From Academic Failure to Entrepreneurial Success
In 1982, I found myself at a crossroads.
I was 30 years old, and after eight years of hard work, my PhD thesis had been rejected.
I had failed in academia, lost my house, and was buried under $30,000 in debt.
I had no prospects.
But rather than giving up, I turned to the one thing I had always known—gardening and lawn mowing.
I’d been mowing lawns since I was 8 years old, earning two shillings a week from a neighbor.
I kept at it throughout my student years, slowly building my skills and client base.
In 1982, with nothing else to fall back on, I returned to lawn mowing out of necessity.
I did what I had to do.
That mindset—doing whatever it takes—became a driving force in my journey.
A Fanatical Focus on Customer Service
My lawn mowing business quickly began to grow because I was obsessed with customer service.
I wanted every job to look fantastic.
I hated the idea of disappointing a client.
That emotional commitment pushed me to do everything I could to delight customers.
I focused not just on doing a great job but on being reliable, responsive, and clear in communication.
I trained my franchisees to return calls quickly, provide written quotes, and stay in touch with clients.
If someone wasn’t happy, I personally stepped in to make things right.
This focus gave us a huge edge.
It’s actually very easy to get work when you make your clients raving fans.
Word-of-mouth brought in more leads than we could handle at times.
Building a Franchise Empire with Responsibility
As the business grew, I expanded into other service areas under the Jim’s Group umbrella.
Today, we have more than 5,500 franchisees across over 50+ divisions.
But what I’m most proud of is how we’ve done it.
I don’t put the customer first—I put my franchisees first.
Because when I look after great people, they take care of the customers.
That’s the foundation of our success.
I personally read every negative review.
Only I can remove a review when it’s resolved.
I also make sure every franchisee can reach me directly—by phone or email.
I check in with them regularly and offer whatever support they need, including tough love when it’s called for.
I go beyond business support.
I see it as a moral responsibility to care for my franchisees’ mental health and well-being.
We’ve had tragedies—suicides.
That’s why we provide access to psychologists and volunteer mentors.
These people put their faith in me, and I take that trust seriously.
Embracing Creativity and Constant Improvement
I’ve always been someone who tries new things, even if they don’t work.
I’ve made more mistakes than anyone I know—and I still do—because I’m always experimenting and learning.
One innovation I’m proud of is “Jim’s Plus,” which helps us respond to the massive number of unserviced leads.
We vet independent contractors carefully so we can serve clients we’d otherwise have to turn away.
I’m always looking for ways to improve.
I read voraciously—books on psychology, economics, social science, and business.
I share what I learn with my team to inspire new ideas.
I even learned one of my best business lessons from someone in advertising, even though I’m not naturally a social person.
Turning Adversity into Opportunity
Economic challenges have come and gone, but I’ve always seen them as opportunities.
During the early 1990s recession, our franchisee numbers grew from 1,000 to 1,400 in one year.
Why?
Because people were looking for a new start, and we had the systems, support, and leads to help them succeed.
While I know recessions can be brutal for many, I also know we’re uniquely positioned to help people build something for themselves.
That’s what drives me—to give people a chance through a business that actually works.
Character is Everything
My journey hasn’t been easy.
I started as a failed academic, in debt, with nothing but a lawnmower.
But I built something meaningful through passion, character, and perseverance.
Customer service was my obsession.
My franchisees became my mission.
Creativity and learning kept us growing.
Adversity became fuel for opportunity.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: character matters more than anything.
That’s what keeps you going when everything else falls apart.
That’s the real secret behind Jim’s Group.