The Sprinkler Nerd Show

Andy shares his insight about the definition of quality while listening to an interview with Seth Godin on The Tim Ferris Show (#638). QUALITY. If you are a perfectionist, Quality as is a great way to hide. And if you factor in that according to Wikipedia, 25-30% of the general population are perfectionists. That's quite high, and how is the word Quality, a great way to hide? He says this because he believes, and I would agree with him, that you do not want to be an enemy of quality. I'm going to dig into this, but I'd like for you to think about how often you might use this word in your own business, or in your own daily routines. I'd put money down, that you use the word quality to describe your company, your work, your ethic, etc., you cannot be the enemy of quality. When an engineer, a product manager, or a company, says, "I can't ship this yet because the quality isn't there (like a physical product, or software), or someone says, "why are you racing through that project, don't you want to put quality into it?" We feel defenseless in the face of that question, because yes, we want quality. So, someone who doesn't want to ship their work is going to stand behind perfectionism. BUT perfectionism has nothing to do with Perfect, and perfect does not have a lot to do with quality. BOOM! Mic fucking drop right there. I think I should say that again, perfectionism has nothing to do with perfect, and perfect does not have a lot to do with quality. Holy cow, right?!? So, what this means, and this is the heart of my aha moment, and this episode, is that quality has a very specific definition. This concept is something that I had not given much thought to in the past, because, perhaps I was making my own definition of quality, through my own lens, and my personal tastes, based on my own experiences, but in knowing what was this ever a specific definition of quality. So, what does QUALITY mean? Seth Godin said that, the definition of QUALITY, comes from Edwards Deming, and the rest of the quality movement of the 40's and 50's, the people who gave us, the Toyota, and what it means is, MEETS SPEC. That's it. That is what quality means, that. is. it. MEETS SPEC. Then he says, so if I asked you what is a better car, a Toyota Carolla, or a rolls Royce, the answer is, a Toyota Carola, because the Toyota meets SPEC. It more reliably does exactly what it is supposed to do, when it is supposed to do it than a rolls Royce does, but rolls Royce is a different thing, it is luxury, and it is deliberately spending resources to create something that most people can't have. Boom, mic drop again! To me, this means quality could mean many things, but you must know what the specification was, in order to decide if the product or project was quality. I guess that what this might also mean, is that if you are a landscape contractor or an irrigation contractor, and you do not meet the project specification, you do not do quality work. Simple as that. How well did you meet the project specification? If you are a design-build contractor, perhaps you also have the advantage of writing the specification - and if you can write the specification - I would you could deliver a finished project that meets your own specification well. The next definition of quality which I won't go deep into in this episode, but it is equally important, especially when there is no clear SPEC to MEET, which is often the case with landscape construction projects - the next definition of quality is THE MAGIC of MAGIC. What is the Quality of Magic - think about the good old fashion coin trick, when a good magician either makes the coin disappear, or the coin goes from one hand to the other. For a moment you feel something, some amazement, some tension, the tension of questioning how that just happened, because you know that couldn't happen - but that just happened - and you have both of these feelings at the same time. That couldn't happen, but that just happened, at the same time. Once you know how the tick is done, it is simply a trick, the magic is gone. And in the case of a great performance or great customer service, or great theatre, the first time you experience it, the unexpected moment when the lights turn on for you, that is the magic moment, and that Magic moment is another definition of quality. Seth believes that with robotics, artificial intelligence, and offshoring, the work that is left for us, is the work to create magic. That is really powerful, how do you create magic? So guys, if your product or project does not has a SPEC you can MEET, you might look for the magic in the magic. What can you offer your clients, for the first time, that will have an unexpected moment of wow? - I'm writing that down - look to give your customers an unexpected moment of wow - and they will perceive that as QUALITY. So perhaps, and I'm going to leave this thought with you....would it be possible to meet a spec 100% and do a quality job, and if every contractor met th

