Ditch the Itch with Austin Douglas
I am delighted to have Austin with me today. This awesome guy has a lot of information to share. Can you believe that engaging in a conversation with a plant health care specialist – not just a plant guy – made me reach six epiphanies in total?
Taking your step towards growth, genuinely caring for people, the complementing importance of believing in yourself and success – all these will be tackled as we speak. I hope you spend less than 30 mins of your day with me today.
Austin Douglas is the Owner of Ditch The Itch - Poison Ivy & Mosquito Control in Michigan. With over 15 years of commercial nursery and greenhouse experience, he worked as the Supervisor of the Tree and Shrub potting line in Bordine Nursery, became a member of the Grand Blanc Chamber of Commerce, and served as an advocate for Invasive Species awareness. Austin helps clients get rid of pests through Ditch The Itch and makes sure they only kill poison ivy and mosquitoes, not other insects present in the vicinity.
“It’s the intention. If you actually care from the bottom of your heart, that will be the difference that makes the difference long-term.”
– Austin Douglas
Why do you have to listen to today’s episode?
01:50 – When left with no room for growth, you either stay and be a slave until maybe – just maybe – there’s a path to development or branch out and do it on your own. I hope you choose the latter; it does wonders.
05:32 – A tree injector helps prevent your greens from dying due to quick-spreading nematodes. Be educated and witness how it sustains your yard, people, and yourself.
09:04 – You are worthy. Have genuine care, and that will make the difference long term—words matter. Create value.
16:01 – Care enough, speak from the heart and see yourself becoming one of the highest earners who exists.
19:12 – Educate yourself. Believe that you can do it. Cut things that are holding you back.
23:13 – Choosing what you want to do and making sure it works and is profitable isn’t something you get to do straightforwardly, but with deep devotion and rich experience-wise background, betterment doesn’t stop.
25:46 – Austin’s final words for this episode are so full of wisdom.
Key Takeaways
“I created the entity in October [2019]. 2020 – the year of the pandemic – was my first year. I went part-time. I didn’t do too bad. Tax-wise, I wasn’t profitable; but I learned a lot. This year is my second year in business, and I nailed some pretty good profit margins.” - Austin Douglas
“I went there prior. They knew me. They liked me, they trusted me, so they brought from me. I educate them on their trees, and they saw their poison ivy go away, so they knew that I knew what I was doing. They saw it, called me back, and we did it.” - Austin Douglas
“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.” - Austin Douglas
“Words matter. You could say, ‘I am a plant guy or say ‘I am a plant health care specialist.’ You could say, ‘I am a tree guy,’ or you could say, ‘I am a certified arborist. You’re not getting hired to be a cashier; you’re getting hired to be a customer service specialist.” - Austin Douglas
“There are people so damn poor; all they have is their money. Remember that.” - Austin Douglas
Connect with Keith
Connect with Austin
Resources/People Mentioned:
Gregg Braden’s Website: Gregg Braden
Jeff Bezos: Twitter
Tree Injector: ArborSystems’ Wedgle Direct-Inject
Ditch The Itch on Instagram: ditch_the_itch_mi
My Website: Official Site Keith Kalfas
My Blog: The Blog of Keith Kalfas
My Resources: Resources (keithkalfas.com)
Get My Landscaping Business Startup Course: How to Start a Landscaping BusinessRIGHT NOW (keithkalfas.com)
Get My Free PDF Download The "7 Steps To Marketing Your Business" 7 Steps to Marketing Your Business Online (keithkalfas.com)
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