The Commercial Landscaper Podcast

The habitat of Zech Strauser’s childhood were the farms and free-ranging open spaces of eastern Pennsylvania. During a time when most children’s lives move indoors, Zech was homeschooled by parents who inspired his curiosity in the natural world, giving him a powerful connection with nature that defines him to this day.

Zech’s journey, from playing outdoors to making a living outdoors, was the road trip of a lifetime. He pursued the life of a ski instructor and mogul coach In Vermont, became interested in outdoor performance apparel, and in 1998, he launched one of eastern Pennsylvania’s most recognized regional landscape companies, a firm – Strauser Nature’s Helpers that was acquired by Schill Grounds Management in 2023.

Zech remains a senior advisor and investor in Schill Grounds Management and is an ongoing advisor and investor in Strauser Nature’s Helpers. He’s an investor in robotic mowing technology and owns and manages a commercial real estate portfolio. He’s shaped nature-focused non-profits and sat on the board of Come Alive Outside.

Recently, built a sustainable farm retreat in southern Vermont and launched Urture, a green collar workwear and outfitter specializing in gear for careers outside. “Urture brings me full-circle,” said Zech. “Growing up and being outdoors my entire life, I had a dream to have an outdoor clothing brand with the ability to make an impact. The rapid growth of green collar jobs gives me an opportunity to make sure that the people doing next generation green jobs have the right protective gear and apparel to do their jobs well.”

Part of Urture’s platform is its Patch Project passion project, a program that gives back to vocational schools that advance green collar careers. “We know that children need to play outside more. But it’s also true that everyone needs to be outside more. It’s on us to make nature a daily, ordinary part of everyone’s life and do what we can to make green jobs and the green economy a great career choice, supported by opportunities for training and growth.”

“Public school was a challenge and a vocational horticulture class in the 9th grade was an inspiration. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the teachers and the opportunity they gave me, gratitude I can repay through the Patch Project products we sell and the performance apparel we make, and our continued commitment to make sure that everyone who works in nature has what they need to succeed.

Founder of the COO Alliance & Invest In Your Leaders Course

Author of Vivid Vision & The Second In Command

Meet Cameron Herold, the mastermind behind the exponential growth of hundreds of companies. As the founder of the COO Alliance and the Invest In Your Leaders course, Cameron is a dynamic consultant who has coached some of the biggest names in business, including Sprint Telecom and a monarchy in the Middle East. Known as the "CEO Whisperer", Cameron has a reputation for guiding his clients to double their profits and revenue in just three years or less.

Cameron's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age, and by 35, he had helped build his first two $100 million dollar companies. But his greatest achievement came as the COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, where he engineered the company's spectacular growth from $2 million to $106 million in revenue and from 14 to 3,100 employees - all in just six years.

Cameron is not just a successful business leader, but also a captivating speaker. The current publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard, stated "Cameron Herold is the best speaker I've ever heard...he hits grand slams”. When he's not on stage, Cameron continues to teach through his Second In Command podcast and his bestselling books, including Vivid Vision, Meetings Suck, Free PR, Double Double, and The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs.

Cameron is a top-rated international speaker and has been paid to speak in 26 countries and on all 7 continents, including Antarctica in early 2022. He is also the top-rated lecturer at EO/MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program and a powerful and effective speaker at CEO and COO leadership events worldwide.

Tim Johnson II

Meet Tim Johnson II, President of Tim Johnson Landscaping (TJL), from Statesville, North Carolina. Tim's entrepreneurial journey started at just 12 years old when he learned the importance of hard work. Wanting to drive at 16, he began mowing lawns, laying the foundation for TJL.

Tim's academic and athletic pursuits led him to NC A&T, where he found a love for turf and horticulture. Armed with a degree in Environmental Horticulture and a certificate in Entrepreneurship, Tim returned from a brief stint in the Colorado Rockies organization in 2009 to join forces with his father. Together, they transformed TJL from a small, part-time venture into a thriving landscaping and horticulture business.

Outside of the office, Tim is a devoted family man, with a loving wife, Jenni, and two adorable children, Eleanor and Tim III (TJ). His passions extend beyond the business realm, encompassing family, church, baseball, landscaping, gardening, classic cars, travel, and business.

A typical day at TJL for Tim is dynamic, with tasks ranging from overseeing site visits, checking on crews, and visiting customers to collaborating with the operations and admin team.

His favorite aspect of Tim Johnson Landscaping? The people—team members, clients, and partners.

Tim Johnson Sr.

Tim Johnson Sr, Chairman at Tim Johnson Landscaping (TJL), brings over two decades of experience to the company. Raised in the fertilizer business, Tim developed a strong work ethic early on, spending countless hours maintaining his mother's yard. With a successful 19-year career in Corporate America, where he achieved the remarkable feat of being the #1 salesperson among 8,000 employees, Tim transitioned to his true passion over 24 years ago—landscaping.

