Snowfighters Institute Podcast

Upcoming Events Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → GROW! Snow 2027 | September 14 to 15, 2027 in Madison, Wisconsin Registration is open now. Grow! Snow is built for snow leaders and their teams, with snow-specific breakouts, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. The 2027 Shark Tank competition will return with another full-circle prize package, so if you want to pitch your growth plan to a panel of industry partners for a chance to win equipment, coaching, and weather data support, this is the year to start preparing. Claim your seat now: snowfightersinstitute.com Vince Torchia, Vice President of The Grow Group, joins Phil for a behind-the-scenes look at the partnership powering the next chapter of Snowfighters Institute. From the origin story of GROW (the three-day event in Savannah this February), to the ACE Peer Groups now running 19 strong across the country, to a preview of Grow! Snow 2027 in Madison with Shawn Carrington, Vince shares why this partnership exists and how the Snowfighters community is being built out. Also previewed: a new membership bundle, Inner Circle 2027 in Grand Rapids, monthly webinars, and the growing network of Snowfighters peer groups. Key Learnings Accessible Education Beats Fancy Facilities - Marty's model at Grunder Landscaping works because the shop is relatable, not showy, and visitors leave thinking "I can do this" instead of "that's out of reach." Peer Groups Make the Industry Feel Small - Being in a group of 10 to 15 companies gives you a network that an event of hundreds can't, and that's where real business growth happens. Second-Level Leaders Deserve Their Own Rooms - The new peer groups for salespeople, operations, and finance teams let non-owners build their own networks and come back energized to drive their departments forward. Teams Change Everything at Live Events - When owners bring their teams to GROW instead of attending alone, the whole company comes back aligned and ready to execute together. Accessible Doesn't Mean Light - Grow! Snow 2026 proved contractors want real, substantive education with clear takeaways, not just happy hours and sprinkled content. Validation Matters as Much as New Ideas - Half of what attendees get from events like Grow! Snow is confirmation that they're already on the right track, which is just as valuable as learning something brand new. Reflection Questions Are you bringing your team to industry events so they come back with the same motivation and content as you, or are you attending alone and trying to translate it later? Where in your business could a peer group of 10 to 15 non-competing owners (or your sales, ops, or finance leaders) help you solve problems faster than figuring them out on your own? Chapters (00:00:00) - Start(00:00:20) - Welcome and Introductions(00:01:03) - How Vince Got to The Grow Group(00:02:48) - Behind the Marty Grunder Model(00:06:02) - What The Grow Group Does(00:06:51) - The Origin of GROW(00:11:44) - Why Peer Groups Work(00:15:59) - The Next Chapter for Snowfighters(00:17:54) - Inside Grow! Snow 2026(00:20:26) - Grow! Snow 2027 in Madison(00:21:28) - The Membership Bundle Coming Soon(00:23:42) - Inner Circle in Grand Rapids(00:25:42) - How to Get Involved

Upcoming Events Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → GROW! Snow 2027 | September 14 to 15, 2027 in Madison, Wisconsin Registration is open now. Grow! Snow is built for snow leaders and their teams, with snow-specific breakouts, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. The 2027 Shark Tank competition will return with another full-circle prize package, so if you want to pitch your growth plan to a panel of industry partners for a chance to win equipment, coaching, and weather data support, this is the year to start preparing. Claim your seat now: snowfightersinstitute.com Katie Roell, Senior Marketing Manager at BOSS Snowplows, joins Phil to recap the inaugural Shark Tank competition at Grow! Snow 2026 and share why BOSS wanted to go beyond equipment to support contractors in a more holistic way. From the full-circle prize package (equipment, coaching, weather data), to the Vancouver-based winner ParaSpace who took a 10-hour Uber from Chicago just to be there, Katie makes the case for why the next version of this competition at Grow! Snow 2027 in Madison, Wisconsin is worth planning for now. Key Learnings Contractors Need More Than Equipment - Snow pros rarely open conversations with equipment needs, they open with labor, salt, deployment decisions, and ROI on technology, so support packages should reflect what actually moves a business forward. Commitment Separates Winners - A 10-hour Uber ride from Chicago to Dayton with three teammates isn't a travel plan, it's a signal, and that kind of commitment is often what sets the winners apart. Full Circle Beats a Logo on a Screen - Bringing partners together to deliver equipment support, coaching, and weather data creates real impact for a contractor, while slapping a logo on a sponsor slide creates nothing. Pitch Clarity Wins Rooms - Two minutes is enough time to communicate how you'll grow if your message is clear, your plan is feasible, and you can show how a package like this changes your trajectory. Low Snow Markets Need Different Playbooks - A business expanding into snow in Vancouver needs different contract structures, staffing plans, and equipment mix than one in a traditional snow belt, and that's where coaching matters most. Prepare Your Pitch Early - This episode is the heads up, so if growth is on your 2027 roadmap, start building your two-minute pitch now and plan to bring your team. Reflection Questions If you had two minutes in front of a room of industry partners to pitch how you want to grow, could you deliver a clear plan today, or do you need to start working on it now? Where in your business are you investing in equipment when the real growth lever is coaching, data, or partnerships you haven't built yet? Chapters (00:00:00) - Start(00:00:21) - Welcome & Meet Katie with BOSS(00:01:11) - Inside the Shark Tank Idea(00:03:27) - How We Judged the Pitches(00:05:54) - Why BOSS Went Beyond Equipment(00:08:01) - Meet the Winner: ParaSpace(00:10:31) - Supporting a First-Year Snow Business(00:11:16) - What’s Changing for 2027(00:13:12) - BOSS at Equip Expo(00:15:00) - Grow! Snow 2027

