Meet Cody Simpson of La Cañada Flintridge

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cody Simpson

Hi Cody, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started in the landscaping industry about 7 years ago or so. It was definitely not a very organized team, but I got some good experience there in a short period of time and my interest started to grow in the field. I would go around on my own or with the owner of the company doing estimates, checking in on jobs, and doing some minor labor. Getting involved in many aspects of the company so early on helped fast track my progress into sales. I later joined a larger company for several years that was far more organized, and gained massive amounts of sales and landscaping experience and knowledge. Once I really got the hang of it and was thriving (as much as I could there), I essentially maxed out with this company, knowing I could do more elsewhere with more freedom. I worked 6 days a week full time and I just knew there were better and more efficient ways to approach the process, and I sadly had to leave to really see what was possible. A few years ago, a good friend of mine acquired a landscaping company and off we went! We rebranded the company to “Droughtscape” and modernized everything from the website to the uniforms and so on. It has been quite a process, and I have slowly and steadily personally taken over essentially all aspects of marketing and sales with this team myself, and I’m gaining more and more experience in these areas. Having this amount of freedom in a company has been fantastic. I have freedom over making my own schedule for assessments and walk throughs, and I have freedom to work on the marketing any time of the day. My schedule has been reduced substantially while maintaining growth at the same time, and I love the fact that I’m proving that a 9-5 doesn’t have to be the life for everyone if it’s not what they want. However, work has to be put in to get yourself up to a point of efficiency where this is even possible.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The primary struggle involved with the growth of any individual is probably the idea that you can’t or shouldn’t change, even when, deep down, all you want to do is change. When you go to work, go through the motions, hate your job, have a boss or coworkers who bother you, and you decide never to speak up or leave because you don’t want to look rude or crazy, that’s on you. Sitting around and desperately hoping for things to happen while not actually doing anything about it isn’t going to get you out of your situation. I’ve been there and it sucks. During my process of expanding my skills and general awareness of my environment, I finally realized it was time to start speaking up for change. In doing so, people would get overwhelmed, because I really threw around a lot of ideas. People wouldn’t take action, and wouldn’t be willing to change or take risks. I then finally realized it was time to get out of this situation and take life by the horns. Now, I can take action and take risks whenever I want to, and due to my experience and attention to detail, it works out a lot of the time! Hating your job “just like everyone else” is very sad, and a lot more people need to take this kind of action and these kinds of risks. 40 hours a week, or 1/3 of your life during the week, should NOT be wasted with effort on something you don’t like to do! That’s just crazy. Find something you like and take action to turn it into something you love. If you have a good idea, try it. Don’t hold it in for the sake of being lazy or not offending people. Just do it and be yourself. People are going to judge you anyways.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in everything in outdoor construction and landscaping, with the exception of pools. We work on everything in xeriscape (drought-resistant landscaping), driveways, patios, pathways, fences, walls, pergolas, grass, irrigation, lighting, etc. Our primary focuses mainly lie in xeriscape and interlocking pavers, as those are things we really believe in to the core. Xeriscapes are a gorgeous way to have a low-maintenance, low water, low headache yard that’s sustainable and environmentally friendly, instead of having grass, which wastes water and requires loads of maintenance. Interlocking pavers are likely the most reliable, easy maintenance, long-lasting hardscape materials, and they have lots of color and pattern options. If we could just do xeriscapes and pavers all day, we absolutely would, but we take on all sorts of other work and love it all the same. Our team is extemely tedious and detail oriented, ALMOST to a fault, while simultaneously being very efficient. We are proud to say that we are the best at what we do in Los Angeles, and we have some of the most experienced men in the entire city in this field. Regarding everything that people usually hate about hiring contractors (poor communication, poor time estimates, overcharging, undercharging, not finishing and leaving, bad attitudes, etc.), we strive to operate in the precise opposite way. We ensure good communication from start to finish, and even after a job is complete, our quotes are finalized numbers so there aren’t many real surprises during a job (an extra day of labor for the agreed upon scope does not cost more). Our clients really enjoy how we operate, and we enjoy doing the job the right way the first time. First contact with our team includes a series of free educational videos narrated by yours truly, and the contact form to request a free, on-site assessment has many specified questions regarding a client’s project. These two factors alone set us apart dramatically from the competition, because they show clients that we care that they know how their project works, and that we care to do the project the right way. Knowing that a company goes out of their way to ensure longevity for the client’s project, and to really show that they know what they’re doing, builds trust with the client and makes for a smooth project all the way through.

What does success mean to you?
Efficiency. Can you become more efficient? Can you then help your team to also become more efficient? Can you make any turnover efficient? Essentially, can you make every single action you take throughout the day quicker, smoother and better? Maximum success = maximum income with the least amount of stress. When you become more efficient, you now have time to take on more work, and therefore you can make more money by producing more products. When your team does the same thing, you all can now make more money. When things are running with smooth systems and turnovers are quick and easy, you usually have quite a lack of stress. So, efficiency = success = prosperity. Try out those ideas you’ve always thought about that might make things better or easier for everyone. Change things and put in systems to make your life easier so you can take on even more work. As long as you like and are interested in what you’re doing, stop wasting time sitting around and not acting on what you know you should. It’s time to turn the majority of your time awake into something you love, not just something you “have to get through”. Anyone can be successful in this country and there is plenty of money to go around. Go get it.

Pricing:

• Simple xeriscape projects: $10k-$25k
• Elaborate xeriscapes: $20k-$50k
• Huge xeriscapes: $75k-$250k
• Hardscapes: $15k-$200k
• Fencing: $10k-$50k

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.DroughtscapeLA.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/Droughtscape
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Droughtscape
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@droughtscapela?si=3s7qVw5FtMekiOSb
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/G3G606J-Gi