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How do I stop being so sh** at this?

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<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 16059" data-quote="amp0193" data-source="post: 1169132" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169132" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169132">amp0193 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> No, this is stupid.<br /> <br /> You have a full time job. And the limited time you do have is not enough to be successful at the lawn care business.<br /> <br /> To further split your time is just going to result in no success at either thing.<br /> <br /> Pick one thing and do it until you figure it out. Split focus is guaranteed recipe to fail. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I&#039;m talking about after-hours.<br /> <br /> Not during my full-time job, not during hours where I&#039;d call lawn care leads, not during hours where I&#039;d go door-knocking on weekends, and not during hours where I&#039;d be performing the jobs for these customers.<br /> <br /> I&#039;m talking about late at night, after work, after the gym, when nobody&#039;s awake and I can use that time productively.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169128" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169128" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169128">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> For example, I had to purchase my riding mower via Facebook Marketplace to afford it. It did not come with a manual and I watched YouTube guides on how to operate it. It has 1-6 settings for deck height to cut grass, but no actual measurements of what those numbers mean. I assumed 4 would probably be high enough to start with - nope, I cut the grass so low that I damaged the roots before switching over to the push mower on the highest setting.<br /> <br /> My very first job I ran out of gas in the mower, because I assumed a full tank would be enough for a single lawn. I had to leave the site, refill at home, then drive back out to complete the job. Since then, I&#039;ve purchased external gas can racks for my trailer, but now I also have to purchase carbide drill bits to mount them on my metal trailer.<br /> <br /> The job I had where I described that I was taking a loss on the customer, he needed his weeds killed, but I didn&#039;t realize his whole lawn was weeds. I purchased this to deal with it: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-For-Lawns1-Ready-To-Use-with-Extended-Wand-1-gal-Tough-Weed-Killer-for-Use-on-Northern-Grasses-5020710/325446832#overlay" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp for Lawns</a>, not understanding that I couldn&#039;t use this: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-32-fl-oz-Dual-Action-Weed-and-Grass-Killer-Plus-4-Month-Preventer-Concentrate-5376906/321562753" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp Concentrate</a>, which I already had, because it would kill the weeds AND the lawn. Furthermore, if you look at the instructions on the website or the container itself, it says to use I simply plug the hose into the cap, twist to &quot;ON&quot;, and extend the wand - this didn&#039;t work, and I sat there in my truck for about 15 minutes, looking like a dumba** because I couldn&#039;t figure out how to use the product. It turns out, I needed to flip a switch on the wand from LOCKED to UNLOCKED, which I didn&#039;t even realize was on the wand because there was no mention of it anywhere on the website, or on the picture instructions...then I go and run out of the product because it only covers 2,500-3,000 square feet, and his ENTIRE lawn is weeds. So now I have to purchase 2 more bottles and come back out to do it again.<br /> <br /> I have other examples, but this boils down to simply not knowing how to do something I haven&#039;t done yet - and there&#039;s been a lot of that. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Holy crap dude. You need a reality check on what counts as an obstacle. You&#039;re getting discouraged because... it took two trips to do your very first job? I would consider the extra cost you paying off knowledge debt and be happy that you&#039;re getting better. <br /> <br /> Every time it gets tough = Good, the higher the barrier the less likely any competition will stick with this.<br /> Every time not knowing costs you something = Good, now I&#039;m better than I started. It&#039;ll only get better.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169128" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169128" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169128">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> For example, I had to purchase my riding mower via Facebook Marketplace to afford it. It did not come with a manual and I watched YouTube guides on how to operate it. It has 1-6 settings for deck height to cut grass, but no actual measurements of what those numbers mean. I assumed 4 would probably be high enough to start with - nope, I cut the grass so low that I damaged the roots before switching over to the push mower on the highest setting.<br /> <br /> My very first job I ran out of gas in the mower, because I assumed a full tank would be enough for a single lawn. I had to leave the site, refill at home, then drive back out to complete the job. Since then, I&#039;ve purchased external gas can racks for my trailer, but now I also have to purchase carbide drill bits to mount them on my metal trailer.<br /> <br /> The job I had where I described that I was taking a loss on the customer, he needed his weeds killed, but I didn&#039;t realize his whole lawn was weeds. I purchased this to deal with it: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-For-Lawns1-Ready-To-Use-with-Extended-Wand-1-gal-Tough-Weed-Killer-for-Use-on-Northern-Grasses-5020710/325446832#overlay" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp for Lawns</a>, not understanding that I couldn&#039;t use this: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-32-fl-oz-Dual-Action-Weed-and-Grass-Killer-Plus-4-Month-Preventer-Concentrate-5376906/321562753" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp Concentrate</a>, which I already had, because it would kill the weeds AND the lawn. Furthermore, if you look at the instructions on the website or the container itself, it says to use I simply plug the hose into the cap, twist to &quot;ON&quot;, and extend the wand - this didn&#039;t work, and I sat there in my truck for about 15 minutes, looking like a dumba** because I couldn&#039;t figure out how to use the product. It turns out, I needed to flip a switch on the wand from LOCKED to UNLOCKED, which I didn&#039;t even realize was on the wand because there was no mention of it anywhere on the website, or on the picture instructions...then I go and run out of the product because it only covers 2,500-3,000 square feet, and his ENTIRE lawn is weeds. So now I have to purchase 2 more bottles and come back out to do it again. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> So basically, you want to start a business and not have any problems or any learning curve.<br /> <br /> In short, <b><i>I want to learn how to swim, but don&#039;t you dare ask me to get wet.