Company Culture, Sales Processes, AI & more! with Dan Strauss from Syman Erosion Control

Stormwater World Episode 052: Company Culture, Sales Processes, AI & more! with Dan Strauss from Syman Erosion Control

 

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Key Points Discussed

[00:02:00] – Meet Dan Strauss
Ty introduces Dan.

[00:04:00] – Business in the Stormwater World
Dan discusses a gap in the industry:

“We’re really not talking about business. We’re not talking about why we’re all here: because we want to make money.” — Dan Strauss

[00:07:00] – Becoming Employee-Owned
Dan explains Syman’s growth:

“We went from having two people in the business and now we have about 85.” — Dan Strauss

[00:13:00] – Sales & Marketing in Technical Fields
Dan emphasizes the importance of outreach:

“You can’t just go to a conference and say, ‘cool, check this out.’” — Dan Strauss
“Best known beats best.” — Ty

[00:18:00] – Hiring Matrix & Growth Strategy
Dan on professionalizing operations:

“If you feel like you want to grow, you need help. We recently have come up with a hiring matrix.” — Dan Strauss

[00:24:00] – Maintaining Company Culture
Dan shares how they retain team morale:

“A lot of it has to do with autonomy. Here’s the tools you need to do your job, and then walk away.” — Dan Strauss

[00:29:00] – What Syman Erosion Control Does
Dan gives the overview:

“We design from the ground up.” — Dan Strauss

[00:32:00] – AI in Stormwater
Dan and Ty discuss how AI can enhance productivity.

[00:38:00] – Using AI to Train Teams

“How do we extrapolate that information out of someone’s head unless he’s sitting here with me training me?” — Dan Strauss

[00:46:00] – Technology, Drones & Inspection
Dan on evolving practices:

“They were using the AI software to identify BMPs. It is making us money.” — Dan Strauss

[00:50:00] – What’s Next for Syman

“Our next big thing is opening up our fourth location, that’s going to trigger our executive team to change a little bit.” — Dan Strauss

 

In this episode of the Stormwater World Podcast, Ty interviews Dan Strauss, Business Development Manager at Syman Erosion Control. They explore the intersection of business development, company culture, and technology in the stormwater industry. Dan shares how Syman grew from two people to an employee-owned company with over 85 staff, highlighting the importance of hiring intentionally, maintaining a strong culture through autonomy and leadership, and using tools like AI to streamline training and operations. The conversation also touches on how the industry could benefit from more focus on business growth and marketing at conferences, and how AI is already reshaping how stormwater professionals access and apply information.

The views expressed are that of the individual and do not represent the opinions of any companies past, present or future.

Connect with Dan Strauss:

Email: d.strauss@symaninc.com

Website: https://symancompany.com/

 

Connect with Ty Garmon, LEED AP: 

Connect with Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tygarmon/

Sign up to be a guest: https://forms.gle/whijSz9Tio3iZda57

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