Interview Series: Turning Your Side Hustle into A Multi-Million Dollar Business with Joe Chiellini
Episode description
Joe Chiellini has been a friend and colleague for nearly 20 years. His landscaping business started as a side hustle when he was a 19-year-old firefighter. Today, his company, ASI Landscape Management, is budgeting to hit $14M in 2024. You may recall that back in 2019, ASI hosted the GROW! Conference in Tampa. Joe shares his career journey with all its ups and downs, and talks scaling down to refocus, lessons learned, books recommended, and more.
Joe Chiellini is the founder and CEO of ASI Landscape Management, originating in 1993. In its humble beginnings ASI was a two-man residential lawn service. Currently under the leadership and guidance of Joe Chiellini, ASI is now a multi-county commercial business, employing 180 individuals with three branches covering the greater Tampa Bay and Orlando marketspace. Joe Chiellini recently retired from his career as a Captain for Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue. Joe served the people of Hillsborough County for almost 30 years all the while building and growing his landscape management company to where it is today.
Discussion Points:
- Intro and background - Joe Chiellini
- Working at the fire department at 19
- Growing the business to $13M
- Scaling down to refocus
- Lessons learned as a firefighter
- Explaining OTS
- Why the team likes to work at ASI
- Strategic planning is the steps from reality to your dream
- Technology and software
- Equipment and maintenance
- Find nuggets - no matter how small, just listen
- Modeling customer care after Publix grocery
- Family
- Advice for the younger set
- No regrets over ‘mistakes’
- Looking forward five years
- Recommended books
- Physical fitness, cold plunges, and working out
The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.
Resources: