The Mulder Life Podcast: Ep 164

"Maximizing Profits and Efficiency in the Landscaping Industry"
Host: Andy Mulder
Date: April 8, 2026

Episode Overview

In this live Q&A episode, Andy Mulder, owner of Mulder Outdoors, shares candid advice and answers listener questions on landscaping, equipment choices, building and owning a shop, hiring, pricing jobs profitably, and running a debt-free, sustainable business. The tone is practical, upbeat, and transparent, with Andy reflecting on both his successes and hard-won lessons. Listeners get a close look at how he balances business growth with family, his conviction to remain debt-free, and strategies for building efficiency and profitability without sacrificing quality or integrity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spring Rush, Vacation, and Team Trust

• Spring is “Go Time”: Andy describes the intense pace of spring in landscaping, with days often running 6 AM to 6 PM (07:45).
• Balancing Business & Family: Recent family ski trip to Utah and Moab—Andy shared how he’s learning to take these breaks without anxiety, trusting his crew to manage in his absence ([01:30–06:30]).
  • “My kids are only small once… I have a great crew that I can trust.” (06:06)
• Team Performance: Despite bad weather while he was away, crews managed projects and spring clean-ups successfully.

2. Shop Build Updates & Lessons in Zoning

• Shop Progress: Office painting, epoxy flooring, mechanical installs underway; about a month from completion ([10:17–14:00]).
• Building vs. Buying: Andy’s deep dive into whether he would build his shop all over again ([14:35–23:55]).
  • Key takeaways:
    • Proper zoning for outdoor material storage is rare and crucial.
    • Developing raw land is massive work: "...basically I did a new development. And so you’re starting from nothing—power, gas, parking lot, everything." (13:39)
    • Value: "I own 12 acres … and the zoning was exactly right for my business… that was a no brainer. That was the biggest thing." (20:20)
  • On Regrets: "Would I do it again? Yes, I think I would. But hindsight’s 20/20." (18:20)
  • Paid cash as he went: "We saved for 10 years to get that thing going, and we’re doing it debt-free. I wouldn’t do that any other way." (23:45)

3. Buying New vs. Used Trucks: Debt-Free Philosophy

• When and Why Andy Switched: Andy details his upgrade path from used (“$6,000 dump truck… small gas engine, no guts,” 25:15) to new vehicles as the business’s finances allowed ([24:45–29:00]).
  • "If I can't afford a new dump truck, I'm not buying a new dump truck. I run my business debt free. I will never go into debt for anything again in my life..." (28:56)
  • Reliability, image, and less downtime—secondary benefits, but never at the cost of debt.
  • "None of my clients hire me because of the vehicles that I drive... They hire us because of how we treat them and the customer service we provide." (31:54)
  • Warns against chasing status over substance: “Don’t buy things that keep you from making money because you’re trying to impress somebody...” (34:08)

4. Early Business Mistakes, Regrets, and Practical Lessons

• Learning from Losses: Didn't have a solid contract when starting out—lost $3,000 from a non-paying client ([35:30–36:30]).
  • “That’s probably something I should have had earlier on–was a really good contract.” (36:22)
• Emphasizes starting small and debt-free: “We did what we had to do. We had no money… That’s just how it works.” (41:05)
• Humor and humility in recalling early struggles, including a disastrous dump trailer purchase and a mowing truck that got totaled after one week.

5. Pricing Strategies & Profitability

• Strong Stance Against Industry Norms: Andy argues against bidding by sq ft/face ft, insisting every job is unique and must be estimated individually ([46:35–51:30]).
  • “Every job is bid as a one-off... I couldn’t even tell you what my per face foot price is for pavers. I have literally no idea.” (48:47)
  • “Industry standard pricing and profit margin of 10% is a complete joke...” (50:03)
  • He encourages aiming for higher profit margins to secure the health and future of the business and team.

6. Looking Ahead: Growth, Team, and Personal Development

• Upcoming Goals: Shop completion and possible team expansion.
• Company future: Growth will hinge on the right people and their initiative—Andy sees his role as finding, empowering, and serving them ([43:00–45:00], [41:37–43:00]).
• Personal improvements: Andy has lost 20 lbs since January by radically changing his eating habits—a nod to caring for his health to sustain both family time and business energy ([43:00–44:40]).
  • “I want to be here for a while with my children and see my grandkids and play with them...” (44:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On trusting his crew:
  “I don’t have to babysit them all the time. They got it done. They handled it.” ([06:16])

• On building vs buying the shop:
  “...the biggest thing about the whole property. I knew I could figure out anything else. But getting that zoning right is so important and it’s so much work to get that done if it’s not done.” ([20:30])

• On debt and business decisions:
  “I run my business debt free. I will never go into debt for anything again in my life and that includes my business.” ([28:56])

• On client perceptions and vehicles:
  “None of my clients hire me because of the vehicles that I drive and the trucks that we pull up with. Nobody. I promise you… Don’t let the excitement of having a new vehicle or a cool interest rate or what is it gonna look for my buddies or how is it gonna look on Instagram or whatever — none of that crap matters.” ([31:54–34:08])

• On regrets when starting the business:
  “I would not change how we started the business... I really feel like we took it as slow as we needed to take it... growing slow and trying to find the best people to work for you if you can.” ([35:40])

• On pricing and profit strategy:
  “I could give two crafts what industry standard pricing is. I think the industry standard pricing and profit margin of 10% is a complete joke… You should be driving towards 25, 30, whatever you think your market can handle.” ([50:03])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:30–06:30: Reflections on spring rush, vacation, trusting crews
• 10:17–14:00: Shop construction updates; painting, flooring, mechanicals
• 14:35–23:55: Would he still build/shop insights, zoning, land purchase pitfalls, big lessons
• 24:45–29:00: Used-to-new truck transition, cash-only/debt-free approach
• 31:54–34:08: Vehicular image vs. business substance; warning against status pressure
• 35:30–36:30: Biggest early mistake—contracts and getting burned by a client
• 43:00–45:00: Vision for company future, team empowerment
• 43:00–44:40: Andy’s health journey, weight loss by changing eating habits
• 46:35–51:30: Pricing, profit margins, and strong views on industry standards

Listener Q&A Highlights

• Would Andy redesign the White House landscape if asked?
  • “No, probably not... I would probably not install it.” (23:55)
• Switching from used to new trucks—what drove the decision?
  • Financial readiness, reduce breakdowns, improve efficiency; don’t buy if you can’t afford to pay cash. ([25:15–36:00])
• Mistakes or regrets starting the business?
  • Only regret was not having solid contracts earlier. Would not fundamentally change anything else. ([35:40–37:20])
• How does he price boulder walls?
  • Never by face foot or square foot; every job is custom due to site variables. ([46:35–49:17])

Conclusion

Andy’s advice for landscapers—grow slowly, avoid debt, price jobs so your business genuinely thrives, value your team, focus on service not image, and remain open to learning—comes through clearly and pragmatically in this lively, listener-driven episode. There’s ample technical insight, but also an underscoring of values: integrity, stewardship, and gratitude for progress made.

For more Q&A and industry conversations, join Andy live on Instagram @MulderOutdoors every Monday, 8:30 pm CST, or check back for episode replays.