</i></b></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><div class="embed fauxBlockLink" data-embed-content="thread-52780" data-embed-content-url="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/whats-your-problem.52780/"> <div class="embed-container contentRow contentRow--alignMiddle"> <div class="contentRow-figure"> <a href="/community/members/andy-black.23590/" class="avatar avatar--s" data-user-id="23590" data-xf-init="member-tooltip"> <img src="/community/data/avatars/s/23/23590.jpg?1656839584" srcset="/community/data/avatars/m/23/23590.jpg?1656839584 2x" alt="Andy Black" class="avatar-u23590-s" width="48" height="48" loading="lazy" /> </a> </div> <div class="contentRow-main"> <h3 class="contentRow-header"> <span class="label label--gray" dir="auto">MINDSET</span> <a href="/community/threads/whats-your-problem.52780/" class="fauxBlockLink-blockLink u-cloaked">Thread 'What&#039;s Your Problem?'</a> </h3> <div class="contentRow-minor contentRow-minor--hideLinks"> <time class="u-dt" dir="auto" datetime="2014-06-08T15:25:05-0400" data-timestamp="1402255505" data-date="Jun 8, 2014" data-time="3:25 PM" data-short="Jun &#039;14" title="Jun 8, 2014 at 3:25 PM">Jun 8, 2014</time> </div> </div> </div> <div class="embed-preview"> <div class="bbWrapper"><span style="font-size: 26px">What&#039;s Your Problem?</span><br /> <br /> Do you know what your biggest problem is?<br /> <br /> If you can’t decide then these short videos might help.<br /> <br /> <b>Andy Black’s Video (2 mins)</b><br /> <br /> <span style="color: #ff4d4d">Apologies for the hushed voice.</span> All the kids were in bed by the time I did the audio.<br /> I’ll only ever record audio during the day going forward!<br /> <br /> <div class="bbMediaWrapper" data-media-site-id="youtube" data-media-key="XsDh-VPAadM"> <div class="bbMediaWrapper-inner"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XsDh-VPAadM?wmode=opaque" loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> </div><i><span style="font-size: 10px"><a href="https://youtu.be/XsDh-VPAadM" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="noopener">View: https://youtu.be/XsDh-VPAadM</a></span></i><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 18px"><b><b>Daniel Black’s Version (age 5)</b></b></span><br /> <br /> I showed Daniel the video above on my smartphone in the morning, and then showed him the Vittle app on my iPad in the afternoon.<br /> <br /> When I suggested...</div> </div> <div class="embed-footer"> <div class="embed-footer-main"> <ul class="listInline listInline--bullet"> <li><a href="/community/members/andy-black.23590/" class="username " dir="auto" data-user-id="23590" data-xf-init="member-tooltip"><span class="username--staff username--moderator">Andy Black</span></a></li> <li>Replies: 24</li> <li>Forum: <a href="/community/forums/self-development-motivation/">Mindset and Self-Development</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="embed-footer-opposite"> <ul class="reactionSummary"> <li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--1" data-reaction-id="1"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Like" title="Like" /></span></li><li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--12" data-reaction-id="12"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Gold!" title="Gold!" /></span></li><li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--2" data-reaction-id="2"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Love" title="Love" /></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 112857" data-quote="machinistguy" data-source="post: 1169137" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169137" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169137">machinistguy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Holy crap dude. You need a reality check on what counts as an obstacle. You&#039;re getting discouraged because... it took two trips to do your very first job? I would consider the extra cost you paying off knowledge debt and be happy that you&#039;re getting better.<br /> <br /> Every time it gets tough = Good, the higher the barrier the less likely any competition will stick with this.<br /> Every time not knowing costs you something = Good, now I&#039;m better than I started. It&#039;ll only get better. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 1" data-quote="MJ DeMarco" data-source="post: 1169141" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169141" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169141">MJ DeMarco said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> So basically, you want to start a business and not have any problems or any learning curve.<br /> <br /> In short, <b><i>I want to learn how to swim, but don&#039;t you dare ask me to get wet.</i></b> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Alright, look, I get it.<br /> <br /> I know this business is supposed to be hard. I expected that.<br /> <br /> I know business is supposed to be expensive. I expected that.<br /> <br /> I know there&#039;s going to be a significant learning curve. I expected that.<br /> <br /> What I did not expect, was to encounter all 3 of those things, all the time, the entire time.<br /> <br /> You can ask <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/47954/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="47954" data-username="@Johnny boy">@Johnny boy</a> if you&#039;d like, I&#039;m not the only person he&#039;s coaching. But I am the one that requires the most handholding, the one that is getting the least results, and the one who is doing the worst job.<br /> <br /> I just wanted some perspectives of successful people with the clarity that comes from not being invested in this process, to give me their opinions from the outside, looking in, because I do not know better.<br /> <br /> I do not know if what I&#039;m going through is normal, and that I&#039;m on the right track...or if I&#039;m being f***ing stupid because I&#039;m adopting somebody else&#039;s idea again, rather than my own.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">If you literally just stepped away from the computer and walked down the street and knocked on doors you would get 2 sales today. <br /> <br /> You could charge them their first months payment tonight and have $300+ by the end of the day <br /> <br /> And do the same tomorrow. <br /> <br /> In other news, today I have spent $890 in Facebook ads.<br /> <br /> My salespeople signed up 10 customers. So 1290 in spend. We signed up $1828 worth of customers paying that amount every 4 weeks so $23,764 in revenue in signups TODAY and it’s not even 3pm. <br /> <br /> You are letting little obstacles stop you and not doing any sales volume. <br /> <br /> Maybe I’m a dick, a meanie head, but bro stop having the pain tolerance of a toddler. Literally go stand up and go get some sales. Or start dialing. You need customers. Then show up and mow their yard. The only thing simpler than this in the whole world is a lemonade stand.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169128" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169128" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169128">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> After reading all the feedback I&#039;ve been given, here&#039;s what I think makes the most sense and how I plan to proceed:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Take a step back from throwing money at ads to follow up with my 66 other leads I didn&#039;t close to see if I can get a conversion or 2</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Fix the truck and purchase protective equipment; sun hat, respirator, ear muffs</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Continue running ads and start physically door-knocking on the weekends to see what I can come away with before the season ends</li> </ul>However, I also think it&#039;s smart to spend some time building an audience for a personal brand that aligns more with the skills I already have and would be more confident selling, which would almost certainly be in the dating/seduction niche with a focus on men&#039;s self-improvement.