Hello boys and girls, ladies and germs. Welcome Welcome Welcome, Welcome to episode 94 of the Sprinkler Nerd Show! I'm going to start off this episode with a quote a heard recently from Seth Godin. People use the word marketing to mean the word advertising, or they use it to mean the word hustle or hype, but it's none of those things, it used to be those things. First of all, your customer knows more than you do - about alternatives - about their own feelings and about their desires... Number tow, the internet is really smart, and it can find someone cheaper than you who does with you say you do with two clicks! And number three, we're not listening to ads like we used to because we have so many other choices. Instead, we listen to our colleagues we listen to what other people in the world are saying... So what marketing is now, is really simple - it's building a true story that other people get a benefit from talking about - they find some sense of identity in engaging with your story - that's what marketing is - and you need to get rid of all the people in your work who think their marketing is the other thing cuz they're causing you to make bad decisions So - mash up this concept with building better relationships with your customers, and you get, FEED THE ONES YOU HAVE. You can't adopt any more children until you feed the ones you have. What does this mean? - You have 100 customers, maybe 500 customers, who have paid you in the last month, and your first thought is, where am I going to get more? I don't have enough. Where can I find more people, and more business. - And this becomes the self-sacrificial thing that only makes it worse because we start focusing all of our energy and attention of the things that we don't have, while we're not acknowledging and having gratitude for the things that we do have. And when we do have it, and we pour into it, it helps us find the next path. - You probably have customers who haven't bought from you in 6 months. You start up their irrigation systems, you winterize their system, and that is it. SO - shoot them an email (video email) and say, "hey John, it's Andy, just checking in. Is there anything we can do to support you? No strings attached, no offer, no discount, no hook, just a genuine email, like you would send to a friend. - Maybe you have a customer for 10 years, and this is the 10th season you have winterized their system. You know what I would do, I'd get out my phone, record a video, and say thank you. - I know you have clients that you haven't talked to in a long time. So, spend some time engaging with the, just to remind them that you are still here, and use one of those principles of a relationship.

Rye, Rye, Rocco Marco Esquandolas You've got to run like an antelope out of control Listen on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/track/1N9CMZgL7aM8fXpgg5ZWV1?si=onvALUJmQ06YLmFK9602NA&context=spotify%3Asearch%3Arun%2Blike Hustle is the new epidemic that is celebrated and rewarded without people realizing what it is costing you. It has taken me a long time to realize this, and honestly, this is something I am just now learning to change my behavior. Let's define hustle. I'd like to share a definition according to Echo Hill: She defines the hustle as the, "push-pull force drag energy to achieve an outcome. it's not in alignment, it is not inspired, it is purely a repetitive behavior, do A,B,C, over and over again to get there." The hustle culture today is like being rewarded for busyness. That busy energy. Fuck busyness. Busyness does not get results. When is enough, enough? Is 1 more hour in the office necessary? If you ask your son or daughter, would you like daddy to work for one more hour on this podcast, or would you like daddy to take you to the park? The answer is easy? But why do we continue to hustle? Ask yourself this: What are you running from? What are you running towards? What are you afraid of that the "hustle" will fix? I guarantee you that the hustle will not fix anything. So instead, what if we changed the way we define Hustle, and instead, we look at hustle as a tool? Know when you should hustle, and where you should hustle, but simply hustling for the sake of hustle, or because you think it is cool, or because you think you will impress someone, is not going to work. You may actually think it is working because most of the time, you cannot read the label when you are inside the bottle. What I mean is that you may not even be aware that you are hustling - or - carrying the energy of hustling. Yes, I said the energy of hustling. When we move through the world, we are just a sealed-up body of liquid with electrical impulses. These impulses are energy and we can control the type of energy that we give off. So I'd like to challenge you to try something with me. I'm going to start trying this myself. It is the practice of pausing to take a breath. 30secs to 2 mins. A breath after each activity, as you transition to the next activity, so that you are clear your energy, and do not let the energy from one task, influence the performance or the outcome of the next event. This is especially important if something has triggered you. Did something or someone cause you to feel an emotion? If it did, I encourage you to pause, breathe, and reset your energy.

In this episode, Andy brings on his podcast coach, Luis Diaz. Luis Diaz is the founder of Top 10 Podcasts, a team of producers, online marketers, growth strategists, and fellow podcasters who have worked with some of the top-named podcasts in the health & fitness, self-help, marketing & management, and business categories. He has helped his clients land on the Apple Podcasts Top 100 Charts cross across dozens of different categories! Visit www.top10podcasts.com to learn more.

Do you know your future self? Can you know your future self? This concept of becoming your future self is different for everyone - I believe it is different based on your age. The younger you are, the more you may think that you know your future self. The older you are, the more you may realize that who you are now, is not who you were when you were 23. The 23-year-old version of yourself might as well have been a stranger. This does not mean that you are an actual different person. You are still you, but, the future you is built from learning experiences over time. Philosophers have talked for many years about a thought experiment; this is sometimes referred to as the, Ship of Theseus". The great warrior Theseus returned from his exploits, his ship was stationed in the harbor as a memorial. And over the decades, parts of the ship began to rot and decay, and as this happened, planks were replaced by new planks. Until, eventually, every part of the ship of Theseus was built from something new. And philosophers, starting with Plato, have asked the question, "If every part of the ship of Theseus is new, is this still the ship of Theseus?" We, you and I, are all examples of the ship of Theseus. The cells in our body turn over all the time, they die, and new cells replace them. The people you were 10 years ago are not the people you are today. Like literally, the cells of your body, meaning your entire body, is physically not the same person. You have become, biologically, a different person. But, according to journalist Shankar Vendantam, he believes that something much more profound happens are the psychological level. You could argue that a ship is not just a collection of planks, and a body is not just a collection of cells. It is the organization of the planks that makes the ship. It is the organization of the cells that make the body. If you preserve the organization, even if you swap out the planks or the cells, you still have the ship and you still have the same body. But at a psychological level, each new layer that's put down is not identical to the one that came before it. So, what does this mean? It means that, on an ongoing basis, you are constantly becoming a new person. Think about this. If you are 23 years old, you will be a different person than when you are 43 years old. I am 43 years old, and when I think back to my 23-year-old self, that person was not a podcast host. That person was not a business owner. If we are not careful, we will have the impression that the 23yr Andy, the 43yr old Any, and the 83-year-old Andy who will be living on a beach and traveling the world, are the very same person. So, if we are not the same person, as we age, how can we age and become the person we want to be? I believe there are 2 mindsets. #1 The Growth Mindset Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort. #2 Fixed Mindset Someone with a fixed mindset views those same traits as inherently stable and unchangeable over time. This concept of growth and fixed mindsets was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. According to Dweck, challenging situations can be catastrophic for those with fixed mindsets because of the implication that if they don't already have the skills or intelligence to complete a task, there's no chance of improvement. I have seen this play out in our industry, let me give you an example: While working for Baseline Control Systems for the past 15yrs, the #1 question I always received from the field (distributors & contractors) was to teach them how it worked, prior to installing the system. Or, will you please come to the site and help me program it. Or, distributor account managers would get a request from their customers (contractors) to visit the site and help them. Account Managers with a FIXED mindset, would call me in advance, want me to make them an expert, because they were afraid to show up and not "be the expert". Account Managers with a GROWTH mindset, would have no problem jumping in head first, making a site visit with confidence, and learning everything they needed to know along the way. This example of FIXED vs. GROWTH is one of the best ways I can describe the personality differences between those who excelled with the Baseline product, and those who would safely stay in their comfort zone and stick to the products they new - the boring stuff not making an impact in this industry. When you have a growth mindset, you believe you can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed, which makes every challenge a learning opportunity. Given the numerous challenges that landscape entrepreneurs face, a growth mindset can be a powerful tool as you work toward your company's success. I need to bring this back home to where I started this episode. You do not know your future self - you become your future self - and to do this, you must learn how to