A typical day for Tim involves three distinct phases: a morning kick-off, mid-day focus on sales and business, and a careful close to ensure everyone returns safely. His favorite aspect of TJL is witnessing the growth of the employees. Outside of work, Tim enjoys collecting and spending quality time with his family—his wife Joyce, daughters Angela and Vanessa, and son Tim II, whom he's immensely proud of. His weekends are often dedicated to leisurely rides and the exploration of different types of Bourbon.

Tim holds a 2-year college degree and is a licensed landscape contractor, reflecting his commitment to professionalism and expertise in the field. The best advice he ever received was to wait 24 hours before addressing a concern, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful communication. Tim Johnson Sr is not just a leader at TJL but a dedicated family man with a deep appreciation for the simple joys in life.

Frank Annino's career in the landscaping industry is a testament to his dedication and passion for the field. Growing up in the construction industry, Frank always knew that being in the field was where he wanted to be. He pursued a college degree in business management with an emphasis on organizational behavior, which laid the foundation for his professional journey. After college, Frank ran a landscape nursery in Thousand Oaks for three years, where he honed his leadership skills and gained invaluable knowledge in selling, managing P&L, and understanding plant materials, chemicals, and fertilizers.

In 1992, he joined Environmental Care, working in the field for the first two years to deeply understand the day-to-day operations of field workers. Over the years, he took on various leadership roles within the company, learning and managing different functions such as the shop, tree care, and irrigation. Eventually, he was given the opportunity to run a business for what became ValleyCrest Landscape in Ventura, California, where he successfully grew the business significantly and was promoted to Regional Manager.

In his next career move, Frank helped ValleyCrest through its transition to BrightView, where his role expanded to managing a larger territory as Senior Vice President, covering the Inland Empire, all of Los Angeles, and the Pacific Northwest. In 2021, Frank joined Sperber Landscape Companies as President of the maintenance division, overseeing 16 subsidiary companies nationwide. In this role, Frank leads the strategy and execution of various departmental functions, including training, sales, and operations, with a focus on developing and expanding greenfield projects, irrigation, and tree care services. His favorite part of the job is teaching, training, and coaching. That moment when the lightbulb turns on in others is priceless.

Outside of work, Frank loves spending time with his wife Kim and their two children, Maey and Josie. The family enjoys traveling, attending concerts and music festivals, and as a true Southern California native, Frank is a die-hard Los Angeles sports fan.

Brothers Kurt and Matt Bland grew up in an entrepreneurial household as the children of Tom and Nancy Bland in Apex, North Carolina. As founders of Bland Landscaping Company (ca. 1976), at an early age Tom and Nancy exposed Kurt and Matt to the successes and the challenges of running a family business. As young men, the boys worked in every aspect of the homegrown business from field work to estimating and financial planning. Through the late 1980’s, 1990’s and early 2000’s industry icons like Frank Ross, Kevin Kehoe, and Bruce Wilson were regular consultants for the Bland family. Exposure to these industry influencers afforded both Kurt and Matt the opportunity to explore new and forward-thinking ideas about the landscaping industry, at a time when industry maturity and consolidation was still spoken about in a future tense.

The Bland family had an agreement that both siblings needed to gain managerial experience following college before returning to the family business, affording them the chance to learn and make a conscious decision to join the company if they chose to. Following his studies in Horticulture and Ag Business Management at North Carolina State University, Kurt moved to Fremont California and worked in management for Del Conte’s Landscaping. Meanwhile, Matt studied Economics, Finance, and Accounting at North Carolina State University before going to work for IBM as a Financial Analyst. The two brothers worked briefly with their parents before Nancy became terminally ill and Tom retired in 2005.

In 2012, the brothers set out on an intentional course they’d plotted as college roommates, with a goal of growing the family’s legacy company into the leading provider of commercial landscaping services in The Carolinas. Their professional journey has taken countless unexpected twists and turns that provide a multitude of stories of their experiences leading this nearly 48-year-old business. What started as a part time endeavor from their parents’ kitchen table is now the country’s 52nd largest landscaping firm. As partners, the two successfully lead the executive team that is responsible for leading a team of more than 600 commercial landscaping professionals from nine locations around North Carolina. Since recapitalizing with Prospect Partners in 2017, they’ve gained significant experience in Mergers & Acquisitions, including successfully integrating four of North Carolina’s leading commercial landscaping companies into the platform they have built.

Kurt lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife and their Labrador Retrievers. Matt lives in Cary, NC with his wife, their two daughters, a cat, and an Australian Labradoodle. Both brothers have a passion for the outdoors and a lifelong love of boating and water related activities.