Much More Than Just Landscaping - Interview with Zac Gannett from Awesome Possum Landscaping

Speaker 1: [0:00] Hello, hello, and welcome to another edition of the Awesome in Seattle podcast. This is Christian Awesome of the Awesome Nossum Group at Wilson Realty. And this is gonna be a special episode for a few reasons. Jason and I are here. Jason?

Speaker 2: [0:14] Yo. Hello, everyone.

Speaker 1: [0:16] Jason, Jason Saldarriaga, everyone. He is the one, the only Jason Saldarriaga. Me. The data guru. Yes.

Speaker 2: [0:23] Yeah, so today we're chatting with a, an awesome local nonprofit organization that provides exceptional lawn care- Mm-hmm … and hardscaping, but does so in a kind of different way with the greater good of the community in mind. So I'm really excited to hear about that, and, uh, quite frankly, I, I really wanna know how they came up with their funny, one-of-a-kind name. Never heard anything like it before.

Speaker 1: [0:47] Exactly. So let's get into it and introduce our guest. Today we are talking with Zach Gannett from Awesome Possum Landscaping, not to be confused with Awesome Nossum. Very similar name.

Speaker 3: [1:01] That's right. How's it

Speaker 1: [1:01] going, guys? So Zach, welcome to the Awesome in Seattle podcast. So happy you could join us and take the time. Um, yeah, thanks for, thanks for joining us.

Speaker 3: [1:10] Yeah, thanks for having me. I think, uh, this looks like a match made in heaven, Awesome Nossum and Awesome Possum, so-

Speaker 1: [1:15] Exactly. Great. Exactly. Before we get into all the wonderful things that Awesome Possum Landscaping does and how you got started, let's get to Jason's question. How the heck did you come up with your name? Did you see our name and then go, "That sounds great. Let's copy it." Or was it something completely different?

Speaker 3: [1:32] Answer A, we saw your name, we said- … we have to figure out a way to make that happen for us. That's a perfect name. I wish that was the answer. We don't really have a great, you know, cool answer for this. We just, we knew we wanted to have a, a name that represented kinda who we were. We're, you know, like you said, we're a nonprofit landscaping company, fun, mostly young adults, and one that could kind of have a, a good logo as well, which we, we realized actually was harder to make a possum look cool and fun, but- We, uh, we, uh, it w- I think it was our co-founder Andrew came up with the name Awesome Possum Landscaping. It just kinda fit. It, it was one of those names when you heard you're like, "Yeah, that, that'll be fun. I think people will really like it, and it'll represent us." And then having the landscaping in it obviously, you know, says what we do.

Speaker 1: [2:14] Yeah. I, I can tell you that you will realize people say the word awesome a heck of a lot more- now that you have that name when they're around you.

Speaker 3: [2:22] I say it a lot more too when we're working. Uh-huh. Uh, if something happens, the, the workers that we bring on are like, uh, everything, you know, if we're doing something that looks good, we're like, "All right, Awesome Possum."

Speaker 1: [2:30] Exactly. Exactly. It

Speaker 3: [2:32] just really, uh, comes out.

Speaker 1: [2:33] I knew it was only a matter of time before we could get together, uh, based on the namesake alone. But then I found out about what your actual mission and the larger contribution that you're making to the community was, and, uh, I'm actually really excited to learn more and actually share what Awesome Possum Landscaping… See, that's really hard for me to say, Awesome Possum- … Landscaping, uh, is, is able to do with everyone. I mean, you guys have such an innovative and inspiring mission. Before I found out about your organization, I, I'd actually never heard of a nonprofit offering services like this. Can you tell us more about how and when Awesome Possum Landscaping got started, and the biggest part, the amazing mission that you guys are on?

Speaker 3: [3:15] Yeah. Uh, th- I mean, you know, thanks for having us on here and-

Speaker 1: [3:18] Yeah … Speaker 3: letting us talk about it. It's, it's great. Um, we're, we're pretty new, so it's, it's, it's really, uh, we, we appreciate it. Mm-hmm. Um, yeah, so Awesome Possum Landscaping, it's actually a, a, a part of a bigger organization in Seattle called NOC Society, Needs of the Community Society, and we provide social programs for young adults with medical illnesses and disabilities. Our programs are all free and inclusive. Our main program is called Camp Without Borders, which is a free and inclusive travel program for young adults with disabilities. So we do, you know, adaptive surfing trips, adaptive hiking, camping, music festivals, kinda anything you'd wanna do as a young adult. We make it accessible, we make it free. And we've been doing that for about four years with NOC Society and, and we kinda just, you know, as we went along and talked to more participants that joined our, our trips and just kinda, you know, learned about this, this un- need which is young adult programming for people with disabilities and medical illnesses, realized that one of the biggest issues is, is money. You know, a lot of people can't afford to go on trips, and that's why we made our, our trips for free. Because they don't work. 80% of adults with disabilities in the US don't work, which is a huge issue. So as we kinda- That's crazy.

Speaker 3: [4:24] Yeah. We… And, and it obviously affects everything. It affects programs you can, you can enter, recreation opportunities, just everyday stuff. So we said, "Well, if you can't, you know, afford to do programs, there must be a bigger issue here." And, and again, we found that, that 80% unemployment

Speaker 1: [4:39] rate.

Speaker 3: [4:39] So we said, "Well, you know, we're basically kinda honing in on working and supporting young adults with disabilities. Is there, are there other services we can provide?" And really over and over again through data and through participants we spoke with face-to-face and joined our trips, work was a huge thing. Just getting your foot in the door into an employer, uh, and, and having support and employment opportunities was, was a huge, uh… There's a big barrier there. So we said, "Okay, well, you know, let's keep in our wheelh- wheelhouse, work with young adults with disabilities, but let's provide an extra service on top of the social programs, um, and create a social enterprise where we'll, we'll hire people as well so it kind of give us more of an inclusive group of programs we, we can provide." And so we said, "Okay, we're gonna create a social enterprise. What do we wanna do?" And my background before nonprofits was, was landscaping. My dad has a landscaping company and I always worked doing that, so that was something I knew. So I didn't need to reinvent the wheel or learn something totally new. Um, and we just kinda started chipping through the ideas and we said, "Okay, well, let's create a, a landscaping company. We'll call it Awesome Possum Landscaping." Uh, we'll hire young adults with disabilities to try to combat this 80% unemployment rate. We'll provide really high-quality landscaping services to the Seattle community so, you know, people get a really good quality, they like what they're giving their money to. It's a, it's, it's a, it's a mission-driven organization. Uh, and any profits will be put towards the nonprofit, NOC Society, and help fund these free and inclusive programs like Camp Without Borders. And we just felt like it was a, a win-win-win situation where we can provide this extra service, but it also can be, you know, a new, uh, funding we can, we can direct rather than just waiting for grants and fundraisers, which we'll continue to do. This is really a way for us to add a new service and also have some more funding coming in. We just launched in May, and starting a social enterprise has been awesome. You know, it's a, it's a model a lot of nonprofits are starting to take on where it gives you a little, a little more of ability, again, to control some funding. So we launched it and it's, it's been a really awesome start so far.

Speaker 1: [6:33] That is, and I'm gonna use the word again, that is seriously awesome. Like-

Speaker 3: [6:37] Thank you. It, it- It's

Speaker 1: [6:38] hard not to

Speaker 3: [6:38] use that word … like,

Speaker 1: [6:39] I know, I know

Speaker 2: [6:40] We need an, we need an awesome counter. Yes. I should just every time, when I edit this add, like, a ding.

Speaker 1: [6:44] Yes, exactly. Exactly. And then at the end you can tell us the total. So- Yeah. … that would be great. Yeah, seriously, that's, that's an insane, like, overall mission. And then the fact that you figured out that 81% of adults with disabilities are unemployed, and then you went, "Okay, well, this is a problem too. Let's fix that." Uh, it's just, that's, that's so cool, so awesome that you guys are doing that. So not only- Thank you … do your customers receive, like, great quality service, but your approach actually has a lasting positive impact on the community. And it's- Yeah … it's really inspiring to see what can be accomplished when someone sees a need and then creates an organization that looks like it and- and addresses it. It really is a win-win-win, like you said.

Speaker 3: [7:28] Yeah. It's, you know, it's been, I think people are starting to realize that it's, it's a need. And, and the fact that they can, can support something good but also get a great product is good for everybody, hopefully.

Speaker 1: [7:38] Yeah. I wanna get into all the great landscaping support that Awesome Possum has to offer, but first can you let our listeners know what areas of Seattle you actually service?

Speaker 3: [7:49] Yeah, so r- I mean, right now we're, we're doing k- a small launch. So we just work two days a week right now, 'cause we wanted to see how it would start. Um- Mm-hmm … we will be ramping up later in the year. But right now we're, we're really focused on the Phinney Ridge, Green Lake, Ballard area. Um- Mm-hmm … so it's, it's kinda a small contained area, and we'll grow as we go. The response from the community has been amazing so far, so it's, we're, we're, we're booked out a little ways, which is great, but that's only kinda showed us that, you know, there is a real need. When we are ready to go, you know, four or five days a week, hopefully we'll be able to really hit the ground running based on the response we've had so far.

Speaker 1: [8:25] That's awesome that everyone is, and there you go, I used the word again, not even trying to. That's, uh, yeah. It's cool that they've actually, like the community has jumped on board. I know that we found out about you from one of the little yard signs that were somewhere on Phinney Ridge.

Speaker 3: [8:40] Yeah.

Speaker 1: [8:40] Um, and we were like, hey. Obviously it caught our eye. Reid, actually, one of the agents on our team, saw it- Cool … and was like, "Huh, what is Awesome Possum Landscaping? That sounds like-" "… Awesome Nossum Real Estate. So yeah, what is going on?" Obviously in real estate, which is what we do, landscaping is so important for sellers because you wanna show a property in its best light. You wanna build up that curb appeal. Yeah. Uh, and, and we're dealing with sellers all the time that they're trying to sell their house and they wanna make it look the best it can. What, uh, what kind of things can you do to maximize curb appeal? What do you guys have to offer in that regard?

Speaker 3: [9:17] You know, there's a lot of things. We, we, we kinda are, are pretty much a full service, uh, for especially the neighborhoods that we serve. So we do anywhere between just kinda upkeep and maintenance, lawn mowing, weed whacking, maintenance, weeding, mulching, planting, the, you know, just things that kinda make the yard pop- Mm-hmm … and, and look nice. Especially for that, like you said, that curb appeal. You, you, you walk by or you drive by and, and you see it and it looks really nice and, and well-kept. Um, so we do that. We also are doing some hardscapes as well. It's always nice to have a, a, a walkway in the front yard or a patio in the backyard, and that can really up the value, but also just it's a nice kinda warm and welcoming environment. So we, we provide kind of a full service, uh, uh, landscaping service for m- mainly houses. Not as big scale as, as big businesses yet. Mm-hmm. Um, but we're, we're, we're really geared towards the kinda the community here in Seattle. And we spent the month of April training, so we, again, we support young adults with disabilities. We spent the month of April working with Northwest Center in Provo, which are, um, they have support and employment programs where they have young adults with disabilities that wanna work. And we spent the whole month training up our, our staff. So before we even got on the job, you know, everybody's ready to go, feel confident, feel, um, you know, supported. And they come with job coaches as well, so we're- Hmm … we've been started since, since May 1st. And, uh, you know, from that training I think we're really well set up to do all those jobs and provide a good, quality curb appeal, like you said.

Speaker 1: [10:41] I was looking at your website and it's, it's literally set up where you can just get a quote- for whatever you want right online. Very user-friendly. Um, and I would recur- encourage all our listeners to just check out their website. It is awesomeland.org. Yeah. I think we gotta get you awesomepossum.org or something like that, right? We

Speaker 3: [11:02] tried. Somebody took it and was trying to sell- Ah … it to us for, like, you know, $5,000 or something like that. What? So we're like, "Well, you know, we're a non-profit, uh, income. May- maybe we can't really afford that yet," but - Yeah … so awesomeland- That's ridiculous … was the closest that we could, uh, find that was at least succinct enough, but it kinda said what, what we are. So yeah.

Speaker 1: [11:20] Yeah.

Speaker 3: [11:21] I know awesomepossumlandscaping would've been nicer. I think apl.org- Hmm … was something we were looking at, too. But yeah, it's, they're all gobbled up.

Speaker 1: [11:29] Yeah, those three-letter, uh, domains are very hard to come by at this point. What is, I guess, the best way for people… Is it just to go online? Like, if they wanna get a quote, if they're interested in hiring you guys, what is the best way, just to go online?

Speaker 3: [11:42] Yeah, best way is to go online, awesomeland.org. There's a couple ways to contact us. You can just send us an email on there. We have the, the email where you can just send a message, or we have a contact form, which basically kinda runs down, you know, what you want done, what the timeframe is that you want it done. And from there, usually we'll have a couple emails back and forth, get an idea of, of all that. And then I'll just come to the place and, and take a look at the project, and we can kinda get a quote together and just, it's always good to see it, and kinda go from there.

