Meet Charles Perry | ISA Certified Arborist & Owner of Eden Tree Care

We had the good fortune of connecting with Charles Perry and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Charles, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Work life balance is, if we are honest, one of the most difficult aspects of being an entrepreneur. As an an entrepreneur, it is safe to say you love your job. That is your passion, you love talking about it, you love thinking about it and its your creative space to dream. Dream as if you were a child again. There is no limits on dreaming. Only when you come back to reality do the limits come back in. And that is where the practical side of you converses with the child/dreamer side. Both are important and need to work together. All that is to say it is FUN to dream and bring your dreams to a reality. Therefore it can be difficult to stop the dreaming and be present with those around you and with what may need your present attention. Balance came for me when I started putting boundaries in place around work(thanks to my wise and loving wife). I work a 4 day work week. I am home at 5pm every day. I leave my work phone at the office. Sundays are sacred, we do not talk about work and prepare accordingly to have a full day of rest. I do not always get it right but this is my standard, what I strive for. This is because being consumed with work, even if it is motivated by providing for your family, does not lend itself well to being a loving husband and present father. Especially now, my kids do not care how much money I make or what new and exciting prospects I may have lined up at work, they just want a present dad to play dolls with or snuggle at night before bed.

What should our readers know about your business?
Eden Tree Care is built on two core values: People first, then the protection and preservation of our environment. People first means career development. Everyone in the company is growing. There are opportunities to grow in leadership, professional/technical skills, and build character by working with others in a physically demanding way. Just this year we had two people within the company (including myself) become ISA Certified Arborists. This is a high level certification within the arboricultural industry which requires 3 years of related experience and 200 question exam. We have seen “green” employees grow into strong leaders as foreman or experienced groundsmen. Everyone knows they are valued beyond what they bring monetarily to the business. When I see my crew, I see hard working men that take pride in doing their best, not only for their own satisfaction of an honest days work but also for me and for the environment and the clients we serve.

Eden Tree Care started from quite literally zero. What I mean by that is I had to take out a loan to buy a chainsaw. I knew nothing of trees but was motivated and obsessed with knowing everything. I studied under expert arborists in a 1 year intensive immersion of everything relating to arboriculture. I learned safety, tree identification, physics of rigging, plant biology, operations, knots and rope management, and much more. Having a firm foundation, I then stepped foot into entrepreneurial life. I started taking on clients, I worked solo for about a year, doing all of the estimates, cutting, invoicing, debris removal, vehicle/equipment maintenance, client relations, marketing, and everything else solopreneurs do. It started with a truck and trailer. I overhauled my honda ridgeline and blew the transmission and my trailer got stolen. So I bought a beater f250 and fixed it up to support the bigger jobs I was getting. I bought an old wood chipper that taught me the important lesson of vehicle maintenance and fixing things that break down. I started employing hard working individuals to help with the increase in job volume I was getting. I joined a facebook group that was industry specific that helped me process business decisions and learn from those who have gone before me. I started acquiring more equipment and more talented workers to keep up with the growth in client base. We now run 1-2 crews of 2-3 workers with an operations manager in the office with me and doing estimates. 4 trucks, a new chipper, dump trailer, mini skid, and all the tools necessary to complete a job or any size, I am extremely grateful for the blessing of abundance I have received in recent years.

One of our mottos at Eden Tree Care is “to protect and preserve Colorado’s urban forrest.” We take great pride in that responsibility. One of the ways we put this into practice is through education. We are constantly sharing our “tree nerd facts” with our clients to better educate so we can work together to conserve the trees of Colorado. For instance, a tree that has never been trimmed or has a large amount of deadwood may look unnerving to most, and thats because it is a risk. But it is a risk that can be mitigated. Pruning is necessary for 90% of the trees here in Denver. 99% of the trees you see in Denver and surrounding areas are non-native. They were planted. Because they are not native to the high plains desert, they require regular maintenance, they may be more susceptible to disease and pests. Regular inspections by a certified arborist and scheduled pruning (every 3-5 years) is the best way to mitigate risk and preserve your trees.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As an arborist, I would take people to Washington Park (Wash Park) and the Highline Canal. There you find some of the biggest trees in Denver. Massive elms and oaks that have been growing for 100+ years. The Highline Canal is a mostly now dry creek that runs through south Denver that is home to some of Colorado’s biggest native trees, the eastern plains cottonwood. Huge poplars 100+ feet tall and 100+ years old.

I rock climb any time I get a chance to. Go to clear creek canyon for world class rock climbing. There, you will find mostly lead climbing. If you are into bouldering like I am, the spot to go to is Morrison. Just before you get into the small town or Morrison, there is a cliff up to the right where there is a “gym-like” bouldering area!

I also enjoy river surfing. River Run Park is located on the south platte river near West Oxford Ave and South Santa Fe Drive. There is a rich and vibrant surfing community in Colorado that is alive and well. You will find welcoming and encouraging surfers there almost any day of the week during snow runoff season.

Snarf’s is my favorite spot for an amazing local tasted sub. I always get the vegetarian sub, add bacon!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to my wife, Jessie Perry. She started the entrepreneurial journey for our family by starting her own wedding planning business and encouraged me to do the same with my career. Her faith in me has motivated me to do my best every day and strive for excellence throughout the business. Without her doing the harder job of staying at home with our two children(she has taken a break from wedding planning to raise our children), we would not have been able to be as successful as we have been. Thank you my love!

Website: https://edentreecarecolorado.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edentreecareco/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-perry-a8085917b/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edentreecareco

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/eden-tree-care-parker?override_cta=Get+a+Quote

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIsqNMmjLuVvP5PbmhUbAA

Image Credits
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