Interview Series: Six Month Check in With GROW! 2025 Tour Host Jason Cromley
Description
In this episode Jason Cromley talks about the community he discovered by attending the GROW! Annual Conference, what it was like to host the conference, and what they've been up to in the six months since they hosted the tour during GROW! 2025. Jason shares how they're finding leads, what challenges the team is navigating this year, and what he hopes to see in the future for Hidden Creek Landscaping.
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Episode Chapters:
00:00 - Episode Intro
00:57 - The Importance of Walking & Routines
01:54 - Jason Cromley: Updates and Insights
02:56 - Reflections on Hosting Grow
07:02 - Sales Goals and Marketing Strategies
12:47 - Operations and Hiring Challenges
19:43 - Sales Challenges and Client Follow-Up
21:16 - Importance of Client Referrals
25:18 - Marketing Success and Peer Group Insights
26:51 - Operational Improvements and SOPs
28:05 - Role of a Fractional COO
31:30 - Networking and Industry Involvement
36:39 - Planning for Future Growth
38:56 - Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Resources:
Virtual Sales Bootcamp
Grunder Landscaping Field Trips
The Grow Group
Show Notes:
The Power of Walking: Marty emphasizes the importance of movement and walking for business leaders, describing it as essential for physical health and mental clarity. He shares his personal struggle with maintaining step counts but acknowledges walking as a "cleansing experience" that enables better thinking and decision-making.
Jason's Morning Routine and Recovery: Jason details his disciplined morning routine: treadmill at 5:30 AM, followed by 20 minutes in the sauna and cold plunge. This routine serves as his "sanity" and creates a "proactive brain versus reactive brain" - essential preparation before entering the office where he becomes more reactive to daily demands.
Post-Grow Event Reflection (180 Days Later)
The Immediate Aftermath: Jason describes the post-event experience as similar to "your only kid getting married" - a massive buildup followed by an empty feeling of "what are we supposed to do now?" The team experienced a brief identity crisis after such an intense preparation period.
The Real Value: Preparation Process: The most impactful aspect wasn't the event itself but the preparation process. Creating PowerPoints, preparing slides, and readying the facility generated immense pride throughout the organization. The preparation forced deep self-examination of company processes and aspirational thinking.
Vision Casting Through Presentation Prep: Jason asked his team post-event: "How amazing would Hidden Creek be if you guys did everything that you said in the slides you presented?" The response: "We'd be amazing." This revealed that the slides represented their ideal daily operations, unclouded by typical distractions and fires.
Financial Performance and Sales Pipeline
2024 Revenue Target vs. Reality
Goal: $27 million
Projected: $25+ million (falling short due to poor Q1 backlog)
Current Pipeline: $20+ million for 2025 (design-build only, excluding maintenance)
Lead Generation Success
Jason reports receiving more leads than ever in the company's 27-year history, attributing success to:
Custom Direct Mail Campaign: Targeted 5,000+ homes ($1M+ value, no pools, near golf courses)
Unique Mailer Design: Above-and-beyond piece that friends texted about, generating calls three weeks later
Results: Five design fees sold totaling $20,000+, each representing $250K-$350K projects
Google Pay-Per-Click: Expensive but effective for volume (though lower quality leads)
Referrals and SEO: 45 qualified leads in a single week
The Compound Effect of Reputation: Marty emphasizes that after 27 years in business, reputation creates momentum: "The work you're doing today is selling tomorrow's work." This compound effect of consistent quality and integrity becomes a significant competitive advantage.
Operational Challenges and Solutions
Hiring and Staffing Philosophy
Current Status: Nearly fully staffed with only one deficit
Strategic Approach: Taking time to find the "perfect fit" rather than panic hiring
Assessment Tools: DISC assessments for office staff, thorough reference checks
Reality Check: "When you do an interview, that is the absolute best that person will ever be"
The Growth Pain Paradox: Both Marty and Jason acknowledge that rapid growth creates personnel challenges. Some employees who were effective at smaller scales struggle with increased pace and accountability. This leads to "friendly separations" with people who can't adapt to higher performance standards.
Team Expectations and Standards: Jason uses the analogy that Hidden Creek is "the Ohio State football team" - they want to win the national championship every year, and everyone wants to beat them. This high-performance expectation means not everyone is a cultural fit.
Customer Service and Quality Control
The "Feeling Heard" Problem: Both leaders discuss recent customer complaints, identifying a common theme: clients didn't feel heard when issues arose. The problem wasn't necessarily the quality of work but the speed and quality of response to concerns.
Sales Follow-Through Issues: Marty identifies a critical gap: salespeople not maintaining client relationships post-sale. Example: Two cracked pavers requiring three client calls to address, with scheduling treating it as routine rather than emergency. The solution requires salespeople to either escalate properly or handle minor issues personally.
Client Visit Strategy:
United States
