What happens when you start talking politics and religion in business? Typically, you offend half the people you are talking to…however…
It appears that my comments and analysis of the Fedzilla takeover of our workforce in 2020 wasn’t very offensive to landscapers. In fact, based on the responses we gathered this past week, there is significant agreement among landscape business owners.
I decided to share a handful of landscaper’s comments to let you consider the views and experiences of our brothers and sisters in business.
Read below and see if YOU agree.
Then hit reply and let me know what YOU think of these comments.
Tony Bass, founder
PS – If you missed last week’s essay titled Can Landscaper’s Save America, click here.
==========
Rob Morel
Morel Landscaping, LLC – OH
Thanks Tony. Always good to receive these messages. I – like you – am on a crusade to defend our fundamental Christian values and fight against the nonsense that is happening in government.
We also hired high school students when they were out of school last year.
Three hires, who all who lasted the season. And they plan to come back when school lets out this year!
The funny part – all three were part of the church youth group and raised in Christian families. The work ethic really does get passed along. We will fight, and we will prevail.
Rob
Tony’s Comments –
Hey Rob,
Thanks for your reply!
I really appreciate your feedback!
And…
That’s great news!
Christian youth are our best chance for our future.
I think your comments would be very much appreciated from others on my client list.
Would it be okay if I share your comments with others?
Your thoughts and actions are exactly what we need from others in our industry.
Let me know..
Stay energized,
Tony Bass
Special Note – If you want to learn more about recruiting young people in your company, we invite you to watch this special video and read the recruiting letter we are using at my manufacturing company – Super Lawn Trucks.
==========
Kieth Kurian
Green Inspirations Landscaping – MB, Canada
Good word Tony, preach it brother!
Most of us with brains really appreciate your insights!
My entire workforce last season was all high school students except for my faithful 73 year old lawn care employee.
All of these were zero experience new hires from the ages of 15-18, it was a huge challenge to say the least. These young guys had good stamina and a pretty good work ethic, but the thinking and judgement skills were lacking.
Even with very detailed instructions before I would leave the jobsite, I would often come back to most things done incorrectly, and had to redo them.
Having a number two by my side would have been great, but there are even fewer of those people around no matter how much money you throw at them.
The bonuses to all of this was that last year in Manitoba Canada, my province paid for half the wages of the summer students, so I only paid out $7 per hour for those guys at the end of the season, cheap labour!
2 out of 4 are coming back for this season, one will be graduating so I will have him till the end of the season which was another huge hurdle for me last year when they all went back to school.
I am also working on convincing the 18 year old who was the other half of my lawn care crew to come back as he graduated last year, wish me luck lol!
Thanks for speaking out, please continue to do so!
Thank you!
Keith Kurian
Tony’s Comments –
Hi Keith,
Thanks for your reply!
It’s great hearing from you!
It’s great to hear that you have adapted your operation this past year using young workers.
And…
Thanks for your kind words!
You made my day!
Tony Bass
==========
Tom Sweeney
SWEENEY’S CUSTOM LANDSCAPING INC – IL
Well said Tony.
I was raised with a very strong importance placed on working. I worked for my parents at a nursery they started for 50 cents an hour… As my dad would say “room and board”. We had lots of farm animals to care for and so on.
We had to pay for our own school books and clothes starting in junior high, not because they couldn’t afford it but so we would appreciate what we had and what it takes to earn it.
My father spent some time in an orphanage with his brothers and sisters when he was young and his father passed.
His mother worked extremely hard to slowly get them out of the orphanage.
For a time they lived in a project during the war.
Despite their modest means, my father would tell us of the importance of work, taking care of your home, your family.
They had a “victory garden”.
They had to keep their house/yard clean. If he or any of his buddies threw trash on the ground or damaged someone’s property they were punished. He was very much against government handouts. My father knew what it meant to be truly hungry.
He learned that through hard work and fiscal responsibility, you can make something of yourself and for your family… NOT through government handouts.
He did not go to college. He did eventually start his own sheet metal business that was very successful.
Later he financed a plant nursery which my mother ran. Plants were my mother’s passion.
The lessons me and my siblings learned made us strong and independent.
They were the values that were common and everyone I knew, shared.
The things going on today completely and utterly baffle me. I am stunned and horrified by what is going on.
I served in the Navy in the Persian Gulf during the hostage crisis in 1979.
I’ve been halfway around the world and seen the destruction socialism brings.
I don’t get it.
My plan is to follow my parents advice and work really hard. They often said hard work cures most everything. I will also continue to use your services to get my business where it needs to be.
Thanks to you… and stay strong.
Tom Sweeney
PS – We just sent out our first zombie letters and have had some good responses already.
Tony’s Comments –
Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for your reply and story of your family.
Yes… I’ll bet your Mom and Dad would think the USA – government- people – policies are goofy – stupid – socialist for sure.
I want to thank you in advance for reminding me of the story of the Victory Garden especially.
And…
Congratulations on reactivation of those ” “zombies”!
Stay Energized,
Tony
==========
Riley Adkins
Five Star Lawn care – NC
Tony,
The truth is offensive to those who through foolishness, would rather not hearken to it.
Keep telling it like it is.
I admire you and what you have accomplished in your life and business.
Thank you for being the man & brilliant business mind that you are.
Thank you for your leadership.
Thank you for your generosity.
You are irreplaceable.
Sincerely,
Riley Adkins, President
Five Star Lawn Care
Tony’s Comments –
Wow Riley!
Your kind words are greatly appreciated!
I do hope that sharing these ideas help build awareness about the inequities of today.
And…
I hope these thoughts give hope to those landscape company owners who need a shot of positive energy to keep them moving forward.
Let me know if I can be of service to you.
Warmly,
Tony Bass
==========
John Carson
Carson Groundworks, NY
Thanks [Tony].
We are deeply entrenched in socialism and getting deeper all the time.
The gov’t decides when someone is “unemployed” and directly charges ME out of MY account without MY approval.
I like the idea of teenage labor and we have a few bright spots with young employees.
In NY, a kid can’t run a lawn mower or many other tasks until they are 18 years old.
John
Tony’s Comments –
Hi, John. Thanks for your reply. I’ll bet that when you were 18 you already had significant experience using lawn equipment and much more.
But our government thinks that there is some magic moment when someone turns 18 or 21 that they will acquire responsible behavior.
Once again, I appreciate your reply.
Let me know if I can help you in any way.
Warmly,
Tony Bass
==========
Concluding Thoughts
So…there you have it.
We had a few more comments…but this captures the views of our client base very well. Save & Exit
And… for the first time in my career, talking about Christian values and stupidity in government did not result in a single disagreeable response.
I was surprised by this.
But…
I bet you and I will be surprised again in 2021. The government is not finished activating stupidity and trying to destroy our foundational Christian values.
When will we reach the breaking point?
I’m not sure.
But my family and I are already planning our Victory Garden for 2021…just in case!
I hope you will too.
Tony Bass, founder
866-923-0027
