Profits with Pajak
by John Pajak
Latest episode
The Sale isn't Over When You Collect the Money. Ep. #562
The Sale isn't Over When You Collect the Money. Ep. #562
About this podcast
Profits with Pajak is a weekly podcast that focuses on providing actionable strategies and insights for small business owners in the green industry. Hosted by John Pajak, each episode features in-depth discussions with successful entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and industry experts, who share their experiences and lessons learned on building and growing profitable businesses.
From financial planning and operations advice, to marketing and sales tips, the podcast covers a wide range of topics that are relevant to small business owners in the green industry. The show is designed to help listeners unlock the full potential of their businesses, by providing practical advice and proven strategies for creating sustainable profits in the green industry. Whether you're just starting out or are looking to take your business to the next level, the "Profits with Pajak" podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to grow their business and create long-term success in the green industry.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 564 episodes
- The Sale isn't Over When You Collect the Money. Ep. #562 · 39 minTwo online purchases. Two disappointing experiences. And some expensive lessons about trust, accountability, and business integrity. In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John…
- Customer Experience is NOT About the Cost of Strawberries Ep. #561 · 22 min · Episode 561A three-dollar charge for extra strawberries sparked an unexpected lesson about customer service. After overhearing a conversation at a local breakfast restaurant, John reflects…
- Is It Too Late To Seed? Ep. #560 · 27 min · Episode 560Every fall, lawn care operators scramble to complete aeration and overseeding jobs before winter. But when is it too late to seed? In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John…
- Running Into My Exes on Halloween. Ep. #559 · 25 min · Episode 559What would you do if you ran into three of your exes in five minutes... and they all looked better than ever? That's exactly what happened to John Pajak while trick-or-treating…
- The Return of the Cash-Eating Monster: A Profits with Pajak Halloween Special Ep. #558 · 26 min · Episode 558He's back. He's hungry. And he's furious with John Pajak! This Halloween, the Cash-Eating Monster returns to Profits with Pajak with a bone to pick. Ever since his last…
- You Come for the Equipment but You Stay for the People. Ep. #557 · 41 min · Episode 557After nearly a decade of attending Equip Expo, John Pajak reflects on why Equip Expo 2026 was one of his most meaningful experiences yet. From speaking at LCR Summit and…
- Stop Marketing to Everyone Ep. #556 · 15 min · Episode 556Are your marketing dollars attracting profitable customers, or just more work? In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John shares a simple neighborhood marketing strategy that…
- Before You Walk Into Equip Expo, Listen to This Ep. #555 · 45 min · Episode 555Equip Expo 2026 is here! Before you walk through the doors of the Kentucky Exposition Center, make sure you're prepared to get the most out of your experience. In this episode of…
- Shiny Equipment, Ugly Numbers Ep. #554 · 25 min · Episode 554Do you really need a brand-new truck to run a successful lawn care business? And when does buying used equipment make more financial sense than buying new? In this episode of…
- Build a Better Life, Not Just a Bigger Business featuring Joseph DiPace Ep. #553 · 1 h 7 min · Episode 553What if building a bigger business isn't the same as building a better life? In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John sits down with Joseph DiPace to discuss his journey from…
- Eliminate It, Fix It, or Accept It Ep. #552 · 32 min · Episode 552By the end of a long lawn and landscape season, it's easy to start making declarations: I'm never offering that service again. I'm firing that customer. I'm selling that machine…
- Shake It Off and Finish Your Season Strong Ep. #551 · 27 min · Episode 551October can be one of the toughest months for northern lawn and landscape business owners. You're tired, your employees are tired, and after months of weather delays, equipment…
- What If Your Competition Copies You? Ep. #550 · 30 min · Episode 550Should you publish your prices, or are you handing your competitors an advantage? In this Q&A episode, John answers a listener's concern about competitors shopping estimates…
