Joel Wollum, President of The Emerald Companies in St. Cloud, Minnesota, joins Phil to share his journey from dairy farm kid to newspaper press operator to lawn care entrepreneur. From starting with a $100 garage sale mower and manually lifting snowblowers into trucks 15 times per storm, to building a business that still serves customers from 28 years ago, Joel reveals why referrals are better than being the biggest, why daily podcast listening beats jamming music, and how waving at competitors keeps you positive even when they don't wave back.

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Episode Chapters

00:22 - Welcome & Guest Intro

01:41 - Joel’s Early Roots

04:23 - The First Snow Removal Hustle

07:25 - Overview of Emerald Companies

09:02 - Why Exit HOA’s?

11:00 - Going All In on Brine

13:01 - Scaling Brine Production

15:01 - Mentors & Brine Support

17:06 - Can You DIY Brine?

18:09 - Technology & Forecasting

20:16 - Joel’s Equipment Setup

24:23 - Cycle Times and Routing

25:59 - Industry Events & Education

28:56 - Peer Group Insights

30:06 - Advice for Newcomers

32:00 - Pride & Customer Referrals

33:15 - Please Like, Share & Subscribe!

Key Learnings

Referrals Beat Being the Biggest - Customer referrals create more excitement and satisfaction than being the largest company in town because they prove you're doing good work people want to recommend.

Daily Learning Compounds Over Time - Listen to podcasts, YouTube, and educational content every day instead of just music because there are valuable lessons available everywhere.

Problems Are Perspective Issues - When your truck transmission fails, remember you have a truck to repair while many people don't have that problem to worry about.

Wave at Competitors Regardless - Keep a positive outlook by waving at competitors driving down the road, even if they don't wave back, because attitude matters more than their response.

Nobody Is Smarter Than Anybody Else - Everyone has something to teach you, so keep your ears open and pick up lessons from whoever is willing to share.

Fancy and Shiny Doesn't Matter - Focus on doing good work and getting positive customer feedback rather than having the biggest, fanciest, or shiniest equipment and operations.

Figure It Out as You Go - You don't need to know everything before starting; Joel didn't know how to spell "retaining wall" when a customer asked him to build one, but he figured it out.

Original Customers Prove Longevity - Still having customers from 28 years ago demonstrates the value of consistent service and relationship building over time.

Peer Groups Provide Monthly Value - Regular peer group calls with contractors from different regions offer insights about equipment, routing, brine, and techniques you wouldn't hear otherwise.

Industry Education Never Stops - Attend conferences like SIMA, engage with Snow Fighters Institute, and participate in educational opportunities to continue growing your knowledge.

Simple Marketing Can Work - Hanging flyers at senior centers and creating colored handouts with your life story can generate business when you're starting out.

Plan Equipment Logistics Better - Think through how equipment will load and transport before buying it; Joel learned this lesson loading snowblower tractors 15 times per storm.

Reflection Questions

Are you focusing more on being the biggest company in your market or...

Cam Roberts, President of Laser Pavement Solutions and host of "Stripe It Like It's Hot" podcast, joins Phil to share his journey from facility maintenance to running a pavement and snow removal business in British Columbia. From lessons learned hiring contractors in small towns, to bleeding money for the first three years, to building a podcast that's now 151 episodes strong, Cam reveals why leadership cannot be outsourced to AI, why exceptional people are essential for growth, and how business owners should focus on protecting culture and finding future talent rather than staying in the weeds.

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Episode Chapters

00:19 - Welcome and Cam Roberts Intro

01:26 - Laser Pavement Solutions Overview

02:47 - Moving North & BC Life

03:59 - Early Background and Roots

05:14 - Facility Maintenance Lessons

08:21 - Glass Trade and Accident Pivot

11:21 - Starting Line Striping Business

12:38 - Why Snow Wasn’t the Plan

14:40 - Snow Business Today and Fleet

17:23 - Tech and Customer Communication

19:31 - CRM That Scales Sales

21:28 - Fast Growth vs Profit

22:46 - Hiring an Accountability Leader

24:38 - EOS Self Implementation

26:31 - The Power of Snowfighters Institute

29:46 - Cam on Starting His Podcast

32:50 - Leadership in the AI Era

35:12 - The CEO’s Role According to Cam

38:25 - Visionary vs Integrator

Key Learnings

Unprofessional Contractors Create Market Opportunities - Seeing unprofessional contractors making good money in small markets can reveal business opportunities for those willing to operate with higher standards.

You Cannot Outsource Leadership to AI - While AI can handle administrative tasks, leadership ability and solving human issues cannot be abdicated to technology regardless of company size.

Exceptional People Are Essential for Growth - Natural talent and owner mentality will get you to a point, but you need exceptional people to help grow your business beyond what you can do alone.

Protect Culture and Find Future Talent - Business owners should focus on two main things: protecting and reinforcing company culture, and actively seeking talent needed 2-5 years from now.

Prime Future Talent with Regular Contact - Meeting with potential future hires quarterly keeps them engaged and ready when you need them, allowing you to grow with confidence knowing people are lined up.

