We were lucky to catch up with Gregory Hyman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Gregory, thanks for joining us today. Often outsiders look at a successful business and think it became a success overnight. Even media and especially movies love to gloss over nitty, gritty details that went into that middle phase of your business – after you started but before you got to where you are today. In our experience, overnight success is usually the result of years of hard work laying the foundation for success, but unfortunately, it’s exactly this part of the story that most of the media ignores. Can you talk to us about your scaling up story – what are some of the nitty, gritty details folks should know about?

Cornerstone Landscapes officially launched on October 1, 2012. The week prior I had been let go buy a general contractor, who I worked with as a junior sales manager and construction superintendent for a year. His letter of termination came as a relief as I had planned on giving my final notice the same week. My goal had always been to launch my own landscape construction company, so I took it as a sign.

I had cultivated wonderful relationships while at Santa Barbara City College trade school, studying environmental horticulture and landscape construction. Over the weekend, I reached out to one of my former teachers who had recently mentioned his project needs. By Monday, October 1st, I had an executed contract for my first small landscape job, building redwood fences and concrete pathways. I remember studying YouTube videos over the weekend, refreshing myself on concrete finishing techniques. My hire help was a foreman for a repeatable general contractor in town and needless to say, I paid him more than I paid myself on that first job. However, the job was a great success and my first client became a source of multiple referrals for future projects and landscape architects, greatly helping to launch my business.

In my humble beginnings, I was the owner/operator with a couple helpers, a used U.S. Forestry Service Ford F250 and a dump trailer. I was in charge of sales, estimating, contracts, operations and quality control, hiring and firing, and always executing hands on labor. I was lucky enough to hire a part-time administrator who helped with HR compliance, general administration and payroll. Mentored by my former employer, I always said yes to projects that I wanted to build, even if I didn’t know how to execute them. As landscape projects evolved in complexity and scope, it became imperative to hire skilled laborers with years of hands-on experience, exceeding my expertise in multiple trades. In the early days I was hands-on with my projects, but I allowed a slow transition over many years, letting go of the day to day control over the details. I remained dedicated to my desire to grow and expand over the familiar or being comfortable, and saying yes to those projects that truly excited me. Entrepreneurs are easily bored!

Like many, I learned the hard way by ignoring my gut when I had a sense of hesitation when it came to hiring or maintaining employees. Those lessons were always costly, and eventually I learned to trust my instincts and to pay attention to early signs, whether individuals were a good fit or not. The ultimate lesson was to identify my core values and hire teammates that reflected those. I begin to recognize that I was only as good as my team, and though my intentions might’ve been golden, unsavory behavior in the field would always reflect poorly upon myself.

In January 2023, I met a man who I would eventually call my dear friend and business partner. When Marco Bruno interviewed with us, he had multiple offers from regional landscape companies that far surpassed anything I could have offered. However, in his words, it was our dedicated moment of silence and circle of gratitude during our biweekly safety meeting, that signaled I was the partner to fulfill his dreams with. Marco arrived on the scene with nearly 2 decades of experience, from hands on labor early in his career, to management and leadership team positions in private and commercial landscape companies, executing over $60 million in projects. Our core values and purposes aligned, and we recognized we were brought together for a pursuit greater than what we had imagined.

Over 13 years we have evolved into a full-service landscape construction construction company with a fleet of trucks and heavy equipment, an incredible group of dedicated employees, and a leadership team that reflects shared core values and a vision for a legacy company.

Gregory, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Based in Santa Barbara, California, Cornerstone Landscapes is dedicated to enriching the properties and lives of our clients. We build luxury landscapes and outdoor living spaces in the greater Santa Barbara and Ventura area, including Hope Ranch, Montecito, Goleta, the Mesa, Ventura, Ojai, Camarillo and more. Cornerstone’s foremost priority is the relationships we cultivate. When given the opportunity, we create lasting partnerships, landscapes that grow in beauty and value over time, and a legacy of excellence and integrity.

Our mission is to better the lives of those we serve, to bring a refreshingly positive experience to the construction process, and to foster an everyday connection to the natural world through constructed outdoor living spaces. We are dedicated to serving our family of employees, our clients and partners, our vendors, and fellow contractors. Our passion is for impeccable work that is executed with integrity in every endeavor and for cultivating strong partnerships.

Gregory Hyman, Founder and CEO of Cornerstone Landscapes, Inc. has worked in the farming and landscape industries since 1997, and in the Santa Barbara landscape industry as a project manager since 2009. He founded Cornerstone Landscapes on October 1, 2012 as its sole owner/operator with a two man crew, a truck and a dump trailer. From those early days, Cornerstone Landscapes has grown from a humble homegrown business to a sophisticated operation with a full staff, a fleet of heavy equipment, and an evolved approach to luxury landscape construction.

Gregory is a lifetime gardener specializing in California native flora, organic farming, and permaculture. He brings his background in fine art, personal development, landscape and permaculture design, an AS in Horticulture, and hands-on construction experience to the table as the principle of Cornerstone. He believes he is only as good as his team. His credo of “open heart and open mind” makes every day an adventure, an opportunity to learn something new, and most importantly, an opportunity to serve.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

The core of our reputation is the strong relationships we cultivate with our clients, based on integrity, honesty, trust and impeccability. These same values extend to our teammates, our employees, our vendors and third-party associates who support our business. We are only as good as our actions prove. We commit to growing each day, to learning something new, and to take responsibility for mistakes as learning opportunities. In this way we are dedicated to continual refinement and impeccable service. I always say we shouldn’t hang our hat on “quality work.” In my opinion, every luxury landscape company should offer the highest quality product. The relevant question is “HOW do we execute?” When we view our clients as partners, our interest and end result is one another’s mutual benefit.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Value: It is imperative to value every individual in the organization. Whether an employees is digging trenches, an administrator, or the highest level manager, their inherent value should be reflected in the way they are viewed and treated.

Appreciation: Appreciation is the food of relationship. Appreciating efforts and hard work helps unify the team, boosting morale and performance.

Accountability: Holding oneself and one’s team accountable to commitments, and to telling the truth is paramount. When issues arise, if we hide from the truth, problems remain hidden. However, if we tell the truth and take responsibility, we can address any issue or problem head on.

Excellence: Only surround yourself with those dedicated to excellence. Mediocrity will drag the entire team down.

Capacity: If one has accountability and even excellence but does not have the capacity to perform, they are not the right fit for the company. Fill all roles with those who have the capacity to fulfill their role.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.CornerstoneSantaBarbara.com
• Instagram: cornerstonelandscapes_sb
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-hyman-1628a268

Image Credits

Caitlin Atkinson