For more than 30 years, Arbor Age magazine has been covering new and innovative products, services, technology and research vital to tree care companies, municipal arborists and utility right-of-way maintenance companies
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had a weeklong orientation with management.As part of this orientation management interviewed the new foresters to determine their potential to move up within the organization. My District Ranger, John Tamsberg, told me to volunteer first and don't be afraid to speak your mind." Neal said that following Tamsberg's advice dramatically improved his ability to communicate and think on his feet.Neal's ability to communicate has even led to him testifying before Congress, an experience that Neal said was both rewarding and humbling. "Arboriculture is an art and a science," he said. "If you believe proper tree care is important for the health of the urban forest — in addition, in my world, utility vegetation management — stay within your principles, ethics and promote the profession. Rich Arlington Founder and CEO of Rich Arlington & Associates "Why Not You?" is the title of Rich Arlington's book,and those three words could not be more appropriate. "[The book] gives people the inspiration and the power to believe that they can do it too if I've been through everything that I've been through and still did it," said Arlington. What Arlington did was come from humble beginnings, which at one point in his life included homelessness, and go on to build successful, multimillion-dollar companies in lawn care, landscaping, irrigation, snow removal and more. "The simple fact of being homeless early in my life was a very eyeopening experience," said Arlington."And the attitude that I adopted from that experience is that there is nowhere to go from here but up. I still look at every day with that attitude.Today is the worst it can get; tomorrow it can only go up." Arlington took that attitude, and, following service in the Marine Corps,started his landscaping business with just a truck and a lawn mower. "I had always mowed lawns, raked leaves, and shoveled snow as a kid to earn money," said Arlington."When my military career was over, and I came back home to Erie, Pennsylvania, I wanted to start my own business." He started mowing lawns in the area and got business through word of mouth and with the help of flyers he posted around town. "My first year in landscaping, I did $4,700 in revenue for the whole year," said Arlington."I didn't get off to a really great start, but I took a third-shift job so that I could live, and I would work the third-shift job all night and then, during the day, be a landscaper." Arlington said his experience in the Marine Corps was instrumental to his success,because he learned to overcome,adapt,improvise,adjust,and keep moving forward. "That philosophy has taken me day after day in business, because you overcome and adapt," he said."You don't sit there and dwell on the problem; you figure out how to go around it or over it." According to Arlington,the biggest transformation for his company was when he became actively involved with industry trade associations. www.arborage.com "I started to realize the problems I was facing every day in business were the same problems that hundreds and thousands of others were facing," he said."Having access to those trade shows, seminars, regional training and the online environment has transitioned our staff into a blossoming success." Shared knowledge Arlington openly shares his story and his keys to success with others as a public speaker. He averages nearly 40 speaking engagements nationwide per year on topics such as finance, sales, operational efficiency, safety and team building. He has founded mentoring programs to help others in the industry, and also helped found the Snow and Ice Management Association's "Build a Bid" and "Beyond a Bid" programs to help others in the industry understand their costs and bid properly for business success. "I think the biggest attribute that I bring when it comes to influencing others is that I love teaching others," he said."I have no problem talking about my mistakes in the hope that they won't make the same ones.And then I like to sit back and watch them grow." Arlington said he receives follow-up phone calls and e-mails from people who have attended his seminars, and that interaction with people throughout the industry gives him a tremendous sense of pride. "When I look at a room at a seminar with 150 people in it, I'm only looking for one person to change something that makes them better," said Arlington."I'm not so vain that I think all 150 people will walk out and change their business.But if I can get one that takes some piece of that message and changes something, then I feel that I've done what I set out to do." According to Arlington, knowledge is only valuable when it's taught to others; and if you keep it to yourself, it's worthless. "There's no such thing as a stupid question, except the one you keep to yourself," he added."There are thousands of us in the industry who are willing to share — you just have to ask. Seek out the knowledge, and you will find it." Arlington said education is the key,and it needs to continue to improve. He urges industry professionals to seek out education and become involved with industry associations. "Anybody who takes their business seriously is willing to listen to others," he said."They value the sharing of knowledge; they value the networking that can take place." And although Arlington's seminars are all different and cover a vast range of industry topics, he tries to convey two core messages.The first is, "You can do it, do not give up, and keep fighting the fight," he said. "Where I came from, by all rights, I should not have been successful, but I did it anyway. So anyone out there can do it." The second message is to reach out and realize that there are a lot of people in the industry who are willing to share and willing to help."Don't be afraid to walk up to some of the big players in the business and ask if you can sit down and have a cup of coffee," said Arlington."It's amazing how many people in this industry are willing to share if people would just ask." For more information about Rich Arlington's book,"Why NotYou?" visit www.avtt.org/arlingtoninfo.html. Arbor Age / January/February 2013 13