Hi Reader,
I can’t stand mowing the lawn.
The other day I got home, sat out front, and just stared at it. The lawn had gotten so high even the dandelions looked overwhelmed. Definitely past the point of ignoring, but I was too tired to deal with it.
I’m not a lawn person. It feels like a lot of effort for something that mostly burns water and fertilizer. I’d happily go full “No Mow May” and let the pollinators take over, but convincing my neighbours is a tough sell.
So I’m sitting there, mentally negotiating how much longer I can avoid doing it, when a kid rolls up on a sticker covered skateboard and asks if he can mow my lawn for a small fee.
I said yes immediately.
He was tiny, confident, and had one of those old-fashioned names, like Theodore or Franklin, the kind that makes a simple lawn-mowing request sound like a formal business proposal.
The mow
He zipped off on his skateboard to grab his lawnmower, then came back a few minutes later fully equipped with a mower, goggles, and hand trimmers. This kid was not messing around.
After a quick test run with his all electric mower (clearly an eco friendly kid), he knocked on my door and very seriously asked for the property line map. I, of course, did not have the property line map, so I gave him my best vague explanation of where the yard probably ends. He nodded as if that was perfectly acceptable and got to work.
He was incredibly careful, especially around the fire hydrant, which was only slightly shorter than he was.
At one point, he even paused to recommend a better way for me to move through the garden without stepping on plants or damaging anything. I hadn't expected landscaping advice, but I took it.
When he finished, he knocked again and quietly asked if the lawn was to my satisfaction.
I said yes, and of course he only took cash, which I didn’t have. So we made a handshake agreement that it would be ready the next day.
Top notch customer service. If he’d asked for a Google review, I would’ve given it to him on the spot.
Sure enough, the next day at exactly the same time, the same skateboarding “old soul in a kid’s body” rolled back up with a smile and asked for his wages. I paid him, he handed me his phone number for future mowing jobs, and he skated off like it was just another day at work.
I’m pretty sure part of his marketing strategy is cruising the neighbourhood looking for people staring helplessly at overgrown lawns.
What did I learn from this?
Never judge a book by its cover. This skateboarding kid was efficient, polite, and genuinely committed to doing a good job.
Pay attention to how different people plan their operations. You never know what you might learn.
And finally, always carry cash. You never know when someone will roll into your life, offer to mow your lawn while you are exhausted, and run a better business than you expected.
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Barbara Kephart, PMP
Founder and Chief Project Officer
Projects Pivot
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