On this episode of Pest Control Success Stories, Danny Leibrandt sits down with Steve Delaney, the founder and owner of Yard Boss out of Lincoln, Nebraska. Steve started mowing lawns in high school, turned it into a legit business in 2008 while he was still in college, and has since grown Yard Boss into a $1.4M+ lawn care and pest control company running multiple crews and serving around 2,400 mostly residential clients. From dropping architectural engineering to studying turf management, to rebranding from “Steve’s Lawn & Landscaping” to Yard Boss, Steve’s path is a real look at what it takes to turn a side hustle into a serious, scalable business.

Steve and Danny break down the pivotal decisions that changed everything: leaving a tiny 8,000-person town to go all-in on a bigger market like Lincoln, getting around masterminds and high-level operators in 2019, and the mindset shift that came from realizing “you don’t know what you don’t know.” They dig into how Steve added pest control as a natural extension of his fertilizer business, why he avoids termites and bed bugs for now, and exactly how he thinks about service stacking, rebranding, and picking a market that actually matches your growth goals.

You’ll also hear how Yard Boss is quietly crushing it with upsells and retention using tools like Go High Level—selling $10K–$12K days off a single text blast, turning fungus and armyworm outbreaks into profitable campaigns, and building a seasonal rhythm with aeration, seeding, and Christmas lights. Steve shares practical, street-level tactics like oversized yard signs, aggressive truck wraps, home shows, answering the phone (seriously), and hiring an office manager “as soon as you can.” If you’re a lawn care or pest control owner trying to scale beyond word of mouth, get out of the field, or figure out your next market, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons you can apply right away.

Steve Delaney, Owner of Yard Boss:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steven.delaney.5

Yard Boss: https://yardbosslawns.com/

Danny Leibrandt, Co-Founder of Pest Control Millionaires:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com

Chapters:

00:00 The Genesis of Yard Boss

03:01 Growth Strategies and Customer Acquisition

06:09 Mindset Shifts and Key Pivot Points

08:49 Expanding Beyond Small Towns

13:10 The Importance of Customer Service

15:53 Service Diversification and Rebranding

19:06 Upselling and Marketing Strategies

22:54 Launching Successful Campaigns

25:21 Upselling Strategies and Seasonal Services

27:56 Marketing Innovations and Messaging Adjustments

30:08 The Power of Yard Signs

34:02 Branding and Rebranding Insights

40:31 Future Expansion Plans

42:06 Lessons for Business Owners

#pestcontrol #pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolowner #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #growpestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolmillionaires #dannyleibrandt #stevedelaney #yardboss

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On this episode of Pest Control Success Stories, Danny Leibrandt sits down with Jesse Beltran, founder of Drop Dead Pest Solutions out of Evansville, Wisconsin. Jesse is a third-generation pest pro who launched Drop Dead Pest Solutions in 2009 while working construction, then went full time in 2013. He shares how growing up around the industry shaped his approach, what those early grind years really looked like, and why a simple inspection-first process builds relationships that turn into customers for life.

We dig into the business model too. Jesse breaks down his current split of services at roughly 75 percent general pest and mice with about 25 percent wildlife. He explains why bats can be highly profitable within tight seasonal windows, how he trains techs to spot and upsell recurring services, and the little touches that make customer service unforgettable. Think dog-treat welcome packs, remembering pet names, and documenting personal notes so every visit feels familiar and trusted.

Jesse also opens the playbook on growth. He credits the Pest Control Millionaires Program for a pivot to Facebook groups and dialed-in ads that paid for the program in the first two weeks. We talk about hiring his first tech, why bringing on an office manager (his wife) unlocked capacity, and his plan to scale to multiple trucks and a door-to-door sales team while keeping quality high. He closes with timeless advice for owners at any stage. Set the long-term target and work backward. Take smarter risks. Delegate what slows you down so the business can move faster.

Jesse Beltran, Founder of Drop Dead Pest Solutions:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesse.beltran.3760

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesse-beltran-7b769171/

Website: https://ddpestsolutions.com/

Danny Leibrandt, Co-Founder of Pest Control Millionaires:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com

#pestcontrol #pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolowner #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #growpestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolmillionaires #dannyleibrandt #jessebeltran #dropdeadpestsolutions

On this episode of Pest Control Success Stories, Danny Leibrandt sits down with Walker Rose, founder and president of Turf Chief, a fast-growing Louisville-area lawn care brand now topping $2.5M/year. Walker shares how he left civil engineering, bootstrapped from weekend landscaping to full-time owner, kept things lean (paying himself ~$12K that first year), and brought his brother in as hire #1. After hitting $1M around year 6 with Local Lawns, he spun up Turf Chief three years ago to focus on scalable services—lawn fertilization, weed control, and mosquito management—with a personal, locally rooted touch.

We dig into the marketing pivot from door flyers and cold lunches with property managers to in-house Facebook ads that actually convert—after burning six figures with agencies that delivered “robot leads.” Walker breaks down what’s working (native-feeling creatives, the right lead forms), the red flags he watches for (keep ad accounts in your name, demand transparency), and why he’s targeting residential for scale while still maintaining a 50/50 commercial split on the turf side. He also unpacks the acquisition game: five deals to date, including Daleco this spring via SBA financing and a creative seller holdback—plus how community plays (youth sports fields, banner shout-outs) turn visibility into trust.

You’ll hear his hiring and culture rules (hire for integrity and team fit, train the skills), the discipline to avoid complacency by protecting mental/physical bandwidth, and a clear plan to dominate Louisville first before expanding. Walker’s message to owners: believe in your ability, ignore the naysayers, and keep your head down—progress compounds faster than you think.

Walker Rose, Founder of Turf Chief and Local Lawns:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walker.rose.9

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walker-rose-35469891/

Turf Chief: https://turfchief.com/

Danny Leibrandt, Co-Founder of Pest Control Millionaires:

Facebook: https://facebook.com/DannyLeibrandt

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dannyleibrandt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DannyLeibrandt

Website: https://dannyleibrandt.com

Podcast Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Walker Rose

06:00 Transitioning to Turf Chief

12:00 Lessons from Marketing Failures

17:57 Future Plans for Turf Chief

20:43 Acquisition Strategies and Experiences

23:58 Community Engagement and Local Presence

27:08 Final Thoughts and Advice

#pestcontrol #pestcontrolmarketing #pestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolowner #pestcontroladvertising #pestcontrolleads #pestcontrolads #growpestcontrolbusiness #pestcontrolmillionaires #dannyleibrandt #walkerrose #turfchief #locallawns #louisville

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