On Pointe

Episode 119: Jack Smith joins John for a thoughtful conversation on business leadership, the psychology behind success, and what motivates high-performing business owners. As a Principal at Collaborative Strategies, Jack draws on decades of experience advising company leaders to share what it takes to build a business that can thrive beyond its founder. He also explores how fear can drive ambition, why leadership talent is essential to long-term growth, and the importance of defining success beyond business performance to make room for a more meaningful life.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.

This morning, my thoughts are with Kevin Kehoe – a top Green Industry consultant, who changed the trajectory of my life in three different ways and played a significant role in shaping what Focal Pointe is today.

I hired Kevin as a consultant in February of 2011, and he essentially taught me how to run a business. At that time, I was just trying to delight our customers, lead with compassion, and stay afloat.  Now, we’re a nationally recognized leader …

Episode 118: Pam Stark joins John for a thoughtful conversation on career growth, customer loyalty, and building strong relationships in the landscape industry. Pam shares lessons from a 40-year career with ValleyCrest, where she worked her way from field operations into leadership and helped develop the company’s customer feedback and training programs. She also reflects on the experiences that shaped her approach to leadership, the importance of understanding customers, and the lessons she continues to share through her work as a consultant and trainer.

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is:  We Embrace Results. 

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”  Dale Carnegie

I have seen very smart people hold themselves back, out of fear of making a mistake.  Decisions need to have clarity, but they don’t need to have perfection.  The best approach is…ready, aim, fire.  It is not…ready…aim…think about wind…aim…think about the earth’s rotation…aim…breath…aim…fire.  See the target, visualize success, pull …

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is:  We Embrace Results. 

“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.” Ralph Marston.

This was a big lesson for me to learn during the first several years of owning Focal Pointe.  I would see clients that, from the outside, had everything a person could want, but were miserable.  I …

TOUCH POINTES – SUPPORTING OUR DESIRE TO ENRICH LIVES

This Spring, we started a client newsletter called Touch Pointes. We have no grand marketing strategy around it…it’s not intended to increase sales or benefit the company from a Profit and Loss perspective. Rather, we’re just trying to live our culture.

Our Core Purpose…the Why behind the What and How…is to Beautify the World, and that extends beyond creating beautiful landscapes. We believe Focal Pointe, at its best, impacts clients, employees, vendors, and communities beyond the specs of a contract, job description, or purchase order. We exist to …

Episode 117: Jeff McManus joins John for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, team development, and building a culture where people can thrive. Jeff shares lessons from decades of developing high-performing grounds teams, the importance of investing in people, and how his approach to leadership has earned national recognition. Now serving as Executive Director of Grounds and Landscape at the University of Texas, Jeff also reflects on the principles behind his bestselling book, Growing Weeders Into Leaders: Leadership Lessons from the Ground Level, and how those lessons continue to shape his …

Happy Tuesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Put People First.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, honorable, and compassionate.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

We live in a culture that talks a lot about happiness and warps the definition of it through social media.  The perfect pose, attending the sold out show, perfect kids, the perfect job…the perfect lives online are presented as proof of happiness, fed to the public, in a much more shallow place.

The people who make the biggest positive …

Episode 116: John sits down with Adam Benes, Dana Fritsche, and Lisa Stoner at the 2026 Lawn & Landscape Top 100 Executive Summit to reflect on 28 years of building Focal Pointe. Together, they revisit pivotal moments from the journey, share lessons learned through seasons of growth and adversity, and discuss how their leadership has evolved over nearly three decades. Along the way, they offer an honest look at what it takes to build something lasting and why the greatest accomplishments are always shared.

In July of 2026, the annual Lawn and Landscape Top 100 reception took place in Arizona. Our Founder and CEO took a handful of our team members with him to attend the reception. This was his daily message to us the following morning:

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Embrace Results.

Last night, Dana Fritsche, Lisa Stoner, Adam Benes, Molly, and I accepted Focal Pointe’s plaque at the Lawn and Landscape Top 100 ceremony.  What they measure is top line revenue, but there is so much more to running …

At Focal Pointe, we believe growth happens on and off the job-site. Dreams Happen Here highlights team members whose dedication and hard work have helped shape meaningful careers within our company.

