He Gets Paid $3.5M/Year to Think. The Landscapers Do the Work.

I'm proud to have Bizee sponsor this video. #ad Their platform makes launching and managing an LLC straightforward, and it’s a service I genuinely believe in and recommend to anyone ready to start their business. https://bizee.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=content_sponsorship&utm_campaign=upflip Landscaping wasn’t a dream for Steve Griggs. If anything, it was just work. As a kid, he was the one doing the labor while his dad handled the business side, and that simple dynamic stuck with him more than he realized. After college, he jumped into his own landscaping business, doing everything himself. He always had long days, dealt with physical exhaustion, and constant pressure to keep jobs moving. For a while, it felt like the only way to succeed was to work harder than everyone else. But that path started to wear on him. What changed everything was a shift in perspective. Steve stopped trying to do it all and began focusing on design, relationships, and managing projects instead of just labor. That decision opened the door to better clients, bigger projects, and a business that didn’t rely on him burning out. In this episode, Steve shares what most people don’t realize about how to start a landscaping business, why connecting with people matters more than being the best at landscaping, and how honesty can turn first-time clients into lifelong relationships. Start your own landscaping design business. Get access to Steve’s step-by-step blueprint 👉 https://next.upflip.com/landscaping-course-270 OR… 🎓 Join UpFlip Academy to “copy-paste” the top million-dollar service businesses you can start in weeks and profit from in months - https://links.upflip.com/academy-yt More UpFlip Official Resources: 📕 FREE access to 137 Most Profitable Businesses - https://go.upflip.com/137-business-ideas 🎙️ Follow the UpFlip Podcast - https://links.upflip.com/podcast-yt 📩 Join the UpFlip Newsletter - https://links.upflip.com/newsletter-yt 👉 Check out Steve's business - https://stevegriggsdesign.com/ Timestamps: 00:00 - Start 00:40 - Meet the go-to for outdoor resorts 01:31 - Building the impossible pool 02:02 - Startup costs 02:25 - THE landscaper 03:27 - Inside a 250K project 03:49 - All you need is trust 04:11 - Getting repo’d at 3 AM 05:25 - Old school stays undefeated 05:56 - High-level marketing tool 06:51 - Their win = Your win 07:19 - More than just a patio 07:59 - Underrated goldmine 08:40 - The ultimate outdoor living space 09:12 - Getting paid to think, not dig 10:11 - Your sanity is priceless 10:31 - A 90% rehire rate 11:56 - Strike while the iron is hot 12:34 - Price vs. Cost 13:33 - “Recreating” Italy 14:12 - Be the expert, NOT the yes man 14:45 - Delivering the “promised land” 15:29 - It’s okay to say no 16:33 - Nurture relationships 17:01 - Entrepreneurship is a muscle 17:19 - Technology is good! 17:52 - Can’t have fast AND good 18:39 - People don’t respect free 19:19 - Business safe from AI 19:48 - Master your numbers 20:58 - $500 to land the first client 22:03 - Be there for them, not for you 22:46 - Hire ASAP! 23:49 - It’s just “another” zero 24:21 - Communication is the game plan 24:47 - NEVER assume 25:48 - 40 years worth of knowledge 26:09 - Get in and get out 26:38 - Never aim for one and done 27:14 - Bet on yourself NOW! 27:51 - Outro #landscaping #landscapingbusiness #howtostartalandscapingbusiness