Up Close with Jennifer Rabanal: Cultivating “The Care Factor”

It’s been a while since Jennifer Rabanal was a nationally ranked junior tennis player and a Division 1 collegiate competitor, but she still uses her tennis skills every day hunting new landscaping clients.

No racket necessary to land business clients, she says, but you need the same qualities for both.

“You have to be competitive,” says Jennifer, a business development manager at Level Green Landscaping. “You have to be fearless. You have to be strategic.

You have to be OK with losing sometimes and winning sometimes. And you have to be graceful throughout the whole process.”

Living for the Hunt

“I take pride in being a true salesperson,” Jennifer says. She’s always worked in sales, in the hospitality field, in medical devices, in pest control.

Right out of college at High Point University in North Carolina she was an area sales manager for 15 hotels and created a business plan to drum up more weekend business by connecting with university sports directors and travel directors, quickly building relationships throughout North Carolina.

These days her territory is Alexandria, Va. where Level Green recently opened a new branch and where she lives.

“My territory is in my backyard, which is so great,” she says. “I found new business down the street from me while I was walking a dog I was sitting.”

The excitement and challenge of her job suit her.

“I’ve always been a go-getter,” Jennifer says. “I live for the hunt. I love cold calling.

“You have to put yourself out there,” she says. “Business won’t come to you. You have to chase it.

“You do 10 phone calls then you do a lunch appointment, then you do cold calls,” she says. “If you’re doing that every day, you’ll be successful.

“You’re going to get a lot of no’s,” she says, “but every day is a new day.”

“The Power of Making Somebody Smile”

“This is such a competitive industry,” Jennifer says. “You have to brand yourself, in a way, not just the company. You have to be creative.”

Her creativity shows up in the kind and thoughtful gestures that make clients feel special.

“It can be the littlest things,” she says.

One of her clients is a huge Miami Dolphins fan. Jennifer stopped by with a package of coffee with a dolphin logo.

Another client loves sketching. She dropped off a new sketch book.

“I want to connect on a personal level,” she says. “I love being creative and making someone smile, showing them, ‘Hey, she really does care.’

“That’s what makes us tick,” Jennifer says. “It’s why we live on this earth, to make these connections. The power of making somebody smile makes you happy, too.”

“Teamwork Makes the Dream Work”

Jennifer was a Division 1 tennis player in college, awarded a full scholarship at High Point University in North Carolina.

“If you’re an athlete, you’re wired differently,” she says. “If you want to be good, you have to practice every day. You have to be structured. You probably have a type-A personality. I’ve been like that from age 9 till now. I love routine. I love the grind of it.”

Jennifer talks about business development as a key part of Level Green’s success.

“Without new business, Level Green wouldn’t exist,” she says. “I take pride in being part of that. It’s a big responsibility.

“But it’s never just one person who makes a business successful,” she says.

She rattles off names of her impressive team members at the Alexandria branch, from branch manager Dave to account managers Ariel and Gray to operations managers Jorge and Cesar. She loves how they all work together toward success.

“It’s really true that teamwork makes the dream work.”

Life with a Cat and His Favorite Rat

Jennifer was born in France and moved to the U.S. when she was 6. Her dad was French, her mom American.

She’s fluent in French, and loves telling about her big close-knit family.

Her devoted Uncle Phil stepped in as a father figure after her dad died, encouraging her love of hiking, fishing, campfires and early morning sunrises.

Jennifer’s French grandmother, Marie, lived to be 101 and ran a vegetable stand with her husband, waking at 3 a.m. every day to bring produce to the market.

“It was a hard living, but she was a spitfire,” Jennifer says. “I get my work ethic, and a lot of my traits, from her.”

Having family in Europe means frequent travel. Next up: Germany. She also adventures with friends on annual “Girls Trips,” including a spectacular visit to Iceland exploring waterfalls and scenic lagoons.

Jennifer loves the outdoors, hiking and biking and hitting the tennis and pickleball courts. She teaches pickleball to kids every summer.

“I love being around kids and creating a positive message around sports,” she says. Her message: have fun and don’t just focus on the competition.

She shares her indoors with 13-year-old cat Oliver, a low-key cat who’s “fat and happy,” she says.

“His favorite toy is a rat he’s had for nine years that he carries everywhere,” she says. “It’s like his little binkie.

“Animals are so great,” she says. “All they know is love.”

Playing the Long Game

“Landscape sales is a long game,” Jennifer says. “You have to build relationships, and that’s what I love most about it. I love finding out not just how Level Green can bring value to our clients’ business but finding out what’s really important to them.

“The biggest key is the care factor,” she says, “and being genuinely passionate about what you do.”

Want to Join the Team?

Jennifer 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 values teamwork and kindness?