Working in Today Prevents Tomorrow Focus - When owners get pulled into daily operations, it creates internal frustration because their time needs to be spent worrying about tomorrow, not today.

Small Town Experience Teaches Business Lessons - Working in facility maintenance in small communities exposes you to both good and poor contractors, teaching valuable lessons about professionalism and service standards.

Podcasting Builds Authority and Focus - Starting with general content and evolving to focused education for specific audiences (pavement business owners under $1M) creates better results.

Team Unity Requires Constant Focus - Building a team moving forward in a unified direction should consume 50-80% of a leader's thinking, energy, and focus.

Know When You're in the Wrong Seat - Recognizing when you're doing work that isn't your proper role helps maintain clarity about where your time should be spent for maximum impact.

Help Others Avoid Your Mistakes - Creating content and education to help others reach milestones without making the same expensive m...

Mike Bott, co-founder of Frost Solutions, joins Phil to discuss how mini weather stations are revolutionizing snow removal operations. From property-specific forecasting that outperforms local news and NOAA, to AI-powered alerts that eliminate middle-of-the-night property checks, to real-time pavement temperature readings taken every minute, Mike explains how technology can save money, improve sleep, and help contractors deploy crews only when actually needed. He also shares insights on product development driven by customer feedback and why evolving with your competition is essential for industry success.

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Episode Chapters

00:44 - What Frost Solutions Does

03:06 - Hardware: Size, Mounting & Setup

05:05 - Dashboard: Live Data & Alerts

06:27 - Hyperlocal Pavement Forecasting

09:14 - AI Frost Vision and Computer Vision

11:42 - Why Property-Specific Data Matters

13:23 - Company Origin Story

16:18 - FS at Pitch Events

18:20 - Why Enter Snow Tech

21:11 - Frost Vision Camera & New Sensors

22:26 - Customer Bases for Frost Solutions

26:16 - Commercial Customer Scaling

28:33 - Slip & Fall Defense Strategy

32:47 - Slip and Fall Defense Strategy

35:38 - Founder Life & Side Investments

37:19 - Where to Find Frost Solutions

39:01 - Keep Evolving!

Key Learnings

Stop Night Property Checks - Stop driving around at night checking properties when weather stations can do it for you.

Property-Specific Beats General Forecasts - Property-specific forecasts beat general weather reports because different pavement types behave differently even on the same property.

Pavement Temperature Trumps Air Temperature - Deploy crews based on pavement temperature, not just air temperature, since snow won't stick if pavement stays above freezing.

AI Eliminates Constant Camera Watching - AI alerts can notify you when something important happens so you don't have to watch cameras constantly.

Customer Feedback Drives Better Products - Customer feedback drives the best product improvements, so manufacturers who listen create better solutions.

Minute-by-Minute Readings Prevent Misses - Taking temperature readings every minute prevents you from missing critical changes when conditions shift rapidly.

Burst Mode Shows Real Accumulation - Burst mode photo sequences show whether precipitation is actually accumulating or just passing through.

Five-Minute Forecast Updates Win - Forecasts that regenerate every five minutes using real site conditions are more accurate than static predictions.

Move Stations When Surfaces Change - Moving weather stations when properties change surfaces helps maintain accurate temperature readings and forecasts.

Evolve or Get Left Behind - Your competition is evolving, so you need to evolve too or risk being left behind.

Reflection Questions

Are you still making middle-of-the-night drives to check conditions when technology could eliminate those trips and let you sleep better?

Do you understand how different pavement surfaces on your properties behave in winter conditions, and are you making deployment decisions based on actual pavement temperature rather than just air temperature?

What feedback are you giving to your technology providers about what would make your job easier, and are you working with companies that actually listen and implement changes?

Contact Information

Jason Kane, National Sales Manager for Midwest Salt with over 14 years in the industry, joins Phil to share his journey from responding to a Craigslist ad to becoming a logistics expert in the salt supply chain. From explaining why salt is more of a commodity than people want to admit, to breaking down the complex journey from mine to contractor's truck, to learning hard lessons from contract mistakes, Jason reveals why curiosity drives knowledge, why customer service runs everything, and why being smart and truthful with suppliers is the foundation of success in this industry.

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Episode Chapters

00:22 - Intro and Welcome Jason Kane

00:46 - The History of Midwest Salt

01:38 - Jason’s Journey with Midwest Salt

05:31 - Customer Service in the Salt Industry

07:36 - Understanding Salt Logistics

08:54 - Regional Salt Sources and Types

12:33 - Challenges and Solutions in Salt Supply

14:34 - Bagged Products & Custom Solutions

16:29 - Liquid Deicing Solutions

18:33 - Government Contracts and Challenges

19:27 - Getting to Know Jason

20:56 - Availability and Client Engagement

23:16 - Industry Insights & Trends

27:08 - Things to be Mindful of in 2026

34:54 - Final Thoughts

Key Learnings

Midwest Salt Started as Bags in Basements - When owner Tony Johnson acquired Midwest Salt in 2008-2009, it was a smaller mom and pop shop delivering bags of salt into people's houses and basements, salt to water softeners, things like that. Tony came from a logistics background connecting dots with hub and spoke models, so when he saw the opportunity to acquire a company that fit his expertise, he took it. Midwest Salt is fundamentally a logistics company like many service providers.