Upcoming Events Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Recruiting | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Why can't you find good people to hire, and what can you do about it? Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → Eddy Zakes, CEO of Earth Development, joins Phil to share how a commercial snow and landscape company based in Green Bay has grown into a 15-state operation built almost entirely on a service partner network. From acquiring the business in 2021 with no snow industry background, to defining core values and brand promises in a February Airbnb in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, to a negligent homicide lawsuit that reshaped how he thinks about documentation, Eddy shares the operational, cultural, and structural moves that make Earth Development different in a space known for burning subcontractors. Connect with Eddy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddyzakes/ Website: earthdevelopmentinc.com Key Learnings Don't Mess Up What You Bought - When you acquire an attractive business, your first job is to learn it and not break it, because you bought it for a reason and every employee is better at their job than you are on day one. Brand Promises Have to Be Reciprocal - If you promise clients you'll be reliable, responsive, and partnering, you need service partners, employees, and even clients showing up the same way, otherwise the promises collapse. Service Partners Are a Two-Sided Marketplace - In every community, there are only a handful of great service partners, so protect that trust because if you burn them, you lose access to everyone they know for years. Recruit Service Partners a Year in Advance - Have conversations with potential partners in new markets before you have work for them, so when the customer expands, you're not starting from zero. Insurance Is the Fastest Disqualifier - The level of insurance a contractor carries is what separates serious commercial snow and ice pros from the people just dabbling. Service Verification Isn't Going Away - Instead of grumbling about the proliferation of apps, embrace them as the tool that protects your company when the worst-case lawsuit hits. Document Every Decline - Recorded phone calls saved Earth Development in a negligent homicide lawsuit tied to a client refusing extra salting, so build the systems that document what happened and what was refused. Fair and Generous Beats Suspicious - Lead with a posture of generosity, backstop it with fairness, and accept that you'll occasionally get taken advantage of because the alternative is living suspicious of everyone. Be a Resource, Not the Eye in the Sky - Monitor service partners nonstop, but show up alongside them during storms with field operations supervisors instead of playing gotcha after the fact. High Expectations Attract the Right Partners - Great service partners want to be part of an elite performance environment, so don't apologize for the accounta... Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome and Guest Intro(00:00:40) - Inside Earth Development(00:02:59) - Six Years of Growth(00:05:08) - The Service Partner Model(00:07:49) - Core Values and Brand Promises(00:13:13) - Recruiting Great Partners(00:23:32) - Why Service Verification Matters(00:28:56) - Running a 15-State Operation(00:31:49) - Fair and Generous Leadership(00:36:54) - From Light Bulbs to Snow(00:44:10) - Do You Love Snow?(00:45:35) - Wrap Up