Speaker 1: [12:11] Cool. So I know we have a lot of listeners that are probably ready at this point, especially with summer coming, to transform their outdoor space, but they don't have any clue where to start. I'm kind of one of those people. Like, I'd like to have a nice great outdoor space, but I'm not the super outdoorsy yard maintenance kinda guy.

Speaker 3: [12:29] That's

Speaker 1: [12:30] where we come in. Um, yeah. So how, how would you guys take a property up a notch with, like, hardscaping or anything like that?

Speaker 3: [12:37] Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, it's always nice when you go to a place and, and they have an idea, but also are kinda open to work together and, and try to, you know, like you said, take the place up a notch. Um, mulching can really make it look, it kinda does the last finishing touches on, but also, like you said, hardscapes can make a real big impact, and that's been one thing that I've been surprised about is that I thought when we launched in early May that it'd be mostly people wanting cleanups and just kinda quick jobs, but a lot of people, which I don't know if it's because of this last year we've all been inside staring at our yards, uh- Mm-hmm the entire time, a lot of people are wanting patios, which is great. I think if you can create a space in your backyard or front yard that's inviting and, you know, you look at it, it makes you wanna go outside more, you wanna put your lights up and you wanna bring friends over, maybe around a fire pit, it's always a good thing. You know, even just a 10 by 10 patio can really be inviting. You put a little table on there. It doesn't take up too much space of your yard, but kinda just creates a space that you, that you wanna go outside a lot. You might put a tent over it in the winter, but that's been something that a lot of people have wanted that we've seen, and kinda surprisingly, but I do see a lot of value in it, and there's a lot of different materials. I, I usually like to use some of the more natural materials, like bluestone and flagstone, but there's also pavers and, and lots of different options that kinda match your house. Some of the newer houses in Seattle they like to use pavers, and some of the ones that are a little older like the more natural look. So, you know, it's totally up to the, to the person.

Speaker 1: [14:02] Yeah. No, that makes total sense. I mean, obviously we are real estate agents, so our job is to help sellers and buyers sell or buy a house. Yeah. Um, and like for myself, I'm not a great gardener. I know Jason enjoys it. I hate it. Um- So a lot of people don't want to do that on their, on your own. So if you're one of those people like me, I'd recommend recruiting a great organization like Awesome Possum Landscaping to help transform and maintain your yard. Utilize the resources that are available to you, and eliminate any unneeded stress or pressure or, you know, thought that you have to put into it. You don't have to do all this. You can hire people to help, and that's- … really what Awesome Possum can do. Seeing that we are in the Northwest and that it rains, you know, a little here and there- Um, yeah, just a tad, um, drainage is a big deal. How does that factor into landscaping and hardscaping, and what are some specific challenges for gardening and lawn maintenance overall that we have here in the Northwest?

Speaker 3: [15:02] Good questions. Being here with a lot of rain, drainage is always an issue, and there's a lot of loam and, and kinda natural material that's in the ground, especially when you're kinda digging out a patio. So you definitely wanna get out a lot of that stuff. The, the loam really holds in the moisture, you know, if it, and if you get a really big- Seven days to, you know, five months of rain like we get. It can, it can really- You don't want that sitting under your patio. It can make it push up and down and just kind of flood your backyard. We take out all the natural material until you get to a good base, and we'll put in stone and then some quarter inch minus, basically stone dust. So it's, kinda just create a good drainage for whatever you're putting in. Um, and then just making sure that you get a quarter bubble pitch away from the house so you don't have water coming- Mm-hmm … towards your basement, you have it going away from the basement.

Speaker 1: [15:49] Yeah, but that's, that's something that we hear from home inspectors all the time when we're at an inspection. Yeah. Like, they're always saying, "Make sure the grade of the dirt or patio or anything is going away from the house- Yeah … not towards the house," 'cause that just is what creates those leaks in your basement.

Speaker 3: [16:07] Yeah, you don't want that. Good drainage and, and pitch away is always good. And you're asking about the, the lawns and kinda natural plants and everything and-

Speaker 1: [16:16] Yeah

Speaker 3: [16:16] it's hard to eliminate the moss. You know, you're kinda working with lots of different factors, but just trying to keep up on it and putting in a lot of plants that are native is always great. Some people have been starting to use turf, which is interesting as well. Um- Mm-hmm … we've had a lot of requests for that. You don't have to water as much. I, I'm not sure if I'm a turf guy or not, but we love to, you know, we can install it. So it's, it's kind of up to whatever the person needs and, and makes the most sense. If you don't really wanna maintain your lawn, then that could be a great option. Or if you want to, there's, you know, s- certain things you can do just to try to keep it up as much as possible to work with the other stuff you got in your yard.