The theme for this week is, Pioneer. Should you be a pioneer? Should you pioneer something? Is being a pioneer an opportunity for success? My default answer leading up to the week was, YES - yes, yes, yes. Now my response is both YES & NO. Oddly & coincidently, I listened to two podcasts this week that both spoke on this topic and both had the same message. What was that message? The first podcast wasn't actually a podcast, it was a short video series I watched on a Delta flight with Howard D. Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks. The series is titled, Howard Schultz: Teaches Business Leadership. Each episode is about 10 minutes long, and in my usual fashion, I tend to gravitate towards mentally stimulating media where I can learn something new - and I absolutely did - I actually had to rethink, what I thought I knew. I'd like to play this short clip for you, from the episode, so you can hear Howard in his own words, explain this concept: CLIP Wow, that just makes so much sense to me. And we can clearly see this behavior in our very own industry. Let me give you 3 examples: A company that is no longer in business, yet, had unbelievable pioneering technology. This company was Accuwater. Cool - so that summarizes the first audio clip that I made note of last week. Now, let me let you about the 2nd, similar scenario. Tuesday of this week, while doing an early recovery ride, in preparation for the Iceman mountain bike race happening this weekend, I was listening to the most recent episode of this Tim Ferris show, and his guest, Jim Collins. Jim is famously known for writing the books, Built to Last, and Good to great. In this interview with Jim Collins, he spoke about his new book, Turning The Flywheel, and in this book, there was one quote that I had to write down. This quote nearly mirrored the previous quote from Howard Shultz. Jim referenced another book titled, Will and Vision, by Gerard Tells & Peter Golder. In this book, the author demonstrates that the pioneering innovators in a new business arena almost never, (less than 10% of the time), become the big winners in the end! This statement stopped me in my tracks. Remember how at the beginning of this episode how my previous default thinking was, yes yes yes, to be a pioneer? This turned that upside down. Why would you choose to be a pioneer if the success rate is less than 10%? Again, I had to rethink & unlearn, what I thought I knew. Let's NOT pioneer, as Howard Shultz recommends, let's disrupt! I'll play the quote from Jim Collins for you now. Isn't that incredible? I always considered myself and my personality as a Pioneer, and wore it like a badge of honor. Now, perhaps, I should think of it as a skill set, that can be used as a tool when needed, but it should not be the leading principle.

"You are just one phone call away.." Last week I heard Steve Sims drop this gold nugget quote on a podcast as he gave advice to entrepreneurs - specifically how to make something BIG happen. How do you get what you want in life? You pick up the phone, because "you are just one phone call away". Somebody will have a goal in their life, they will want to make something big happen. This could be a salesperson trying to set a new company record, this could be a contractor trying to land the next high-profile construction project, and ironically, what most people do, is sit behind their computer, disconnected, and perfectly try to plan it out. Instead, pick up your phone and call someone! You are likely only one degree of separation away from getting what you want, but you have to call. You have to pick up the phone. Steve encourages people to go for stupid goals. Stupid, because it may seem so big and outrageous that your mind thinks it's impossible. But remember, anything is possible. So, for lack of a better word, shoot for the moon, because it is possible. Go get yourself a BHAG, a Big Hairy Audacious Goal. The reason Sprinkler Supply Store exists is that I picked up the phone and called my dear friend Matt Hart, and pitched him the idea. What is your BHAG? I'd love to know.

"You become what you think about." 1956 - That was the year Earl Nightingale recorded the motivational speech titled, "The Strangest Secret", and the secret he delivered was the concept, "you become what you think about." 2002 - That was the year I discovered (purchased) a CD version of this speech from Barnes & Noble in Columbia, Maryland. I was fresh out of college and had started my first sales job for Chapel Valley Landscape Company; irrigation sales of course! Earl's simple little phrase changed my life - it was like everything just clicked. I got it. Everything just magically grew into place. Not quickly, and not in any particular order, but everything that I thought about back then, has now become (mostly) true. Not only do you become what you think about; the power is that everything becomes a choice. You have a choice. You get to choose all of it. Equally important is that who you choose to be, only matters to you. Not to anyone else. I often get caught here. Being or doing something that isn't exactly true to me. Learning to focus on what I really want takes both practice and intention. What do I want? Who do I want to be? What has helped, is choosing to surround myself with people who get me, who support me, and who help me become the best version of my future self. Thank you for being here with me, I appreciate all of you, and I love hearing from you - even one sprinkler at a time ;) Are you who you thought you would be? I'd love to know.

