McFarlin Stanford

What McFarlin Stanford does

McFarlin Stanford is a Dallas, Texas-based private professional services and coaching firm that exclusively serves the landscape and green industry. The company operates a portfolio of seven interconnected offerings: the ACE (Accountability Creates Excellence) Peer Group program with 300+ landscape member companies, one-on-one executive coaching, outsourced accounting and QuickBooks-based bookkeeping, executive recruiting on a contingency basis with a replacement guarantee, leadership development via Gallup CliftonStrengths assessments, external human resources support, and a valuation and financial advisory practice led by a former Wall Street banker. Customers are owners of landscape, lawn care, and adjacent green industry businesses who need back-office support, with peer groups sized to 8-10 members matched by company size and meeting three times annually in person with monthly check-ins and an annual Summit.

The firm's underlying technology and methodology stack consists of industry-specific financial chart of accounts and KPIs developed through the outsourced accounting practice, Gallup CliftonStrengths-based leadership curricula, an iKPI dashboard partnership with Include Software (Asset platform), and QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor workflows. Differentiated content assets include the Roots of Success podcast and a multi-channel content marketing presence anchored by the company's website and industry publications. There is no proprietary software platform; service delivery is human-led by executive coaches, bookkeepers, recruiters, and analysts.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring peer group memberships (quote-based annual fees), contingency-based recruiting fees (paid only on successful placement, with optional 12-month payment terms), monthly outsourced accounting retainers, project-based valuation engagements, and event-driven coaching workshops. The company operates a sales-led, community-led, and event-driven go-to-market with discovery sessions (ACE Discovery), connection events (ACE Connect), and an annual ACE Summit as key conversion events, supplemented by content marketing, podcasting, social media, and presence at landscape industry conferences (GROW!, NALP Elevate). Founded by Jason New and James Cali, former landscape industry executives, the firm is independently owned and operates with a primary headcount of 1-10 employees supported by a broader bench of specialist coaches and service professionals.

Name

McFarlin Stanford

Legal name

McFarlin Stanford

Website

https://mcfarlinstanford.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

McFarlin Stanford is a Dallas-based professional services firm exclusively serving landscape and green industry business owners through ACE Peer Groups, executive coaching, outsourced accounting, recruiting, leadership development, HR support, and valuation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Landscape industry business consulting and professional services

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Business Service Centers (56143)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategic Partnerships, Alliances & JVs Advisory (BPAHADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Financial Planning & Analysis Support (Budgeting, Forecasting, Management Reporting) (BPAAAGAJ), Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Landscape industry consulting
• Executive coaching services
• Peer advisory groups
• Outsourced accounting services
• Executive recruiting

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. ACE Peer Group Memberships: Annual membership fees for access to peer groups, executive coaching, three in-person meetings per year, monthly check-ins, ACE Summit access, and ACE Team Development monthly educational series.
2. Recruiting and Career Placement: Executive recruiting services for landscape companies with no cost unless candidate is placed. Replacement guarantee if hire doesn't work out. Fees can be paid over 12 months.
3. Outsourced Accounting and Bookkeeping: Professional bookkeeping, payroll, and reporting services for landscape companies. Includes monthly financial coaching sessions and industry-specific metrics.
4. Executive Coaching: One-on-one executive coaching for landscape business owners. Available as standalone service or through ACE Peer Group membership.
5. Leadership Development Services: Leadership training workshops including Gallup CliftonStrengths sessions, new manager training, and 360 evaluations.
6. Valuation and Financial Advisory: Financial advising and business valuation services with over 20 years of experience, helping landscape companies understand financial health and plan for exit.
7. Human Resources Services: External HR support to review hiring/firing practices, ensure legal compliance, and protect landscape companies from lawsuits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

McFarlin Stanford provides back-office professional services exclusively for landscape and green-industry business owners, centered on the ACE Peer Group membership program (recurring peer advisory groups, executive coaching, and in-person events). Surrounding the peer group program are outsourced bookkeeping and accounting, executive recruiting, leadership development, human resources support, and business valuation and financial advisory services, all delivered with industry-specific metrics for landscape companies.

Product overview

McFarlin Stanford is a coaching and professional services firm for the landscape industry, offering a suite of interconnected services centered on ACE Peer Groups (Accountability Creates Excellence), which includes peer group membership, executive coaching, and quarterly in-person events. The company complements its coaching platform with Outsourced Accounting (bookkeeping, payroll, QuickBooks-based financial solutions), Recruiting & Career Placement, Leadership Development (Gallup CliftonStrengths, new manager training, 360 evaluations), Human Resources Services, and Valuation & Financial Advisory. The portfolio is designed to serve as the 'back office' for landscape companies, addressing the operational, financial, and people challenges that landscape business owners face beyond field operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACE Peer Groups

Quantifiable outcome

• Members commonly see 30%+ year-over-year growth
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Grow GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-host of ACE Peer Groups Summit, bringing together landscape and lawn care professionals for educational seminars, awards dinner, and networking events. The 2024 summit in New Orleans had over 170 attendees.
• Marty Grunder & AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarty Grunder described as strategic partner and friend. Cited as saying 'Nothing happens until someone sells something' and provides sales strategy content for McFarlin Stanford audience.
• Include SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint content marketing with Include Software featuring Jason New discussing budgeting and forecasting best practices using Asset platform.
• Landscape Management MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured by Landscape Management magazine which recognized the 2024 ACE Peer Groups Summit in New Orleans. Social media feature of the event and award dinner.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Bench: AI-powered bookkeeping and financial-reporting platform aimed at small businesses; an alternative delivery model for the outsourced-accounting services McFarlin Stanford bundles with coaching.
• Pilot: Tech-enabled outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, and CFO services for SMBs; competes directly with McFarlin Stanford's Outsourced Accounting practice while bypassing industry specialization through technology.

Broad incumbents

• Vistage Worldwide: Largest executive peer-group platform globally; offers chair-facilitated peer advisory, executive coaching, and leadership development — the broader incumbent analogy to ACE Peer Groups.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): Premier peer-network of CEOs and business owners offering peer learning forums, events, and leadership resources — comparable premium peer-group architecture to ACE.
• Tiger 21: Peer-organization for high-net-worth investors and entrepreneurs with monthly group meetings and asset-management focus — analogous high-touch, cohort-based peer-group delivery.
• Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO): Global peer-group community for business owners with peer forums, executive education, and events — directly comparable member-based peer-group model.

Direct peers

• Strategic Coach: Subscription-based executive coaching program for entrepreneurs and business owners, led by Dan Sullivan; mirrors McFarlin Stanford's coaching-plus-peer-group model with quarterly workshop cadence.
• The Grow Group: Co-host of the ACE Peer Groups Summit with McFarlin Stanford; runs community, events, and programming for landscape and lawn-care business owners — directly overlapping audience and recurring event format.
• Marty Grunder & Associates: Landscape-industry sales and business coaching firm and explicitly named McFarlin Stanford strategic partner; competes for the same landscape-owner coaching and consulting wallet.

Others

• Landscape Management Magazine: Industry publication and event organizer for the Green Industry — adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, but operates in the same vertical and shares audience access.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mcfarlin.stanford
• Xx.com/McFarlinStanfrd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McFarlin Stanford