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A
Welcome to the Cost of Doing Business podcasts. Things on Instagram are pretty shiny, but here we're going to get to the reality behind the scenes on the hard journey of growing a business so we can all learn from each other. I'm your host, Weston Zimmerman, co founder of Synced Up. Been in the green industry my whole life. Let's get into it.
B
Rit. Welcome back to another episode of the Cost of doing business pod. Things are starting to get a little busy here. We're sitting in the lobby of the Nashville Hotel where the first Taco Hardscaper showcase is kicking off for the season. I'm sitting here with Cody Atkins, Good friend, customer, then friend, right?
C
Oh, yeah, that's how it usually goes.
A
That's how it happens.
B
Yeah. But, Cody, how long you been a customer?
C
Three, four, about four years.
B
Four years?
C
Yeah.
B
And why was it last year was the first year that you started helping on trade shows? Yep, yep.
C
Last year was my first year.
B
So we're literally here at a trade show Hardscaper event, and Cody's been helping us through the winter months when things are slowing down in his landscape company on the. On the road. But go ahead, introduce everybody. Give yourself. Give everybody kind of an idea of what your business looks like.
C
And, yeah, all that. So my name is Cody Atkins. I own Tri State Outdoor Living. And mind you, my voice a little messed up, but you know, them bears, they had a win. So I was screaming, baby. So. So, yeah, I'm out of Chicago, Illinois. I own a landscape company, Hardscape Company. We do outdoor living. And, you know, I was in a time of my. Where, you know, was synced or not knowing my numbers. Family was struggling, so I had to figure something out, you know, and then that's where I came across. Synced up. I'm like, know your numbers. I have no numbers in my bank account, so I gotta figure something out, you know, and then that's when I ran across synced up. And it's been great ever since I ran across it. So I appreciate you building the great software and for everyone to, you know, come together, really know their numbers in business and win jobs and actually produce and make a profit. That's what matters.
B
Appreciate that. Yeah, absolutely. It's what we're on the mission for, to, you know, enable the way I like to say it, blue collar prosperity, you know, 100%. What's your typical job look like? Like, what's your bread and butter?
C
Kind of bread and butter. So we do some big outdoor living projects, you know, 100 $200,000 jobs. But you know, you get married to them clients, sometimes they get a little tough. But my bread and butter, I would say, you know, in the 60 to 80,000, you know, you're in and out in a week or two, you're not married, you' getting paid and the labor isn't going over. You know, on the big jobs you could be down, you know, you go over three days, that's all your profit. You know, on a job that's five to eight days, you're real tight on them numbers, you know, you're getting it done. So that's my sweet spot. Yeah.
B
Yeah, it makes sense. There's something to be said for the efficiency of. Well, we'll put it this way, when it's a shorter job, you know, immediately if things are on or off, you know, like, as opposed to like a two month long job, like you can be six weeks into that thing and just then start to realize, oh man, we're off.
C
Yeah, you know, 100%. Yeah, I've had it happen. I've got married with the clients and hilarious. It's, it's tough, you know, but it's not, not doable. That's just our sweet spot at Tri State. You know, some people like the bigger jobs because they don't have much scheduling and getting materials all.
B
It's a preference.
C
Yeah. So, yeah,
B
so you said that this thing that really helped you get your numbers in order, like for, for people that don't know what it is. Well, how, like, what do you mean? What did it actually do for you?
C
So what I was doing before, I was just doing a square foot number, you know what I mean? And some jobs I'll be winning, some jobs I'll be like there's nothing left, like I'm negative, like what happened? You know. So that's where I start realizing I'm like not every job is the same, you know. And then once I join synced up, I start knowing labor, material, overhead and profit. It's a little bit more work, but it's worth it at the end of the day because you're going home to your family, you got money, you're able to produce, buy things, you know, pay your employees. Nothing's worse than not being able to pay your guy after a job. You just did a twenty thousand dollar job and you can't pay him. Yeah, like that don't make sense. Yeah, you know? Yeah.
B
Not to mention winter comes up, you know.
C
Oh yeah, that's what really grabbed me in the winter time. Having four Kids, you know, going into winter time and not having no money and then having to make it happen, you know. Now I like to go in the wintertime, relax, bank accounts good. And do a little bit of snow and we get through. Yeah, yeah.
B
So with the. How long ago did you start in your business?
C
My business, I started in 2017, 18 area. Okay, okay.
