird price. But this deal expires May 31 and prices go up after that. So don't wait on this. Lock in your ticket. Now get in the room and I'll see you there. Use promo code payjack. The link is in the show notes and grab your ticket today. All right, so now let's talk about the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference that's going to be in Scottsdale, Arizona. And this event is unique because it's gonna focus heavily on technology systems, AI, automation and operational efficiencies. And listen, I know some people are resisting technology because they're afraid of it. And that's a mistake because technology is not replacing good operators. It's giving good operators leverage. And we attended the one, the Lawn and landscape technology conference when it was in Las Vegas this last. Oh man, I'll tell you what, I was in a. We were in a totally different room, okay? This is not the type of place where, you know, you should expect your run of the mill trade show, okay? This is not like, hey, we're gonna go look at all the cool equipment and everything. This is more. We're looking at the different AI, we're looking at automations, we're seeing different CRMs, routing softwares, communication systems, estimating and measurement systems, marketing tools and systems. I mean these companies are these, whoever attends this, they're usually in the top 100 of the lawn and landscape list of like the most successful businesses in our industry. And that was an eye opener for all of us when we attended this in Vegas. But when it's going to be in Scottsdale, probably going to be very similar crowd. It's going to put you in a room with high thinkers, with people that are industry leaders. They own, you know, we're talking like the top 10 lawn care companies, lawn and landscape industry companies in our industry. They're going to be in attendance. There's going to be the CEO and the board of all these companies there. And the funny thing is you might think, oh, that doesn't sound too cool, but they're willing to talk to you. They don't care if you're, you know, doing like $500,000 gross in your business. They look at what is going on in the industry and they want change to happen in our industry, regardless if it's at the top or the bottom. They see that the industry has problems and they're trying to solve it with the technology. And I'll tell you, these are the companies that are going to separate themselves from everyone else over the next five years. This conference is very forward thinking. It's asking what does the future of the green industry look like? And honestly that matters because many operators are still running their companies exactly like it's 2005. You know, we're 20 years in the past, okay, what is archaic and everything. We're still trying to drag ourselves out of the primordial ooze in a sense, when it comes to running a lawn and landscape business. And the way that what I took from the last conference that I was at, the lawn and landscape technology conference. Technology is not here to make us work more or do anything. Technology should reduce stress and it should reduce wasted motion and reduce administrative overload and reduce confusion. These, you know, when you use technology correctly, it allows you to focus on higher value activities. And again, I really highly recommend, if this is something that is, you know, starting to interest you, it's not going to interest everybody, I'll tell you that. It's, you know. But if this is something that's kind of piquing your interest, I've got the link for the Lawn and Landscape Technology conference in the show notes. I highly recommend you click on that and just start looking at all the things it can offer to you. And on the other note, I'm excited because I'll be on Pod Row with some incredible people and podcasters. We're going to have Naylor Taliaferro from LCR Summit, LCR Media, LCR Media Podcast, Mike Garvey and Larry Delisante of the side Hustle Squad podcast and Cornell Mack on the Attack with Mac will be there as well as myself. And I think the conversations happening there are going to shape where this industry is headed. So I. That's another great conference that I hope that you can enjoy, you can enjoy with us and attend. So if you see us there, make sure to stop by, say hi, grab a hat, grab a, grab some swag or whatever. This is one event where you're gonna notice that there might not be a lot. There's a lot of swag, but a lot of people aren't grabbing it. I don't know why the whole different crowd. But links in the show notes, please check it out. It's worth, worth your time. So now let's talk about the elephant. Actually, you know, the stegosaurus or whatever, you know, the, the big mammoth whale that's in the room with me right now is we have Equip Expo. Now that's towards fall. Okay, that's going to be in October. Equip Exposition is going to be in October 20th, 20th to the 23rd in Louisville, Kentucky. It's the biggest thing. I know it's a little bit further down the road, but here's the thing. Equip Expo is in a category all by itself. This is the giant, this is the big boy. This is where the entire industry comes together. You got manufacturers, dealers, contractors, media creators, innovators, startup companies, equipment demos, networking. You got everything. And what makes Equip Expo so special is the scale of it. You know, you could physically see where the industry is moving. You know, the battery technology, autonomous mowing, software integration, fleet systems, equipment innovation. You know, all the little doodads and stuff. I mean, it's not just all big, shiny big equipment, it's all the tiny little Detail stuff, too. You know, you're going to find vendors that sell, you know, huge earth moving machines, and you can actually go try them out in the. In the demo yard and. And you're going to find vendors that are selling the tiny little springs and gadget whoop dee doo things that make your carburetor work properly. I mean, it entails the entire gambit of our. Of our industry. And I'm telling you, sometimes just seeing the equipment in person, it changes your entire perspective. And I'll tell you, over the years, I've been going to equipment over well over a decade. We did have a Little Hiccup in 2020 where it was postponed, but other than that, I've been, you know, somebody that's been going to this industry event for a very long time and for very. And I've been going consistently. And the crazy thing is, is there's just so much there. You know, you can kind of realize when you start looking around what might be slowing your crew down, you know, because you see which equipment might be outdated and all the new things that are popping up. Not to say that, hey, every time, every year you need a new machine. But, you know, sometimes when you have a big gap between purchasing