From Craigslist to National Sales Manager - Jason joined Midwest Salt in late 2010 after responding to a Craigslist ad, having just moved from Colorado. What he thought would be a part-time job to get his feet in the industry turned into a 14-year career. He started managing warehouse stock, getting on trucks for routes, then evolved into an office sales position after two years of literally doing the heavy lifting.

Skydiving Taught Customer Service at Life-or-Death Level - Between 2012-2016, Jason spent summers as operations and customer service manager for a skydiving company while returning to Midwest Salt each winter to drive semis and deliver salt. In skydiving, customer service was literally about taking care of people's lives - ensuring planes were in tip-top mechanical condition, gear was the best available, and instructors were exceptional. This foundation taught him that no matter what you're selling, you're really taking care of people.

Customer Service Is Having a Revival - There's been a breakdown of customer service across industries, but it's starting to come back. People are seeing the value again. Companies thriving in customer service make the investment and create feedback loops - they're always asking for feedback through surveys and making it easy to provide input. Companies with terrible service make you dig to find a way to give feedback, then you never get a response - it's a black hole.

Salt Is More of a Commodity Than People Want to Admit - When it comes down to how salt moves and the cost it accrues getting from point A to point B to the end user, it's very much a commodity business. But the service layer on top of the commodity is what differentiates suppliers. It's not just about the product - it's about reliability, logist...

Stephanie Leveling, Brand Ambassador for Boss by Integra with over 30 years in the landscape and snow industries, joins Phil to share her journey. From discussing why snow contractors are professionals making massive investments before the first snowflake flies, to the importance of job costing data and supporting women in the trades, Stephanie reveals why proper software implementation is a marriage not a fling, and why turning into the storm instead of running from it has defined her career.

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Episode Chapters

00:34 - Stephanie’s Background and Career Journey

03:02 - Personal Interests & Industry Involvement

03:58 - Challenges and Defining Moments

06:06 - Transition to the Integra Group

11:53 - Boss Software and Industry Solutions

13:09 - Importance of Professionalism in the Industry

22:10 - Unique Features of Boss Software

25:42 - The Realities of Software Implementation

26:56 - Ensure Successful Onboarding

28:39 - Commitment to Software Adoption

30:24 - Industry Involvement and New Developments

33:48 - Empowering Women in the Industry

37:49 - Promoting Trades and Workforce Development

42:55 - The Impact of AI on the Industry

45:25 - Personal Reflections and Career Advice

Key Learnings

Women Don't Work in the Industry - Prove Them Wrong – In 1993, when Stephanie told her female horticulture professor she had a job offer in the industry, the professor responded: "Women don't work in the industry. They do research." Stephanie held onto that for her entire career to be as successful as possible, always trying to be at top of her game. Now at 50, it's time to give back and help others so they don't go through the same things.

Snow Contractors Are Professionals, Not Helpers – Property managers have no idea what goes into snow removal. There could be an outlay of $250,000 to half a million dollars just in salt in July before anything happens. Mechanics start going through equipment in August, purchasing trucks and equipment - massive investment before serving clients. Stephanie: "We as the industry need to educate them. We need to remind the industry that you are professionals. You can walk away at any time."

Job Costing Is Everything – After a snow event you have a mountain of data - you need to know if you performed, if adjustments are needed, if someone put down too much salt. Boss's job costing is heads and tails above other products because you can get so granular without needing third party help. You can slice and dice it however you want to look at it - critical when the next event comes right on the heels of the first one.

Tech Stack Is a Trap – People tout how big their tech stack is, but the problem is none of them talk to each other. You still have a giant room of admin entering all that data which creates human error and delays getting actual data. Having everything in one place means if you go on a two-week cruise during winter (which nobody does), everybody has the information - not on somebody's desktop or piece of paper in a notebook.

Software Implementation Is a Marriage Not a Fling – It takes three years to fully implement any software platform. People bounce from one software to the next and undermine implementations because the team thinks "in six months this won't even be here, so why bother?" No buy-in from the team means it won't work. It has to start from the top - owner or whoever's running point has to be the champion and stay committed so everybody else buys in.

Discovery...

Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Jeen Stork from Stork's Plows about Snow Alliance, April 25-26, hosted by Stork's Plows at their Leesport, PA facility. If you're in the snow business, you will not want to miss 2025 Snow Alliance.

Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Nataly Mualem, an attorney specializing in employment immigration. She is the founder of the Mualem Firm (mualemfirm.com). Her firm provides employment solutions for businesses throughout the United States, including snow contractors. If you're in need of a new source of workers, you will not want to miss this episode.

Listen in as Phil Harwood interviews Ted Lucia, President of Lucia Landscaping about his company's approach to snow & ice management, the snow industry, organizational culture, and more.