Jacob Hastings

Jacob Hastings writes The Backcut and leads Growth & Client Strategy at Growth Ring Media. He started on the sales floor of a tree gear shop, talking every day with climbers, owners, and estimators about the jobs they were trying to win. Now he works with tree services across the country on ads, lead quality, and pricing so they can stay booked with the right work—not just any work.

Owner Mindset

Sep 12, 2026

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2 min read

The Two-Minute Stick Pickup

What one Indiana operator knows about the end of every job | The Backcut Issue #84

Jacob Hastings

Ads, Tracking & Data Feedback

Sep 5, 2026

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6 min read

Your CRM Has No Idea Which Ad Brought Your Best Customer

The naming decision that decides what your ad account can ever tell you | The Backcut Issue #83

Jacob Hastings

Marketing

Aug 29, 2026

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2 min read

The Day Your Rival Sells

Two dozen platforms are buying tree companies and leaving the name on the door | The Backcut Issue #82

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

Your Quote Form Is Either A Toll Booth Or A Gate

Aug 22, 2026

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2 min read

Your Quote Form Is Either A Toll Booth Or A Gate

When to cut friction and when to add it on purpose|The Backcut Issue #81

Jacob Hastings

Hiring

Leads Don't Cap Your Growth, But Climbers Can.

Aug 15, 2026

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4 min read

Leads Don't Cap Your Growth, But Climbers Can.

Turn the ads you already run into the hires you can't find | The Backcut Issue #80

Jacob Hastings

Google/Maps

World-Class for Five Years and Nobody Came

Aug 8, 2026

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4 min read

World-Class for Five Years and Nobody Came

What a Saturday-only smokehouse teaches about getting found | The Backcut Issue #79

Jacob Hastings

Lead Generation

Somebody Still Has Keys to Your Google Ads Account. Is It You?

Aug 1, 2026

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3 min read

Somebody Still Has Keys to Your Google Ads Account. Is It You?

Five things to check before the LSA migration lands there | The Backcut Issue #78

Jacob Hastings

Ads, Tracking & Data Feedback

Three Things to Do Before Google Migrates Your LSA Account

Jul 25, 2026

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2 min read

Three Things to Do Before Google Migrates Your LSA Account

Google's moving your best lead source. Get ahead of it now | The Backcut Issue #77

Jacob Hastings

Lead Generation

You Don't Own Your Pipeline. Most Tree Service Owners Find Out the Hard Way.

Jul 18, 2026

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3 min read

You Don't Own Your Pipeline. Most Tree Service Owners Find Out the Hard Way.

When a rented lead channel breaks, you don't get a vote. | The Backcut Issue #76

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

Text, Call, Postcard: The 90-Day Sequence That Turns Old Quotes Into Booked Jobs

Jul 11, 2026

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4 min read

Text, Call, Postcard: The 90-Day Sequence That Turns Old Quotes Into Booked Jobs

Your CRM Is Hiding Real Revenue. Here's How to Pull It Out. | The Backcut Issue #75

Jacob Hastings

Lead Generation

Half Of Your Future Leads May Never See Your Google Listing

Jul 5, 2026

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3 min read

Half Of Your Future Leads May Never See Your Google Listing

The Search Game Just Split in Two | The Backcut Issue #74

Jacob Hastings

Ads, Tracking & Data Feedback

Your Sparse Facebook Page Is Silently Inflating Your Ad Costs

Jun 27, 2026

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4 min read

Your Sparse Facebook Page Is Silently Inflating Your Ad Costs

The Hidden Tax on Tree Service Ads With Dead or Sparse Facebook Pages | The Backcut Issue #73

Jacob Hastings

Ads, Tracking & Data Feedback

Three Invisible Forces Are Awarding the $4,000+ Jobs in Your Market Right Now

Jun 20, 2026

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3 min read

Three Invisible Forces Are Awarding the $4,000+ Jobs in Your Market Right Now

See the Three Forces Deciding Your Best Jobs | The Backcut Issue #72

Jacob Hastings

Marketing

58.5% of Searches Never Click a Link. Your GBP Is Where You Win or Lose.

Jun 13, 2026

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2 min read

58.5% of Searches Never Click a Link. Your GBP Is Where You Win or Lose.

Why Your Google Profile Matters More Than Your Website | The Backcut Issue #71

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

50-70% of CRM Projects Fail. Is Yours Up Next?

Jun 6, 2026

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3 min read

50-70% of CRM Projects Fail. Is Yours Up Next?

Write It Down Before You Turn It On | The Backcut Issue #70

Jacob Hastings

Operations & Systems

The Tree Service Estimating Problem Nobody Talks About

May 30, 2026

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3 min read

The Tree Service Estimating Problem Nobody Talks About

Your Tuesday price and your Thursday price might not match | The Backcut Issue #69

Jacob Hastings

Lead Generation

Set Up These 3 Automations This Week in Software You Already Pay For

May 23, 2026

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3 min read

Set Up These 3 Automations This Week in Software You Already Pay For

Three Messages Your Software Should Send Automatically | The Backcut Issue #68

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

Build a Simple Lead Filter in 45 Minutes That Saves You Hours Every Week

May 16, 2026

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3 min read

Build a Simple Lead Filter in 45 Minutes That Saves You Hours Every Week

Filter Before You Follow Up | The Backcut Issue #67

Jacob Hastings

Operations & Systems

What Makes a Tree Service Company Worth 3x vs 5x

May 9, 2026

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3 min read

What Makes a Tree Service Company Worth 3x vs 5x

The five things a buyer actually checks before writing a seven-figure check. | The Backcut Issue #66

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

1 in 6 of Your Proposals Probably Never Reach the Customer's Inbox

May 2, 2026

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5 min read

1 in 6 of Your Proposals Probably Never Reach the Customer's Inbox

The Revenue Leak Hiding in Your CRM's Outbox | The Backcut Issue #65

Jacob Hastings

Ads, Tracking & Data Feedback

63% of owners don't know if their marketing works. You might be one of them.

Apr 25, 2026

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5 min read

63% of owners don't know if their marketing works. You might be one of them.

The Weekly Scorecard Your Software Probably Can't Build for You | The Backcut Issue #64

Jacob Hastings

Pricing & Profit

The Most Profitable Service You Are Probably Not Offering

Apr 18, 2026

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6 min read

The Most Profitable Service You Are Probably Not Offering

PHC margins top 50% and the work is recurring. Here is how to test it without overhauling your business | The Backcut Issue #63

Jacob Hastings

Intake Forms & Sales Process

Your ISA Badge Is Invisible To Homeowners (here's the fix)

Apr 11, 2026

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7 min read

Your ISA Badge Is Invisible To Homeowners (here's the fix)

Turn Your ISA Cert From Wallpaper Into a Closer | The Backcut Issue #62

Jacob Hastings

Operations & Systems

How to Build a Hiring Pipeline That Actually Works

Apr 4, 2026

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8 min read

How to Build a Hiring Pipeline That Actually Works

The hiring pipeline that keeps 3 crews staffed year-round | The Backcut Issue #61

Jacob Hastings

Operations & Systems

Mar 28, 2026

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6 min read

Is Your Equipment Making You Money?

The Equipment ROI Math Most Owners Skip | The Backcut Issue #60

Jacob Hastings