<br /> <br /> I could do this at low-cost, after-hours when I&#039;m done calling leads, and would probably initially revolve around creating reactionary content to popular/trending dating advice via TikToks or Instagram Reels.<br /> <br /> I think that makes the most sense if I continue failing at my current rate. Thank you to <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/22383/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="22383" data-username="@Dark Water">@Dark Water</a> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/16059/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="16059" data-username="@amp0193">@amp0193</a> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/64612/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="64612" data-username="@Kevin88660">@Kevin88660</a> and <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/140116/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="140116" data-username="@JimmyJonCricket">@JimmyJonCricket</a> for your words of encouragement.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/22018/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="22018" data-username="@MitchC">@MitchC</a> and <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/16059/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="16059" data-username="@amp0193">@amp0193</a> I just want to elaborate on what I mean when I say I&#039;m bad at something as simple as mowing a lawn...<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve obviously mowed lawns before. I did it all the time for my parents - but that&#039;s ALL I did. I didn&#039;t have a riding mower. I didn&#039;t perform any maintenance on the equipment. And I didn&#039;t experience any of the other power tools (edger, string trimmer, hedge trimmer, etc). So everything beyond the actual process of cutting the grass is foreign to me.<br /> <br /> For example, I had to purchase my riding mower via Facebook Marketplace to afford it. It did not come with a manual and I watched YouTube guides on how to operate it. It has 1-6 settings for deck height to cut grass, but no actual measurements of what those numbers mean. I assumed 4 would probably be high enough to start with - nope, I cut the grass so low that I damaged the roots before switching over to the push mower on the highest setting.<br /> <br /> My very first job I ran out of gas in the mower, because I assumed a full tank would be enough for a single lawn. I had to leave the site, refill at home, then drive back out to complete the job. Since then, I&#039;ve purchased external gas can racks for my trailer, but now I also have to purchase carbide drill bits to mount them on my metal trailer.<br /> <br /> The job I had where I described that I was taking a loss on the customer, he needed his weeds killed, but I didn&#039;t realize his whole lawn was weeds. I purchased this to deal with it: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-For-Lawns1-Ready-To-Use-with-Extended-Wand-1-gal-Tough-Weed-Killer-for-Use-on-Northern-Grasses-5020710/325446832#overlay" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp for Lawns</a>, not understanding that I couldn&#039;t use this: <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Roundup-32-fl-oz-Dual-Action-Weed-and-Grass-Killer-Plus-4-Month-Preventer-Concentrate-5376906/321562753" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="nofollow ugc noopener">RoundUp Concentrate</a>, which I already had, because it would kill the weeds AND the lawn. Furthermore, if you look at the instructions on the website or the container itself, it says to use I simply plug the hose into the cap, twist to &quot;ON&quot;, and extend the wand - this didn&#039;t work, and I sat there in my truck for about 15 minutes, looking like a dumba** because I couldn&#039;t figure out how to use the product. It turns out, I needed to flip a switch on the wand from LOCKED to UNLOCKED, which I didn&#039;t even realize was on the wand because there was no mention of it anywhere on the website, or on the picture instructions...then I go and run out of the product because it only covers 2,500-3,000 square feet, and his ENTIRE lawn is weeds. So now I have to purchase 2 more bottles and come back out to do it again.<br /> <br /> I have other examples, but this boils down to simply not knowing how to do something I haven&#039;t done yet - and there&#039;s been a lot of that. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Yeah I think you are being hard on yourself that sounds completely normal, now you know for next time, that’s how you get good at something, by doing it</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169147" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169147" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169147">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> But I am the one that requires the most handholding, the one that is getting the least results, and the one who is doing the worst job.<br /> <br /> I just wanted some perspectives of successful people with the clarity that comes from not being invested in this process, to give me their opinions from the outside, looking in, because I do not know better.<br /> <br /> I do not know if what I&#039;m going through is normal, and that I&#039;m on the right track...or if I&#039;m being f***ing stupid because I&#039;m adopting somebody else&#039;s idea again, rather than my own. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> lmao get over it. there&#039;s nothing wrong with you - you&#039;re just being dramatic. You&#039;re fine.<br /> <br /> Go search &quot;rock bottom&quot; and similar phrases with the forum&#039;s search bar and you&#039;ll find out that a few forum members who are doing quite well were stubbornly dedicated to things that didn&#039;t work - then they stopped sabotaging themselves and found success.<br /> <br /> People lock themselves into these destructive thought patterns and hold themselves back. Stop bad mouthing yourself - life will throw enough pain your way without you adding to it.<br /> <br /> I&#039;ve run into this myself when I&#039;ve started new software projects - &quot;Why is this taking so long? This will never work. I&#039;m retarded. Why did I take this project? The client will fire me.&quot; Then a few days later &quot;oh I finished it ahead of schedule, cool&quot;.<br /> <br /> I saw some brian tracy video pop up on twitter yesterday talking about the difference between winners and losers. Losers spend too much time thinking about what has gone wrong or what&#039;s wrong with them, and winners think about getting what they want. You&#039;re too stuck thinking about whatever alleged flaws you have, but your real flaw is just overthinking this whole thing.