Nikki Hall

I’ve talked in previous articles about the workload and risk considerations with owning our own business. However, aside from running the company, we enjoy the tree servicing business and it has become a source of some of our most memorable and rewarding experiences. From emergency tree work to learning how to climb trees, there is humor in it all …



About six years ago, Steve was called out on an emergency tree job at 7 o’clock at night. It was dark out and there was ...

In 2010 close to five feet of snow accumulated from December to March. For Alexandria VA, while snow is expected and even considered profitable by us snow plowing nuts, the onslaught of large quantities of snow and the resulting tree work was overwhelming, at times perplexing, and ironic in its own special way.

Due to the heavy precipitation accumulation, trees were dropping like flies everywhere. Just as we finished plowing from the first snow, our crews moseyed directly into ...

Crown reducing a tree is an art. If done improperly, it can kill a tree. But, if you’re forced to choose between removing and replacing an existing tree, or reducing it to keep it alive and safe, then crown reduction becomes a necessary option. As any tree man will tell it to you, crown reduce it or cut it down. Simple as that. Crown reducing trees was not a widely known technique outside of tree care companies; however it is gaining popularity among homeowners and management companies. The ...

Being a company owner is a fantastic achievement. It’s gratifying and rewarding, but it is also a slippery slope. Not a one of us is exempt from becoming a liability to our companies. The only way to prevent this is to hold on to our humility and live it every day.

Hubris. The dictionary defines it as “excessive pride and ambition that usually leads to the downfall of a hero in classical tragedy”. However, it exists everywhere and everyone is susceptible to it. Just as it ...

Nothing comforts me more business wise than being prepared for every eventuality. That is all things relating to the office, which is primarily my domain in the company. While I haven’t completely solved this concern, and truthfully, there are events that are out of my control, for the most part I can rest easy knowing that the company will survive the moderate interruptions in business. From server crashes to data destroying fires, our company information will still be safe and available so ...