Learn how Chris turned $10,000 small business acquisition into a $5,000,000 landscaping business using the buy then build strategy. Join him and Jay Bourgana from the Acquisitions Collective to discover the secrets to scaling your business!
From mowing lawns on Mondays with one part-time helper to building a $5M/year landscaping company, this is the no-fluff blueprint for scaling through small acquisitions, grit, and smart systems.
In this episode, Chris Cristillo shares how he:
✅ Bought his first landscaping route for $10K with no business background
✅ Scaled through 5 acquisitions—including a $250K deal that 5X’d his business
✅ Leveraged high-interest loans, seller financing, and intuition to fund growth
✅ Turned his seasonal work into a year-round lifestyle business
✅ Built a team and layered in management without losing service quality
✅ Designed a scalable system for field crews, management, and maintenance
✅ Navigated culture clashes, employee transitions, and non-competes post-acquisition
✅ Created a second brand to offload smaller clients while keeping top-tier service
✅ Grew exclusively through referrals—no ads, no sales team
✅ Built a business that runs 95% without him
This is a must-watch for:
Business buyers considering blue-collar acquisitions
Founders stuck in owner-operator traps
Entrepreneurs curious about service-based rollups
Anyone wondering what a real, sustainable lifestyle business looks like
Whether you’re eyeing your first million-dollar deal or already running crews, this episode is packed with insights on buying right, growing lean, and building a business that actually buys your freedom.
00:00 From College Dropout to Landscaping Entrepreneur
02:00 Buying His First Route for $10K (and Losing Money)
06:00 His First Acquisition and Learning Seller Financing
10:00 The $250K Deal That Changed Everything
14:30 Culture Clashes & Post-Acquisition Team Integration
18:00 Building a 50-Person Team and $4M in Revenue
22:00 Design-Build-Maintain Model Explained
26:00 Starting a Second Brand to Keep Scaling Without Breaking Ops
29:00 How He Keeps Clients Without Marketing or Ads
33:00 Lessons on Systems, Delegation, and Lifestyle Freedom
36:00 Advice for First-Time Buyers of Blue-Collar Businesses
→ Join our community - https://www.acquisitionscollective.biz/
→ Follow for more - @AcquisitionCollective
→ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/acquisitioncollective/
→ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@acquisitioncollective
→ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/acquisitions-collective
#SmallBusiness #BusinessAcquisition #LandscapingBusiness #BlueCollarBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #SMBAcquisitions #OwnerOperator #SellerFinancing #ServiceBusiness #BusinessPodcast #AcquisitionStrategy #FieldService #StartupTips #ScalingBusiness #BusinessTips #BuildToSell #CashFlowBusiness #RemoteOperations #BusinessPlaybook #WorkSmarter #BuyThenBuild #LifestyleBusiness #FoundersJourney #entrepreneurship #alexhormozi #codiesanchez #hormozi #walkerdeibel