This issue, we’re featuring Fernando Colorado, a Field Operations Manager whose journey at Focal Pointe began as a visa worker in 2016. Through perseverance, a willingness to learn, and a passion for helping others succeed, he advanced from crew member to leader of nine crews and approximately 40 team members. Along the way, he learned English, became a U.S. citizen, and now mentors the next …

Episode 115: Caroline Weilert joins John for a thoughtful conversation on leadership, communication, and the career decisions that shape our professional journeys. Caroline shares lessons from guiding organizations through change, discusses the role culture plays in bringing people together, and reflects on the challenges and opportunities that come with leading during pivotal moments. She also opens up about her transition from the corporate world to entrepreneurship and what inspired her to pursue a new chapter centered on creating memorable experiences for others.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.

“Getting what you want out of life largely boils down to (1) the story you tell yourself and (2) where you direct your attention.

What story do you tell yourself about what has happened to you, what you’re capable of, and what you hope to achieve? Is the conversation in your head each day empowering and encouraging you, or holding you back?

And are you taking control and directing your attention toward what matters or merely letting …

Focal Pointe has announced today that it is a 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence winner. The Top Workplaces program has a 19-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets.

Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards recognize organizations that excel in specific areas of workplaces culture:

Purpose & Values

This award celebrates organizations who have both embedded their mission and values into their culture and are efficient in their work to bring it into reality.

Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from a research-backed employee engagement survey. Details about how Focal Pointe builds a great …

Good Morning Focal Pointe Team,

Today is a special one for our family as we celebrate John’s birthday. Because today also falls on the day he would typically write about “Inspiring Communities,” I wanted to share a few words from a perspective that I’ve been honored to have over the years.

For nearly 30 years of marriage, I’ve had a front-row seat to the heart behind the vision of this company. I’ve watched John dream about what Focal Pointe could become since his college days. I’ve seen the early years when …

Focal Pointe has announced today that it is a 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence winner. Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces. The Top Workplaces program has a 19-year history of surveying and celebrating people-first organizations nationally and across 60 regional markets.

Top Workplaces Culture Excellence awards recognize organizations that excel in specific areas of workplaces culture:

Professional Development

This award celebrates organizations who focus on developing their employee’s careers and enable them to grow professionally.

Top Workplaces awards are based on feedback from a research-backed employee engagement survey. Details about how Focal …

Good Evening Team,

Yesterday, Brett and I had our Advisory Board meeting, and today, we had our quarterly Strategic Planning meeting with the Executive team.  Both meetings require us to reflect on our progress and line out where we’re headed.  I just want each of you to know how thankful and proud I am.  We…and I mean all 600+ of us…are building an incredible company and it is an honor for me to be a part of it.

Also, Molly and I will be celebrating our 30th wedding anniversary in a …

Episode 114: Brandon Holtz joins John to talk about the life-changing experience of competing at Augusta and preparing for the U.S. Open, while balancing the realities of work, sponsorships, and life back home. Brandon shares what it’s like to suddenly be in the spotlight, the discipline required to compete at a high level, and why staying grounded through the excitement matters just as much as the golf itself.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is:  We Create Our Future.

With two children’s graduation ceremonies, and multiple related events within the last 10 days, one can’t help but think about the future.  All graduates complete a significant chapter in life and set their sights on the next.  Some roll into the more certain chapter of continued education, but others roll into adulthood and the pressures & uncertainty that come with it.

Thinking about that, I began to reflect on the difference between one having hope and one having expectations.  It …

Focal Pointe today announced the appointment of Julie Culbertson as Director of Purpose, a newly created role focused on enriching the lives of clients and employees, through their interaction with the company.

She joins Focal Pointe’s leadership team with deep expertise in retail management and bilingual education, along with a strong track record in helping teams achieve high engagement, productivity and consistency, and connecting those outcomes to a shared sense of purpose.

In her new role, Julie will focus on understanding what each person brings to the team and the impact they make every day.  “If culture …

Happy Monday Everyone!  Our Vision is to be The Most Trusted and Admired Landscape Company in the World.  What’s that mean?

