BLG Environmental Services - August 2021

BLG Environmental Services - August 2021

AUGUST 2021

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O ne morning, renowned rock climber Alex Honnold woke up and climbed up the famous 3,000-foot vertical cliff in Yosemite, El Capitan, without any ropes or safety gear. It’s considered the single greatest feat of rock climbing history. It’s a true story that puts many people in awe, and rightfully so, but some may miss a few key details. Firstly, Honnold couldn’t have done it alone. Without his rock climbing friends with whom he trained and practiced, plus his incredibly supportive girlfriend, it would’ve been extremely difficult for him to reach that peak. In honor of National Mountain Climbing Day and Friendship Week this August, I thought I’d talk about one of the great learning experiences I’ve had in my own life: the necessity of friends to help you reach the highest peaks of your own life. When I was young, I thought I could do it all by myself. I have very good, skilled team members working at BLG Environmental today, but I wasn’t always convinced that I needed many other people to help me accomplish my vision. Self-made entrepreneurs were my role models and idols, after all, but after a career of working with my best friend and a life with my wife and kids, I understand deeply now that nobody is ever completely “self-made.” People are often happiest when they can make other people’s lives easier with their insight, knowledge, and comfort. If that applies to you, too, then you can rest assured it applies to others. Keeping my door open and nurturing my friendships is one of the best choices I made for myself. Ultimately, if I hadn’t, I know I would have made a lot of mistakes in life. There are many friendships within my church that DON’T CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN ALONE

FRIENDSHIPS MAKE THE CLIMB EASIER

keep me the person I’m proud to be today. But also, without my wife’s deep friendship and companionship, I definitely couldn’t be the successful business owner I am today. Besides her tremendous love and support, she always looks at things in a new, emotionally intelligent way that I hadn’t seen before. It’s easy for me to revert to a black-and-white perspective and make decisions very quickly, and while that helps my business in some ways, she also helps me see the benefits in making decisions slowly and taking a few days to avoid a rash decision. Also, I couldn’t have run a nursery without my best friend and business partner, Carey Duryea. I’ve known him for over 25 years, so you could say our friendship has grown beyond words and is much older than the trees we’ve grown together. There’s no doubt in my mind that, if anything were to happen to me, Carey would know what to do with my best interests in mind, and that gives a man a lot of peace of mind in a crazy world. At this point in my life, although I continue to have big aspirations, I’m not looking for material things. For me now, the most valuable things in life are being at peace and watching my kids grow up. If I had any advice for a young entrepreneur who happens to find this newsletter, it’s to do everything in your power to keep the friends you find. You will find success, but no dollar amount could ever buy the rich friendships you can have in the future.

Robert Burns

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We’re often told that working hard means having more success in life. But working hard can be more exhausting than ever, limiting your energy to innovate or make progress. There’s no reason to make life harder for ourselves where it could be effortless. It isn’t lazy to desire effortlessness — it’s smart, and it may be the only way to accomplish certain things in the future. Published on June 8, 2021, the empowering guide “Effortless” might be one of my favorites. Greg McKeown has some great insights to what “overachieving” really means for us and how we can avoid overexerting, overthinking, and overdoing everything. McKeown talks about the importance of returning to an “effortless” state, or an experience where we are physically rested, emotionally unburdened, and mentally

energized. When we’re completely aware and attentive, we can focus on what matters most. “Not every hard thing can be made easy,” he writes. “But we can make it easier to do more of what matters most.” So, what are the essential steps to achieving an “effortless” state? McKeown explains it in an easy- to-remember, three-word phrase: invert, enjoy, and release. First, invert — instead of asking yourself why something is hard, ask, “What if this could be easy?” Challenge the assumption that the “right” way is always the harder way. Create programs and processes with residual results that make your life easier. Tasks don’t always have to be linear.

ROBERT’S BUSINESS BOOK SPOTLIGHT

‘Effortless’ by Greg McKeown

THE DANGEROUS YELLOW SLIME GAVIN’S GUYS

Hi, everyone! Hope you’re drinking lots of water. I know I am! I have to or else I wouldn’t be able to keep up with all of the weeding that my guys and I are doing at our nursery. You could say we’re even a small-batch artisan nursery. Our batches are so small because we’re located on a little square of growing space near my dad’s nursery, where we take all their extra saplings.

Why “artisan,” you ask? Well, I always draw art of our expansion plans and our upcoming projects!