"Entrepreneurs don't complain about problems -- they solve them". This quote is from Porter Erisman, the former Vice President of Alibaba Group, joining the company just as it moved out of founder Jack Ma's apartment. In Porter's new book, Alibaba's World, he wrote about this concept and it hit me hard! Could this be why people often refer to me as positive? Are all entrepreneurs positive? Perhaps, and, either way, it got me thinking about different personality types, and what makes an entrepreneur tick. Through my lens, problems really are just opportunities that are yet to be solved. What could be an interesting way to reframe this, is that not all problems need to be solved, and when you look like that, the problem becomes a choice. To solve or not to solve, that is the answer! Yes, no, or not yet... Either way, the problem is no longer a problem, and there is no need to complain.

Okay, I'll add notes. These are the exact notes that I scribbled before hitting the record button. This is NOT word-for-word, but I thought it would be fun to share my brain dump, and maybe you'll find it interesting. ========== Do you know that when they were trying to put the light bulb into production, THE CANDLE SOCIETY, yes apparently there was such a thing, The Candle Society protested against the light bulb because it was dangerous. And FORD, Ford was actually protested against when they tried producing the car - and the reason for the protest - can your guess - I'll give you a moment - but it will make you laugh - the reason for the protest - "the car can't go through the woods, but my horse can". So they tried banning the whole thing. As humans, we tend to like to consume things that are new, but we are not that good at adopting them. Just like the Technology Life Cycle Curve that I spoke about in the last episode. We like buying that new car, but then the following year when there is a facelift, most people don't like the facelift and it takes time to grow on them because as human beings we are actually not that good at change so we keep things down. Remember how I spoke about the technology chasm? I'd like to propose a potentially simpler explanation. I'd like to propose that those us who use technology to improve our business, are "pre-chasm" people. Remember, this is made up of only 16% of the human population, 2.5" are the INNOVATORS, while 13.5% are the EARLY ADOPTERS. I'd like to propose that for this percentage of the population, change comes easily. And that my friends is what makes technology difficult. Technology alone is EASY. CHANGE is hard. And as we just discusses, 85% of the population does not like change. So, if you are going to use technology to improve your business, or, you would simply like to improve your business in any way, you must begin to become familiar and comfortable with change. Change is the answer. How you run your business today, may not be how you need to run your business next week, next month, or next year. Be Open. and be Open to Change. Be a light bulb, not a candle.

Yep - no description. Just listen to what's on Andy's mind today.

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Boom! This is the fastest podcast episode ever released. I encourage all of you to build better relationships so that you can earn what is called, THE LAST LOOK.

Honestly, I can never spell that word. The E word. Entre....what what?!?!? Luckily there is spell check and I nailed the title, lol. Please enjoy this episode, and my reminder is that you stop moving the starting line. Stop telling yourself you'll do it later, or you need to have _____ before _____ can happen. Just go fucking start. Peace out, Andy

Andy and Denny (SprinklerSupplyStore.com Customer Service Manager) discuss 3 of their customer journey experiments. 1 - Bonjoro Personalized Videos 2- YouTube 3- Emails

Nugget of the week: If you don't get the answer you are looking for, keep asking, and then keep asking, then ask again in a different way, and then go find what you are looking for on your own. Why? Because nobody cares as much as you do. And if you really really care, you will find what it is you are seeking. This also applies to your customers. Advocate for them, on their behalf. Have their back. Look for alternate options that will give them what they need. Care about your customers as much as your customers care about themselves.

