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- [00:01]
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Want to see every new mower, skid, steer and chainsaw on the market? You could drive around to all the dealers or spend four incredible days at Equip Exposition in Louisville this October. That's where all the dealers are in one place. 30 bucks if you register early equipexposition.com register now@equipexposition.com or use the link in the podcast description. Save 50% off your registration when you apply the code Side Hustle at Checkout Are you ready to kick back and get inspired? Grab your favorite drink, pop the top and join the side Hustle Squad with Mike Garvey. This podcast is the perfect resource for anyone who's already started their side Hustle or is just considering taking the lead. With in depth interviews featuring guests from the green industry and beyond, you'll gain valuable insights and learn what it takes to succeed in running a business while juggling a full time career. From personal stories to practical tips, the Side Hustle Squad podcast has everything you need to turn your passion into a thriving business. Now here's your side Hustle Squad host, Mike Garvey.
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Hey, what's going on guys? It's your host Mike Garvey with the side Hustle Squad podcast coming at you from the Branded Bull Studio here on a Tuesday. We are in August. We are getting ready. We are getting ready for aeration and overseeding season, doing all of our marketing for that and got a decent week ahead, got a lot of work to do, do an application, four for the fertilizer, finishing up our weed controls and all of that good stuff. But what we're really doing is doing some big things with Roped. And for those of you that don't know what ROPED is, ROPED is Robotic Outdoor Power Equipment Distributors. That is my new company which is a CRESS dealership here in New Jersey. We are the crest dealer of the Jersey Shore and I want to talk about what we've been working on behind the scenes and that's really, that's it with roped. We are hosting a live event next week on Wednesday the 19th at 5:30 here in Toms River, New Jersey. And I don't want this episode to just be hey, we have an event, come check it out. I want to talk about why we're doing it and how it came together and what we're trying to do and build with Roped. And I think again this is where the industry is going and that's why we started ROPED to fulfill a void that there was no battery powered or robotic Equipment dealers in our area, specifically Cress, which is the company we believe in, that we support and we want to talk with contractors, landscape contractors in the area about where the industry is going and how they can implement this technology into their business. And I think having an event will be our next step forward. I went down to dealer training in Orlando, Florida with Kress and Todd Zimmerman and DJ Johnson and all of who are the number one and number two of North America. And DJ is the CEO of North America and Todd is the vp. Don Gao is there who is the, of Positek, which Positek owns Cress and a couple other brands. And we spent the day talking about having this disruptor strategy of having lawn and landscape contractors come to the forefront and adopt this technology. So when we approach Cress about a year ago at Equip Expo to become a dealer for them, we believe in the product. We've had the product for over two years now. We use it in our businesses in coastal fertilization and in amazing creations landscaping. And you know, we really, now that we're a dealer, are getting a hands on look at implementing these robots on a college, on some sports fields. And you know, it's, it's, it's really been an interesting year. We just upfitted our trailer, 24 foot enclosed mobile showroom that we are bringing around the state and hopefully around the country to show people the equipment and to bring the, bring it to them. And that's what Chris liked about our model, is that we're a mobile showroom and now they're ready to have a live event with us. We're going to be bringing some pretty heavy hitters from the New Jersey market, big multimillion dollar companies and hopefully bring some people together and it's going to be a smaller event. Maybe there's 20 people there, 20, 20 business owners and their support staff. And you know, we, we all love equipment, we love trade shows, I love conferences, you know, business conferences, live event. I love Equip and I go to places all over the country and it's awesome. But why aren't we doing anything more? Here in New Jersey we have a we again, we have massive landscape companies, we have a lot of municipalities, colleges, universities, schools and we have organizations that are all dealing with the same problems. They're dealing with labor productivity, fuel, equipment, finding people, keeping people. And now that robotics and commercial battery powered equipment are a legitimate option, instead of sending everybody somewhere else, I said let's, you know, let's bring it to them. So what I'm really excited about is some leadership from Chris will be coming in next Wednesday. And it's we're going to be able to have a discussion, have talk to some business owners that have a direct connection to Chris and us and really be able to talk to the people behind, behind the technology and they can ask questions, they can challenge it. And you know, let's talk about, okay, what can do on hills, what can how does the RTK work? How does it work with multiple crews? And like, how am I making money with this? How am I changing my business model? And the goal is, I think of the live event is the, the, the disruptor event. The landscaping disruptor event is to show people, contractors how they can fit it into their operation. And you know, who is this event for? It's not just for the landscapers. It's everyone. Like I said, golf professionals, business owners, facility managers, colleges, schools, municipalities, counties, states. Because we're having a lot of conversations with different people and we're just at the beginning of this and we're figuring out where it fits. Hey, guys, Adam Fullerton here with Branded Bull. As a proud sponsor of the Side Hustle Squad podcast, we're all about helping lawn care and landscaping businesses make their mark and stand out from the competition. Visit us@brandable.com to learn more about our professional branding website and graphic design services and how we can help your business look awesome and grow.