<br /> <br /> This image is you right now:<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/1747174087683-webp.66136/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/data/attachments/59/59998-ee55dcf87464234b9927da6b842bb5c0.jpg?hash=Sfo1ybfqOz" class="bbImage " style="" alt="1747174087683.webp" title="1747174087683.webp" width="241" height="200" loading="lazy" /></a><br /> <br /> P.S. I want you to succeed - you just need to get over these ideas that hold you back and put in the work. Other people have been way you are, they get over it, and you will too.<br /> <br /> Oh and if it helps, pretend that I insulted your mother and get really angry at me and go win. Anger is more useful than despair:<br /> <br /> <div class="bbMediaWrapper" data-media-site-id="youtube" data-media-key="jeIy2MHZ0xE"> <div class="bbMediaWrapper-inner"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jeIy2MHZ0xE?wmode=opaque" loading="lazy" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> </div><i><span style="font-size: 10px"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeIy2MHZ0xE" target="_blank" class="link link--external" rel="noopener">View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeIy2MHZ0xE</a></span></i><br /></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">I&#039;m curious as to why you didn&#039;t pursue the dating/charisma coach idea from the get-go, even when JohnnyBoy recommended you pursue that instead of lawn care? It sounds like he literally told you this didn&#039;t sound like a good fit for you and you still insisted on signing up for his mentorship. From what I&#039;m gathering in this thread he was upfront with you (and from the little I know of him on this forum he&#039;s extremely straightforward, daresay blunt at times) about what it would entail to make this thing successful, and he continues to give you clear and concise instruction for what to do, so where&#039;s the disconnect?<br /> <br /> What is the hardest thing you&#039;ve gone through in life? It&#039;s a rhetorical question. Because running out of fuel, learning how to use equipment, and having some vehicle mishaps are not unique obstacles to business, they&#039;re rather common disruptors in life regardless of entrepreneurial or employment status. Yeah these things suck and are more stressful when they happen in short succession and/or when you&#039;re struggling financially, but have you never faced these kinds of things before? At 31 I&#039;d expect these things to be annoying hiccups, not cause feelings of life derailment. And suffering through sunburn and loud noises? Why did it take a forum of strangers to point out the obvious need for PPE?<br /> <br /> I can absolutely relate to being in something that&#039;s not a good fit, and I for one am someone who needs my business pursuit to be something I inherently care about. So if figuring out how to make this lawn care thing work just doesn&#039;t motivate you or doesn&#039;t feel right or you just went with it because you thought it&#039;d be easy money and it&#039;s turning out not to be the case, or whatever, then I won&#039;t be one to tell you to stick it out. <br /> <br /> But to repeat what others have said: at some point if you&#039;re going to be successful as an entrepreneur you&#039;re going to have to make a conscious choice to commit to something and choose day in and day out to solve the problems that come your way and not think about jumping ship because things are a little uncomfortable, scary, or difficult. And you&#039;re going to have to eat, sleep, and breathe it for a while if you want &quot;quick&quot; or &quot;big&quot; success; if you treat it like a hobby and only work on it when you feel like it or don&#039;t do the parts of it that you don&#039;t want to do, then it won&#039;t scale to its full potential. And that could be fine! There&#039;s nothing wrong with being fulfilled by an extra few $k per month coming in from a monetized hobby on the side of your 9-to-5, but you have to have realistic expectations of what you really want and what it&#039;s really going to take to get there.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">I see your issue with mowing lawns. You are alone in this and don’t know what to do when you are stuck. <br /> <br /> Only way to solve it is to work in a place and learn it then start out on your own. There is a difference between mowing your lawn in your home and doing for others when they expect a higher standard.<br /> <br /> Since you are moving on to the dating coach business, it would be advisable for you to grab your first paid customer fast and get things moving.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper">This should be the funnest part.<br /> <br /> Starting something from scratch is awesome.<br /> <br /> Learning a whole bunch of new skills.<br /> <br /> You&#039;ve got 3 paying customers. I will never forget my first customers. It&#039;s exhilarating. Making money while I sleep. Got me hooked to go get more.<br /> <br /> I too paid $1000 to learn a new skill. I took an online course about starting a washer/dryer repair and flip business.<br /> <br /> I did that for a couple of years and have never worked so hard (physically) in my life.<br /> <br /> I eventually figured out that I liked e-commerce better and switched into that, and that&#039;s what I&#039;ve been doing for the last 10 years.<br /> <br /> But at no point in the appliance business was I like &quot;this sucks, it&#039;s hard, I don&#039;t know what to do&quot;.<br /> <br /> Maybe there were 5% of machines that had mystery issues that me and youtube couldn&#039;t figure out. Or I would have to get called out to someone&#039;s house a few times to fix. And maybe there was the one time I accidentally flipped over a washer full of water all over the boxes in a guy&#039;s garage and he was super pissed. Whatever, shit happens.<br /> <br /> But I learned lessons on what shit brands to avoid working on (G.E.), and learned lessons about keeping a service area of a limited range so I didn&#039;t waste my time driving too far, and I learned how to drain broken washers before I tried to move them, and that took care of the worst of my problems<br /> <br /> Overall that business was just fun and it was interesting trying to make a go of it. And I learned a lot of new skills, got to meet a lot of people in my community, and got to see the insides of lots of people&#039;s homes, which was interesting and gave me lots of fun stories to tell. Not to mention made a little money that I used to start the next thing.<br /> <br /> <br /> Just enjoy the journey dude. And if you aren&#039;t enjoying it, then sell all the equipment and do something else. But stop whining about it for christ&#039;s sake.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper"><div class="embed fauxBlockLink" data-embed-content="post-1162386" data-embed-content-url="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/threads/starting-and-fastlaning-a-lawn-care-service-business.82747/post-1162386"> <div class="embed-container contentRow contentRow--alignMiddle"> <div class="contentRow-figure"> <a href="/community/members/johnny-boy.47954/" class="avatar avatar--s" data-user-id="47954" data-xf-init="member-tooltip"> <img src="/community/data/avatars/s/47/47954.jpg?1746420835" srcset="/community/data/avatars/m/47/47954.jpg?1746420835 2x" alt="Johnny boy" class="avatar-u47954-s" width="48" height="48" loading="lazy" /> </a> </div> <div class="contentRow-main"> <h3 class="contentRow-header"> <span class="label label--orange" dir="auto">GOLD!