Speaker 1: [16:49] Are there any certain types of plants or grass that either you do recommend or don't recommend for our climate?

Speaker 3: [16:56] A lot of ornamental grasses actually work really well. They look nice and, and they're really hardy for the sun, the, the rain, the, the clouds, everything. The only thing that I wouldn't recommend as much is a lot of blueberries and tomato plants, berries and fruits, things like that, like, that really need a lot of sun. We're finding some people sometimes put it under a tree, like, uh, you know- Mm-hmm … just wanting a little partial shade, but they really like a lot of sun. So it's, you know, things like that that really want full sun, give them the best chance they have, 'cause you're only gonna get those summer months, you know, a little bit in the spring, a little bit in fall. On that same token, too, just keeping up with the weeding, 'cause that's been an issue, too, where if weeds get overgrown, they sometimes take over the really nice plants you have in your yard. Overall, plants really do well here. The rain for a lot of the year is good for a lot of plants, too.

Speaker 1: [17:39] Yeah, and that's the stuff, like, I didn't know that blueberries needed extra sun. Same with tomatoes and-

Speaker 3: [17:44] Hmm … Speaker: that's, that's why we hire experts that know- … this kind of stuff, 'cause I don't know this stuff and I don't- Yeah … really care to know this stuff. I'd rather someone else- Fair enough … just make it happen and, and help it grow and make it look its best. That's what we're here for.

Speaker 1: [17:58] All right. Well, I knew this episode was gonna stand out. Zach, thank you so much for your time, so much for sharing your knowledge. Thank you for creating Awesome Possum Landscaping. I think its mission and what you guys are doing is truly awesome. I said it for the 400th time

Speaker 3: [18:15] today. Ding.

Speaker 1: [18:15] Um, exactly. Um- For, before we, before we let everyone go, please share how to contact Awesome Possum Landscaping so they can, uh, they can get your, you guys hired and get you guys some more money so that you can spread the mission some more in the community.

Speaker 3: [18:33] Yeah. Thanks again for having us on. This is really great, and it's big for us to just, to have another platform to talk to the community, and- Mm-hmm … and appreciate you guys giving us that platform. So yeah, awesomeland.org is our website. It'll have pictures of jobs. We have links to our Instagram. I put pictures up as we're doing them, so- Cool kind of has a, you know, full spectrum of what we do, and you can contact me and we can go from there and see what project you need. And I just wanted to give one shout-out too. A huge thank you to the community so far. You know, again, we've only started in May 1st, so it's been about four weeks, and so far the response has been great and people are seeing the value. So I just, you know, again, I just wanna say thank you so much. It's been a really fun start.

Speaker 1: [19:11] Yeah. Well, I think the community understands, and good people in general understand, when you see a company and a mission that's doing something good for humanity, everyone wants to back that up. And, and I think that's what you're seeing here. There's a billion landscaping companies, as you know. Yeah. They're out there. It's a dime a dozen. But if you can choose one that has a greater mission in mind, I think that's why you're seeing so much support. Thank you again for, for doing this. If you wanna find out more about Awesome Possum Landscaping, or to get a quote, just go to their website, awesomeland.org. As always, we here at the Awesome Nossum group are here to assist you and support you, whether you're buying or selling a house, or just starting to think about potentially making some real estate moves. We are no pressure. We do not charge anything up front. When you're buying, we don't charge you anything at all. The seller's the one that pays us, and when you're selling, you get to pay for both sides. But that's how every real estate company works. So if you are ever looking to chat with us, just look us up online, awesomenossum.com. You can schedule a time with us right at awesomenossum.com/schedule. Thank you so much for joining us on this extra special episode of Awesome in Seattle, which it was doubly awesome. Um- Ding ding. And… Yeah, exactly. And I hope you all walk away with some new motivation for figuring out how to be creative and create some powerful ways to keep making Seattle the best it can be for everyone in our city and community. Thank you so much, and until next time.

Speaker 3: [20:37] Awesome. Thank you, guys. I really appreciate it.

Speaker 1: [20:39] Yeah, of course. Thanks, Zack.

Speaker 3: [20:40] Bye.