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Arkansas Turfgrass – Julie Holt, Content Director, TheTurfZone.com

How many years have you been in this position?

15 years

How did you decide to pursue a career in turfgrass management?

I ran track for the Razorbacks. My first year, I was a chemical engineering major. The spring track season was a nightmare, and I decided to pursue a career in something that actually made me happy versus what people expected. I thumbed through the catalog of studies and found turf management. I loved sports, and wanted to do something sports related, and thought that fit. I met with Dr. Richardson, and the rest is history.

What path led you to your current position?

I started a Master’s program, but realized that I did not want to do academia the rest of my life. While in grad school, I got married and wanted to earn some extra money. So I started the business on the side. That part time job grew into the business we have now.

What is the best part of your job? 

The flexibility I have to spend time with my family. I also love dealing with numbers, budgets, etc.

What are some unique challenges of your job?

Finding good employees and balancing being able to pay them well with profitability. For whatever reason, people tend to not treat people in the service industry very well. So dealing with the public is always a challenge.

What inspired you to become a part of ATA and serve on the ATA board?
I had not been involved with the ATA for several years. When they started giving the awards for site of the year, we were encouraged to apply to support the award. When we won, it provided a reason for me to get back involved with the ATA. The next year, Doug asked me to speak about the award. From that experience, Kyle Sanders and I became friends. We share a similar vision and motivation. He encouraged me to accept a position on the board as we try to help our industry move the right direction.

What do you feel is the biggest challenge facing the turfgrass industry right now?

Pre-Covid, employment issues were definitely becoming the biggest issues. It was just really hard to find people. Post-Covid, we have no idea what that’s going to look like. Is it going to be easier to find people? Maybe. But it also may be hard to find people that want to work. The other huge issue that poses challenges long term is the “Anti-Roundup” type lawsuits that are happening.

What is one lesson you’ve learned the hard way in your career?

Dealing with the public in customer service will change you. I’ve definitely been hardened over the years. The biggest lesson would be not to allow the job to change you. I would also start planning earlier for capital investments, buildings, vehicles, etc. I learned the hard way about the growing pains of a business that is outgrowing its space quickly.

Do you have a mentor in the industry?

Mike Richardson and Doug Karcher are both mentors. I owe my career to them. John McCalla is not specifically a mentor, but I probably learned more from him than anyone else. John is Dr. Richardson’s research technician. When I worked for Doug, John and I worked together. I had studied the turf industry, but never truly “worked” in it. Working with John, I got a ton of hands on experience with everything imaginable. I don’t see or talk to him that much now, but he definitely helped me a lot during that time.

Tell us about your family and what you do in your free time.

I do a lot of kayak fishing. My wife and I have been married 16 years. We have 2 boys, Hudson and Hayes. We spend a lot of time together as a family. We love hiking, fishing, exploring the Natural State. Prior to the pandemic, we spent a lot of time with people from our church. We lead a Bible study for young married couples.

What would your advice be for people entering the turfgrass industry now?

Dr. Richardson told me when I was a student something on the lines of, “You gotta put the hard work at some point in your career to get where you want to be in life. Some people choose to that at the front end of their career. Some people choose to put the hard work at the back end. I chose to do that hard work on the front end.” I hold to that philosophy. Hard work still matters. Hard work, intelligence, doing the right thing, and treating people right does pay off.  If you truly care about others, people respect that.

If someone is going to start a business in the turf industry, my advice would be to always remember, you didn’t get there on your own. At Ace of Blades, we are a team, 100%. Yes, I started the business, but I can only take it so far on my own. We can’t reach the goals that I have set for this business without 100% buy-in from everyone. In order to get 100% buy-in from my employees, I have to treat them right. I have to allow them to do their jobs. I have to “Let go.” Once I figured that out, our business exploded. Every entrepreneur is different — each has his/her own set of strengths and weaknesses. But you must have a vision and a plan of how to obtain that vision.