From Engineering to Landscaping COO: Recurring Revenue, Smart Hiring & Systems That Scale

In this episode of Do Small Business Like a Big Boss, host Aisha Jorge Massengill sits down with Doug Bonnell, Owner and COO of True North Landscaping, to talk about his journey from automotive engineer to leading and scaling a successful family-owned landscaping company.This conversation covers the real-life lessons behind building a sustainable service business, creating recurring revenue, making strategic hires, and implementing systems that support long-term growth.🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Why recurring revenue is the foundation of a stable service-based businessHow to decide whether to hire, outsource, or acquire to fill business gapsThe systems and software that transformed operations and job costingHow Doug and his wife successfully work together in the businessWhat every entrepreneur can learn from the landscaping industry's referral culture⏱️ Episode Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction00:35 – Guest introduction: Doug Bonnell & True North Landscaping01:17 – From automotive engineer to family business COO03:03 – Taking the leap from corporate life05:42 – Learning the business from the ground up06:57 – Building recurring revenue through maintenance services09:21 – Why recurring revenue matters11:12 – Acquiring a competitor and expanding services12:13 – Build, hire, or buy?14:31 – Managing seasonality and workforce challenges20:23 – Work-life balance as a business owner23:43 – Running a business with your spouse24:51 – Common mistakes customers make when hiring contractors29:26 – Systems and technology that drive growth32:12 – Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs33:05 – What “Do Small Business Like a Big Boss” means to Doug33:52 – Where to connect with Doug and True North Landscaping👤 About the Guest:Doug Bonnell is the Owner and COO of True North Landscaping, a high-end residential design, build, and maintenance company serving Northern Michigan. After earning an engineering degree from Western Michigan University and spending six years in the automotive industry, Doug joined the family business and has helped grow it into a 50-person operation with multiple service lines, including maintenance, irrigation, fertilization, and snow removal.Connect with Doug:LinkedIn: Doug BonnellWebsite: True North Landscaping🚀 Ready to Make Your Business Official?Join Aisha’s FREE weekly webinar, Make Your Business Official, and learn how to build, brand, and bulletproof your business with confidence.👉 Register here: https://www.igotnext.co/training👉 Grab your FREE Legal Guide at:📘 Free Guide: www.smallbizzlegalguide.com🔗 Stay Connected with Sedgwick Andrews:Follow us across all platforms for legal tips, business strategy, and boss-level motivation: 👉 https://linktr.ee/Sedgwick_Andrews_LCPodcast Mantra:Build the dream messy, build it scared, just don’t build it small.If this episode helped you, don’t forget to subscribe, download, and share it with another boss who needs to hear it. 🎧