B
And how did you get into it? What was the story there?
C
So how I got into it, basically I was just, I was living in abandoned houses. I didn't know anything, to be honest. One of my buddies down the street, they cut grass. So I'm like, might as well ask them, right? So I went and asked them. They're. Yeah, come on. First day I'm edging, you know, not weed whacking, regular, I'm edging on the sidewalk. And they were like, man, you're the best edge we had all year, like on the first day. So that's all I knew. So then fast forward a few years. I'm like, what do I know? I know how to edge, you know. So I bought a truck trailer, start working. And then, mind you, the truck I bought off a guy was in a hit and run the day before. That's why he sold it to me.
B
Unbelievable.
C
So then I get pulled over three days later, serious state troopers just take it. I'm like, that's six grand just gone. So I was defeated. I was like, should I do it or not? And then I just kept going, got another truck and then, you know, off to the races, baby.
B
That's crazy.
C
Yeah.
B
So how many, how many guys do you have currently?
C
So right now we like to keep it nice and tight. You know, I got four guys who do about 1.5 million a year. We plan on getting another crew next year, doing about 3 million a year with eight guys. Okay. But we like to keep it nice, lean and tight. We know our numbers, you know, we're not the cheapest, we have a lot of overhead. But our guys are producing. That's the main thing the guys got to produce. You could pay them as much as you want, 50, 55 an hour, as long as they're producing. That's where I look at it, right? You know, I don't mind. I want them to go home. We work 7 to 3:30 every day, Monday through Friday, and that's it. Like they're going home to their family on the weekend at 3:30. Because I want to go home too, you know, I'm not staying out there till 6 o' clock at night. That ain't going to happen. So I learned if you pay them so cheap, if you're only paying them 30 an hour, they're going to stretch you to 60. You don't want that through inefficiency. Yeah, well, not even that. They have to pay for their family. You know what I mean? If you give them 40 hours at 30 bucks an hour, that don't even cover their rent and stuff, you know, but when they get 60 with overtime now they could buy food, pay the rent, do all them type of things. But is normal, you know, so you just need to find the good guys that are willing to produce and raise them up and pay and then less work, more producing.
B
It makes me think it was something I heard Alex Hormozi say. He said you're better off hiring at the top end of the market. Like pay for the best.
C
Yeah.
B
The high end they will make. Even though they're cost you more, they will make you more money than. But pay than hiring. Mediocre middle of the road.
C
Yeah.
B
You know?
C
Yeah. Think about it. If you're paying a guy 40 an hour at you know, eight hours a day, that's $320 a day. People think 40 an hour is like crazy. Like, oh, you can't make that as union wage. And 40 now it's 320 a day. That's. That's nothing. You know, even if it was 50, you know, at eight hours a day, it's 400 bucks.
B
Right.
C
And they're doing double or triple as fast as any other labor is 20, 25. And they got the smarts in there, you know, and they're delegating guys around to different areas of the job. You know, they're not just everyone. Yep. They're not just one. You know, all the guys here, you know, that's not how it's supposed to. Yeah.
B
So you said your average job is a 60-80k like your bread and butter. Yeah, 60-80k job. How long does it take you to estimate that that job in synced up?
C
Honestly, I have it so dialed in now that I don't even got to do the estimating. You know, I have it to where I go on the job. I measure, I figure out what they want or design and then I send that to the office. The office sends it to the landscape supply. They send back the numbers for the pavers, stone glue, everything you need for deliveries. They just go through my templates. We make templates and synced up so I have retaining walls, pavers, outdoor layering. Pergolas. Everything's a template. So if they see paver patio, they click paver patio. It drops everything they need. And then they just look at the landscape supply paper and just make sure the costs are up. Yeah, yeah. There's copy pasted. And it's great because the cost, they can see. So they see something that isn't right, they're fixing it. Right. Like right down there, right then and
B
there before the estimate goes out.
C
And then I just come in at the. And double check it, you know, make sure everything's right. But there are times when there's bigger jobs. I'm just doing it, you know what I mean? Because I got time. But on a smaller job that's 15 by 15 with a sitting wall and a step. Yeah. You know what I mean? They could easily figure that out. And I just put in the man hour, how long the job's going to take. So at the bottom of my notes, I'll put 34 man hours, you know, 6802.
B
Until your admin's doing that.
C
Yeah. So they know. Exactly. But the main thing I want to know is, like, I know how fast my guys are. You know, I don't have it to where, you know, we have it down to the square foot number. Production. Production number, you know, but.
B
Well, if you know it, you can turn it into a production rate just by saying, like, say you bid a hypothetical 600 square foot patio. You know how long that's gonna take. Your guys divide the 600 square feet by the hours, and there you have it.
C
Yeah, no, for sure.
B
Yeah.
C
But I just worry, you know, every job's a little different. So I just, like, my main hours are there and I know I'm gonna hit it.
B
And you're cracking them.
C
Yeah. Oh, yeah. And then a lot of times I got so good over the years, like, I'm under every time.
B
Yeah.
C
Half a day.
B
That's huge. You know, it's labor overruns. Kill.
C
Yeah.
B
Contracting company.
C
Yep. No, for sure. And one thing I tell guys is like, you could tell your guys want to be finished, but don't push them like that. Or tell them at end date because then they might stretch you. Just tell them, get the job done. You know, whatever it takes. It takes. You know, there's no, oh, this got to be done on Friday. Or Abe, we got until next Friday. Because not every guy. They all don't got, you know, morals to where sometimes they might want to stretch you. You know what I mean? You tell a guy you got till next Friday. He knows he can finish it Tuesday, but he ain't gonna do it. You know, you don't want guys working for you like that. You know, you just want to produce and knocking it out. My main form and his main thing is he wanted me to get a brand new truck. Guess who got a brand new truck this year? I did. You know, and that was his main goal the last two years. He's like, cody, you deserve a brand new truck.
B
Wow.
C
You know, but I'm like, I can't. My budget, I can't afford. I need a dump truck. I need this before I get myself. Yeah, I need production first. And he said, I got you. They watch this now. He just bought a brand new Raptor, you know, so it's a blessing, you
B
know, that is incredible to see the whole team thrive like that.
C
Yeah, exactly. And you don't need a bunch of guys. You just need the right guy.
B
Yeah, exactly. You know, exactly.
C
I. I know guys doing 1.5 million with 12 guys. 15 guys. You know what I mean? But they're just stretching them, you know, that's.
B
Yeah. So question I always like to ask on a podcast is, what's the best advice you've ever been given?
C
The best advice I was ever given would be, you know, to help others. You know, that's one of my main things is like, you know, the more I give, the more God keeps blessing me. And I just love to help people like Jesus did, you know, that's the best advice I can give anyone, you know, it's just in my heart to bless people, you know, and that's got me a long ways. I don't care who you are, what you did, I'm there for you, like brother, sister, you can do whatever to me. You know, there is a point to where you gotta, you know, cross. You know, you can't go that far. But I love blessing and helping people. It's just in me, you know, and I just want to be more like Jesus.
B
Well, that's a. It's noble. And the way you're saying that makes me think of, like, you know, where did I hear this? I think it was Dan Martell where he said, your darkest hour enables you to become a shining light to others. Yeah. In those areas that came from the same areas. Exactly. That's your superpower. Your darkest hours, your superpowers, I think is how he said.
C
Yeah. No, for sure. Yeah.
B
So, yeah, that's. That's amazing. And it's. It's, you know, the golden rule is real. What goes around Comes around.
C
Yeah. Like no. 100.
B
How you treat others is how you treat it.
C
Yep, exactly.
B
Like I just listened to a business book that said you get what you expect.
C
Yeah.
B
You know, 100%. Anyway, it's good, Good, good insight.
C
Yeah.
B
What is the most difficult challenge you've
C
ever overcome in your journey with landscaping? Yeah, I would say the most difficult thing is guys want to open their own company.
B
Yeah.
C
You know what I do with that? So I'm going through one right now, you know, and I'm. I'm not sure, like, I'm talking with them, you know, best of the best. And, you know, you gotta want them to do better too. You know what I mean? So, like, you can't hold them down, but then you're paying them so good, you know, I look at it like, you know, if he wants to start his own company, get started, I'll always be here for him, you know, and he'll always help me regardless. But there's a way maybe I can incentivize and try to give him a bonus on the jobs. You know, something like that.
B
You know, going down to what does he really want? And then you provide that.
