Sometimes skills have an odd way of continuously resurfacing to make one’s destiny known. William Dickerson first became aware of his eye for aesthetics around the age of six. He and his family lived in an apartment complex and every time he went outside, Dickerson felt the urge to improve the looks of things. He trimmed hedges with scissors and cleaned up flowerbeds, but never imagined this slight obsession would one day become his profession. In fact, it took several years for him to realize he could truly profit from the landscaping trade – both artistically and financially.

True calling
Dickerson has had his fair share of odd but interesting jobs over the years. To make some extra money when he was 15 years old, Dickerson joined his brother’s business installing security systems. When he grew tired of crawling around in attics, he took a job working for Disney Village’s outdoor services in Orlando, Florida.

“At Disney, I gained knowledge on landscaping techniques, but project recognition was at somewhat of a loss,” Dickerson says. Visitors to the park didn’t see laborers during the park hours, so they could easily equate the manicured greenery to more of a magical transformation. Thus, a set of well-pruned shrubs or a meticulously planted flowerbed that popped up over night might not be truly appreciated.

Even with no real positive reinforcement, Dickerson found his perspective began to shift to more of an appreciation for landscaping. He started to think of it as art, something that he could dream up and create, rather than monotonous yard work. Still, his Disney experience didn’t convince him to fully devote all his time to the trade.

After high school, Dickerson went to Florida State University to pursue an economics degree with a minor in psychology and interior design. “I wanted a job in business or finance, but school hours and a decent job didn’t seem to go hand in hand,” he says. A roommate suggested he fix up people’s yards in the area and once again, Dickerson turned to landscaping – almost without even realizing it.

“My first pieces of equipment were a client’s lawnmower and a weed eater,” he says. “I borrowed them to take care of other people’s lawns.”

Once he garnered 60 clients, he realized he could turn this “part-time gig” into a successful business. In 1991, he founded Dickerson Landscaping with a small staff of five employees and an office on the southeast side of Tallahassee, Florida. Since then, Dickerson has watched his company grow to include 20 employees, and go from two pieces of equipment to 13 machines and several trucks, and guided the startup of his subsidiary Appalachee Native Nurseries.

Business beginnings
At first, Dickerson did mostly commercial work, including a Southside stadium renovation project for Florida State University. He also installed a water feature with a faux stone fa