Take This Lawn Job and Shove It? Not So Fast, Partner.

🎵 Take this job and shove it, I ain’t workin’ here no more… 🎵

That legendary line from Johnny Paycheck’s 1977 hit rings a little too true for some of us in the lawn and landscape world this spring. It’s almost like some of our team members heard that song on repeat, then decided to ghost the crew just as the flowers started blooming and the phones started ringing off the hook.

Now let me tell you—when a small operator has a team of 5, and 2 guys quit in the second week of April with no notice? That ain’t a hiccup… that’s a full-on gut punch.

One fella called this week and said, “Tony, I feel like I need to call all my customers and tell ‘em we can’t do their jobs this year.” Bless his heart. He was dead serious. And honestly, I understand the feeling. You get discouraged, you question your leadership, and maybe… just maybe… you feel like throwin’ in the towel.

But hold on now. Before you hit that panic button or start hearing Johnny Paycheck on repeat, let me remind you of Chapter 1 in The Landscaper’s Guide to Finding, Hiring and Keeping Great Employees. 

It all starts with the right employer mindset.

Here’s the 3-part truth you must believe, preach, and tattoo on your business brain:

1. There are lots of potential employees.

America’s got 164 million folks in the workforce. They need food. They need shelter. They need a paycheck. And guess who’s got the job opportunity? YOU do. Not Fedzilla. Not some cushy corner office. You—the business owner busting your tail to build something real.

2. There are very few employers.

Only 6.1 million companies in the USA have employees. If YOU are an employer, you are in the powerful minority that creates jobs!

With 330 million people and 164 million in the workforce, you are part of the 2% of our total population that creates 100% of the jobs. So let me say it plain: If you’re an employer, you’re rare. You’re valuable. You’re one of the few who create opportunity, not just for yourself, but for others. You’re the underappreciated hero of our economy.

3. Always be recruiting, then teaching.

Now this one’s where the rubber meets the road. The day you stop recruiting is the day you start bleeding. You’ve got to treat employee attraction just like customer attraction—something you do every day, with purpose. And you can’t rely on luck or last-minute miracles. That’s why I teach business owners to use systems—like video recruiting tools—to automatically invite, pre-screen, and inspire new hires 24/7/365.

If you’re not using automation tools, like a simple recruiting video or a pre-interview phone script, you’re missing out on leveraging one of the greatest productivity boosters of our time—tech that works while you sleep.

And if you’re feeling worn down right now, if you’ve had someone pull the “take this job and shove it” routine on you this week, just remember this:

The next great employee might be filling up gas right beside your truck. They might be sitting across the restaurant from you. They might be scrolling on their phone and see your “Now Hiring” video online. But they won’t find you if you ain’t looking.

Rejection is part of the game. Just like baseball, you might strike out 7 times out of 10. But if you keep swingin’, you’ll get some hits—and those hits can carry your business to a winning season.

So chin up, business owner. You’re not alone. We’ve all been hit with the no-show, the liar, the latecomer. But we keep recruiting. We keep teaching. And by golly, we keep growing.

You are the few. The proud. The employer.

Let’s go find some help.

Tony Bass, founder

866-923-0027

P.S. If you’re tired of being blindsided by Covert-19 behavior and “take-this-job” tantrums, get yourself a copy of The Landscaper’s Guide to Finding, Hiring and Keeping Great Employees. It comes with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don’t like it? Send it back. But if you’re serious about solving your hiring headache, this book could be your new best friend.

Order now and get a special bonus: A one-on-one call with Tony Bass to personally review your hiring system. Now that’s what I call teachin’.

👉 Visit www.superlawntoolkit.com/better-employees

Stay strong. Stay proud. Keep hiring.

—Tony Bass