At the Texas Nursery & Landscape Association (TNLA) conference, McFarlin Stanford’s executive coach, Kevin Keim, explored a powerful concept that has helped hundreds of business owners grow with purpose: building your own "Board of Directors" through peer groups.

Leadership in the green industry can be lonely. Business owners often shoulder the weight of every decision – from hiring to pricing to growth strategy – without an experienced sounding board. That’s where ACE Peer Groups come in. They function as your personal board of advisors, driving accountability, clarity, and real results.

The Power of Peer Accountability

In a world overflowing with tools, tech, and AI apps, most business leaders still lack accountability. Business owners lack someone (besides themselves) who pushes them to execute priorities. ACE Peer Groups fill that gap, going beyond education or inspiration. They provide structured pressure and experienced perspectives, helping leaders execute what matters most.

What Makes ACE Peer Groups So Effective?

ACE Peer Groups, facilitated by McFarlin Stanford and The Grow Group, are made up of 8-12 carefully matched landscape business owners. They’re non-competing, growth-minded, and driven. These groups meet regularly to review their numbers, tackle shared problems, and hold each other to their goals.

Members are building better businesses together. They look into common industry challenges – profitability, hiring issues, leadership hurdles and growth decisions – in a confidential space, with the support of expert facilitators and peer insights.

ACE Peer Groups Drive Real Business Results

Scaling a business when you run it reactively, feels like moving two steps forward and one step back. Chase Coates, one of our ACE Peer Group members surrounded himself with peers who understood his struggles, and jumped in.

“Since we started Peer Groups, we probably went from $1.2 to $10 million… There’s no way we’d be at $10M without being in peer groups. I think if you’re in the right group and you participate, you’re scaling your business a lot faster.” – Chase Coates, Outback Landscape

It’s all about executing consistently. With monthly check-ins and in-person sessions, ACE Peer Group members create consistent momentum. They help you stop spinning out and start solving problems with proven tools and actionable items, because your peers have been there before.

You Don’t Need “More Stuff,” Just a Team That Gets It

You can buy software, operating systems, and pricey AI agents, but those things are isolated endeavors. When nuanced issues arise, you need nuanced advice. ACE Peer Groups give you a room full of leaders who’ve been there, done that, and pressure you to act.

Your Board of Advisors Is Waiting

Whether you're trying to scale, push to your next milestone, or want to stop making big decisions blind, a peer group might be the next best step. The ACE Peer Group model is built for owners to succeed: high-accountability, high-impact, and industry-specific.