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Downtime with the dogs

Off the clock at her job at Mainscape, Abbie West found time to race in her first Iditarod.

It’s always important to have personal activities outside of work – things that keep you from plopping down in front of the TV after a long day out on jobsites. Many contractors fish, go hunting or spend time with their families.

Abbie West races dog sleds.

West has been dog-sled racing – or mushing – for 18 years. She moved from New Jersey to Alaska in 1995 specifically to learn how to mush dogs. Because training peaks in the winter, West was hoping to find a job in an industry that would give her that flexibility.

“That’s why I started landscaping,” she said, “because I thought it would be a perfect fit for mushing dogs.”

West is the field operations manager for Mainscape’s Alaska branch in Fairbanks, and this past March she took part in her first Iditarod, finishing in 18th place overall, with a time of 9 days 17 hours and 58 minutes. She missed the Rookie of the Year honor by 6 minutes.

“We’ve had actually not very much snow and we had some warm temperatures right before the race so some really treacherous parts that are dangerous even when there is snow, had no snow on it,” West said. “We were just going over rocks and ice and stumps. We were basically just out of control. Normally the Iditarod is easier, but I don’t think this year that was the case.”

Go to bit.ly/llalaska to read the complete story.
 

Dive in deep

We recently hosted six webinars focused on all things irrigation, which you can access by visiting bit.ly/llrbwebinar and filling out a short form. The topics discussed were:

• Adding irrigation services to existing business; selling service; finding customers
• Strategies on how to squeeze every last drop out of a super-efficient irrigation system
• Technical update on drip irrigation
• Working with regulations, how to lobby effectively and be profitable
• The future of water: designing, selling and working with reclaimed water systems
• How to position yourself as a water management adviser

On the Radio

Need something to listen to on the way to a job, or when you are in the office? Check out our Lawn Care Radio Network. We interview those inside and outside the industry for insight on how to improve your business. You can stream the podcasts at bit.ly/lcrnweb or subscribe on iTunes at bit.ly/LCRN.

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Bill Brunelle, the executive director or Independent We Stand, talks about the organization’s new app, which makes it easier for consumers to find small green industry companies.
bit.ly/llwestand

Bankable leadership
Dr. Tasha Eurich, author of the new book “Bankable Leadership: Happy People, Bottom Line Results, and the Power to Deliver Both” explains how to have a well-rounded business atmosphere.
bit.ly/llbankable

Around the house
Jim Campanella details the work it took to launch Lawn Dawg’s new perimeter pest service, and what challenges arose from preparing to provide the service in multiple states.
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