Holding Nothing Back | Last Episode of 2025 for The Plant Movement with Willie and Eddie

On this Episode, host Willie Rodriguez and producer Eddie Gonzalez sit down for one of their most transparent and wide-ranging conversations yet. This episode isn’t about hype — it’s about reality.

From rising costs and labor shortages to market saturation, real estate pressure, and the future of nursery ownership, Willie and Eddie openly discuss what’s happening right now in the Green Industry and what it will take to survive, adapt, and lead moving forward.

The episode opens with gratitude — acknowledging A’s Ornamental Nursery, the team, and the clients who allow the podcast to exist as a platform for growth and learning. Willie also gives thanks to God for the opportunity to steward both the business and the responsibility that comes with having a voice in the industry.

Willie and Eddie also extend an open invitation to nursery owners, garden centers, landscapers, and industry professionals to step up and share their stories on the podcast in 2026 — because the industry needs more voices at the table.

Hard Topics That Need to Be Talked About

This episode tackles conversations many avoid:

• Product pricing that hasn’t changed in decades
• Immigration reform and its impact on labor
• Wage increases and the real cost of doing business
• Rising interest rates and slowing home sales
• Why only a shrinking percentage of the market still prioritizes plant quality

Willie shares perspective from his role on the FNGLA board, while Eddie brings a fresh lens as someone who didn’t grow up in the industry but understands its realities through lived experience.

Economic Pressure & Market Reality

Willie and Eddie break down:

• Why 2023–2024 slowed the industry
• How middle-class spending on landscapes has declined
• Why high-end landscapers remain booked months out
• The saturation problem — too much product, not enough movement
• The harsh reality facing small nurseries trying to survive rising rents and shrinking margins

They also discuss real numbers: land prices, lease contracts, annual rent increases, and how owning property may be the only path to long-term stability for nurseries.

Leadership, Boundaries & Business Discipline

This episode reinforces powerful lessons learned in 2025:

• Stop bending over backwards for people who don’t respect your business
• Request deposits
• Protect cash flow
• Respect your time, your team, and your boundaries
• Not everything works — and that’s okay

Willie shares hard-earned wisdom on sacrifice, discipline, and what it truly takes to build something solid:

• 3 years to start
• 5 years to become credible
• 10 years to become stable

Sales Strategy, Risk & Transparency

The hosts walk through:

• Slower summer months and the strategies used to survive them
• Discounting excess inventory responsibly
• Creative sales terms like 90-day pickup
• A major Clusia giveaway that cleared land, built goodwill, and sparked industry conversation

They also discuss how social media has become a portfolio, not a crutch — emphasizing transparency, quality, and trust over vanity metrics.

Looking Ahead

The episode closes with forward-thinking plans:

• Inventory management systems
• A future online plant store
• Stronger accountability across operations
• A renewed commitment to community, honesty, and collaboration

Willie and Eddie wrap up with gratitude, humility, and a reminder that challenges are often the