Upcoming Events GROW! Snow | September 22 to 23, 2026 An in-person event built for snow leaders and their teams. Two days of snow-specific breakout sessions, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. Details coming soon. Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Recruiting | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Why can't you find good people to hire, and what can you do about it? Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → David Bender, CEO of Weeded! Lawn Service in Richmond, Virginia, joins Phil to share how he built a snow operation that grows in one of the trickiest low-snow markets in the country. From choosing a client model that demands zero tolerance service, to designing custom equipment on the fly, to building a business that runs without him being awake for 83 hours straight, David shares the operational, structural, and mindset moves that made it possible. He also opens up about his SIMA speaking debut, why "lawn friends" beats "clients," and why the two questions he asks himself during every snow event have nothing to do with money. Key Learnings Pick a Blue Ocean for Your Company Name - A generic name puts you in a bloody sea of competitors on Google, but a distinctive name plants your flag in uncharted water and makes you unmistakable in your market. Sell to Clients Who Want It Clean - In a low snow market especially, the only way to make money is to attract clients who want zero tolerance service on every event, so build a client base that fits your model instead of chasing everyone. You Make the Decision, Not the Property Manager - You cannot run a snow operation while waiting on 53 property managers to approve action, so set the expectation up front that you are the decision maker on their lot. Build the Business to Run Without You - Preparation, delegation, and communication systems are what let you sit on a beach while a storm hits and trust your team to handle it. Take Care of the People Doing the Work - Give your subs good hours, clustered lots, quick pay when they walk in with paperwork, and grace when they damage a curb, and they will pick you over the contractor paying $50 more an hour. Take Care of the People You Work For - Treat your client's money like your money, their tenants like your tenants, and their lot like your lot, and the trust follows. Ask Two Questions on Every Snow Event - Are we taking great care of the people working for us, and are we taking great care of the people we work for? If the answers are yes, the money side works itself out. Say No to the Wrong Revenue - When a national buyer offered 60% of what David was earning on Walgreens locally, he walked away because it was the wrong revenue, and the right revenue has always come back around. Custom-Built Equipment Turns 80 Hours into One - A one-yard salt spreader on a custom trailer pulled by a Ventrac turned 80 man hours of sidewalk salti... Chapters (00:00:00) - Welcome and Introductions(00:00:38) - Snow in Virginia(00:02:50) - The SIMA Talks(00:04:54) - Bethesda to Cornell(00:07:35) - Family and Jiu-Jitsu(00:08:48) - Finding a Blue Ocean(00:11:14) - Meet the Lawn Friends(00:15:16) - Winter Scale Up(00:16:46) - How Snow Grew from One Truck(00:20:11) - You Have to Want It Clean(00:22:21) - Who Makes the Call(00:23:53) - Walking Away from Walgreens(00:24:46) - The Control Freak Story(00:26:12) - The Subcontractor Mindset(00:28:42) - Care Creates Referrals(00:31:36) - Planning the Cash(00:34:21) - Seasonal vs T&M(00:37:14) - Custom Trailers and Brine(00:42:04) - What's Next(00:46:14) - Know Your Numbers

Upcoming Events GROW! Snow | September 22 to 23, 2026 An in-person event built for snow leaders and their teams. Two days of snow-specific breakout sessions, a facility tour, and content designed to drive real change at your business. Details coming soon. Snowfighters Institute Webinars: Join us live for monthly webinars built to help snow pros run stronger, more profitable operations. All sessions run 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Capacity Planning | Tuesday, September 8, 2026 How do you determine your true operational capacity? Recruiting | Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Why can't you find good people to hire, and what can you do about it? Incentive Compensation & Rewards | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 Are your bonuses and rewards actually driving the results you want? Client & Employee Appreciation | Tuesday, December 8, 2026 Are you truly appreciating your clients and employees, or just going through the motions? See the full webinar list → Eric Gagnon, President of G&G Landscape and Development in Maine, joins Phil to share his journey from commercial electrician to full-time snow and landscape professional. From partnering with his brother and later navigating a family buyout, to losing his father at 19 and letting that shape how he approaches business and life, to building a self-performing operation that runs on seasonal contracts and an automated salt-sales system, Eric shares hard-won lessons on leadership, technology, and why serving the community matters as much as growing the business. He also opens up about loving snow, being a self-described loader guy, and pursuing a vision of excellence that blurs the line between work and life. Key Learnings Look in the Mirror Before You Commit Another Decade - Eric changed careers when he stopped liking who was looking back at him, so pay attention to that feeling instead of grinding through a job you don't enjoy for the rest of your career. Take the Leap Even When It Means a Pay Cut - Moving from a secure electrical job to full-time in the family business meant less pay and less security, but the freedom to build something of your own is worth the trade-off. Different Visions Between Partners Wear You Down - When one partner wants to grow big and the other wants to stay small, every conversation feels like someone has to compromise, which erodes the relationship over time. Buyouts Between Family Members Are Hard but Worth It - Family buyouts get emotional and people say things they shouldn't in the heat of the moment, but the right structural change can restore the personal relationship and strengthen both businesses. Address Conflict Before It Festers - In personal relationships and business, letting things sit only makes them worse, so have the hard conversation as quickly as possible. Everything Happens for a Reason - Losing his father at 19 forced Eric to spread his wings earlier than he would have, and shaped a perspective that hard experiences often prepare you for what comes next. Seasonal Contracts Build Better Businesses - Fixed monthly billing lets clients budget with confidence and lets you build the team, equipment, and quality of service the market expects, regardless of whether the winter is mild or brutal. Cap Your Salt Applications - Salt is a volatile commodity, so capping applications in your seasonal contract at a set number and...