Self Sustainable

Brooke Inzerella on Testing Tactics to
Conserve Energy & Renew Team Motivation

Sustainability. I’ve been thinking about this word quite a bit lately.The definition of sustainability is “the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level and the avoidance of the depletion of resources in order to maintain balance.” As a professional landscaper, I know what this connotes in terms of the outdoor spaces we design and install. We are always striving to improve in this area, as are most of my professional peers. We understand our roles in creating and maintaining outdoor environments, and we want to be good stewards of the environment. From utilizing more native plants in our designs, designing with an intention to conserve water resources and reducing our use of chemicals and fertilizers, we are always moving in the sustainable landscaping direction. This magazine issue will touch on many of these. But lately, the idea of “ sustainability” feels like something else to me. The past two years have challenged me in ways that I never could have predicted, and I’ve recently been thinking a lot about how to keep myself sustained so I can continue to be an effective leader for my company. As an owner, how can I manage to sustain a high level of energy and focus during extremely busy and shifting times? How can I continue to inspire confidence and a vision for the future when there are more pressing day-to-day tasks than there are hours in the day to handle? How do I handle the really pressing issues of the moment, like delivery delays, labor shortages and erratic materials pricing, when we are busier than ever—and not throw my hands up in defeat? I started this New Year with a renewed focus on replenishing what was becoming depleted in me. I knew it was not sustainable to continue working 12-14 hours every day. And I know, because I’ve witnessed it firsthand, that when I am focused and energized, my leadership team is inspired and energized as well. They, in turn, are better equipped to manage and lead their teams to greater productivity, efficiency and job satisfaction.

One new habit I’ve recently started to help me restore some balance to my crazy work schedule is scheduling short spurts of time on my calendar to do nothing! A few times a week, I turn off my phone for 15 minutes and just be still and silent. Deep breathing helps, too. As crazy as it seems, these small breaks really help me reset. I’ve also really taken a critical look at the tasks I manage and am trying to be very diligent about delegating responsibilities to others. This one has been especially hard for me because I’m a hands-on worker—I like doing the thing myself. I’m sure this is true for most entrepreneurs. But as my wife continues to point out to me, I have a great team that wants us to succeed, and they’re up to whatever challenge I throw their way. It’s unfair of me not to.

Lastly, a renewed focus on regularly scheduled team, leadership, safety and production meetings has helped restore balance. I had paused some of these during Covid to be respectful of social distancing, but it is eye-opening how effective these meetings are in communicating vision, values, strategy and core beliefs, and how consistently doing so makes everyone better. 

So, here’s to a year of renewed balance and replenished resources so that Horticare Landscapes + Pools can be sustainable for many, many years to come.

ABOUT

Brooke Inzerella is a licensed landscape horticulturist and owner of Horticare Landscape Company in Lafayette, Louisiana.
www.horticarelandscape.com