wiki/clients/current/avant-gardening/2026-04-05-kick-off-meeting.md · 909 words · 2026-04-05
Kick-off Meeting — 2026-04-05
Overview
Initial kick-off call with Tim Stenzel (owner, Avant Gardening & Landscaping) to establish engagement scope, review the pre-meeting questionnaire, surface immediate website issues, and align on digital marketing strategy. Chris Ostergaard will serve as primary account manager; Melissa Cusumano (Director of Operations) facilitated and will remain loosely involved.
Attendees
- Chris Ostergaard — Account Manager, Asymmetric
- Melissa Cusumano — Director of Operations, Asymmetric
- Tim Stenzel — Owner, Avant Gardening & Landscaping (external)
Recording: Fathom summary
Key Decisions
- Scope confirmed: Strategy & Digital Marketing Plan, Google Ads, Meta Ads, Evergreen Email Campaign, lead conversion tracking, and custom analytics dashboard. SEO and hosting are not in current scope but are under active consideration.
- Recruitment ads: Tim confirmed staffing is a persistent challenge; recruitment-focused ad campaigns are a legitimate secondary objective to explore alongside lead generation.
- Commercial targeting excluded: Avant Gardening will not pursue traditional commercial accounts (gas stations, malls, etc.). Property management / HOA work is acceptable to target.
- Snow removal not advertised: Existing snow removal accounts are sufficient; no campaigns needed for that service.
- Meeting cadence: Weekly for the first month, then reduced frequency. Same time slot (Monday).
- Website fix responsibility: Tim will contact Tingles directly to resolve the broken sub-pages issue, as Asymmetric does not yet have site access or context.
Action Items
| Owner |
Item |
Priority |
| Chris |
Send platform access checklist to Tim (include team@asymmetricpro.com as the grant address) |
Immediate |
| Chris |
Send Melissa's hosting one-sheeter to Tim alongside the checklist |
Immediate |
| Chris |
Schedule recurring weekly Monday meeting |
This week |
| Tim |
Grant WordPress admin access to team@asymmetricpro.com |
Immediate |
| Tim |
Contact Tingles to resolve broken lower-level pages ASAP |
Immediate |
| Tim |
Complete platform access checklist upon receipt |
This week |
| Asymmetric |
Begin developing seasonal ad and email campaign strategy |
This week |
Business & Positioning Notes
Services
- Core split: ~50% maintenance (ongoing care), ~50% landscaping/construction (new installs, hardscaping, planting).
- Full service list: Landscaping design, hardscaping (patios, retaining walls, stonework), planting, natural lawn care, landscape lighting, maintenance, snow removal (existing accounts only).
- Profitability hierarchy: Planting installs > hardscaping > pure labor jobs. Pure labor (haul-away, etc.) is least profitable and not a target segment.
Target Audience
- Middle-to-upper-income homeowners in Dane County, primarily Madison and surrounding suburbs (McFarland, Sun Prairie, east side).
- Geographic radius limited by travel time; Tim charges travel time, which naturally filters out distant low-value jobs.
- Property management companies / HOAs are acceptable secondary targets.
Unique Selling Points
- Eco-friendly, natural lawn care approach — differentiator in the Madison market.
- Personalized design (no cookie-cutter landscaping); Tim does designs himself.
- Combined design-build and maintenance capability.
- Long-standing local reputation in Dane County.
- Employee culture and work-life balance (relevant for recruitment messaging).
Design & Sales Process
- Inbound inquiry → on-site consultation with Tim.
- Simple projects: proposal only. Complex/full redesigns: paid design engagement first.
- Client owns the design; ~70% proceed with Avant Gardening for installation.
Competitive Landscape
| Competitor |
Notes |
| Bruce Company |
Largest local player; has a garden center; well-known brand |
| Formecology |
Eco-focused; most directly overlaps with Avant's natural lawn care niche |
| Alston |
Small local firm |
| Platform |
Status |
| Website |
WordPress on GoDaddy hosting; built by Tingles (graphic design firm); lower-level pages currently returning 404 |
| Google Analytics |
Active |
| Google Ads |
No active campaigns; no confirmed account |
| Meta / Facebook Ads |
Previously ran ads; account may exist but Tim is unsure of current state |
| Email Marketing |
No active platform; previously used Mailchimp (lapsed) |
| CRM / Estimating |
LMN (now rebranded as Granum) — handles estimating, proposals, time tracking, and customer records |
Website & Hosting
- Current issue: All sub-pages returning "not found" errors as of the meeting date. Homepage functional. Issue appeared after Tingles made changes to address a spam form problem.
- Current setup: WordPress CMS, hosted on GoDaddy, managed loosely by Tingles (graphic design firm that subcontracts web development).
- Tim's frustration: Tingles lacks deep WordPress expertise; slow to resolve issues; Tim receives SEO/indexing alerts he doesn't understand.
- Asymmetric hosting option: $150/month ($450/quarter). Includes plugin maintenance, 24/7 monitoring, daily backups, WordPress/PHP updates. Melissa shared a one-sheeter. Tim is open to switching, especially if SEO is added later.
"I would be interested in bringing it all together and have someone who could manage it a lot more." — Tim Stenzel
Marketing Strategy Direction
- Immediate goal: Build spring backlog during the winter off-season.
- Seasonal rhythm: Fall, winter, spring, and summer campaigns with messaging adapted per season. Winter = brand awareness / top-of-mind; spring = conversion-focused.
- Content assets to leverage: Before/after project photos, staff spotlights, lifestyle imagery.
- Recruitment ads: Explore targeting career-starters looking for stable employment in the trades.
- Negative keywords / exclusions: Free landscaping, DIY landscaping, cheap lawn care, mobile services, brand-name comparisons.
- Email: Set up a new platform (Mailchimp account is stale); build a seasonal send schedule aligned with ad campaigns.