Up Close with Mackenzie Hyde: Growing Relationships One Visit at a Time

Don’t be surprised if Mackenzie Hyde shows up to see you, but she knows you’re busy, and won’t try to disturb you.

The business development manager at Level Green Landscaping loves efficiency, which means she doesn’t waste time. 

“When I show up I’m grabbing people in the middle of their day,” she says. “They have a full calendar. I don’t want to waste peoples’ time. I want to be a friendly face and show them I made the effort to find them and drive over and leave my business card.”

That in itself is something memorable these days, she says.

“Everybody is so used to digital everything, a lot of people aren’t used to having a person in front of them anymore,” she says. 

Why not take a couple minutes to chat? 

“I’m Not a Salesperson “

Mackenzie’s job is to connect with potential new customers, but she’s clear about one thing:

I’m not a salesperson,” she says. “I want to be a resource people can call on. Are they having a landscaping problem? Do they need a second opinion?

“Maybe they’re unhappy with their landscaping and they want an outside perspective,” she says. “I can connect them to someone from our team.”

She might already know you have a problem.

“I do my research,” she says. “I find out as much as I can about properties. Who’s the property manager? What landscaping company are they using?”

She looks at photos of the property. Is there room for improvement?

“If they already have a great landscaping company they’re happy with, that’s great,” she says. “I don’t want to get in the way of that. I’m not there to be a bother.

“I’m trying to grow a relationship,” she says. “I want to find a good fit — both for us and for them. They might not need us now, but they might need us in four months or four years.”

Communication is a Top Priority

“Every landscaping company has the same equipment — mowers, weed wackers, trimmers,” Mackenzie says. “It’s how you go about business that sets you apart.”

She has a degree in public relations from Virginia Tech and a background in marketing, so she knows the value of good communication. 

She always tells prospective clients about Level Green’s approach to communication. 

“Communication breakdown is a big frustration for everybody,” she says. “I’ve seen it happen a lot. Companies get bigger and there’s a communication breakdown. Level Green made sure as they were growing to put systems in place so that doesn’t happen.”

She talks about the importance of proactive communication. 

Level Green account managers are readily available for customer needs. Crews spot potential problems before they’re big trouble. She loves telling property managers they shouldn’t have to ask for anything, because their Level Green contact is already on it. 

“And there’s nobody at this company who feels they’re too big to talk to you.”

Look for Her Outside — or at Church 

Mackenzie shares her home with her husband, Bradley, and their cat, Solar, a spoiled cuddler who will boldly look you straight in the eye while she scratches the couch. 

Church is a big part of her life. She’s often at First Baptist of Kingstowne three times a week for services, events and volunteering at kids’ activities. 

An avid reader, she loves mysteries, and her inner sleuth can usually figure out the ending before she gets there.

She’s listening to the Harry Potter series on audio book in the car because her young nephews and niece are reading them and she wants to keep up.

Mackenzie loves the outdoors, from hiking at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia where wild ponies roam to fishing with her nephews and niece. Once, she rescued an ailing duck that was missing feathers and looked glassy-eyed, bringing it to an animal hospital for attention. 

She grew up in upstate New York, spending time in the woods and helping her dad with landscaping projects. 

An artist, she loves creating ceramics and painted a version of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.”

“I can get lost in doing that,” she says. 

Knowing What She Doesn’t Know

Mackenzie has been learning a lot about plants and landscaping since she joined Level Green in March 2024, visiting botanic gardens to study plants and doing informative property walks with Level Green branch managers and account managers. 

“When my husband’s grandmother talks about her flowers and I can tell her about a plant disease, I look so smart,” she says, laughing. 

But she’s honest about what she doesn’t know. 

“If a property manager asks a question I can’t answer, I say, ‘Honestly, I don’t know, but I can get you an answer.‘ Right while we’re standing there I can FaceTime a branch manager with 30+ years of experience and get them an answer. It’s a great way of showing how accessible we are.”

The mystery fan loves a good problem to solve. 

“What’s everybody grumbling about? Let’s solve it,” she says. “I love calming peoples’ minds.” 

Want to Join the Team?

Mackenzie is just one of the dedicated team members we have here at Level Green Landscaping. And we’re always looking for hard-working, talented people to join our team.

Are you ready to work for a strong, supportive company that encourages you to grow?