- Google Isn't Just Ranking You Anymore, AI Is Trying to Understand You. Ep. #549 · 29 min · Episode 549Search isn't what it was five years ago. AI Overviews, AI Mode and conversational search are changing how customers discover local businesses. John breaks down what still matters…
- Where Did My $100 Go? Ep. #548 · 17 min · Episode 548You charge a customer $100 for a job. How much did you actually make? In this short episode of Profits with Pajak, John follows a simple $100 sale from the moment the customer…
- That's Just the Way It Is Ep. #547 · 33 min · Episode 547John thought he'd be home around 4:00. Instead, a distracted mistake while mixing herbicide, equipment problems, fueling, repairs, and preparation for the next day resulted in…
- How to Pay Lawn & Landscape Employees Ep. #546 · 33 min · Episode 546How much should you pay a mower, landscape laborer, applicator or crew leader? Pajak breaks down why job titles alone don't determine wages and explains how skill…
- Are We Pricing Lawn Care or a Moon Landing? Ep. #545 · 30 min · Episode 545Are you running the numbers, or are you overengineering a simple decision? John breaks down why some services need detailed estimating while others should be governed by simple…
- YA WHAD-DA-YA-WANT? Ep. #544 · 27 min · Episode 544After years in business, Pajak is starting to understand the old-school business owner who answers the phone with nothing more than, "Yeah?" This humorous episode explores…
- How Big Do You Want to Go? Ep. #543 · 33 min · Episode 543How big do you actually want your business to become? In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John challenges the assumption that successful businesses must constantly grow. From…
- 3 Questions Lawn Care Business Owners Are Asking Ep. #542 · 30 min · Episode 542In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John answers three questions that many lawn and landscape business owners eventually face: How do you know when it's time to raise your…
- Don't Buy Equipment Just for the Tax Write Off Ep. #541 · 29 min · Episode 541Equipment dealers are getting ready to make deals, tax season is approaching, and business owners are hearing the same advice: "Buy it before the end of the year and write it…
- Run the Numbers: What Should You Charge in 2027? Ep. #540 · 31 min · Episode 540How much should you raise your prices in 2027? Five percent? Ten percent? Before picking an arbitrary number, John Pajak argues that you're starting with the wrong question. In…
- Did I Build Myself an Ivory Tower? Ep. #539 · 32 min · Episode 539Have I become disconnected from the reality of the green industry? After years of surrounding himself with successful business owners, manufacturers, speakers and industry…
- You Worked All Summer. What Did You Keep? Ep. #538 · 19 min · Episode 538You've been working since spring. The trucks are moving, payroll is getting made, customers are paying, and money is flowing through the business. But how much of it are you…
- Don't Touch the Wire: Know When to Leave It Alone Ep. #537 · 13 min · Episode 537Sometimes the urge to "do something" can make a bad situation worse. After watching people attempt to deal with damaged power lines following a storm, John draws a powerful…
- Thank You for the Shower Ep. #536 · 19 min · Episode 536After nearly a week without power or running water, the electricity unexpectedly returned to John's home for about a couple of hours. It was just long enough for his family to…
- Civility and Survival After the Indiana Tornadoes Ep. #535 · 38 min · Episode 535John describes the harrowing aftermath of severe tornadoes that recently devastated his Indiana community. He shares personal accounts of living without power or running water…
- Work ON the Business: Events, Equipment Choices, and Elite Clients with Tony Rudolph Ep. #534 · 1 h 25 min · Episode 534John Pajak sits down with Tony Rudolph of Tony's Lawn Care to talk about building a profitable, tight route in high-end communities, making the shift to battery-powered…
- What I Wish Someone Had Told Me in Year One Ep. #533 · 30 min · Episode 533If you're in your first few years of business, this episode is for you. John Pajak shares the advice he wishes someone had given him when he was just starting out, from…
- Why LCR Summit Is the Best Way to Start Your Equip Expo Week Ep. #532 · 47 min · Episode 532In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John Pajak sits down with Naylor Taliaferro from Pod House in Scottsdale, Arizona, to preview one of the biggest weeks of the year for the…
- Building Systems and Scaling Fast with Michelle Marshall at LLTC 2026 Ep. #531 · 1 h 12 min · Episode 531Live from the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference in Scottsdale, John Pajak sits down with Michelle Marshall of Marshall Lawn Solutions to unpack CRMs, data security, and…
