Up Close with Corey Rill: Lessons from the Wrestling Mat

Most winters you’ll find Corey Rill on the wrestling mat. He’s a referee for high school wrestling all over the East Coast.

He’s been at it for 20 years, after his own career as a high school wrestler and now as a wrestling dad to his teen son.

He’s also a business development manager at Level Green Landscaping, and the two roles require a lot of the same skills, he says, from confidence to resilience. 

“Mostly, you need to maintain integrity — in both jobs,” he says. “Your reputation is everything.”

He Was Here, Now He’s Back

Corey worked as an account manager at Level Green from 2017 to 2019 but left after his daily 90-minute commute was taking a toll. His new job was a quick 20-minute drive.

He spent the next six years working at several different landscaping companies, some big, some small.

“Working at other companies you see different work cultures, you

learn different ways people do things,” he says. “You see positive things and you see ways they can improve. You take all those bits and pieces and mold them into what’s beneficial for you to do your job well.”

Ultimately, he made his way back to Level Green, returning in August 2025 as a business development manager.

“I’ve seen the whole realm of different sized companies,” he says. “I like Level Green, a medium to large sized company that has resources available but everyone is still accessible. The owners aren’t off in some C-suite. Everybody is available to everyone at any time. I really like that.”

“Just Keep Moving Forward”

Corey has worked as both an account manager and business developer. He likes the challenge of bringing in new business, the dynamics of the hunt.

“You’re always searching for the next opportunity,” he says. “Things never get stagnant.”

What does it take to be good at this?

“You have to be outgoing,” he says. “Not all the time, but there are times you have to pull your shoulders back, hold your head up and come in with confidence.

“You have to be resilient,” he says. “You’re going to get turned away, ignored, ghosted. You can’t take it personally. Just keep moving forward.”

Corey has the mission of a business developer, but he still exudes a bit of the account manager, too — that guy who can talk to anybody but who really wants to listen.

“I’m there because I want to learn about them and figure out how we can help them,” he says. “It’s not about having a 30-second elevator speech about Level Green. I want to learn more about you so I know how we can give you some custom solutions. People enjoy talking about their properties. They open up, and I can begin to gain their trust.”

The Boating Life

Corey has two teen sons, Evan, almost 16 and Gavin, 14.

“They keep me busy, physically and mentally,” he says, laughing. 

The three of them love being out in the Chesapeake bay on their boat,  a 20-foot Stingray bowrider. They might be fishing or tubing or just hanging out, enjoying the vibes. 

“Whatever suits the day,” Corey says. “But we definitely have some fun.”

He doesn’t watch TV or movies so you don’t want him on your trivia team.

“I don’t like to sit around,” he says. “I’m always moving. I’m always chasing the next thing.”

It might be a wrestling match. 

“You Need a Thick Skin”

Corey wrestled in high school, and started officiating in college to earn some extra money. He’s been a wrestling referee for 20 years.

His oldest son, Evan, wrestles. Corey likes staying in the mix.

“It’s another way of staying involved and getting the rush of being part of competitive sports,” he says. “There’s nothing like reffing a close match. You’re in it as much as the athletes are. You’re down on the mat with two guys and all the eyes in the gym

are on the three of you.”

But this year he’s on the injured list. He ruptured a disk in his back and is scheduled for surgery.

Meanwhile, he muses about how the same skills he uses on the wrestling mat come in pretty handy as a business developer. 

Resiliency, for one.

“It doesn’t matter what call you make — half the people will be happy and half will be mad,” he says, laughing. “You need a thick skin.

“You have to be quick on your feet,” he says. “You have to articulate what you’re trying to say. “When you walk into a room, you have to take control without being loud and boisterous.”

He’s always open to learning. 

“You have to be teachable, no matter what you do in life,” Corey says. “If you’re not progressing, you’re falling behind. You have to listen to other people’s advice. Then figure out if it works for you or if it doesn’t.”

So far, it’s working out great, he says, and he’s happy to be back at Level Green. 

“Everyone here has welcomed me back,” he says. “It’s been really nice.”

Want to Join the Team?

Corey 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 welcoming company where even the owners lend a listening ear?