This week, Andy was invited to speak with Tersh Blissett and Josh Crouch on the Service Business Mastery Podcast

In this episode, Andy talks with Justin Clegg, the Founder & CEO of Allset. Allset is a new standard in home services payments. Allset makes it easy for businesses to automate payments, unlock revenue, build an online presence and much more. Mention Sprinkler Nerd and $75/mo on your subscription. www.TryAllset.com

In this episode, Andy chats with Mike Merlesena, the National Commercial Sales Manager for DIG Corporation. They explore alternative power controllers, battery controllers, sales strategies, and more. Learn More >> digcorp.com/professional/

Do you know who the best contractors are? Do you know why the best businesses are successful? They are NOT the contractors who install MP Rotators over fixed spray nozzles. They are NOT the contractors who choose Rain Bird 5000 rotors over Hunter PGPs. They are NOT the contractors who pitch Wi-Fi controllers over standard timers. They are NOT the contractors who say soil moisture sensors are better than weather-based systems, they are NOT the contractors who say head-to-head coverage is better than single row coverage. They are NOT the contractors who don't mix sprays and rotors on the same zone. The BEST businesses in the world, are the ones who care the most about their customers. You must out care your competition.

"If all inventions from the beginning had been guaranteed then there would never have been any inventions. If we are successful it will be something unprecedented. That is the start of a revolution. Someday, someone will ask you, "where were you when the revolution started?" I hope for your sake you don't have to answer, "it just passed us by." Because we were all too scared" Those are the famous words used by Joachim Sauter to get funding for his startup company, Terravision, the inventors of Google Earth. Similarly, in this episode, Andy talks with Shane Dyer, the CEO of Irrigreen about the Sprinkler Revolution and how Irrigreen is disrupting all of it.

Andy chats with Alex Palin, the CEO & Co-Founder of IRRIOT. IRRIOT stands for, Irrigation Internet of Things. IRRIOT is a Swedish innovation start-up in the forefront of wireless intelligent precision irrigation solutions for agriculture. They utilize the latest ultra-long-range radio communication to eliminate all expensive in-field wiring. Their solar-powered watering stations (RTUs) are environmentally friendly and maintenance-free. As the backbone, they have a full-scale industrial irrigation controller, including access to IoT cloud for data intelligence, alarms, and weather forecasts through mobile and web apps. IRRIOT.com

Cellular technology is a great way to remotely access controllers and equipment without requiring the client to provide an internet connection (wifi or cabled). In this episode, Andy speaks with Justin Nichols, the National Sales Manager for OptConnect, about cellular devices and what to expect as more and more devices are connected to the cloud. You'll learn the difference between 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, Cat M1, and the advantages to partnering with an expert like OptConnect. Company: OptConnect.com Justin Nichols, OptConnect: [email protected] Schedule a call with Justin: https://meetings.hubspot.com/justin-nichols1 Purchase Here: sprinklersupplystore.com

After starting his lawn mowing business in 2014, Alex quickly fell in love with the Green Industry. When he discovered the Horticulture and Natural Resources Department at Kansas State University, Alex knew it was his place. He serves as the Horticulture Club Vice President, an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for multiple classes, and NCLC Team Leader. He has also represented Kansas State as a 2021 Landscapes Student Ambassador, 2021 IA Show E3 Learner, 2022 NCLC Irrigation Design event winner while also placing top 10 in Construction Cost Estimating, Irrigation Troubleshooting, and Hardscape Installation. While doing all of this, he also owns his own small business in the Kansas City area, Stanton Lawn Services LLC. https://hnr.k-state.edu/

In this episode Andy riffs on the mental mindset of possibility and how to train your mind to accomplish anything. POSSIBILITY: Yes, it is possible. When you think it, you create it. Watch out, resistance guards it. Discover the resistance, understand the resistance, learn from the resistance. Lessons from resistance will guide you to the possible. Follow it, see it, make it, be it, it is possible. You made it possible.