C
Yeah, exactly. You know, But I buy these guys lunch every day. I don't dock them for food or none of that. I treat them like family, you know, so it does hurt when they go to try to leave and start their own thing. But then you gotta look at it like I was somewhere at one point and I had to grow. Yeah. You know what I mean? So I'm there for you. If you want to start your own company, I'll help you. You know what I mean? Like, I'm there, but then at the same time, I need to work out for myself in the company. But I can always try to find someone as good as him. I want him to grow at the end of the day. And that's something that I see. Guys see me doing it, they see a lesser crew and how much work I'm producing, they're like, I can do it. But they. At the end of the day, they don't know how hard it really is.
B
The rest of the business.
C
It's not just doing the work that's, you know, ye. I'm. Yeah, it's a lot, you know, so
B
it comes down to, do you. Do you just want to keep doing the work and. And make more money, or do you want to actually run a business which is.
C
Has all and they probably make less than me? Yeah, I make less than them. And the main foreman.
B
Yeah.
C
At the end of the day sometimes, you know, it's like, wow, this guy got paid this much. Yeah. And I stayed up all night struggling, doing this, fighting all the, you know, everything. And I don't think they realize what they have until they start their own company and then they're like. And then hopefully they'll call me back and come this way, you know, but you never know if they go to another company and all that. But I just wish the best for them, you know, God's moving in their life in certain ways, and if they want to do better and obviously God's showing them that I'm. I'm here for them. Sure. Yeah.
B
You know, Well, I think that's. That that heart is going to shine through and come, you know, like, the fact that you want the best for them. And that might even be like, you know what? I want to work for this guy for longer and figure out a calm plan that.
C
That, yeah.
B
Helps him reach his goals. Because, yeah, it's. People want the freedom. They want to go out on their own. They want. Usually they want the freedom, but they're usually not aware of the absolute onslaught waiting for them, you know, and some people truly do want the entrepreneurship, and others are thinking, like, why can just make more money? And if that's what you're thinking, you're better off if you. Especially if you're working for a guy like Cody, you're better off striking a deal where you can thrive together instead of, like, separate.
C
No 100. You know, they don't realize what's really about to happen. You know, it's tough.
B
It is, is.
A
It's.
B
It definitely is. Well, another question I like to ask on the podcast is, what would you do different? If you would go back to the beginning, what's one thing you would do differently?
C
One thing I would do different from the beginning. No lawn maintenance. I want to cut grass at all. That was like the first four years. Waste of my time. Four or five years.
B
But you were the pro edger man.
C
I was, but I was allergic to grass.
B
Oh, really?
C
Yeah. So, like, when I'd be cutting or like, if I was on a mower, you know, I catch it and this blows up on. I would just go home, red skull, just red itching. Like, no tomorrow. I did it for four years, like, just. And I got tired of people calling me about their dog getting out, you know, the gate, you know, 10 o' clock at night. If my dog gets hit, I'm gonna kill you. You know what I mean? Like, I was like, oh, man. And they don't even pay their bill. You know what I mean? I'm like, ah, I left the gate open. I'm sorry. But, you know, so, like, that was one thing that, you know, I wish I would have changed from the beginning because the company could have grew so much faster, but takes time to learn things and, you know, to. To get where you are, you know. If I had to really see that, that's one thing I would have changed, you know? Well, what.
B
What was the moment that you just let it go?
C
The moment I let it go when I wasn't getting. When I came to synced up.
B
Really?
C
Yeah, I was just done. So I was there. I was doing landscaping and grass cutting. I got synced up, and I'm just like. The numbers weren't making sense. Once I start getting in there and seeing the hardscape gone. Yeah, done, you know? Yeah. And it was just. And then the guys, you know, not saying, you know, the guys, you know, you pay them a little cheaper than 20 an hour guys, they don't care. They don't show up, you know, and not saying they're in great guys, but it's just a pain in the pain and butt on me at that time. I wish I would have known. I've been paying them 28 an hour and had real good maintenance guys that, like, people love. But I'm hiring my brother, friends, cousins, you know what I mean? They don't care. You know what I mean? So that's what. I kind of threw a curve ball in the beginning for me. Yeah. Yeah.
B
Makes sense. Yeah, man. Well, 2026, you know, we came through the COVID high. A little bit of a belly after.
