Lesa Peterman

I would definitely say speak up and own your projects - take credit for things. I know we're taught to be team players, but when it comes to work, we need to show that we contributed and that we went above and beyond to make things happen. Sometimes we have to speak up and tell our bosses about our accomplishments - like when I accomplished something, got something done before the deadline, or stayed late to finish a project. They're not doing our job every day, so they forget how hard it is. I also encourage women to advocate for themselves, negotiate, and not make themselves smaller. It took me a long time to learn my voice, so I'm trying to encourage other women who are much younger to not go through that same struggle. I don't feel like I'm a boisterous person, but at the same time, I will take credit for things and put my name on presentations. You can be humble and still stand up for yourself - they can coexist. I wish there was something like this platform around for me earlier in my career, and there wasn't until later. So now I'm asking myself, why not be the person who helps bridge that gap? I don't want to be the why not, I want to be the why.

The biggest opportunity I see is finding and placing the right talent in front of the right hiring managers. Women are spectacular at landscaping jobs - they have great eyes for it, green thumbs, and they know how to do the work beautifully. The challenge is that we're in a male-prevalent industry, so when I go to colleges and career fairs, I focus on talking to high school students and college students about showing them a path for what their passions are. I want to represent women in this industry and show them that they can have a successful career, have meaningful work, and support their families with real growth opportunities here. It's about putting the right talent in front of the right opportunities and helping young women see that this is a viable, rewarding career path.

The most important values to me are investing in people and giving back to the community. I love that we invest not just in our team internally, but also in people who may never be our customers. We're investing in our future and in our communities in multiple ways. I think it's important to help people and make spaces beautiful that invite people in and allow them to enjoy the outdoors. When I need a reset, I believe in being outside in fresh air, looking at beautiful landscapes - it really makes a difference. I get energized by being around people, and I love seeing the impact of our work, especially when it's creating playgrounds for children or spaces where families can gather. That's why we do what we do - to make people enjoy the spaces. I also value being a girl's girl and helping bridge the gap for younger women, being the 'why' instead of the 'why not' for the next generation.