Blizzard & Bloom: Insights from the Ice and the Green Scene

Weathering the Storms of Business

• Jay Rotonnelli • Season 1

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Dive into the debut episode of "Blizzard and Bloom," hosted by Jay Rotonnelli, where we explore resilience and growth in the ever-challenging landscape of entrepreneurship. From blizzards to blooms, this podcast navigates the realities of the business world, emphasizing the importance of sharing authentic stories that reveal both the highs and lows of professional journeys. Jay draws on his 36 years of experience in the snow removal and landscaping industries to ground discussions in real-world examples. 

Listeners can look forward to engaging narratives filled with humor, lessons learned, and valuable insights on how to navigate industry challenges. We delve into the need for strategic planning and adaptability while celebrating the power of community and friendship in business. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting, the stories shared here resonate with anyone passionate about growth and resilience.

Join us on this journey as we uncover the gritty realities behind business success. Stay tuned for future episodes filled with expert insights and captivating discussions on topics ranging from leadership development to innovative business strategies. Don't forget to subscribe and share with your network to keep the community thriving!

Speaker 1:

Welcome to Blizzard and Bloom, the podcast where we navigate the storms and celebrate the triumphs in business and entrepreneurship. Join us as we dive into stories, insights and strategies from top professionals to help you thrive in today's evolving landscape. And now here is your host, jay Rotinelli. Here is your host, jay.

Speaker 2:

Rotinelli. Hey listeners, jay Rotinelli here from Blizzard and Bloom. This is the very first episode of the podcast series and I want to share a little bit with you about why I started this podcast series. You know I spend a lot of time in my vehicle traveling just throughout our different markets, and I love the podcast because it gives me something to listen to that I find oftentimes meaningful and impactful. But one of the things I've learned through some personal connections and networking and a business retreat that I've been on, is people want to really hear the real stuff. They don't want to just hear the fluff, and you know it makes a lot of sense to me.

Speaker 2:

I've been in the industry for 36 years. I've had some great success and I've had some challenges along the way and I've certainly learned from both of them. When I think about the industries together, they do tend to combine and overlap a bit, but I had a boss one time that always said to me listen, it's all how you recover. And I think there's a lot to be said about that, because when you have these challenges and you work through them independently or as a team, then everyone can learn from that and move past it so that hopefully it doesn't happen again, right, so? So anyway, some of these conversations moving forward are going to be just really casual conversations we're having with people and I think they're going to bring some great industry insights to us, both green and white and, I think, everything in between. So I'm super excited to start the podcast. It's a hobby of mine that I've worked for probably 18 months trying to get moving and I finally, you know, have come to the point where I've had enough feedback from people saying, hey, we really want to hear from the folks that have been in the field, you know, who have had those successes, have had those challenges, and that's what we want. You know, the glory stuff is great, but people want to really hear the kind of the nitty gritty and some of the challenges they might face and also know that there's support out there, that there's people listening and others that can reach in through peer groups, networking, linkedin, things of that nature.

Speaker 2:

So I want to tell you a little bit why I chose the name Blizzard and Bloom. It's kind of catchy, but I think about the two industries and I think about where the blizzard symbolizes the snow removal side. It's the grit, the challenges, unpredictability and the weather and then the resilience that you need to work through those challenges, because they never come at an opportune time and there's never two storms that are alike. Whereas the landscape represents the growth, the creativity and the nurturing of the environment, it's a little bit less driven from a time standpoint and it's not an emergency. So we talk about those two worlds and really how they overlap. But I think they overlap more than people think truthfully, because I think they both require a tremendous amount of strategic planning. You've got to execute properly because there's always somebody else coming, you know, looking to take over where you fail. So you need to stay strong in that you need to adapt to the changes. So we talk about snow. It's the weather changes, it's the resources we have, whether it's from an equipment standpoint or personnel, or maybe it's materials. Something this year that some folks are finding out is the salt shortages, whether from a bag product standpoint or bulk. So you know. So some of that that comes into play as well.

Speaker 2:

So some of the highlights of my career. I started back in 1987, I guess in high school, just before I was going to graduate and work for a company and I really loved the opportunities to work on some great properties. I love the challenges. I love the camaraderie that we built as teams when we were out there fighting the elements. And then subsequently I went off to school and my brother did as well and my folks started a garden center. And Then my brother finished up school and then I was right behind him while I was working and started a garden center which today is super successful, super proud of the family, and where it stands today.

Speaker 2:

I believe there's seven growing greenhouses family run by my brother and his wife and my sister and my dad, who actually is turning 85. This still is a staple there and loves to be a part of it. They built a great business. I found that the retail side was not really for me. It wasn't the flavor that I was interested in, so I stayed more on the landscape installation and maintenance side of things as well as snow. So that's kind of how I got into it in the beginning and I worked for some great folks, then was out on my own for a bit and then I fortunately had an extended career in the snow removal field in Boston metro area before my career took me to where I am today, which is Piscataqua Landscaping and Tree Service.

Speaker 2:

And actually our company has grown exponentially. We have more than doubled in the time that I've been here in eight years and we're currently serving markets on the seacoast of New Hampshire, southern Maine, we're up into the lakes region of New Hampshire with two branches and up into the White Mountains and then we're also servicing the Portland Maine area as far as north as Booth Bay Harbor, and so we really have connected the dots and the growth has been from a few mergers and acquisitions, but really what lends itself to that is from being client-driven, with clients that have multiple properties, whether on the seacoast and then one up in the lakes region of New Hampshire. That's a summer home for them, or maybe they have a business in Portland Maine market and have a summer home in the Portsmouth area on the oceans. It was really unique in the sense of how things kind of came together. So that's kind of where I stand today. I have a great career here, as a lot of folks know and hear me say that I'm so excited to be able to offer inputs and experiences to younger folks getting into the industry, because it is a great one and if you love people and love challenges, this is a great career. Some of the relationships I've created over the past 36 years are just phenomenal. So that's a little bit about me.