</span> <a href="/community/posts/1162386/" class="fauxBlockLink-blockLink u-cloaked">Post in thread 'Starting (and Fastlaning) a lawn care service business'</a> </h3> <div class="contentRow-minor contentRow-minor--hideLinks"> <time class="u-dt" dir="auto" datetime="2025-03-17T22:27:31-0400" data-timestamp="1742264851" data-date="Mar 17, 2025" data-time="10:27 PM" data-short="Mar 18" title="Mar 17, 2025 at 10:27 PM">Mar 17, 2025</time> </div> </div> </div> <div class="embed-preview"> <div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 5905" data-quote="MTF" data-source="post: 1162382" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1162382" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1162382">MTF said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Do you see this as a potential reason to sell the business one day if you get the right offer? Or is it more like &quot;I hate it but I&#039;m fine with that as long as the business is growing&quot;? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>I’m sure the regional manager will hate his life too when we have one employed to handle all of the workers<br /> <br /> I look at it this way.<br /> <br /> My grandpa has this friend he grew up with. His name is Lester.<br /> <br /> Lester is an old man. Always going to car shows. A real stick up his a$$ boomer. You know the type. The kind of guy that tells every business “you just lost yourself a good customer” a**hole who annoys...</div> </div> <div class="embed-footer"> <div class="embed-footer-main"> <ul class="listInline listInline--bullet"> <li> <a href="/community/members/johnny-boy.47954/" class="username " dir="auto" data-user-id="47954" data-xf-init="member-tooltip">Johnny boy</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="embed-footer-opposite"> <ul class="reactionSummary"> <li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--12" data-reaction-id="12"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Gold!" title="Gold!" /></span></li><li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--1" data-reaction-id="1"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Like" title="Like" /></span></li><li><span class="reaction reaction--small reaction--2" data-reaction-id="2"><i aria-hidden="true"></i><img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" loading="lazy" class="reaction-sprite js-reaction" alt="Love" title="Love" /></span></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div></div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 115542" data-quote="REV5028" data-source="post: 1169171" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169171" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169171">REV5028 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I&#039;m curious as to why you didn&#039;t pursue the dating/charisma coach idea from the get-go, even when JohnnyBoy recommended you pursue that instead of lawn care? It sounds like he literally told you this didn&#039;t sound like a good fit for you and you still insisted on signing up for his mentorship. From what I&#039;m gathering in this thread he was upfront with you (and from the little I know of him on this forum he&#039;s extremely straightforward, daresay blunt at times) about what it would entail to make this thing successful, and he continues to give you clear and concise instruction for what to do, so where&#039;s the disconnect? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> The last time I came to this forum, posting about a similar crossroads I was at, I received some advice from one of the more prominent members here - I wish I could track it down, but I&#039;d have to really dig for it.<br /> <br /> His suggestion, given my multiple business failures, was to pursue something that was proven, rather than try to innovate.<br /> <br /> I mentioned that in my initial call with Johnny, too, and he agreed that both paths could be lucrative: teaching men how to get laid, or running a lawn care business with his blueprint. Based on the above advice, I thought it would be smarter to learn something that was already working. I figured that I could make enough money to quit my job and catch a breath, then focus on something more fun (dating coaching) when money wasn&#039;t such an issue, and when I got my time back.<br /> <br /> I saw a lot of issues with it; a negative public connotation as a result of the red pill movement, increasing numbers of sexual allegations that ruin men&#039;s lives even when false, low perceived value of the service being provided (I polled the dating forum I came from, most hadn&#039;t spent any money on resources to improve their dating lives - at most, a book purchase), inability to guarantee any results because I cannot do the work for them, and limitations on who I can realistically help (disabilities, disfigurements, mental illnesses, etc).<br /> <br /> The positives are that I&#039;d be able to build this very inexpensively, as it would be something I would probably scale almost entirely online through content uploads, paid courses, books or articles, group coaching via Zoom, or personalized coaching in-person. And I could do this while still building the lawn business because those hours wouldn&#039;t coincide with these, while I see if I can get any traction building an audience that I&#039;d be able to monetize. I don&#039;t plan to abandon the initial goal of building a lawn care business <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/64612/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="64612" data-username="@Kevin88660">@Kevin88660</a>, but I do think I&#039;ll work on it as a backup if I fall short during these 3-4 months I realistically have left to sell this service.<br /> <br /> Also, for your point about PPE, I had several items picked out but hadn&#039;t purchased them because I figured I would need them when I had a full day&#039;s worth of jobs, not 1 job for 1 hour in 70-degree sun. So again, something I didn&#039;t know before getting into this.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">Seriously, if the ads are too expensive, why don’t you print 1000 leaflets and start delivering them? <br /> <br /> It’s like what, 100 bucks to print 1000? Just use the same ads you’re running on Facebook and get them printed.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169186" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169186" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169186">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I mentioned that in my initial call with Johnny, too, and he agreed that both paths could be lucrative: teaching men how to get laid, or running a lawn care business with his blueprint. Based on the above advice, I thought it would be smarter to learn something that was already working. I figured that I could make enough money to quit my job and catch a breath, then focus on something more fun (dating coaching) when money wasn&#039;t such an issue, and when I got my time back.<br /> <br /> I saw a lot of issues with it; a negative public connotation as a result of the red pill movement, increasing numbers of sexual allegations that ruin men&#039;s lives even when false, low perceived value of the service being provided (I polled the dating forum I came from, most hadn&#039;t spent any money on resources to improve their dating lives - at most, a book purchase), inability to guarantee any results because I cannot do the work for them, and limitations on who I can realistically help (disabilities, disfigurements, mental illnesses, etc).