Today we’d like to introduce you to Tyler Cole.
Hi Tyler, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Like a lot of small business owners, I found my footing by noticing a gap that needed to be filled. There were plenty of tree companies around, and getting a tree removed wasn’t the issue—but finding someone to handle stump removal well, and at a fair price, was harder than I expected.
I ended up hiring someone who was on the lower end of what still felt like pretty high pricing, and the work just didn’t come out the way I’d hoped. I might not have thought twice about it if I didn’t have some background in tree work, but because I did, I asked them to come back and take another look. After a bit of back and forth, I remember saying, “If this is the quality of your level of work, I think I could probably do it myself.”
They laughed and said something along the lines of, “Yeah sure, you’re not going to leave your job for this.” But that stuck with me. That same evening, I went out and bought a stump grinder, and that was really the start of everything.
That was about five years ago. Since then, I’ve grown into a certified arborist and expanded into all aspects of tree work. I still try to approach every job with the mindset of taking care of the customer the way I’d want someone to take care of my own property—not just focusing on the bottom line.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like most jobs, the path isn’t exactly smooth—if it were, everyone would probably be doing it. I started out focusing on stump grinding because it felt like a good entry point. It’s a bit of a niche, which naturally limits how crowded it gets, but it also gave me the chance to learn and grow without taking on the kind of overhead a full tree company usually requires.
The bigger challenge was wearing all the hats at once. In the beginning, I was the operator, the office person, the mechanic, and the one trying to bring in work—pretty much all day, every day. Those aren’t skills you just walk out of school with, so a lot of it was learning as I went, figuring out where to spend my time, and making adjustments along the way.
I think pushing through those early challenges helped build some resilience. Each difficult stretch teaches you something, and over time, those moments get a little easier to handle.
Even now, finding the right balance is still something I’m working on. The challenges look different than they did at the start, but they’re still there. As the business grows and evolves, so do the demands—and honestly, that’s been one of the most rewarding parts of the whole process.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
These days, I work as a certified arborist, handling everything from tree care and removals to replanting. Over time, I’ve developed a specialty in stump grinding, and I’ve focused on finding ways to do that work more efficiently and consistently.
I also try to stay connected with other companies in the area that focus on different parts of the job. If someone calls me and I’m not the right fit, I’d rather point them to someone who is. At the end of the day, it’s about making sure the customer is taken care of, no matter who does the work.
I’ve also been fortunate to work alongside a lot of local tree companies over the years. Sometimes that’s stepping in when a crew is stretched thin, helping with stump work, or filling a gap when needed. Through that, I’ve gotten a good sense of who does solid, safe work and who really looks out for their customers. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but being born and raised here, I do my best to help people connect with the right person the first time and make sure they’re in good hands.
One thing I take a lot of pride in is how a job looks when it’s finished. Unless a customer asks for something specific, I try to leave every site the way I’d want my own property to look. That mindset really goes back to how all of this started for me—just wanting to see quality work done the right way.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Before getting into tree work, I spent about 16 years in the aviation industry. I worked under a lot of different managers and had the chance to be part of some pretty detailed, technical projects. Toward the end of that chapter, I was working as a test engineer, helping certify software and hardware for safe flight in experimental aircraft.
At the time, I put a lot of value on the title and what I thought came with it—the responsibility, the environment, the people I was around. It felt important, and I think I tied a lot of my identity to that. But over time, I started to feel a disconnect. I realized that most of my work was ultimately for an end user I’d never meet, and that began to wear on me a bit.
The bigger shift came when I noticed how much time I was missing at home. There were plenty of mornings where I was saying good morning to my kids over the phone instead of in person. That was a tough realization. It made me step back and see that the people I cared about most weren’t focused on my job title or what I was working on—they just wanted me there with them.
That experience really stuck with me. It helped me understand the importance of not trading what matters most for the appearance of importance. That perspective has shaped a lot of the decisions I’ve made since.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://southerncrabllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southern_crab/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernCrabLLC
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/southerncrab
