Episode 89: Recovering From Disaster and Learning to Delegate, with Trevor Hall

Trevor Hall has been in the green industry all of his life. Trevor’s first source of income was cutting the neighbor’s lawn. Later in life, he began a summer job at the University of Calgary grounds and maintenance department, which became a full-time position and was his first real introduction to the creativity around landscape design. This summer job exposed Trevor to all of the aspects of landscape and irrigation design and construction. His interest and curiosity led him to pursue an education in Horticulture through Olds College. Trevor’s thirst for knowledge took him back to the University where he completed his Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Calgary. It was a natural step to take since his love for the outdoors, the development of outdoor spaces, and combine it with a business degree to do what he loved every day. Artemis Landscapes & Design Ltd was born and when she later needed a sister, Trevor purchased Calgary Sprinkler Systems adding underground irrigation and maintenance to their repertoire. A fantastic synergy between the two companies was born.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

• How Trevor started his company, Artemis Landscapes, by combining his horticulture and management degrees into business ownership
• Why Trevor purchased his second company Calgary Sprinkler Systems, and how both of Trevor’s businesses are rapidly growing
• How a major car accident a decade ago caused Trevor to lose his short-term memory and had a powerful impact on his business
• How Trevor discovered the importance of having systems in place for his business to help him get through the period after his accident
• Trevor shares how his wife and three daughters were the driving force that kept him going and kept him focused on his business
• What important lessons Trevor learned over the course of his career that he wishes he had learned earlier
• Why Trevor struggled early on to let go and delegate responsibility, and why trying to do everything himself was hurting his business
• How Trevor supports his team by allowing them to make their own mistakes and encourages them when things go wrong
• What key areas Trevor plans to work on in the next five years to take his business to where it wants it to be

Additional resources:

• Website: www.artemislandscapes.com
• Website: www.calgarysprinklersystems.com