On this Weekly Update on Trades Talk, Justin White kicks off the year with major updates from K&D Landscaping, showcasing bold moves in robotics, automation, and expansion. He frames 2026 as a defining moment for disruption and urges trade leaders to lean into innovation while staying grounded in fundamentals.

K&D is expanding into San Luis Obispo and San Jose, while investing in futuristic tech like Kress' fully autonomous mower, robotic 3D concrete printers, and partnerships with physical AI pioneers. Justin also outlines how automation can unlock six-figure wages for frontline workers, all while reshaping what a landscaping company can be. The vibe is confident, energized, and tech-forward.

• K&D receives the first autonomous “Voyager” mower in California for real-world testing

• Strategic push into San Luis Obispo and San Jose, with major contracts secured

• Partnering with Reservoir Farms to build a testing ground for landscape robotics

• Vision: Use automation to double wages and halve project timelines

• Upcoming episode: MineCloud’s Jamie Royce on why automations come before AI

Justin closes with a challenge to the trades: don’t wait for a perfect tech test, iterate, and lead the future from the front lines.

This week on Trades Talk, Justin White sits down with Angelique Robb, founder of Synkd Magazine and Synkd Live, to trace her journey from oil rigs and deep-well engineering to redefining what collaboration looks like in the landscape industry.

Angelique shares stories from her early career as a petroleum engineer, working offshore by helicopter in her teens, before shifting into project management and later launching a landscape design firm in Scotland. That blend of systems thinking and hands-on operations led her to notice the fragmentation in the U.S. landscape space. Through Synkd, she’s now working to synchronize design, build, and maintain under one roof, while surfacing key technical and business gaps.

Justin and Angelique explore the “missing middle” of landscape project management, the opportunity in specialty subcontractor collaboration, and why small business owners hit a ceiling when they try to do everything alone. The episode also covers how Synkd Live New Orleans is structured differently from traditional trade shows, and what both founders believe is holding the industry back and what’s about to push it forward.

• Angelique’s early career offshore and how project integration shaped her systems lens

• Why most landscape companies get stuck at 4–6 employees and how to scale beyond that

• The problem with the word “landscaper” and why she rebranded to Synkd

• How U.S. firms lag in stormwater design and what Europe’s 20-year lead teaches us

Angelique and Justin close by comparing private equity to “sweat equity” and laying out the ownership mindset that can help small firms scale without selling out. Sign up for The Disruptors Social taking place during SYNKD Live!

On this Weekly Update of Trades Talk, Justin White kicks off 2026 with part one of a powerful new series: The Disruptor’s Advantage. After reflecting on the wild ride of 2025, Justin sets the tone for the year ahead by exploring what it truly means to be a disruptor in the trades. From AI to electrification to mindset, he lays out why this moment is built for bold thinkers ready to challenge the status quo.

He makes a strong case that trades are not just alive and well. they’re thriving. With tech leaders spotlighting skilled labor and facilities requiring landscape design by law, landscapers and builders are positioned to win. Justin draws from Harvard’s Innovator’s Dilemma and his own experience going all-electric to show how innovation, not price, is now the dealbreaker. The episode previews major 2026 bets from K&D and invites listeners to a year of transformation.

• The trades are positioned for massive growth in 2026 and beyond

• AI may threaten office jobs first, but hands-on trades remain essential

• Being different and innovative beats being just better or cheaper

• K&D’s move to all-electric maintenance is already paying off

• Disruptors make bold bets, measure, learn, and evolve

This is the first of a three-part series on the disruptor mindset, with live events and exclusive workshops already on the calendar. Get ready for a year of change and choose to lead it.