<br /> <br /> The positives are that I&#039;d be able to build this very inexpensively, as it would be something I would probably scale almost entirely online through content uploads, paid courses, books or articles, group coaching via Zoom, or personalized coaching in-person. And I could do this while still building the lawn business because those hours wouldn&#039;t coincide with these, while I see if I can get any traction building an audience that I&#039;d be able to monetize. I don&#039;t plan to abandon the initial goal of building a lawn care business <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/64612/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="64612" data-username="@Kevin88660">@Kevin88660</a>, but I do think I&#039;ll work on it as a backup if I fall short during these 3-4 months I realistically have left to sell this service. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>You are trying to sell premium services in a ghetto and I agree with you are right on all the problems and issues.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of older men with deeper pockets, divorced, perhaps out of shape, zero knowledge about social media, trying to navigate today’s dating world.<br /> <br /> No coach can guarantee result. But there is no way why you cannot charge dollars per service like a consultant/lawyer/doctor who never guarantee results.<br /> <br /> $x for setting up social media accounts<br /> $x for photo taking services.<br /> $x for fitness plan training, personal grooming, fashion and styles coaching<br /> $x for getting your VAs swiping non-stop on their five dating apps. <br /> $x for follow up and quarterly review<br /> $x for modern cultural immersion on how not to say non-pc stupid shit or get cancelled.<br /> ……<br /> <br /> You need to have the patience to babysit adults and you cannot be greedy for a “easy scalable operation.”<br /> <br /> There are plenty of people whose job, career or business is worth more than $70 an hour and they should pay you rather than figuring things out from zero.<br /> <br /> It’s not true that only men from your generation are interested in women of your generation, if you know what I mean, and they don’t know a hell lot about people of your generation.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper">I&#039;ve thought about it a little bit and I think ultimately you are looking for shortcuts and reality is serving you accordingly. This isn&#039;t just a business issue, but a mindset issue, that is going to permeate whether you cut lawns or &quot;teach men how to get laid.&quot;<br /> <br /> If you slow down and stop crying failure, you&#039;ll realize time is on your side. You have three customers. That&#039;s actually enough for now and where you need to be. You need to figure out how to make them profitable, how to optimize your time/services/etc., run into problems like you are so you can build the skill sets or buy the tools to quickly solve them. Problems are good, you want problems at a small scale because it&#039;ll teach you how to deal with them at a larger scale. Like, you got sunburnt doing a one hour job in 70 degree whether. If you had 6 jobs that day and you didn&#039;t think about this, you&#039;d be in the hospital. So figure out the small stupid stuff first.<br /> <br /> Your next step is to figure out how to make this a high value service for your customers. You have 3 lawns to cut. That&#039;s it. If Johnny Boy&#039;s crew rolled into your neighborhood, are they going to cut lawns better than you? Provide a better service? If so, why? You only have 3 lawns. They should be cut perfectly, the experience should be great, you should get to know your customers, etc.<br /> <br /> By running massive amount of ads and trying to copy <a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/members/47954/" class="username" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" data-user-id="47954" data-username="@Johnny boy">@Johnny boy</a>&#039;s success, you are putting the cart before the horse. Which is fine, you have a blueprint for the future and a guiding light, but that&#039;s simply not where you&#039;re at right now in terms of mindset/financials/anything.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 22383" data-quote="Dark Water" data-source="post: 1169218" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169218" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169218">Dark Water said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Problems are good, you want problems at a small scale because it&#039;ll teach you how to deal with them at a larger scale. Like, you got sunburnt doing a one hour job in 70 degree whether. If you had 6 jobs that day and you didn&#039;t think about this, you&#039;d be in the hospital. So figure out the small stupid stuff first.<br /> <br /> Your next step is to figure out how to make this a high value service for your customers. You have 3 lawns to cut. That&#039;s it. If Johnny Boy&#039;s crew rolled into your neighborhood, are they going to cut lawns better than you? Provide a better service? If so, why? You only have 3 lawns. They should be cut perfectly, the experience should be great, you should get to know your customers, etc. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>This is gold. <br /> <br /> Scaling a bad unit of service just amplifies the trouble.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 64612" data-quote="Kevin88660" data-source="post: 1169221" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169221" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169221">Kevin88660 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> This is gold.<br /> <br /> Scaling a bad unit of service just amplifies the trouble. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Exactly. And OP is facing very common constraints - time, skill, money, etc.<br /> <br /> Everybody faces constraints of some sort, and that holds true whether you run the world&#039;s largest business or are trying to get one off of the ground. How you deal with those constraints directly impacts on whether you move up to the next level, stagnate, or fail. What OP needs is focus, creativity, and some grit. A lot of grit actually.<br /> <br /> Paycheck to paycheck? You have a full time job and live at home with your parents. Cut out all of your F*cking expenses, it&#039;s not that hard. That comes down to focus.<br /> <br /> Can&#039;t get more customers? Go figure out how to make a sale. Take into account Johnny Boy&#039;s door knocking advice, go back to the whiteboard and read some basic sales books, hit the phones hard. Creativity x grit.<br /> <br /> Can&#039;t figure out how to cut a lawn, tools break, customer bails, ads fail? Fix it, try again. All grit.<br /> <br /> None of this requires money or is outside of the realm of what you can solve OP. This is what business is all about; solving problems and overcoming issues/constraints.<br /> <br /> 60 day plan - cut all out of your BS expenses. Stop paid advertising. Fix your truck and equipment using YouTube videos/DIY/cheap replacement parts. Cut all of your customer&#039;s lawns perfectly down to a T. Ask for a review. Can they even give you a review? Do you have a website? If not, go solve those problems ASAP. Get your head in a good spot, save a couple of week&#039;s expenses. Sure, you can start a dating business too. But it&#039;s just like trying to scale your lawn business when you haven&#039;t perfected your shit yet. So put that on hold because the only thing worse than trying to run one failing business at once is running two failing businesses.