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Building a successful lawn care business can feel lonely, but you don't have to figure everything out by yourself. On Saturday, November 7th, join the lawn care and landscaping community at Lawntrepreneur Academy Live 2026 in Novi, Michigan. This is more than just another business conference. It's a day of honest conversations, proven strategies, powerful networking, and practical ideas you can take home and put to work. Learn from successful business owners and industry leaders, including Brian Fullerton, Mark Bradley, Mike Arnold, Steve Woodcroft, Jerry Schill, and more. Bring your questions, your challenges, and your biggest business goals. You may find the answer from the stage in the hallway or from another owner sitting right beside you. Early bird Tickets are only $297 through September 17th. Reserve your seat now at launchtrepreneuracademy.com lawntrepreneur academy live 2026. There's also a link in the show description.
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Growing a live event is not easy. I commend all the people that do it. Naylor, Brian Fullerton, anyone else that does events, our friends at Synced Lawn Landscape Tech Conferen it. It's not an easy thing. It's you have to get people there. You have to create buzz. And I've been doing it the old school way. Printed out flyers with the QR code, walked right into some of the biggest firms, landscaping firms in the state and, you know, put it right at the front desk, talked with some people and said, hey, we'd love for you to come and take a look at this. And said, hey, I'm Mike. I'm with a crest dealer with roped, and we're out to an event. I really love for you guys to come out. And it also goes hand in hand to, you know, going into businesses for yourself for lawn lands. Forget lawn landscape work and say, hey, look, I notice, you know, your grass is not doing so well. It's a little high. Says someone cutting it. What are we doing? Get your face in there. Get. Have people recognize you. You know, it's easier to say no over the phone than it is say no face to face. And, you know, I love that part. I went the other day, popped in a couple places and really just said, hey, love for you to come out. So I'm interested to see how this event goes, see the questions, see the concerns. I think people are concerned about that we're replacing people that we're replacing. We're taking away union, union jobs and all of that stuff. So I, I think there is some concern about that. And you. I think people are concerned about their jobs and they're concerned about losing guys and, you know, getting rid of our employees. And that's not the message because I'm looking at what are we wasting labor at? And how can we take someone off the mower, put them on more detailed enhancements, trimming, customer service, things that actually require a human being. And why wouldn't you look at that? The robot handles the repetitive tasks. The robot handles the things that are mundane. And that's where the conversation becomes interesting because the employee becomes more valuable. So very excited about that. We have the trailer ready. A lot of handheld stuff you could just pull off and use. So instead of saying, hey, come to our store. We're saying, we're going to bring the store to you. We're going to pull up to the shop, to the golf course, the college, to the municipality, to the open up the trailer, have some things set up and really demonstrate the equipment on their property. And rope's been really interesting over the past six months. You know, can't just throw a robot on there and say, good luck. There's setup, there's mapping, there's education, there's understanding. The property, figuring out how my workflow is going to go, figuring out the margins, the marketing. And we're very early and we're building, we're figuring it out, we're building it out and we're building a model that's going to continue to improve. So it's really exciting. But what I want people to get from this event and I encourage you to attend. If you're even close to me, you want to check this out, I'll put the link in the bio. It's basically rope us backslash rsvp, but also you can visit Rope us register, come out, have some dinner, have some drinks, check out this Crest equipment and really looking forward to it. And you know, I'll end with this. I don't think it's going to be the last roped event. It is going to be the first. But we're going to keep bringing contractors together with the manufacturers, with the municipalities and the colleges and really create a space where people can come together, talk about the technology. Because the robotics are here, they're coming, they're getting more advanced, the battery technology is getting better and the labor situation isn't just magically disappearing. And that's why I'm, that's what I'm betting on with my dealership and just want to bring in a little behind the scenes of what we've been building, what we've been doing. I'm very excited. Gonna be running around with the, you know, very busy up until it. But again, if you're a landscaper, municipality, college, golf course, something, I want you there, come out, ask questions, kick the tires on these things, question these executives as to why you should be doing this and we look forward to you being there. Put the link in the bio, come hang out. Catch you guys on the next one.
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Thanks for tuning in to the side Hustle Squad podcast with Mike Garvey. We hope you enjoyed this episode and gained valuable insights to help you succeed in your side Hustle journey. Connect with Mike using the links in the podcast description. If you love the show, please leave us a well worded five star review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback and support help us grow and continue to provide you with the best content. And don't forget to follow the show to be notified when the next edition of the side Hustle Squad Podcast is available. We have many exciting guests and topics lined up so you won't want to miss a single episode. Thanks again for listening and we'll catch you next time on the side Hustle Squad podcast.
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