Peer Network resonates with business owner

Laurie-Ann Stuart, owner/operator of LA Gardens in Utopia, Ont., is actively engaged in Landscape Ontario’s Peer to Peer Network. Stuart says one of the main reasons she makes time to participate is simply because “there is so much to gain.”

Stuart says participating in the group “gives you a sense of ‘I’m not alone out there’ and that the mistakes you make, other have made already.”

Open to member business owners of Landscape Ontario, Stuart says members of the group “will happily give you tips on how to get from A to D without having to go through the strain of B and C.”

“Just like if it was a wedding that you are attending or anything else in your life that you put everything aside for, you make sure you get there. The situation at hand on the given day will sort itself out. The knowledge and camaraderie that you gain from attending these sessions will last a lifetime.”

Stuart says a key for success is to take a lot of notes: “When you get home, don’t just shove them in a drawer,” she says and refer to them over morning coffee or for some late night reading.

 “There’s also a real continuity in attending each of the Peer to Peer sessions,” Stuart explains. “So the more of the Peer to Peers you attend, the more it all starts to make sense. Jacki is spectacular at teaching you how to respect your staff and their lives,” Stuart adds, “Because if you can get them on your team, everybody moves forward together.”

Stuart says the Peer session in September last year provided her with the energy she needed to make it through to the end of the season. “When I came back, there was such a difference in my attitude. I came back ready to take the world on.”

For more information on LO’S Peer to Peer Network, or to join the online forum, visit HortTrades.com/p2p.