Speaker 2:

I want to just talk a little bit about just kind of how the industry's changed and I want to share a funny story with you all. But I think about kind of how the technology has changed the client expectations, some of the business strategies that we use. You know, I think back to the day we had the yellow books or the yellow pages in the phone book, we had the local newspaper and we had some radio, if you were fortunate enough and had the budget for it, and I think about some of those and how it's the dynamics have changed on that. And now we live in a social media world, in the internet-based world, that things have really, really changed. So I think about some of that. I think about how we all used to plant trees and you know there were no machines that had a swivel head to place the tree just right and get it into the hole, and there were no vacuums to pick up the pavers and set them down in the right place. So when I think about the technology and where it's at today, it's phenomenal. But I still like to remind the younger folks of kind of how we came up through that progression, because I think it's kind of a cool story and I've got some maybe some broken fingernails and arthritis to share my stories. But anyways, I'm super excited of where this industry is going and there's some great younger folks in the industry that I see on social media that have really jumped in and really taken this industry to gain the respect that it deserves and it needs and then create some new solutions and new ideas. So super excited about that.

Speaker 2:

One of the things I wanted to share with you all was I'll share with you one funny story just to kind of keep it light and relatable. But I had a job years ago and did a lot of work for general contractor and he was building properties and this one job he was on they were doing a sewer and water main through the town and he called me and he said, hey, jay. He says, um, you got a minute. And I said, yeah, sure, what's up, jim? And he said, hey, listen, I got a real tough situation. He goes I've got a tough resident on the street who the only impact they have is the fact that we have to go out in front in between the sidewalk and the street and we need to come through where that green patch of turf is, he says. And we haven't done any work for them, they just happen to be in the line of where we're working through. He said I need somebody to come in here and loan and hydro-seed it and make it look real great, he said. And I just don't trust anybody because I don't want to have anything happen. Sure, no problem, jim, I'll take care of it. I'll come in Saturday morning and you know I got a helper with me and we'll take care of it. I got you covered.

Speaker 2:

So, anyways, we hook up the, you know, get all mixed up. We show up on the side, got the tank ready. I'm reeling out the hose. It was an older machine back in the day and, anyways, I had my younger gentleman helping me and he started the machine. He started the pump and everything was going. I had fed out a bunch of hose. Well, he thought it was in the way, so he pulled it all back and I had the handle and I tripped on the sidewalk curb and the handle opened up and, wouldn't you know it, I painted that beautiful white farmer's porch a nice bluish green and I'll leave it at that. It wasn't good. It was something that I think about. That happened and it's funny now. It wasn't funny at the time. You can all laugh about it. We took care of it and made it even great after and did some extra things for her and she was pleased and even she got a little chuckle out of it. So that's my story.

Speaker 2:

I'm kind of in the industry. I have a bunch but not enough time today. So, kind of moving forward here, what we're going to do is we're going to have some industry experts come on the show for some episodes. We're going to do some interviews with them. I'm going to probably just have a few solo episodes myself, share some tips, industry insights and so forth, and then we're probably even going to have some panel discussions on some of the hot topics in the landscape and in snow removal industries, such as risk management in the snow industry, salt shortages. Maybe we'll get into some labor challenges and how we handle them in the landscape industry. So I'm really interested and looking forward to hearing some from the industry experts. So we're going to cover some business growth strategies. We're going to talk about some leadership, the leadership development, client relationships, industry trends and just kind of, like I said, real world stories of what people have been through. So I think you know whether you're a business owner, operations manager, field manager, field staff, anyone in the service industry, real estate industry, I think there's something there for everyone. So, super excited.

Speaker 2:

I hope you'll stay tuned for the future episodes. So this isn't just a podcast about me or for me, it's really for the community of folks in the service industry, particularly the landscape and snow industry. There's going to be a point where you'll be able to send in some questions, topics, suggestions and maybe your own stories that you want to share, and I welcome them, and then soon after we'll look to do some Q&A sessions and go from there. So be patient with the process. I think it's going to be real good. We've got some great speakers lined up, some that you'll know throughout North America, some that you'll probably recognize regionally and maybe some that you won't recognize, but I do think they're going to bring a lot of value, you know, to the podcast.

Speaker 2:

So I want to thank you all for tuning into this first episode and, if you have enjoyed it, please subscribe to the Blizzard and Bloom podcast series so you don't miss out on the future episodes and share it, share it with your colleagues, share it with the industry. So, you know, share it on social media, follow up things of that nature. So super excited. I'd love some feedback from you all and I just I think we're going to talk real world stuff here that most folks will be able to relate to. So we're kicking things off with an industry expert on a dive into the world of snow management on the next episode, so you won't want to miss that one. So thank you everybody for jumping on board and super excited for the next episodes to happen and to have you all involved. So thanks again. Really appreciate your time, take care.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning into blizzard and bloom with Jay Rotinelli. We hope you feel inspired and empowered. Don't forget to subscribe and leave a review. Join us next week for more insights and stories to help you bloom in your business journey.