McFarlin Stanford

McFarlin Stanford We help landscape business owners grow with clarity and accountability.

Whether the challenge is with people, process or profits, we've coached hundreds of landscape companies to improve operations, profitability and culture.

ACE Collective gathered in Bend, Oregon, at Newport Avenue Landscaping for a meeting centered on one theme: modernizing ...
06/18/2026

ACE Collective gathered in Bend, Oregon, at Newport Avenue Landscaping for a meeting centered on one theme: modernizing operations.

One aspect they focused on was AI usage and how to remove paper processes once and for all. Here's the real insight: when you master the art of trying new things and letting go of what doesn't work, real growth occurs. 🚀

Newport Avenue Landscaping is proving that embracing technology and experimentation isn't just smart, it's how your business becomes competitive.

Thank you to Newport Avenue Landscaping for hosting us this week!



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

06/16/2026

From athletic field renovations to Target Field — meet Tom & Dana Groh of Minnesota Sodding Company. ⚾🌱

These two aren't just redefining what it means to be in the green industry. They're helping their customers actually see what the end result will look like.

This spring, they built a wiffle ball field into a pro-level showcase — because they know customers can't always envision the finished product. Now when clients visit MSC, they don't just hear about the work, they see it with all the professional-level bells and whistles ready to demonstrate. Later this summer the fence will be installed and the corn will be eye-high as an audience for many wiffle ball tournaments at their site.

Tom and Dana are proud members of our ACE Domination Peer Group — and it shows. So glad to have them in the ACE family! 👏



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

06/15/2026

"We just set it and forget it..." The thing nobody tells you: your culture systems from 3 years ago might be dead weight today.

New episode out now — ACE Chairman member Ryan Malone breaks down what happens when you stop asking why and just keep doing what worked.

Spoiler: it doesn't. 🎙️ Listen here: https://mcfarlinstanford.com/podcast/fail-forward-and-show-up-consistently-the-culture-playbook-from-a-second-generation-owner/



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

ACE Domination gathered in Welch, MN, for a site visit to Minnesota Sodding Company, and Tom and Dana Groh showed us wha...
06/12/2026

ACE Domination gathered in Welch, MN, for a site visit to Minnesota Sodding Company, and Tom and Dana Groh showed us what happens when you make your employees happy — you make your business thrive! ⚾🌱

Here's what stuck with us: their org chart uses employee baseball cards. They're collecting their team like all-stars because that's exactly what they are.

The culture focus:
The group’s Start Stop Keep exercise found that MSC’s investment in team shone above the rest. Their equipment investments increase overall team efficiency and proof of upward mobility creates long-term tenure. When your people know they can grow, they stay and they perform.

Keep making people happy. The rest follows! 🙌



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

ACE Momentum in Aspen: Mountain Views & Growth Insights 🏔️ACE Momentum gathered in Aspen, CO, this week, for fresh mount...
06/11/2026

ACE Momentum in Aspen: Mountain Views & Growth Insights 🏔️

ACE Momentum gathered in Aspen, CO, this week, for fresh mountain air and fresh perspectives. Conversations hit different at higher elevation.

Here's what stood out: growth doesn't look the same for everyone. For some, it's neat and calculated. For others, it's fast and gritty. Both create valuable lessons, and there's a lot to learn from leaders who've walked each path. 📈

We also dug into what makes values actually matter — they're not just words on a wall. The most effective values are meaningful, actionable, and visible in the decisions made by your team every day.

Over time, they shape culture and influence your organization's future. ✨

But the biggest insight? Seeing owners step away from their businesses during one of the busiest times of the year. That takes trust. Trust in your teams, in your systems, and in the power of working ON the business, not just IN it.



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

What happens when you work ON your business instead of IN it?You go to Tuscany. 🇮🇹Every fall, several of our ACE Peer Gr...
06/09/2026

What happens when you work ON your business instead of IN it?

You go to Tuscany. 🇮🇹

Every fall, several of our ACE Peer Groups go international. In 2025, ACE Domination headed to the Tuscan hills to do something many landscapers won’t take the chance to do: step back and view their business from a distance.

No field crews, no daily fire, no "what's happening today?" All because of a 6-hour time change! Its about strategic thinking, peer learning, and perspective that brings you back to your business, refreshed.

📖 Check out the interview with Minnesota Sodding Company’s Tom & Dana Groh from their time in Italy magazine — https://www.landscapemanagement.net/five-questions-dana-and-tom-groh/.

Who else in the green industry gets to work on their business in one of the most beautiful places on Earth? 🍇✨



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

06/08/2026

"If you're dead."

That's the only acceptable reason to skip a one-on-one. 😅

In this episode of Roots of Success, Tracy Wallingford, Kevin Keim, and Chris Psencik challenge leaders to rethink what one-on-ones are actually for.

The best one-on-ones create space for coaching, removing obstacles, developing your people, and having the conversations that don't happen in the day-to-day rush.

If your team is growing, this episode is worth a listen.

🎧 Catch the latest Roots of Success episode wherever you listen to your podcasts.



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

Running your business off your bank balance rather than cash flow? You're not alone — but we have a better way. 💡When AC...
06/05/2026

Running your business off your bank balance rather than cash flow? You're not alone — but we have a better way. 💡

When ACE Peer Group member Chris Winkler, owner of Coastal Scapes, came to us wanting to hire managers, he walked away with something he didn't know he needed: financial clarity. What happened was a transformative journey leaving him with a clear view of his cash flow and better informed decisions.

New blog is live. Link in bio.



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

ACE Perseverance gathered in Evansville, IN, and we mixed meaningful strategy sessions with some serious fun — swim part...
06/04/2026

ACE Perseverance gathered in Evansville, IN, and we mixed meaningful strategy sessions with some serious fun — swim party with flip contests 🩱 and hot tubbing included!

But here's what made this meeting special: we brought a new ACE Peer Group member into the room, and it brought fresh perspective. The conversations went deeper and the questions got better!

What does success actually look like 5 years from now? What needs to change to get there? What are you holding onto that no longer serves your vision? And beyond business... what do you want your life to look like? 🤔

Clarity and accountability create movement. We're excited to walk alongside this next chapter! 💪



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

When a new member joins an ACE Peer Group, their first site visit isn’t to a peer’s company, it’s to Grunder Landscaping...
06/03/2026

When a new member joins an ACE Peer Group, their first site visit isn’t to a peer’s company, it’s to Grunder Landscaping Co.

That’s on purpose. 🌱

Nearly 20 years ago, Marty Grunder created ACE Peer Groups to give landscape business owners real peer support, accountability, and honest conversations about their business. Today, ACE Peer Groups are run in partnership with McFarlin Stanford, but it all started at Grunder – and that’s exactly why we go there first.

The Grunder visit gives new members:
A clear picture of “what good looks like” before they ever host a meeting
The origin story of ACE Peer Groups and how Grunder became a benchmark company
A chance to see the entire business in motion – leadership, culture, processes, branding, and financial discipline
A live example of the transparency and standards expected in an ACE Peer Group

From Marty’s first peer group experience…
To the company that embodies those principles…
To the modern ACE Peer Group structure supporting owners across the industry…

Starting at Grunder Landscaping sets the tone:
this is a place for real numbers, real operations, and real growth. 💪



—
McFarlin Stanford
📲 214-702-1955
📧 [email protected]
🌐 mcfarlinstanford.com

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