A Change of Heart

A Colorado Company Shares Business Lessons & Water Feature Techniques

Shane Hemphill was just 19 years old when he started his first landscaping business, a retail garden center specializing in outdoor water features. While his business didn’t last long, the experience he gained led him to where he is today.

“I swore after that I’d never have my own business,” he recalls.

With time and experience, Shane eventually changed his mind. After working with Heath Webb at another landscaping company for several years, they decided to start something of their own. In 2010, Art of the Yard was born, and Shane was back in business. Today, the partners employ a team of 16 at their Littleton, Colorado, company where they’re creating incredible landscapes and raking in the awards.

Looking back, failing at a business was tremendously beneficial because it was such a learning tool.

“I knew the things that I messed up on, the things I didn’t do right and the things I could do better. So the second time around, I know how to approach things differently,” Shane says.

Art of the Yard is a full-service landscaping company specializing in design, construction and maintenance, with niche expertise in water features, which Shane and Heath have always been drawn to. For the past three consecutive years they’ve been named “Water Artisans of the Year” by POND Trade Magazine. Their exquisite work blends seamlessly into the Colorado landscape, providing an outdoor oasis for clients, with koi ponds, custom water elements and natural swimming holes alongside outdoor kitchens and beautiful back yards.

2021 Water Artesian Award-Winning Design

“The biggest key for us when we were starting out is not only knowing your strengths, but knowing what your weaknesses are and then finding people to handle those weaknesses,” Shane says. “For example, hiring an office manager so that we could work in the field. The busier we got, the less time we had for the office, and that can hurt you. We love building and creating, not being burdened by the paperwork and taxes and all the business stuff.”

Shane has also gotten out of his comfort zone to learn and master the sales and marketing efforts that come with owning and growing a business.

“I can build a patio and I can build a pond, but selling it was a whole different thing,” he says. “And I’m a bit of an introvert so it was tough sometimes to open up to people and share my vision.”

Another business challenge is the pricing and estimation. “Clients think it’s so simple,” Shane says. “If you’re putting in a little bit of sod, for example, they see that it should take a couple of hours. The client thinks that’s worth a few hundred bucks, and that it’s going straight in my pocket, but that doesn’t cover those overhead expenses that you have to have to maintain the company.”

Over the years, Shane has gained more confidence in pricing projects and knowing what they’re worth, as laborers, designers, craftsmen and artists’ work adds value. To that end, he’s worked hard to create a culture of creative freedom for his team.

I want them to not only create products that are going to work, but express themselves, share their vision & make real art.

2019 Water Artisan Award for Hardscape Combo

Because of the positive culture Shane and his partner Heath have built, Art of the Yard has employed many of its team members for years. To reward their top performers, they have offered them a 5 percent stake in the company.

Art of the Yard has become a model for other landscapers too, especially in creating water features. “We’ve got a lot of guys reaching out to us now,” Shane says. “That really feels good to be at that mentorship side of things.”

Shane, himself, had a mentor in the late Tom Trench, a designer who was extraspecial to the company. Helping others is a way to continue his legacy. “Tom was there since the beginning and helped us come together as our company,” says Shane. After losing Tom, and after another subcontractor moved away, they decided to hire their own in-house designer.

“Constantly pivoting is a big part of owning a business,” he says.

For the future, Shane wants to work collaboratively with contractors in other areas of the country and train them on Art of the Yard’s water feature techniques. He’s also starting an organization called the Outdoor Living Collective.

“We’re going to have a group of contractors that get together, talk about difficulties or things that really worked well,” Shane says. “It’s important to have a good group who help elevate each other.

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Shane Hemphill

Owner of Art of the Yard

www.customwaterfeaturesdenver.com