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><a href="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/attachments/1747239709580-webp.66165/" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.thefastlaneforum.com/community/data/attachments/60/60015-8efcce7b609ebdfffacc22cbbab9ce26.jpg?hash=amDAc4DFsy" class="bbImage " style="" alt="1747239709580.webp" title="1747239709580.webp" width="210" height="200" loading="lazy" /></a><br /> Here, I&#039;ve solved some problems for you. Trade in your current riding mower for this one to put some money back in your pocket. Heck, you might not even need the truck anymore either. AND you won&#039;t have to spend as much time at they gym. You might even get a social media following with this bad boy.<br /> <br /> In all seriousness, I do want to see you succeed. I was stuck in the &quot;what do I pursue&quot; rut for months. I hope you can focus your thoughts and energy onto ONE pursuit and truly see it through.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">It feels painful to you because it&#039;s actually painful. Entrepreneurs, however, are 100% masochists who don&#039;t need other ppl to punish them because they do it to themselves better than anyone on the planet ever will. Ever.<br /> <br /> &quot;Pain pain yum yum.&quot; = our mantra. <br /> <br /> Entrepreneurs literally don&#039;t experience pain the same way as normie employees. <br /> <br /> I think perhaps you think you like pain but maybe not. You want it in a nice comfy mixture that you can control. Tryna top from the bottom? JohnnyBoy should dump you. This is unacceptable sub behavior.<br /> <br /> Hahahaa sorry. I just distracted myself with an amusing mental image.<br /> <br /> If you don&#039;t like the rub, get out of the bedroom... or the lawn business.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">One “easy solution” I can think of is to find a job in a small business that mow lawns. Then quit your day job. <br /> <br /> Then you are 24-7 mowing lawns. <br /> <br /> Two third of the time in being paid by someone teaching you.<br /> <br /> Screw up and learn as much as possible, when it’s not at your cost. Sure get scolded sometimes but much less learning cost.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 64612" data-quote="Kevin88660" data-source="post: 1169333" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169333" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169333">Kevin88660 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> One “easy solution” I can think of is to find a job in a small business that mow lawns. Then quit your day job.<br /> <br /> Then you are 24-7 mowing lawns.<br /> <br /> Two third of the time in being paid by someone teaching you.<br /> <br /> Screw up and learn as much as possible, when it’s not at your cost. Sure get scolded sometimes but much less learning cost. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> My parents suggested that. I decided against it for 2 reasons:<br /> <ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I didn&#039;t want to get distracted by how others were suggesting I run the business, since I was learning directly from Johnny</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">I would switch from $22.50/hour, in a job with no supervision, allowing me to call these leads during work hours, which is already hard enough to find in the current job market...to most likely a part-time gig where I&#039;d be getting paid just above minimum wage to learn the skills while likely also creeping towards missing my seasonal window</li> </ol>Anyway, I&#039;ve decided what I&#039;m going to do:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Continue working on getting customers for the lawn care business, maybe reducing my reliance on throwing money at ads, and seeing what I come away with by the time I expect to stop getting sales, probably around August-October</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Work on building a personal dating/confidence coaching brand during the hours that wouldn&#039;t interfere with my lawn business or full-time job. With an emphasis on minimizing costs, being mostly online, and monetizing when/if I get traction and start building an audience</li> </ul>If anybody has advice or questions they&#039;d like to add at this point, I&#039;ll continue reading them, but otherwise I&#039;ll return when I have progress to report.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169340" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169340" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169340">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Anyway, I&#039;ve decided what I&#039;m going to do:<br /> <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Continue working on getting customers for the lawn care business, maybe reducing my reliance on throwing money at ads, and seeing what I come away with by the time I expect to stop getting sales, probably around August-October</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Work on building a personal dating/confidence coaching brand during the hours that wouldn&#039;t interfere with my lawn business or full-time job. With an emphasis on minimizing costs, being mostly online, and monetizing when/if I get traction and start building an audience</li> </ul> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> So full time job, lawns and dating biz...<br /> <br /> I feel like you&#039;re spreading yourself too thin.<br /> <br /> The first year or so, my business pretty much made 0 man. And that was my sole focus.<br /> If I had two businesses to operate, I&#039;d just delay the pay off even longer.<br /> <br /> I actually agree with what the other guy said.<br /> <br /> Quit your job &amp; get a job mowing lawns. That way you&#039;re literally getting paid to learn how to run your biz.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">Lil update for y&#039;all I have told him to kick rocks essentially and said he needed to get customers. <br /> <br /> I held his hand for months and months and he&#039;s a grown man, he knows what he needs to do. <br /> <br /> I will never teach people 1-1 and give access to my personal number like this again. <br /> <br /> If I ever do this again it will be set-time frame, weekly/monthly calls. <br /> <br /> I blame myself. <br /> <br /> I hope he succeeds I hope he gets pissed on and goes out and grows a huge business and tells me I&#039;m an a$$, that would make me happy.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper">I remember several months ago you were talking about moving out from your parents.<br /> <br /> Where did you end up at last?<br /> <br /> I suspect the issues you face are not due to the business but from a habit of dependence which is further conditioned by living at home.<br /> <br /> You&#039;re over 30. You can afford to leave your nest.<br /> <br /> This will surely make you feel the need to change, by taking personal responsibility for your life and it&#039;s outcomes.<br /> <br /> So long as you stay home, you can afford to &quot;be shit at this&quot;. You will fail to mature into an independent, autonomous agent.<br /> <br /> Your parents, JohnnyBoy, the forum, and anybody else for that matter won&#039;t be able to change your behavior until you learn to stand on your own.