Of course, it’s not easy being a young nursery genius. Sometimes you make mistakes that nobody could ever warn you about. One day, I saw a super weird bright yellow growth near one of our poor trees. People might know that trees can get sick, but they might not know there are multiple ways this can happen. One way is if there’s mold or slime growth near the tree’s roots. I thought: “Wow! This must be a super rare slime.” Being the quick thinker I am, I grabbed a stick nearby and poked the slime. I expected a jiggle, but instead, my stick sunk into it like mud. I started feeling a little nauseous before I pulled the stick out — it was completely coated yellow. And the yellow started turning waxy …

That’s when I finally noticed the Crayola wrapper curling out from underneath. It was just a melted yellow crayon.

I have to say, that was a pretty close call for my trees, though. That’s why it’s important to give your trees plenty of water, but not too much water. If you give too much, the moisture can cause problems! That’s what my dad tells me anyway, and he’s always right about trees.

As for me, though, I can never get too much water. I love it!

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OUR CLIENTS SAY IT BEST! When we purchased our winter home in Orlando, we expected challenges in finding a residential landscape professional who we could develop a long-term relationship with like we had at home in Canada. Our objective was to have extensive work done to our back yard, pool area, and around our custom Bocce Court. Of the three contractors interviewed, Robert Burns of BLG Environmental was the only one who took the time to truly understand our needs and then provided some suggestions that further enhanced the concept we provided. The work was completed on time, within budget, and to our satisfaction. We would not hesitate to recommend BLG Environmental for any landscape requirements.” —Albert Duwyn

Second, enjoy — pair your most essential activities with the most enjoyable ones. Work and play can coexist! By turning your tedious tasks into meaningful rituals, you can more easily avoid burnout. Third, release — don’t cling to emotional burdens. When you focus on what you lack, you tend to lose what you have. Find a gratitude practice that works for you (e.g., gratitude journaling, adding a thought of gratitude for every thought of complaint). Relieve your grudges by asking, “What’s the grudge’s purpose in my life? Is it worth keeping around if it isn’t doing anything useful?”

I really enjoyed the way that McKeown explains how the path to success doesn’t have to be hard or miserable. We have control, and we have a choice to make our path however we want it to be. This is a very refreshing read in the business world, and I highly recommend it!

Robert Burns

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” –Matthew 5:6 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.” –Exodus 20:12 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” –Colossians 3:14 HAVE YOU HEARD THE GOOD NEWS?

EASY OUT

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WE MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR AREAS BEAUTIFUL

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Don’t Climb the Mountain Alone

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‘Effortless’ Book Review Gavin’s Guys vs. the Yellow Slime The Good News Hear From Our Clients Take a Break! Want to Save on Your Next Vacation?

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5 TIPS FOR YOUR NEXT AFFORDABLE GETAWAY

A re you excited to explore the world again? Or maybe you’ve just gotten back from your latest vacation! In either case, the economic challenges of the pandemic might require travelers to plan their trips a little smarter. Here are five tricks to do just that. 1. Consider your budget while choosing your destination. Any destination heavily impacted by tourists is going to be more expensive to visit. So, consider taking a tour through various French countryside towns instead of Paris! Not only could it be more culturally immersing, but it may even be more relaxing and less stressful than visiting a dense area.

2. Sign up for Scott’s Cheap Flights. One of the most important parts of booking an affordable vacation is booking it at the right time. Scott’s Cheap Flights will track all the cheapest flights at an airport of your choice — you’ll get over 50%–75% savings on highly rated airlines. This will get you stress-free travel for a much lower price! 3. Travel in a group. If you travel with friends, your expenses become a lot more manageable. Let’s say you and a partner travel with two other couples — renting a swanky cabin at $200 a night will only cost around $33 per person. Plus, you will create some amazing memories together!

local menus and prices to ensure you don’t spend more than you planned. If you want an authentic and homestyle culinary experience, consider signing up for a peer-to-peer dining experience through Traveling Spoon or Bon Appetour, which is tax-free as well! 5. Consider volunteering for vacation. Want to go on a self-discovery trip? Why not cut your expenses in half by volunteering? For example, Habitat for Humanity offers a nine-day Mexico trip for $1,200 with lodging, food, and activities included. You’ll get to build structures and create something permanent for the local community.

Traveling on a dime is no sweat with the right tools. Best of luck, traveler!

4. Plan your meal budget ahead of time. Looking forward to eating certain dishes? Find

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