We recently connected with Zachary Callaway and have shared our conversation below.
Zachary, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
Once I had the idea to create an ecological-centered landscaping service, my first step was to test the viability of my business model by landing a few small-scale projects. To avoid getting in over my head, I remained at my full-time job, working these projects on the side. I was exceptionally tired that first year, but was glad to have the security to stay true to my vision!
In that first year, I gained a lot of experience running the administrative side of the business: accounting, advertising, pricing, client communications, etc. I began developing a lot of the processes, templates, and workflows I use now that have made me more efficient. That first year was also spent building relationships. I got to know our local native plant nurseries, found vendors, learned from other professionals and non-profit resources, and started to build client relationships and word-of-mouth.
After that first year of working two jobs, I spent the following off-season adjusting prices, improving processes, and preparing to take the plunge into full-time independent work! It was very scary to leave my previous 9-5, knowing that I was now entirely responsible for the revenue needed to pay my bills. Simultaneously, it was also freeing to know that, for the first time in my career, I had ownership over which jobs I take and how I do them. Though scared, I kept faith that this season would bring new client work.
The preparation, trust, and investment paid off…I’m now entering my third full year of business as an independent landscape contractor, bringing custom native plant landscapes to residents throughout the Kansas City area!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My business, KC Native Landscapes, specializes in native plant consultations, designs, and installations for gardens and landscapes in the Kansas City area. Through the use of native plants and ecological best-practices, I help our neighbors’ yards become more beautiful, sustainable, and biologically diverse.
As a growing number of pollinators and birds face the threat of extinction, I’m proud to play a part in the effort to restore and re-establish the food sources and habitats for these critical species. The tallgrass prairie was one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, but European settlement and modern land management practices have destroyed somewhere between 96-99% of this biome. By working with me to plant native flowers, grasses, and sedges, my clients are re-integrating their yards back into the larger ecosystem that has existed in delicate balance since the Ice Age. Through education efforts and relationships with clients, my goal is to empower them to become stewards of their land in a way that helps repair the ecological relationships crucial to our environment.
On top of the ecological benefits, there are many practical reasons to choose native plants for your yard. When planted in the right light, soil, and moisture conditions, they need very little help to thrive! Prairie plants are drought-tolerant, needing very little supplemental watering or soil amendments once established. There are many great native plant options with deep roots, perfect for preventing erosion and helping to retain excess water during our stormy springs. Woodland forbs and shrubs are shade-tolerant, perfectly adapted for plantings under trees or on the north side of your home. Whatever your use case, there’s a plant that will thrive!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The throughline of my entire career has been in finding work that is meaningful and positive. Not an easy task in the contemporary world, especially if you also want a steady paycheck! For me, my mission is to build relationships with clients to make small, positive changes in our community and ecosystem.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I am still constantly unlearning the idea that failure is to be avoided. In starting this business, I worked very hard to try and prepare everything as perfectly as possible, only to find that I’ve had to change and adjust nearly everything since then: pricing, processes, logos, you name it! Iterating and changing are how things develop, and change can only happen through our mistakes and contradictions. If I had stayed in my comfort zone and only worked on things I knew I could do “perfectly”, I wouldn’t be where I am!
Take risks, and be wrong!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kcnativelandscapes.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kcnativelandscapes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kc.native.landscapes