- How CFVI's Accurator Saves Time, Product, and Headaches in the Field with Morgan Laidlaw Ep. #530 · 41 min · Episode 530At the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference in Scottsdale, John sits down with Morgan Laidlaw of CFVI to talk about ending hand mixing for lawn and pest pros. They break down…
- Your Business Should Serve You: Making Your Company Exit-Ready with Dennis Hering Ep. #529 · 55 min · Episode 529Are you building a sellable business—or just owning an overworked job? From recurring revenue and systems to "buying back your time," John Pajak and investment banker Dennis…
- Stop Hiding: How Fisher Multimedia Helps Lawn & Landscape Pros Show Up Online Ep. #528 · 40 min · Episode 528Lawn and landscape pros are great at the work—but most are invisible online. Live from the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference, John Pajak talks with Dalton Fisher of Fisher…
- The Efficiency Advantage: Eric Prokop on PermaGreen Equipment Ep. #527 · 50 min · Episode 527In this episode of Profits with Pajak, recorded live at the Lawn & Landscape Technology Conference, John sits down with Eric Prokop from PermaGreen to discuss how the right…
- It's Too Hot to be a Hero Ep. #526 · 27 min · Episode 526Working outside in the summer isn't for the faint of heart. When temperatures climb into the mid-90s with heat indexes over 100 degrees, the job changes. Your equipment…
- The Shortcut Nobody Wants to Talk About Ep. #525 · 20 min · Episode 525Every business owner wants to grow faster. Most are looking for a better marketing strategy, a new piece of equipment, or another software program that promises to save time. But…
- How Bougie is Your Lawn Care Program? Ep. #524 · 19 min · Episode 524Four applications. Five applications. Seven applications. Ten applications. With so many lawn care programs available today, how do you know what's actually necessary? In this…
- If Revenue Dropped 20% Tomorrow, Would You Survive? Ep. #523 · 21 min · Episode 523Every business owner hopes next season will be bigger than the last. But what if it isn't? What if the phone slows down? What if customers cut back on spending? What if you lose…
- Your Equipment Isn't Making You Rich Ep. #522 · 14 min · Episode 522Every contractor loves equipment. New trucks. Bigger trailers. Better mowers. More spreaders. Shelves full of spare parts "just in case." But at what point does owning equipment…
- Show Me Your Production Rate and I'll Show You Your Profit Ep. #521 · 22 min · Episode 521Most business owners think they need more customers. What if the real problem isn't sales? What if your business already has enough work, but your systems are preventing you from…
- Should You Catch Up or Move On? Ep. #520 · 19 min · Episode 520Every business owner eventually falls behind. Maybe it's because of rain. Maybe it's extreme heat. Maybe an employee calls off, equipment breaks down, or life simply gets in the…
- The Most Expensive Customer Isn't Always Your Cheapest One Ep. #519 · 21 min · Episode 519Not every customer is worth keeping. In this episode of Profits with Pajak, John Pajak challenges the idea that more customers automatically mean a better business. He explores…
- Empathy Doesn't Mean Availability Ep. #518 · 16 min · Episode 518A simple phone call about weed control turned into a surprising lesson about boundaries, customer service, and human behavior. After spending 25 minutes explaining why his…
- The Most Expensive Machine You Own Might Be Paid Off Ep. #517 · 31 min · Episode 517A paid-off machine feels like a win, but what if it's quietly costing your business thousands of dollars every year? In this episode, John Pajak breaks down the economics of…
- Stop Chasing Strangers Ep. #516 · 23 min · Episode 516Most contractors spend thousands of dollars trying to attract new customers while completely ignoring the people who already know, like, and trust them. In this episode, John…
- Glyphosate-Free: Did We Actually Make Weed Killers Safer? Ep. #515 · 23 min · Episode 515You probably have a bottle of weed killer sitting in your garage right now. But do you actually know what's inside it? After years of controversy surrounding glyphosate, many…
- The 3-Second Marketing Test Every Contractor Should Take Ep. #514 · 23 min · Episode 514Can a customer tell who you are, what you do, and how to contact you in just three seconds? Most contractors spend thousands of dollars on truck wraps, logos, and branding, but…
- Find $1,000 Hiding in Your Business This Week Ep. #513 · 21 min · Episode 513Before you spend another dollar on marketing or chase your next customer, stop and look inside your own business. There may already be money hiding in plain sight. In this…