Trust is the belief or confidence that someone or something is reliable, honest, and will act in accordance with your expectations or best interests — even when you can’t verify or control the outcome.  It’s built slowly through consistent behavior and broken quickly through betrayal or failure.  At its core, trust is what makes cooperation possible — without it, nearly every human relationship and social structure would collapse.

Admiration is …

Episode 113: Mike Kinney, Senior Workplace Consultant at The Gallup Organization, joins John for a practical conversation on employee engagement, leadership, and the human experience at work. Mike shares what most organizations miss when measuring performance, how great leaders turn data into meaningful action, and why aligning employee and customer experience is critical for long-term success. He also reflects on decades of working with organizations across industries—and what it really takes to build a workplace people want to be part of.

Happy Wednesday Everyone and Unhappy Tax Day!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.

Last Wednesday, Fernando who is our Branch Ambassador from Kansas City, shared a message from Ana who is one of our team members at the KC Branch.  Ana is a single mother of four, who is creating her future and recently bought a home.  She wanted Fernando to share the story with me, and he did in last Wednesday’s Morning Message.

Someday, many years from now, I would like to sit in a rocking chair on …

Focal Pointe is proud to announce that it has earned the prestigious 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces award.

The award honors organizations with 150 or more employees that have created exceptional, people-first cultures. This year, more than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate. The winners are recognized for their commitment to fostering a workplace environment that values employee listening and engagement. USA TODAY showcased the winners online and at the National Awards Summit in Las Vegas.

The winners are determined by authentic employee feedback captured through a confidential survey conducted by Energage, the HR research and technology …

John Munie speaks to a crowd of volunteers at O’Fallon park.

On March 30, 2026, 38 trees were planted at O’Fallon Park through Focal Pointe’s Broken Bat Program in partnership with the St. Louis Cardinals.

This year’s planting carries added significance. O’Fallon Park lost more than 350 trees during last May’s tornado, and these 38 trees represent an important step in the park’s ongoing restoration—contributing to a broader effort to rebuild a space deeply rooted in community and history.

“When a collaboration project is successful it is such a great feeling. While …

Happy Tuesday Everyone and Happy Last Day of the First Quarter!  I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to believe we are 25% through 2026.  The world needs to slow down its rotations!

Today’s Core Value is:  We Put People First.  “Real education should educate us out of self into something far finer; into a selflessness which links us with all humanity.”  Nancy Astor. 

If you take that quote, and make it a reality for yourself – it will serve you better, and create more value in …

Episode 112: Kirk Elmquist joins John for a thoughtful conversation about what truly makes a place stand out. Drawing from decades of experience across tourism, community development, and leadership, Kirk shares why the success of southwest Missouri isn’t built on attractions alone, but on something deeper: a culture of hospitality, generosity, and pride in taking care of others. From the intentional design of unforgettable experiences to the power of family, faith, and community, this episode explores how meaningful environments are created, not just for visitors, but for the people who call them home. If you’ve …

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.

“Success is the product of daily habits — not once‑in‑a‑lifetime transformations.”  James Clear

After a last gasp from Winter, Spring is roaring back starting today and our two busiest months are on our doorstep.  With that in mind, I want to offer a friendly reminder that where we’re headed isn’t decided by one big moment or one big decision.  It’s shaped by what we do every day — the habits we build, the standards we keep, and the small choices …

Happy Friday Everyone…Friday the 13th!  Today’s Core Value is: We Inspire Communities.

This Tuesday, Barry Phillips, from our Construction Branch stuck his head in my office for a quick chat.  He thanked me for what Focal Pointe is growing into, and the impact it’s making on him.  “I enjoy working here so much, I almost feel guilty.  This place makes me a better person.”

When we talked about how he ended up at Focal Pointe, he said that Mark Doering, our Senior Superintendent in Construction recruited him.  During that discussion, Barry …

Happy Tuesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is:  We Put People First. 

During a dermatologist visit some years ago, the doctor was encouraging me to wear sunscreen and said, “what goes in when you’re young, will come out when you’re old.”  We’ve all been told about the importance of sunscreen, but she put the advice in real terms that I could visualize.  I’m pretty sure I’m going to have a future with wrinkly hands and sunspots.

