This year, at the annual conference, ForeverLawn had the privilege to glean leadership insight from one of the NFL’s all-time greats, Steve Largent. From his humble beginnings to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Steve's story is inspiring. Throughout Steve’s life, he has experienced leadership in various forms, from the football field to the halls of Congress and beyond. In his speech, he shared his six ingredients of a good leader, stories from his time in the NFL and in Congre...
Oct 30, 2023•38 min
Are you open to following God’s calling on your life? As Dale and Brian share about their journey of moving to New Mexico, building a business, and eventually moving back to Ohio, it’s easy to see the thin threads between these changes. It all started with an article Brian saw that Dale’s alma mater was putting in a turf field; then, the brothers were on a business trip in New Mexico and noticed people had rocks painted green in their yards to simulate grass.. Thin threads like these connect the...
Oct 23, 2023•26 min
How do you sell a premium product in a commoditized market? In today’s episode, Dale and Brian discuss ForverLawn’s emergence into the sports field market. When they first came onto the scene, they quickly realized that the sports field market was highly commoditized. ForeverLawn had a high-value, quality product, making it higher priced... So, the challenge was to find a way to compete with lower-priced, lower-quality products in a market almost solely focused on price. As they discuss this cha...
Oct 16, 2023•25 min
What kind of questions do you attract? This may sound like a riddle, but it’s reality - How you carry yourself will attract different questions. For this reason, if you are intentional about your actions, you can, in turn, lead people to ask the questions you are eager to answer. On this stop in the ForeverLawn story, the Karmie brothers share about the sale of the New Mexico market and the process of training up the new team. This transition period, like any other transition, brought its own se...
Oct 09, 2023•29 min
Have you ever bought a Rhino? In case you’re wondering - we’re referring to a Yamaha Rhino, not a live one. One that, in the fall of 2006, the Karmie brothers hadn’t yet purchased... But they soon would after a large project. In this week’s episode, Dale and Brian are sharing about a time when ForeverLawn was tasked with their largest project in Albuquerque at that point. This project included 27,000 square feet of turf for a school. The brothers and their crew ran into some twists and turns alo...
Oct 02, 2023•26 min
Craig Groeschel is the senior pastor of Life.Church, creator of the Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast and a best-selling author. He is a leadership expert, and his work has impacted lives worldwide. This year, ForeverLawn had the special privilege of having him as the keynote speaker at the annual conference. Craig also graciously participated in a live Q&A session with Brian. Today’s recording came straight from that Q&A session. In the interview, Craig shares how he became a leader an...
Sep 25, 2023•34 min
If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would you go? In 2006, ForeverLawn received an inquiry from a gentleman in Destin, Florida, asking if they could install turf on a balcony. To this point, they had not installed turf on a balcony, but the brothers knew that they would be able to do it and do it well. Does anyone remember the Parkchester story from a few episodes back? With this installation being in Destin, Florida, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bring their families along a...
Sep 18, 2023•25 min
If you keep on the path that you’re currently on, where will you be in 5 years? In today’s episode, Brian and Dale revisit a monumental time in their lives and the history of ForeverLawn, Inc. In early 2006, a lot happened in the Karmie family and the business. Brian’s daughter Ava was born, and Jim, one of the other Karmie brothers, had to have a major and unexpected surgery. The brothers realized that the longer they stayed in Albuquerque, the deeper their roots grew. With this eye-opening med...
Sep 11, 2023•23 min
How does where you are, change your perspective? Sometimes we can look at the same situation as someone else but from different angles. We can be focused on the same thing but see it entirely differently. Perspective can vary greatly, but that doesn’t necessarily mean one is right and the other is wrong. In today’s episode, Dale and Brian share about the early growth of ForeverLawn Inc. and how they were faced with a decision to focus either on the national brand or the local business. On the on...
Sep 04, 2023•25 min
For this month’s special feature, Dale and Brian are joined by guest Dan Owolabi. Dan is a leadership expert, author, and founder of Branches Worldwide, a nonprofit organization working to build a global community of high-impact Christian entrepreneurs. Dan shares his story and some of his most impactful leadership advice in this episode. Together, they explore the topics of leading authentically, cultivating confidence, and impacting God’s Kingdom in the marketplace. Dan is a truly inspiring le...
