Episode 118: Pam Stark joins John for a thoughtful conversation on career growth, customer loyalty, and building strong relationships in the landscape industry. Pam shares lessons from a 40-year career with ValleyCrest, where she worked her way from field operations into leadership and helped develop the company’s customer feedback and training programs. She also reflects on the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, the importance of understanding customers, and the lessons she continues to share through her work as a consultant and trainer.

Episode 117: Jeff McManus joins John for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, team development, and building a culture where people can thrive. Jeff shares lessons from decades of developing high-performing grounds teams, the importance of investing in people, and how his approach to leadership has earned national recognition. Now serving as Executive Director of Grounds and Landscape at the University of Texas, Jeff also reflects on the principles behind his bestselling book, Growing Weeders Into Leaders: Leadership Lessons from the Ground Level, and how those lessons continue to shape his work today.

Episode 116: John sits down with Adam Benes, Dana Fritsche, and Lisa Stoner at the 2026 Lawn & Landscape Top 100 Executive Summit to reflect on 28 years of building Focal Pointe. Together, they revisit pivotal moments from the journey, share lessons learned through seasons of growth and adversity, and discuss how their leadership has evolved over nearly three decades. Along the way, they offer an honest look at what it takes to build something lasting and why the greatest accomplishments are always shared.