Up Close with Caitlin Cross: Showing Up with a Smile and a Mission

Caitlin Cross loves doing something that fills a lot of people with fear: she shows up at businesses unannounced, with her business card, ready to chat. 

Her goal as a business developer: drum up some new business for Level Green Landscaping. 

“I love to cold call,” Caitlin says. “I show up and introduce myself. It disarms people. It’s harder for them to turn me away if I’m there in person.”

But she’s prepared for anything. 

“I sold copiers for a year — if you want to know how to get kicked out of buildings, that’s it,” Caitlin says, laughing. “It was miserable. But it gave me a thick skin. Nobody wants to talk to you about copiers. They’re boring. But people get excited about landscaping. They want to talk about it.”

She’s ready. 

Expect her to Stop By — More than Once

Business development is really about building relationships, says Caitlin, a business developer at Level Green’s Northern Virginia branch.

“That way, when it’s time for them to bid, I’m in the front of their mind,” she says. “Maybe a company’s landscaping contract isn’t up for two years. That’s plenty of time to get to know them, show them why Level Green is right for them next time. I learn about them, learn about their community, so the relationship is personal, not just transactional.”

She stops by hospitals, mixed-use developments, assisted living centers, data centers. That last one can be tricky. 

“Data centers are tougher to get into, with tighter security,” she says.  She loves the challenge. 

Expect to see her more than once. She checks back with potential customers every three months or so, maybe bringing cookies or Starbucks gift cards. 

“I love to hear peoples’ goals for their property,” she says.  “I love problem solving, talking to the rest of the team here about how we can solve somebody’s landscaping issues.”

She hears some common beefs.

“A lot of people are frustrated because they never know when their landscaping company is coming,” she says. “Our account managers send out notices days before. They’re very proactive. A lot of landscaping companies are more reactive, showing up when there’s a problem. We’re on site often to stay ahead of any problems.”

Mapping and Meteorology

Caitlin started at Level Green in June 2023 after several years as an account manager at Orkin pest management. 

She graduated from Salisbury University in Salisbury Md. in 2014 with a degree in Atmospheric Science. She studied meteorology and geographic mapping, fascinated by climate change. 

“This job is the first time I’m actually using my meteorology degree,” she says. “Climate change is real — you can see it in our customers’ front yards. Some tropical plants can survive year-round here now and some cool weather trees like pines and spruce are getting diseases. 

“It’s interesting to see how much climate change affects landscaping,” she says. “I love that I’ve kind of come full circle.”

She Left Part of Her Heart in South Africa

Caitlin was born and grew up in South Africa, moving to Maryland with her parents and brother when she was 12. 

She didn’t want to move, remembering wanting to jump out of the car on the way to the airport.

“South Africans are loving and open, very lovey dovey, so it was a bit of an adjustment coming here,” she says. Not all Americans are huggers. 

“Moving was really hard,” she says, “but I’m happy here now. I wouldn’t move back.” She keeps in frequent touch with extended family there, including cousins who are more like sisters. 

Caitlin says she’s kind of shy, which is hard to believe about a woman who can show up unannounced and talk her way into a data center. She laughs.

“I don’t love public speaking or big networking events, but I love talking to people one on one,” she says. “It’s just a person. Just be nice to them.”

Water Polo Warrior 

Caitlin loves to travel, and the long list of places she’s visited includes London, Albania, the Netherlands, Greece, Spain, Mexico, Switzerland, Qatar, Mozambique, and Mauritius. 

A longtime swimmer and runner, she loves hiking and working out at the gym.

She played on a boys water polo team in high school with two other girls because there weren’t enough girls for a team. 

“Water polo is incredibly difficult,” Caitlin says. “Your feet can’t touch the bottom. We would tread water holding medicine balls above our heads. I learned how far I could push my body.”

And she learned she’s even tougher than she thought.

When a boy on an opposing team tried something inappropriate in the pool, she elbowed him and broke his nose. 

“Girls can be stronger than boys,” she says. 

When she’s not at work you might find her building a Lego set. She loves the new line of flower sets and says people often think her Lego orchid is a live plant. 

“It uses another part of my brain, the creative side,” she says. 

Caitlin loves to cook, too, including gluten-free treats like chocolate cake made with quinoa and avocado. Before you wrinkle your nose, try it. 

Finding Happiness on the Job

When Caitlin isn’t meeting  potential new clients, she loves heading to job sites to watch Level Green crews at work.

“It’s amazing what they do and how everything is planned so perfectly,” she says. She boosts her landscaping knowledge by taking horticulture classes that Director of Business Development Larry Leon offers to the business development team. 

She loves that her branch manager and operations manager are both women, and there’s another female business developer at her branch. 

“Everyone here is supportive,” Caitlin says. “Everyone helps each other.

“This is the first job I’ve had where I’ve been fully happy.”

Want to Join the Team?

Caitlin 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?