Aug 28, 2023•51 min
Have you ever chugged a gallon of fermented iced tea? In December 2005, ForeverLawn’s growth was still on the rise. The first annual conference was held in January 2005. Still, with Brian’s wife Angie expecting a baby in the first of the coming year, they decided to have the second conference in December. The conference was held in Dalton, GA, where the turf was manufactured. Despite the ongoing website issues and some trouble with some K9Grass being burnt in production, excitement was growing, ...
Aug 21, 2023•26 min
Have you ever had your identity stolen? As ForeverLawn, Inc. was beginning to grow, Brian received a call from one of their dealers. A potential customer had gone to ForeverLawn.com and was being directed to a competitor’s website. This shocked Dale & Brian as they had previously tried to obtain the domain, but a seed company had already purchased it but wasn’t using it. Not only did this upset Dale & Brian, but the dealers also began to get frustrated. In the vast and intricate web of t...
Aug 14, 2023•25 min
How do you make your business more attractive? When starting in business, it can be tempting to focus on profit... But Dale and Brian have a different view on gaining momentum in your industry. Have you ever heard the saying ‘a body in motion stays in motion’? The same can be said for business. Action is the best way to get potential customers and even employees interested in your business. When trying to create a customer base, most people don’t want to be the first - they want to see the work ...
Aug 07, 2023•28 min
In today’s episode, Dale & Brian share some of the most influential people and resources they’ve discovered on their continual growth and improvement journeys. The saying is true that the best version of you is still out there. There is always room for growth and improvement in our lives. In the quest for personal growth and improvement, surrounding ourselves with influential resources and individuals is of paramount importance. They can serve as a wellspring of inspiration, knowledge, and g...
Jul 31, 2023•48 min
Have you ever bought lemonade from the county fair? What if, instead of dwelling on our misfortunes, we transform them into something sweet? The age-old saying "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" embodies a powerful philosophy that encourages us to turn adversity into opportunity. Often, positive aspects are hidden in challenging situations - we just have to find them. While we cannot control the lemons that come our way, we can decide how we respond to them. By embracing our problems, w...
Jul 24, 2023•28 min
If you fall off of a horse, what do you do? Business, like life, can be full of unexpected circumstances. You might think you’re doing everything right and then realize you’re doing it all wrong. Sometimes you are in the right ‘race,’ but something happens, and you realize you’ve got the wrong ‘horse.’ It’s how we respond to these circumstances that shape who we are. In the early days of ForeverLawn, Inc., Dale and Brian realized that it was getting more difficult to track sales and financials a...
Jul 17, 2023•24 min
How do you eat an elephant? In this week’s episode, Dale and Brian discuss the installation of the Parkchester Field they shared about in the last episode. When they arrived on site, they admitted that they wondered if they had ‘bitten off more than they could chew.’ This was a new type of project for the business, and there was a lot that they had to figure out. Each step brought new obstacles, but the team tackled them one at a time and, in the end, installed a successful project. This project...
Jul 10, 2023•38 min
Did you ever catch a tiger by the tail? In late spring of 2005, the business had been operating as ForeverLawn Inc for just over a year. Dale and Brian were still in Albuquerque, had close to a dozen dealers set up, and were starting to see inquiries roll in. One evening, they received an email for a project they had never done before. You know the Karmie brothers - if the question is out there - so is the answer. Had they installed this type of project yet? No. Could they figure it out and do i...
Jul 03, 2023•28 min
Do you have a motto that you live by? In today’s special episode, we share another “Moments With Fred” segment titled ‘Mottos to Live By’. Our dad was a lifelong learner, and he spent countless hours reading and studying. In this segment, he shares several influential mottos he gathered from well-known leaders and writers. While some of these mottos are short, they pack a powerful punch. The messages behind them demand our attention and remind us of those who have gone before us. It’s important ...
Jun 26, 2023•29 min
How important is trust in a partnership? While Dale and Brian Karmie admit they’re very blessed and thankful for their partnership, they often advise others against it. The decisions that your partner makes directly affect your business and ultimately your family. In a partnership, if each partners’ motives and goals don’t properly align, the results can be disastrous. When considering potential partners, it’s important to ask yourself If you would trust this person with your checkbook, or more ...
