Envision Lawn and Tree is able to do what they do because of the awesome people on its team! Continue reading and get to know a few of the members a little better!
John
John is one of Envision’s co-founders, starting the company in 2011 with his brother, Charlie. John grew up in Brookside, attending Rockhurst High School and then going to college at the University of Central Missouri (Go Mules!). John started his lawn care career at a very young age. His first paid job was a mowing job for a neighbor – where he was paid a hefty 75¢ for his work! Ever since that first job, John has expanded his business to include more services for more clients. In college, he and his brother officially started Smith Lawn and Leaf, which eventually transitioned into Envision Lawn and Tree, serving the Brookside area and beyond.
John is in charge of everything behind the scenes at Envision, which includes managing all the large-scale landscaping, hardscaping, and irrigation projects. John attributes much of their success to the fantastic team of professionals they have working with them. He’s proud of how far Envision has come and the people they have surrounded their business with. One of his favorite parts of the business is the clients. Connecting with others in the Brookside area and being an active member of such a gracious and welcoming community makes a world of difference to John and his team.
John is a big Kansas City sports fan, always ready to support the Chiefs and the Royals. If you have been to visit the Envision shop, you may have noticed Queen Bea, John’s dog, hanging out. John found her one day when he came in to work; she kept coming around until one day John decided he he should probably just take her in since she obviously didn’t have a home. When John has free time away from the business, he enjoys going to the lake where he boats and water skis, and you can catch him out on the golf course occasionally, as well.
And what would a successful lawn care business owner’s dream home landscaping look like? Well, for John, it would be a calm wooded escape with an emphasis on “nature retreat” and perhaps a chipping range off his deck to an artificial turf green!
Charlie
Charlie is co-founder of Envision with his brother, John. All his life, he has had a passion for lawn care and landscaping work. In high school, he teamed up with his brother to create Smith Lawn and Leaf. From there, Charlie worked hard to continually grow the business, eventually transforming it with his brother into the Envision Lawn and Tree business we all know and love today.
Charlie attended Visitation Catholic School and then Rockhurst. Now, as Envision co-owner, Charlie is in charge of a slew of different areas, from overseeing mowing operations and managing the team, to keeping schedules and projects, big or small, on track. When it comes to the clients who depend on Envision for landscaping, hardscaping, and irrigation services, Charlie enjoys getting to work with them every day and being a part of the community he grew up in.
In high school, Charlie was a big cross-country runner, and since then, he has completed 15 half-marathons and three marathons. When he has time away from the job, he spends it playing with his Siberian Husky, Diesel, going to the lake to ride jet skis, and, of course, running.
If you asked Charlie to describe what his landscaping paradise would be like, he would say “artificial turf all the way!” His whole yard would be artificial turf for a low-maintenance, outdoor relaxation zone for when the work day is done. One of his favorite Envision projects he has completed involved using artificial turf to create a poolside putting and chipping green for a golf-loving client. You can check it out here!
Alex
Alex grew up here in Brookside and attended Rockhurst High School. He then attended the University of Kansas, where he earned a degree in Environmental Studies. After graduation, he worked a few different jobs and during a transitional period between jobs, his childhood friend, John Smith, Envision co-founder, offered him a position at Envision. That was in March of 2017 and Alex has been with Envision ever since. His favorite part about working with John and Charlie is their selflessness and how they treat their team. Alex commented, “John and Charlie never ask a member of their team to do anything they wouldn’t do themselves.” Alex’s role on the Envision team stretches across a number of different areas from project planning with clients to sales and customer service.
Alex’s favorite part about his work at Envision is getting to work one-on-one with homeowners on custom landscaping and hardscaping projects for their homes. “The clients I gets to work with are great – very open, accepting, and kind. They trust Envision to get their projects done right and this allows us some freedom to create really beautiful landscape designs that are unique to each client,” Alex said. For example, one of Alex’s favorite projects involved an outdoor entertainment space transformation for a Kansas State fan, and the Envision Team was able to add some white and purple details to really make it special for the homeowner.
Alex is an avid Chiefs, Royals, and Jayhawks fan, supporting them each year and attending games when he can. He also enjoys spending time outdoors in his free time – from just relaxing and walking his dog to hiking, skiing, and snowboarding. His dream landscape project for his own home would be to transform his backyard into the perfect entertainment spot with a large gathering space, an outdoor kitchen, and a TV to enjoy watching games out in the fresh air.
Stephen
Stephen grew up in Westwood, Kansas, and attended Shawnee Mission East High School, where he enjoyed playing on their football and baseball teams. After graduating, Stephen began working for other local landscaping companies. Stephen was introduced to Envision during a few subcontracted snow removal jobs. Through those occasional jobs he was impressed by the way they ran their team so he reached out and applied for a job. Four years have passed, and Stephen is still a valued member of the Envision team, where his role mostly focuses on management and fertilization projects.
Stephen’s favorite part about working for Envision is getting to take rough-looking yards and transform them into beautifully landscaped outdoor paradises. He finds Envision’s clientele to be a community of wonderfully nice people that he genuinely enjoys working with. Stephen also comments, “Working for John and Charlie Smith is great – I am always inspired by their future prospects and the bigger plans they have in store for Envision as a whole.”
Stephen, like many fellow Kansas Citians, enjoys following the Chiefs and Kansas State college football games. In his free time, Stephen likes to go to the gym, spend time outdoors hiking, and playing video games with his friends.
When asked what his dream landscaping project at his own home would look like, Stephen says he would love a great-looking, zero-maintenance-required yard with artificial turf, rock beds, and plenty of boxwoods!
