Navy F-18 Pilots Built Earthscapes Into a $10M Landscape Company | Ben Hewlett | Everyday Excellence

Ben Hewlett and his business partner Trey were flying F-18 Hornets for the Navy when they started a landscape company on the side. They managed crew schedules from deployments and carrier ships, both retired in 2017, then merged with Earthscapes in 2021. When they merged, Earthscapes was doing $1.5 million in revenue. Five years later, they are approaching $10 million with a $30 million target on the horizon. Key Topics: • How two Navy F-18 pilots started running a landscape business from deployments overseas [3:40] • The 2021 merger with Earthscapes and what the four-owner structure actually looks like [5:50] • The one-stop shop model: how synergies between maintenance, construction, pools, and agronomics drive growth [11:14] • Company-wide profit sharing, core values, and what someone shadowing the team for a week would see [17:05] • Why sales is not the limiting factor at Earthscapes right now, and why that is a harder problem than it sounds [23:48] • The in-house marketing stack: Google Ads, social media content creator, and existing client campaigns [25:35] • The 50,000-foot view: why hiring the right people to step back is the single most important thing a growing business can do [35:41] • Revenue goals: $10M this year, $30M next phase through acquisitions and geographic expansion [29:09] Ben's story is a military-to-entrepreneur case study in discipline, operational structure, and the patient work of building systems that allow a company to grow beyond its founders. The E-Myth principle, applied by two pilots who spent decades executing in high-stakes environments before turning those skills toward a business they built from scratch. About Ben Hewlett: Ben Hewlett is the co-owner and COO of Earthscapes Lawn and Land Service in Hampton Roads, Virginia. A retired Navy pilot and commanding officer, he co-founded a landscape company with his business partner Trey while both were still on active duty. The two merged their company with Earthscapes in 2021 and have since grown the business from $1.5M to nearly $10M in revenue. Website: https://www.earthscapesvb.com/ Everyday Media Group partners with home service businesses to build the digital marketing foundation that supports growth at every stage. Todd Baldwin and the team work with companies that want a long-term partner, not just a vendor. Visit: https://everydaymediagroup.com/ Chapter Timestamps 1. 0:00 - Introduction 2. 0:57 - About Earthscapes: the full-service landscape company in Hampton Roads 3. 1:40 - Ben and Trey meet in Navy flight school in 1992 4. 3:01 - Hampton Roads service area 5. 3:40 - Two Navy F-18 pilots start a landscape side business while on active duty 6. 5:50 - The merger with Earthscapes in 2021: how it came about and why 7. 7:20 - Working on the business vs. in it: what the four-owner structure solved 8. 9:32 - SOPs and processes: where Earthscapes is in the standardization journey 9. 11:14 - What differentiates Earthscapes: the one-stop shop model 10. 13:17 - How the pool business started and the synergies it created 11. 14:00 - What projects get the team most excited 12. 15:42 - The 60/40 construction and maintenance revenue split 13. 16:35 - Ben's role as COO: labor variance, efficiencies, and on-time job execution 14. 17:05 - Quarterly company-wide profit sharing incentive 15. 17:50 - Four core values: do the right thing, quality over quantity, effective communication, trust 16. 20:03 - What someone shadowing the team for a week would see 17. 22:38 - Why being the cheapest is a race to going out of business 18. 23:48 - Marketing: working with an agency but not being operationally ready for the leads 19. 25:35 - In-house marketing: Google Ads, social media content creator, existing client campaigns 20. 29:09 - Revenue goals: approaching $10M, long-term target of $30M 21. 31:10 - The reorganization: everyone in one lane, no more wearing multiple hats 22. 32:03 - Advice to homeowners: avoid the pain, enjoy the pleasure 23. 35:41 - Advice to entrepreneurs: hire right, get the 50,000-foot view, find a mentor 24. 38:50 - The importance of having a mentor if you don't have a partner #LandscapeBusiness #Entrepreneurship #MilitaryEntrepreneur #EverydayExcellence #Earthscapes #NavyPilot #HamptonRoads #HomeServices #BusinessGrowth #SmallBusiness #OutdoorLiving