This episode is just for fun but is so real. What are you disrupting? How are you moving the needle in your business, in your career, in your life? Are you standing around watching everyone blow smoke while you secretly question everything? Take the power back! You have the power, go use it!

In this episode, Andy talks with Jody Underhill, the founder of RapidHirePro.com about using social media to hire top talent who are currently working for another company. www.rapidhirepro.com We didn't start out helping recruitment agencies,… hell… we never even imagined that we would be able to use our superpowers like this at all… We've been helping companies market online…. almost since the beginning of Digital Marketing. Our offering was born out of requests from companies like yours to help them solve a pressing need in today's economy. Finding qualified people who "want to work" and "want a career"… not just a job… Oh! and they want to work for companies that have a great culture and solve problems for people in their community. It takes a special marketing strategy to get your offer in front of the kind of people you want to have representing your company and brand.

In this episode, Andy talks with Dennis Roberts, the owner of Hillsboro Ford Franchise about how to build a strong customer relationship in an industry known for killing them.

In this episode, Andy records an unedited live episode with Paul Bassett on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.

In this episode, Andy shares his trip to Los Angeles and a couple of ear nuggets along the way.

Meet Robert & Maria Summers, the inventors & founders of the Root Quencher™ deep root watering system. Before developing the Root Quencher™ products, Robert had been frustrated for years trying to figure out how to get enough water to trees while not flooding normal planters. The water bills had gotten out of control and a lot of his deep-rooted landscaping was not thriving. He needed a smart way to deliver enough water to quench the roots of fruit trees, regular trees, and bushes without wasting water. As for fertilizing, he'd been struggling with putting down fertilizers on the ground, scratching it into the surface around the drip line, and watering it in, hoping it reached the roots that were 9"-22" under the surface. It never seemed quite right or sensible to him. As he installed early prototypes of the Root Quencher™, he found that he could use less water, control the flow to balance zones that contained regular planting beds or grass, as well as help his landscaping thrive. He'd rejected the notion that somehow an expensive drip system could give his landscaping the right amount of water and could work in conjunction with his existing sprinkler systems. Short of tearing out all of his irrigation systems and starting over, he pursued the Root Quencher™ as the solution. In Deep Irrigation is both a woman-owned and minority-owned business. Their products are made in the USA, specifically in California, and cater to the needs of Southern Californians looking to get the most enjoyment out of their gardens—and to save water and costs along the way! Show Links: RootQuencher.com

The future of commerce is here, it is just not distributed yet - no pun intended, ha! Andy shares a recent shopping story and illustrates how the contractor purchasing process will soon be changing. Imagine a time when you don't have to get our of your vehicle and your supplier loads your truck - this is coming soon!

Andy is joined by Paul Bassett [ENVOCORE], to help reflect on the predictions they made in 2020. Tune in as they share their thoughts on their predictions from last year, answer questions along the way, and make new predictions for 2022.

Andy met Ken after his recent trip to the Irrigation Show in San Diego, and in this episode, they unpack the Grasshole System and how Ken launched the product in less than 6 months. www.GrassholeSystem.com

Andy explores 6 new products on display at the 2021 Irrigation Show in San Diego. #1 - Rain Bird Flow Indicating Filter Basket #2 - Root Quencher #3 - Grasshole System #4 - Baseline Precip Sensor #5 - Every Drop Meters #6 - Maximum H2O

When you think of the future, talk about the future, predict the future - you are not wrong!

Andy talks about "getting different" and why you should be the orange in the bin of apples. He shares specific examples from his career - how being different was an advantage. Book: Get Different, by Mike Michalowicz https://www.amazon.com/Get-Different-Marketing-That-Ignored/dp/0593330633

In this episode, Andy shares a story about a trademark violation over the use of the name Teflon. Did you know that.... Teflon™ Isn't a Thing…It's a Brand! Teflon™ is a world-famous brand that's owned by Chemours. The Teflon™ brand identifies products made with Chemours raw materials, like fluoropolymer or industrial coatings. Over time, many people have mistakenly referred to the tape as "Teflon tape." We thought it was important to let you know that. If somebody offers to sell you "Teflon tape" when you need plumber or thread seal tape, they're either wrong or misleading you. Make an informed purchase and be aware that Chemours has not authorized any plumber tape to be sold as "Teflon tape." Teflon™ is a registered trademark of Chemours. Who knew?!?

