I first met Chase Mullin a few years ago when he came to a Grunder Landscaping Co. Field Trip. He was young, hungry, and ambitious to grow his business. Chase later joined one of our peer groups, which he was active in for five years, and continued to learn and grow as a leader. His business, Mullin, was much smaller then but I like to think we helped Chase lay the groundwork that enabled him to triple the size of his business in the last six years.

In Chase’s own words, he says that “Early in my career I believed that I truly had to push, push, push to make things happen and meet my expectations. I’ve found that instead empowering my team to make decisions, and at times even mistakes, has been a much better recipe for success.”

It took that revelation for Chase to become the type of leader whose company has been named a Best Place to Work in New Orleans four years in a row. I’ve had my own, similar revelations as I’ve gotten older thanks largely to my mentors who have pointed out all the ways I was holding my own team back. 

We all have the opportunity for a fresh start coming on January 1. This week, I encourage each of you reading, no matter your position at your company, to look inward and ask yourself:

• What did I do or not do to get the results I did this year?

• What am I doing that may be holding people around me back?

• How is my own behavior contributing to the challenges I face?

By having humility and looking at what mistakes we may have made first, we’ll be in a much better place to continue learning and growing in 2021. One of the many ways I’m excited to keep learning in the new year is by touring Mullin at GROW! 2021 in February. We’ll be doing it in a safe, socially distanced way, and I can’t wait to see what we learn from this incredible team. 

Marty Grunder
President & CEO
The Grow Group & Grunder Landscaping Co. 

Join us for GROW! 2021 in New Orleans, LA

The ultimate learning experience for landscape professionals, by landscape professionals. Join us for three days of innovative programming focused on real-world solutions to the challenges owners and their teams face; a behind-the-scenes tour of Mullin, a stand-out company that is transforming the landscapes of New Orleans; and a truly inspiring line-up of speakers.