Because her advice struck me so clearly, I’ve reflected on that from time to time, …

Episode 111: John DiJulius joins the podcast for a candid conversation on what separates average companies from world-class companies. Having helped brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks elevate their customer experience, John shares how his journey—from building a family salon to advising global organizations—shaped his belief that exceptional service is never accidental. Together, he and John explore why price complaints are often experience failures, why humanity will matter even more in the age of AI, and how small daily disciplines create lasting impact.

At the heart of Focal Pointe’s culture of service is a deep and consistent commitment to people. Our fourth core value is to Inspire Communities — not only through the quality of our work, but through how we show up in the world. To live with humility, gratitude, and generosity is to live with purpose.

Each year, that commitment takes tangible form through our Branch Impact Award. The award recognizes excellence across Safety, Client Satisfaction, Employee Engagement, and Profitability — and includes a $10,000 donation to a charitable organization.

This year, …

Happy Monday Everyone and Happy President’s Day!  Our Core Purpose is to Beautify the World.  I love rainy weekends, and true to form, I had one of the more relaxing weekends I can remember – I even got eight hours of sleep Saturday night!  Combine that with my deep appreciation for our Founding Fathers…let’s go!

In 1755, George Washington was a 23-year-old colonial volunteer for the British army in the French and Indian War.  During the Battle of Monongahela, Washington had two horses shot out from under him and four bullets pass …

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Embrace Results.  “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”  Abraham Lincoln…today’s Birthday Boy!

Results don’t just happen—they’re earned through the choices we make in the moment. In our work and in our lives, progress comes from leaning into responsibility, not around it. When we decide to tackle the small things today with discipline, focus, and pride, we stack the deck for big wins tomorrow.

Whatever is in front of you—an overnight snow event, a full production schedule, a challenging …

We’re proud to share that our St. Louis team was recognized through the 2025 St. Louis Green Business Challenge, an honor that reflects a year of meaningful environmental stewardship, innovation, and community leadership.

This recognition isn’t about a single project or moment. It represents consistent effort across properties, neighborhoods, and partnerships—driven by teams who care deeply about creating landscapes that serve people, communities, and the environment.

2025 Accomplishments

Over the past year, our work focused on advancing sustainable landscapes while delivering real, measurable impact across the St. Louis region.

Environmental Stewardship

Continue Reading

Episode 110: The Munie Kids join John for an honest conversation about building a business while raising a family. Together, they reflect on what it was like to grow up alongside the company, the values that carried from home into work, and the lessons learned about trust, sacrifice, and presence. The episode explores how intentional leadership, shared purpose, and grace over time can lead to success at work and at home, without losing what matters most.

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.  “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”  Victor Frankl

All of us have gone through hardship at some point in our lives.  Some more difficult than others, but all of us have faced loss, fear, hurt, and a feeling that life isn’t fair.  Sometimes those situations can become a story in our minds that gets replayed, repeatedly, in slow motion, trying to get our brains to process what took place, hoping if …

One of the best things about landscaping is the scenery is always evolving. The changing seasons, the passage of time, and shifting expectations for how your property should serve you all shape your landscaping. And while some of these transformations happen naturally, others require the help of the right experts. That’s why at Focal Pointe we’re proactive about proposing landscaping enhancements that deliver the impact you desire. Here’s why that’s key to creating truly memorable environments.

What are landscaping enhancements?

Landscaping enhancements are projects that go beyond your basic maintenance to improve the appearance, function, and safety …

Great landscaping—the kind that truly makes the moment—is one part art, one part science, and a whole lot of accountability. It’s the result of a deep commitment to the craft and you, the client. Accountability is more than just a promise. Here’s what it means to us.

Deep Brand Alignment

It’s not uncommon for people to refer to their landscaping as an “expense.” But we think it’s an asset, not just a line item in your budget. That’s because great landscaping delivers returns on your investment, in the form of satisfaction of your employees and those you …

There’s a lot more to landscaping than mowing and pruning. In fact, one of the most important things we do in service of our clients is quality assurance. At Focal Pointe, that means not just creating beautiful outdoor spaces but doing so reliably. Here are some of the ways we do landscaping differently, with a consistent focus on quality.