Andy shares a story about a recent visit to Hudson Yards in NYC and his Smart Soil thought concept.

In this episode, you will go inside the mind of Andy as he shares what motivates him, when makes him tick, and why he believes there are only 2 choices - trying or dying. Stangest Secret Refernence: https://youtu.be/y5x-KjBME_E

In this episode, we get first-hand experience from Jeff Soch, the General manager of NAIAD Irrigation, about how he uses Service Titan to scale their business and put the power in the service technician's hand.

Andy chats with Raj, the founder and CEO of GritSeed.com, a conversational text messaging platform. Grit Seed is a software startup based in Buffalo NY that is on a mission to help organizations change how they connect with their customers using the power of texting, videos, and mobile experiences. Try it for free by texting "Podcast" to 231-241-2121

Andy plays a live message from the Sprinkler Nerd Hotline and discusses plants, soil, water, and how understanding more about these 3 areas could be a great way to add value to your business. Would you like to call the Sprinkler Nerd Hotline? Call: 231-383-6042

Andy touches on being an expert, what it means, and the benefits to you both personally and professionally. Reminder to call the Sprinkler Nerd Hotline and say hello! Call: 231-383-6042

Introducing the Sprinkler Nerd Hotline. Want a shout-out on a future episode? Call: 231-383-6042 - Tell us a joke - Give a recommendation for a future guest - Ask us a question - Tell us about your business - Share your weekly win! - Just say, what's up dawg!?!

Andy goes solo for the 50th episode celebration! . Join us in the Sprinkler Nerd Private Community . >> https://www.facebook.com/groups/SprinklerNerd

In this episode, Andy sits in the hot seat and Denny Richards asks the questions. Denny is the Customer Service Manager at SprinklerSupplyStore.com and asks a series of impromptu questions that Andy answers on the fly. You'll learn what it means to be a Sprinkler Nerd, why Distributors should stop taking orders, how and understanding the effect that a soil moisture sensor has on run time, start time, and schedules, will make you a better irrigator.

Andy chats with Kevin Battistoni, aka, The WiFi Evangelist of Hunter Industries about how wifi technology is changing the way contractors do business. . [email protected] . Kevin Battistoni is the Midwest sales manager for Hunter Industries based out of the Chicagoland area. Baptized in sprinkler water, this fourth-generation irrigator spent two decades in the family business rolling around in the dirt before trading his shovel in for a broom, working in the green industry supply chain. . During his decade in distribution, Kevin played all positions including store manager and outside sales with a focus on landscape lighting, drainage, and water features. . With over a decade of service at Hunter/FX, he experienced a rebirth with the world of connected devices entering the green industry. . Now the self-titled "Software Salesman" has become a WiFi controller evangelist and is on a mission to educate green industry professionals around the world.

Andy chats with Chad Touchet, former irrigation contractor, and current product manufacture. Learn how Chad lost $700k, and how found hidden profits in his contracting business. Chad is the founder of ConcreteDonuts.com, LargePavers.com, BackflowArmor.com, and ConcreteCatchBasins.com. Connect with Chad on LinkedIn to learn more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadtouchet

In this episode you will hear from Steve Dale, author of The Profitable Contractor; How to Attract Better Clients, Make More Money, and Create The Contracting Business You Really Want. Buy The Book >> www.amazon.com/dp/B091RNQN48 "The reality is that your business model is screwing you. You just can't see it yet." "There is no more, *sharpening your pencil*, on your numbers." "The truth is, contractors are a rare breed. There aren't enough of you."