Welcome to "Green Side Up: Tackling Entrepreneurial Weeds in Landscaping and Tree Care." Join hosts Jason Lee & Jordan Upcavage, a battle-tested landscaper, and a tree whisperer, as they peel back the layers of small business ownership in the green industry.
Get ready for raw stories from the trenches, navigating unpredictable weather, managing demanding clients, and conquering the challenges that define entrepreneurial journeys. Whether you're knee-deep in the dirt or just planting your seeds, this podcast is your companion in the uphill climb of entrepreneurial success.
Embrace the messy reality, find solace in shared struggles, and glean insights to thrive in the wild terrain of landscaping and tree care business. It's not always a walk in the park, but with "Green Side Up," you'll learn to thrive amid the chaos of entrepreneurship. Let's tackle those weeds together!
Ep 143. Making the Schedule Work: Emergency Jobs, Big Contracts, and Busy Seasons
In this episode, Jason Lee and Jordan catch up on the realities of running tree care and landscape businesses during a busy—and unpredictable—season. They discuss AI-driven leads and Skyfrog Landscape's new website, the challenge of fitting emergency tree work into packed schedules, and strategies for managing large contracts when client budgets or timelines change. They also get into the behind-the-scenes work of plant healthcare, including billing audits and chasing unpaid invoices, and preview an upcoming conversation with Tim Walters on knowing your true job costs and pricing work profitably before winter.
Connect with Jason and Jordan:
🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website (https://greensideuppodcast.com/)
📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com
📘 Facebook: Green Side Up
📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram
📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram
Visit Our Businesses:
🌿 SkyFrog Landscape (https://www.skyfroglandscape.com/)
🌳 Independent Tree Service (https://www.indepenttreeservice.com/)
Save with SingleOps:
💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription:
👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps
Sponsors & Partners:
👉 MitoGrow 🌱 (https://mitogrowpro.com/)
🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (https://intriguemedia.com/) (@imintriguemedia)
📍 GS TrackMe (https://gstrackme.com/en/)
Podcast Produced by:
🎧 Mr. Producer (https://www.instagram.com/mrproducerusa/) (@mrproducerusa)
17 Sept 2026
Ep 142. Trench Talk Tactics: Flat Rate, CRMs, and Social Media That Actually Converts
In this episode of Green Side Up, Jason and Jordan sit down for part two with Kevin Battistoni of Hunter Irrigation to dig deeper into what it takes to build a profitable, modern service business. Kevin breaks down the shift from traditional time-and-material billing to flat rate, upfront pricing, and how contractors are using this model to increase service margins by 30% while giving homeowners true cost certainty. They explore tiered "good, better, best" options, performance-based pay that lets top technicians earn six figures, and how smart use of CRMs eliminates missed materials and back-office rework. The conversation then shifts to social media as a serious lead engine, not a vanity metric game—covering Trench Talk's peer-to-peer content strategy, three core weekly content types contractors should post, and how to leverage tools like AI and simple time-lapse videos to stay top of mind without huge production budgets. Along the way, they wrestle with the tension between tech addiction, family life, and using these same platforms to grow a business and elevate the green industry as a true trade.
Show Notes:
IG: @kevin_battistoni_from_hunter
FB:@kevinbattistoni
Connect with Jason and Jordan:
🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website (https://greensideuppodcast.com/)
📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com
📘 Facebook: Green Side Up
📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram
📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram
Visit Our Businesses:
🌿 SkyFrog Landscape (https://www.skyfroglandscape.com/)
🌳 Independent Tree Service (https://www.indepenttreeservice.com/)
Save with SingleOps:
💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription:
👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps
Sponsors & Partners:
👉 MitoGrow 🌱 (https://mitogrowpro.com/)
🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (https://intriguemedia.com/) (@imintriguemedia)
📍 GS TrackMe (https://gstrackme.com/en/)
Podcast Produced by:
🎧 Mr. Producer (https://www.instagram.com/mrproducerusa/) (@mrproducerusa)
10 Sept 2026
Ep 141. Rising Tides and Real Numbers: Peer Groups, Pricing, and Profit in the Green Industry
In this episode of the Green Side Up Podcast, Jason and Jordan sit down live at the Landscape Show 2026 in the Hunter Irrigation studio with Kevin from Hunter Industries for a deep dive into where water, technology, and business strategy intersect. Kevin shares his journey as a fourth-generation "dirt surgeon," how he survived the 2008 downturn and COVID by pivoting into digital engagement, and how tools like Hydrawise and advanced monitoring turn irrigation systems into profit-driving, proactive service platforms. Jason and Jordan open up about building SkyFrog and their Tree Service brands, navigating hurricanes, drought, layoffs, and creative marketing to keep their companies healthy. The conversation then shifts into the power of peer groups, pricing smarter instead of just chasing top-line revenue, and Jason's vision for bringing real peer-to-peer learning into FNGLA across Florida. They wrap by teeing up a part-two episode on social media, digital engagement, and "Trench Talk"—how contractors can turn their everyday work and stories into real business results.
Show Notes:
IG: @kevin_battistoni_from_hunter
FB:@kevinbattistoni
Connect with Jason and Jordan:
🌐 Green Side Up Podcast Website (https://greensideuppodcast.com/)
📧 Email: greensideuppodcast@gmail.com
📘 Facebook: Green Side Up
📸 @greensideuppodcast on Instagram
📸 @skyfroglandscape on Instagram
Tree Care Business Webinars:
🌿 A Healthy Bottom Line (https://granum.com/stop-reselling-phc/) - Sept. 15, 2026
Visit Our Businesses:
🌿 SkyFrog Landscape (https://www.skyfroglandscape.com/)
🌳 Independent Tree Service (https://www.indepenttreeservice.com/)
Save with SingleOps:
💸 Mention Green Side Up or use this link to get $500 off your SingleOps subscription:
👉 Get $500 Off SingleOps
Sponsors & Partners:
👉 MitoGrow 🌱 (https://mitogrowpro.com/)
🎥 Intrigue Media on Instagram (https://intriguemedia.com/) (@imintriguemedia)
📍 GS TrackMe (https://gstrackme.com/en/)
Podcast Produced by:
🎧 Mr. Producer (https://www.instagram.com/mrproducerusa/) (@mrproducerusa)
Who has been a guest on Green Side Up
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Tony Bass
Vanessa McQuade
Tyler
Neil Glatt
Mike Garvey
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
20 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
33 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 70 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
92
Social presence
94
YouTube
0
Engagement
71
Contact Green Side Up
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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