We Have High Standards for Our Employees

Our employees have the power to make a difference in your day-to-day, whether by delivering an impressive result, or simply being attentive along the way. That’s why we invest in their …

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Create Our Future.  “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 

In the very early days of owning my business, I had a client who was the managing partner of a local Northwestern Mutual office.  He had gone to a conference for entrepreneurs, and during a talk in his driveway one Saturday, he shared with me a lesson …

Great communication is a beautiful thing, especially when it leads to outdoor spaces that truly enhance your world. So why is it that communication so often breaks down with landscaping partners? Let’s examine the biggest culprits, and how we avoid those pitfalls at Focal Pointe.

Unclear Expectations

One of the most remarkable aspects of landscaping is all the possibilities—from the diversity of plants and materials to the riot of colors. But with that comes a lot of room for interpretation. A directive for a spectacular bed of pink flowers could mean baby pink to some, and fuchsia …

Happy Monday Everyone!  Our Core Purpose is: To Beautify the World.  “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today, our Nation honors the memory of Dr. King.  I have long been inspired by the wisdom of our Founding Fathers, and I think that inspiration is strengthened by the fact that many of them had a broken nature.  It’s my personal belief that their wisdom was not limited to their own potential – divine wisdom was sewn into their thoughts.

Continue Reading

Happy Monday Everyone!  Our Vision is to be The Most Trusted and Admired Landscape Company in the World.

“Trust is the ability for everyone in an organization to confidently rely on (and predict) that others will do the right thing and make good on their promises.” Marie-Claire Ross. 

What in your life may get in the way of keeping your promises and growing into someone people confidently rely on?  It’s important to know that not all trust eroding actions are due to bad intentions.  Just because you may have good …

Focal Pointe of Kansas City has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2026 honor by Great Plains Top Workplaces 2026. This list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage  LLC. The confidential survey uniquely measures the employee experience and its component themes, including employees feeling Respected & Supported, Enabled to Grow, and Empowered to Execute, to name a few..

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “That’s something …

Happy Monday Everyone!  Our Mission Statement is intended to articulate what, at our core, we provide for our clients.  At Focal Pointe, our Mission is to Create the Backdrop for Life’s Most Impactful Moments.

The  start of the New Year isn’t only a good time to take inventory of your personal and professional goals, but what about the goals of our clients?  What improvement opportunities do you see in how we serve them, or the results we produce for them?  Living our Mission means that we look beyond the task we need …

Happy Tuesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Put People First.

For the past several years, Molly and I have taken the family skiing at Crested Butte, CO.  We didn’t go this year due to a pesky Freshman boys’ basketball schedule, but the habit of the trip has that vacation on all our minds.

I bring this up, because eight years ago, we started a tradition in Crested Butte of going out to dinner at the “Wooden Nickel” on the night of January 1st, which was usually our last day or …

Episode 109: Brett Gordon joins John for a candid conversation about partnership, leadership, and building a business rooted in shared values. Brett reflects on his entrepreneurial path, the lessons learned from starting from scratch, and how humility and trust shape strong teams. Together, they discuss sustaining culture through growth, preparing for what’s ahead, and why meaningful relationships remain at the heart of long-term success.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Put People First.

Looking for the Christmas Spirit, Sunday night, my daughter Amanda and I watched the 1946 Christmas movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” where Jimmy Stewart plays the character George Bailey.  In the movie, George wants to move out of the small town he grew up in, get a college degree, and do big things in the world, like “plan modern cities.”  As George’s life story unfolds throughout the movie, life events send him on a different path, and he questions the worth …

Happy Friday Everyone!  Today’s Core Value is: We Inspire Communities.  Two cool stories to share this week that brought today’s Core Value to life.  The first coming from the hygiene kits we put together at the Leadership Summit at Big Cedar…

“Hi Molly, I wanted to reach out and sincerely thank you for your generous donation of hygiene kits. Our Club staff absolutely loved them, and the parents were incredibly appreciative. These items were a high priority for many families, and your support made a meaningful difference. Thank you for helping meet …