Jun 19, 2023•24 min
Which comes first — your behavior or belief? If you’ve tuned in to our show before, you’ve probably heard us speak on how you sometimes have to “talk the talk” while still learning to “walk the walk.” Today we’re reflecting on an early part of our journey when our “talk” started to propel our “walk.” At the time, we began speaking to potential dealers but we weren’t well known in the industry. We were just two guys with a small warehouse. But we knew we had a quality, innovative product, and wit...
Jun 12, 2023•27 min
What do you believe about yourself? Sometimes how we view ourselves is at odds with who we really are. Growth and change can be uncomfortable and scary, but we have to ‘walk the walk’ before it becomes a reality. Today, Dale and Brian share about an agreement they struck, providing a dealer with a territory spanning the entirety of Southern California. As this territory was far too large to be managed by just one dealer, he then hired and set up a series of sub-dealers.. At the time, this was re...
Jun 05, 2023•21 min
We’re back with our brothers Jim and Ken for part two of our special feature. In last week’s episode, we listened to our father’s radio segment that touched on the topic of troubles. This week, we are revisiting the second portion of his broadcast where he gave advice and solutions for overcoming these troubles. For every problem, there is a solution — but we have to be willing to do the work to find it. Tune in as we discuss these words of wisdom from Fred Karmie and how they can help us become...
May 29, 2023•38 min
Troubles: we all have them. What sets us apart is how we deal with them. We’re back with our brothers Jim and Ken for another special feature of our father’s radio segment, “Moments with Fred.” In this segment, which he dubbed ‘Troubles — Part One’, he speaks on embracing and growing through our troubles. It’s easy to look at the challenges we face and feel sorry for ourselves, to let them slow or stop our progress. But we gain nothing when we allow our struggles to define us. If we instead embr...
May 22, 2023•33 min
What is your superpower? In this episode, Brian and Dale put Brian’s self-described “superpower” — his ability to laugh at himself — to the test as they look back to their time in Albuquerque, where Brian’s track record with trucks wasn’t so great. There were popped tires, accidents, and maintenance issues.. but there were also valuable lessons learned. When things feel out of control, the natural reaction is to hit the brakes, but in some situations that causes a crash. Sometimes the right answ...
May 15, 2023•33 min
Who Are You When No One is Looking? Who you are at your core always comes out eventually. In life, we have moments that tempt us to act out in frustration, but nothing positive comes from these. In today’s episode, Brian and Dale share a lesson in doing the right thing, even when you are pulled in other directions. The brothers had on-boarded their first ForeverLawn dealer whom they dubbed “El Paso James”. They had made several attempts to meet up with him and help him get started, but every tim...
May 08, 2023•25 min
Do you work well under pressure? Something the Karmie brothers have learned over the years is how to work under pressure. In today’s episode, Dale and Brian share about the first playground they sold. It was a large project for them at the time at about 5,000 square feet, and they knew this would stretch their abilities and test their innovation. When the shipment of material arrived, the brothers were eager to get started—until they realized that the company had not shipped the porous plastic m...
May 01, 2023•30 min
What is your purpose? In today’s episode, Dale and Brian share a recording from Fred Karmie, their father, who hosted a radio segment in the 1980s. Fred Karmie emigrated from Syria to the United States in the 1950s with a strong desire to learn, grow his faith, and seize the opportunities in this country for personal, familial, and professional success. Through the ups and downs of life, Fred remained an optimist. He had a deep faith in God, saw the world through a lens of hope, and stood as a l...
Apr 24, 2023•26 min
Have you ever worked a night shift? In this week’s episode, the brothers’ compounding problems almost push their families past their limits. Money had finally begun rolling in, and Dale and Brian stayed steadfast in their decision to invest the money back into their business as they grew a national brand. While the brothers and their families had been no strangers to living on limited income, it was a different kind of challenge to have income available and still maintain the discipline to roll ...
Apr 17, 2023•31 min
Have you bought any new tools lately? In this week’s episode, Dale and Brian share about a monumental project at a hotel in Santa Fe. This project marked their entrance into the new market of commercial high-traffic areas. Up until this point, most of the brothers’ work had been residential. With this debut into commercial projects, Dale and Brian knew that this process would bring more than a paycheck—it would bring experience they needed to succeed in this new market. This shift in their servi...
Apr 10, 2023•24 min