equipment, you know, you got guys that'll hang on to stuff for six, seven, eight years, and you realize, well, not much has changed. But then everything has changed. You know, small things like new deck designs on a mower or positioning a control in a different place could help the comfort and efficiency of the operator and they could get more done in a day. It's. It's kind of wild. You know, you could start seeing, like, the systems that could save you on labor, and you see what new opportunities are out there and what's new and what exists out there. But again, the biggest value might not even be the equipment. And I'm telling you, that place is chock full to the rafters. You know, you've got over a million square feet of indoor showcases. You know, basically you have all the things, the sexy, shiny new machines on display. They're all beautiful and pretty. But then you can go out and you have. I don't even know how many acres. It's huge. I want to say it's. I think they're up to like 30 acres now of outdoor demonstration stuff so that you could actually ride on the machines, get a little dirty, get a little dusty, you know, see how it responds. Can you do a 360 in it? Huh? Well, yeah, probably. You know, you go out there, try it Try it before you buy it. You know, see if the actual, the control. If you've been looking online, you see somebody else has it. You know, maybe your favorite youtuber or social media guy is like, I love this machine. It's great, it's great, it's great. And you're like, I'm gonna buy that because I like that guy. But then you go out and you try and you're like, I don't like this. I don't like the controls on it. You know, you save yourself a whole bunch of misery, you know, $20,000, bunch of regret. But, you know, you go out there and you could try it out. But again, like I said, you know, sometimes the biggest value might not even be that equipment. For me, it's the people. You know, some of the best relationships I built in this industry came from Equip Expo. And if you're newer in business, it can completely expand your vision of what's possible. So remember, Equip Expo in 2026. It's happening October 20th through the 23rd in Louisville, Kentucky. And you could, I'm telling you right now, you know, today is, we're in mid May. Right now you can get your tickets for $25 for the Super Early Bird. You stack that with promo code payjack and you're going to get a discount and you're going to get your tickets for $12.50. Right now this is only available until May 31st. So after May 31st, the prices are going to jump up. All right? And regular ticket pricing is $120. You know, that's what the tickets go for when they're full price. So make a move on it now. Go in the show notes. There's a link in the show notes. You click on that, it'll take you directly to Equip Expo and it will automatically apply promo code paycheck for you. So you can get those tickets for $12.50. So I just click on it. If you're listening to this and you're not, you know, you're, you don't have the link in front of you, just enter promo code paycheck paj when you're, you're getting your tickets and you will get that discount. So I want you, you know, one last thing before we kind of go is stop viewing events as expenses. Because this is the mind shift I really want you to hear. I, if, if you just stop viewing these events strictly as an expense, start viewing them as an investment now. Yes. You need to be financially responsible. Not telling Somebody that's drowning in debt to go blow money recklessly at all. Okay? But many business owners will spend 80,000 on a truck, $15,000 on equipment, thousands on tools, while refusing to invest in themselves. And that's backwards, because knowledge compounds, you know, relationships. They. They multiply. Perspective is clarity. And sometimes one conversation at an event could save you years of frustration. One pricing lesson can make you thousands, and one operational improvement can change your entire season. One relationship can open the doors you've never expected. And honestly, sometimes you just need to realize you're not alone. And that alone could be worth the trip. So I would like to just suggest that you pick at least one event this year. If you can't attend all of them, just commit to one. And when you go, I want you to go with intention. Don't just wander around collecting brochures and swag. Now, don't get me wrong. My early days, I worked for another company. We would go to McCormick Place at this huge lawn and landscape event, and literally our entire goal was fill as many bags with as much stuff as we possibly could get. I would come home with, like, I don't know, five or six of those duffel bag things, and 90% of it, I throw away. I'd keep the little, you know, swag things like, oh, that's kind of cool. And then eventually everything would end up in the garbage. You know, I wasn't going there for the right reasons at that time. But the thing is, nowadays, like, when I go, I want to visit vendors that I want to see. I want to see the things. You know, I can't plan everything, but I set goals before I arrive. So when you go to whatever event, go with some intention, have an idea of what you want to accomplish from that. Also, keep an open mind. Okay? Don't be so static that you. You don't. You miss on opportunities, but be flexible, but also have intention when you go. And then network more than you think you should get in on conversations, some of the biggest value comes from those conversations and not the pres. Presenters or the presentations that you see. Some of those lifelong partnerships and relationships, friendships that I've. I've created over the years have come from just having a conversation at one of these events. So I just want to. I just wanted to share that with you today. A lot of these live events, they've changed my business, they've changed my perspective, and have really expanded my vision of what's possible in this industry. And if you've been feeling stuck or isolated, overwhelmed or uncertain, about your next step. Maybe what you need isn't another YouTube video. Maybe you need to get in the room. Maybe you need to surround yourself with people who are trying to grow too. So commit to investing in yourself somehow this year. You know, whether it's Profit Accelerator, Live, the Lawn and Landscape Technology Conference, or Equip Expo, put yourself in environments that force growth. Because growth rarely happens when you're isolated. So I want to thank you for listening. I hope you got a lot of value out of this. All of the events that I talked about today are in the Show Notes. There's direct links there. If you click on those, a lot of them have promo codes already built into it so that you get the best rate. So with that being said, 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.