C
Yeah. 2026, what's your advice for contractors for 2026? You know, I would say get out there. You know, stuff ain't slowing down, so ain't growing. You know, over the years, you might see all this Covid, all this stuff. Market's going down. You ain't got work. If you're out there in front of these people, you're gonna sell it. You know what I mean? Like, right now, it's winter time. I just sold six designs last week, you know, and so there's no excuses. Get out there, advertise whatever you gotta do. Get out there. Don't sit at home, don't be relaxing. Just get out there. When I was younger, when I first started, my main thing was I was never home. I'd be out there putting out door hangers. It didn't matter because What I would tell myself is, if I'm out there, I'm getting a job. Yep. You know, so I would just be knocking on cousins, aunt, neighbors, and neighbors just knocking. You know what I mean? So if you're just now starting, you're going in 20, 26, your phone ain't ringing. Just get out there walking Home Depot, you'll meet somebody. You know what I mean? Just if you're out there, God's gonna bless you with something because you're actually trying, you know? But if you're just sitting at home, it ain't gonna happen. You know what I mean? So that's what I noticed when I got out there. I would just wake up, throw a shirt, and just go. I didn't know where I was going. I'll just pick up a buddy. All right, where are we going? All right, let's get food. All right. Now we just gotta figure it out from here. We did as much slack and we could in the morning, and then now it's time to elbows and grease and just start knocking on doors, doing whatever you got to do. Just be in the right place at the right time.
B
Wow, that's. That's incredible. Are you still doing any of that, or was that in the beginning?
C
That was more in the beginning. But, you know, that's why I see a lot of guys struggling with. You know what I mean? Like, they don't got work, they're stressing over the winter, and it's like, just get out there. If you don't do. If you have wintertime and you don't do work inside or something, you got to do something. Yeah. You know what I mean? Just get out there. That's what I would recommend. And now in the wintertime, what I do now is I'm trying to invest in real estate, buy houses, flip them in the wintertime when I got time so I'm not sitting around spending all the money, you know, you got to be making money.
B
Yeah. Cody, where can people find you online?
C
Find me at Cody Atkins on Facebook, Instagram. The business name is Tri State Outdoor Living. I'm building a personal brand in Tri State, so I'm here for you. Message me if you need help. I'm the guy. I'm gonna bless you.
B
Thank you, Cody.
C
Thank you, brother. Let's go.
B
Let's do it.
A
Hey, thanks for listening to the Cost of Doing Business show. If you need help with knowing your numbers or you're looking for a better automated system to run estimating and scheduling and job costing or more in your business. Just hit me. Up.
B
Up.
A
You can book a demo@syncedup.com or DM me on Instagram at synced up, which is spelled S Y N K E D U p. See you on the next one.
Episode: Ep 94. I Was Winning Jobs and Still Losing Money (Here's Why)
Host: Weston Zimmerman
Guest: Cody Adkins, Owner of Tri State Outdoor Living
Date: February 16, 2026
In this candid conversation, host Weston Zimmerman sits down with Cody Adkins of Tri State Outdoor Living at the Hardscaper Showcase in Nashville. Cody shares the up-and-down realities of running a successful landscape and hardscape business, the perils of "winning jobs but losing money," and why job costing, knowing your numbers, and developing a strong team culture are key to sustained profitability. Listeners are treated to insights from Cody's journey—from near rock bottom to building a $1.5M business with just four crew members—laying bare the truths behind the Instagram sheen.
On Knowing the Numbers:
“You just did a $20,000 job and you can't pay [your guy]... That don't make sense.” — Cody Adkins (03:59)
On High Pay for High Performance:
“You could pay them as much as you want, $50, $55 an hour, as long as they're producing. That's where I look at it, right?” — Cody Adkins (06:20)
On Job Efficiency:
“If you're only paying them $30 an hour, they're going to stretch you to $60. …They have to pay for their family.” — Cody Adkins (06:45)
On Helping Others:
“The more I give, the more God keeps blessing me...Just want to be more like Jesus.” — Cody Adkins (11:28)
On Letting Go of Lawn Maintenance:
“I was allergic to grass... I'd just go home, red skull, just red itching...” — Cody Adkins (16:15)
Advice for 2026 Contractors:
“If you’re out there in front of these people, you’re gonna sell it...Just get out there, advertise, whatever you gotta do. Don’t sit at home, don’t be relaxing.” — Cody Adkins (18:02)
Where to Find Cody:
Host Contact:
This episode is a must-listen for any contractor or business owner struggling with profitability despite “winning” plenty of work. Cody’s raw honesty, operational wisdom, and people-first approach deliver both tactical advice and a dose of inspiration.