Why CLCA?
How many times have you thought that your struggles in your landscape business were unique to you? How many times have you tried to figure out how to do something when you're sure someone else has done it before and has the answer? Who really cares how you're doing and sees your struggles with empathy and understanding outside your family and close friends?
There is a reason we call it an Association - we share so much, not the least being seeing the world through the same rose-colored glasses. We must continue to support each other and reaffirm to each other that what we are doing is vitally important to the planet. The reason so many of us feel good about what we are doing, besides being self-driven and liking a creative, artistic lifestyle, is we know that what we are doing is right. We still have to work hard to convince society at large of the value of our work, that it isn't work that just anybody could do and that it is work worth paying for. Alone, we are one voice trying to convince others of what is important. A chorus of voices works better.
How many times have you thought that your struggles in your landscape business were unique to you? How many times have you tried to figure out how to do something when you're sure someone else has done it before and has the answer? Who really cares how you're doing and sees your struggles with empathy and understanding outside your family and close friends?
There is a reason we call it an Association - we share so much, not the least being seeing the world through the same rose-colored glasses. We must continue to support each other and reaffirm to each other that what we are doing is vitally important to the planet. The reason so many of us feel good about what we are doing, besides being self-driven and liking a creative, artistic lifestyle, is we know that what we are doing is right. We still have to work hard to convince society at large of the value of our work, that it isn't work that just anybody could do and that it is work worth paying for. Alone, we are one voice trying to convince others of what is important. A chorus of voices works better.
CLCA was founded in the effort to save the uniqueness of our license back in the 1950s. We are the last of the jack- of-all-trades and becoming dinosaurs in a world of specialization. Our predecessors in the landscape trade formed an association to save the power and breadth of our license and won. Since that time, when we get together we feel the value of sharing what we have learned with our fellow landscapers. When you get together with other landscape contractors at a CLCA event and you have a question or a problem you are trying to overcome, no one will think you are out of line asking how to solve it. CLCA also has a landscape data manual that is packed with information that is unique to what we do and has its roots in math, geometry, algebra and common sense. By loading its formulas into your bidding software it's possible to cut your bid time by two-thirds.
It is important to feel connected and part of a group of like-minded individuals. We are a community, and in the community your voice is important. Whether you need help or have something to offer, join those of us who believe in the power of a shared voice. We deserve more than mere survival, we all deserve to be recognized for what we contribute to the fabric of society.
It is important to feel connected and part of a group of like-minded individuals. We are a community, and in the community your voice is important. Whether you need help or have something to offer, join those of us who believe in the power of a shared voice. We deserve more than mere survival, we all deserve to be recognized for what we contribute to the fabric of society.
A Good Read...
I am reading a very important and
beautifully written book by Carl Safina, "The View from Lazy Point". It's a book describing one year around the planet being observant of life, birds, storms, philosophy, economics, the beauty found in living every day despite the degradation we have created. As landscapers we have learned to be observant of natural phenomena and have developed eyes to the subtleties of art and design. To look closely at how nature works and to marvel at the beauty and resilience and interconnectivity of life is a pleasure we should all partake in. As we strive to create an appreciation in our clients of the beauty of certain plants and plant combinations, teaching them the importance of connecting their interior environment with the outdoors, convincing them that their hard earned money paying to improve their natural environment is worth it, we have to be observant of how our philosophies affect those things we cherish. I have always felt that landscapers were first environmentalists then business people. Beauty, renewal, hope for the future, comfort and pleasure, safety and a sense that life will improve due to our efforts, are what drives us and feeds our passions.
Find the book and let's keep the dialog going. That is what friends are for.
I am reading a very important and
beautifully written book by Carl Safina, "The View from Lazy Point". It's a book describing one year around the planet being observant of life, birds, storms, philosophy, economics, the beauty found in living every day despite the degradation we have created. As landscapers we have learned to be observant of natural phenomena and have developed eyes to the subtleties of art and design. To look closely at how nature works and to marvel at the beauty and resilience and interconnectivity of life is a pleasure we should all partake in. As we strive to create an appreciation in our clients of the beauty of certain plants and plant combinations, teaching them the importance of connecting their interior environment with the outdoors, convincing them that their hard earned money paying to improve their natural environment is worth it, we have to be observant of how our philosophies affect those things we cherish. I have always felt that landscapers were first environmentalists then business people. Beauty, renewal, hope for the future, comfort and pleasure, safety and a sense that life will improve due to our efforts, are what drives us and feeds our passions.
Find the book and let's keep the dialog going. That is what friends are for.