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper">Lots of landscaping places need people, turnover is high, lots of people are in and out within weeks, last time I was doing landscaping/mowing lawns, all it took was replying to an ad on kijiji, a quick call, then starting the next day. I had a lot of fun doing landscaping when I was 25 and doing odd jobs. I sometimes joke about hoping I get laid off in the summer because I would be out mowing lawns, out in the sun, getting in shape by default.<br /> <br /> IMO, as long as you&#039;re at home and somewhat risk-free I&#039;d start applying for a crew, once you have an offer to start, quit your current job, get the experience that matters (you can be in and out within a month) and go all in on your business.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 47954" data-quote="Johnny boy" data-source="post: 1169394" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169394" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169394">Johnny boy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Lil update for y&#039;all I have told him to kick rocks essentially and said he needed to get customers.<br /> <br /> I held his hand for months and months and he&#039;s a grown man, he knows what he needs to do.<br /> <br /> I will never teach people 1-1 and give access to my personal number like this again.<br /> <br /> If I ever do this again it will be set-time frame, weekly/monthly calls.<br /> <br /> I blame myself.<br /> <br /> I hope he succeeds I hope he gets pissed on and goes out and grows a huge business and tells me I&#039;m an a$$, that would make me happy. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I&#039;m sure I&#039;ll incur the wrath of the forum for speaking against you but at this point, I don&#039;t really care.<br /> <br /> You don&#039;t have the patience and charity you claim to have.<br /> <br /> I asked you how you would handle a customer with X problem and as usual, you tell me to f*** off, figure it out, but for the last time.<br /> <br /> I think you need to only work with people who are already doing this business and need help scaling - not somebody new who was looking to get started.<br /> <br /> At the start of this whole thing I told you I didn&#039;t have any experience with these tools or this business, and that I was working within constraints of my paycheck and time at my job - almost every time I asked you a question for clarification, or to get your opinion, anything...was met with some variation of &quot;are you f***ing stupid&quot; or &quot;f***ing figure it out&quot; or &quot;you&#039;re f***ing dumb, dude.&quot; I figured it was smarter to ask you a question BEFORE I did something dumb, rather than AFTER, as in with the RoundUp weed killer.<br /> <br /> You told me to follow this EXACTLY how you instruct, because you said you couldn&#039;t help me if I did anything different than how you did it. And yet, you get pissed off at me ANY time I ask you EXACTLY how you&#039;d do it.<br /> <br /> I appreciate that the $1,000 you charged was a one-time expense, as I did assume that it would be a monthly fee and was willing to pay that. But beyond that, man...<br /> <br /> Spending all my money I&#039;d saved up, failing constantly while learning new skills, being late to the party because of those constraints, AND having you constantly tell me how f***ing terrible I am every time I ask a question, despite you telling me to follow your advice EXACTLY?<br /> <br /> What a f***ing wonderful environment to learn a new business in...I did something good? You say &quot;cool.&quot; I made a mistake or asked you a question? &quot;dude why are you so f***ing dumb?&quot;<br /> <br /> I&#039;m sure you&#039;ll continue to be successful with your lawn business, and may even be successful coaching ALREADY ESTABLISHED lawn companies, but yeah, like you said, you&#039;re an a**.<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 145549" data-quote="FJ123" data-source="post: 1169356" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169356" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169356">FJ123 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> So full time job, lawns and dating biz...<br /> <br /> I feel like you&#039;re spreading yourself too thin. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> As per the above response, it would be stupid to not have a Plan B now.<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 66764" data-quote="AceVentures" data-source="post: 1169395" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169395" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169395">AceVentures said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I remember several months ago you were talking about moving out from your parents.<br /> <br /> Where did you end up at last? </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Johnny suggested I not take on additional expenses while trying to afford the equipment to get this started, so I did not move out.<br /> <br /> I just got paid today and am down to $3,100 in my personal account and $1,100 in the business account, before factoring in whatever it&#039;s going to cost me to fix my truck, which is being looked at by a mechanic as we speak.<br /> <br /> So I certainly cannot afford to move out at this very moment.<br /> <br /> <blockquote data-attributes="member: 140116" data-quote="JimmyJonCricket" data-source="post: 1169397" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169397" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169397">JimmyJonCricket said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Lots of landscaping places need people, turnover is high, lots of people are in and out within weeks, last time I was doing landscaping/mowing lawns, all it took was replying to an ad on kijiji, a quick call, then starting the next day. I had a lot of fun doing landscaping when I was 25 and doing odd jobs. I sometimes joke about hoping I get laid off in the summer because I would be out mowing lawns, out in the sun, getting in shape by default.<br /> <br /> IMO, as long as you&#039;re at home and somewhat risk-free I&#039;d start applying for a crew, once you have an offer to start, quit your current job, get the experience that matters (you can be in and out within a month) and go all in on your business. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I got into this because I believed I could follow a blueprint with the guidance of somebody who had successfully built the business - not because I had a relevant skillset, not because I enjoy the work, not because I was good at it, and not because I already had the equipment and could afford it.<br /> <br /> Now that I no longer have support during this process, I think it would be incredibly stupid of me to cut my income down by another 1/2 or 2/3.<br /> <br /> In either case, the plan remains the same as I posted above.</div>
 
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<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 47954" data-quote="Johnny boy" data-source="post: 1169394" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169394" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169394">Johnny boy said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Lil update for y&#039;all I have told him to kick rocks essentially and said he needed to get customers.<br /> <br /> I held his hand for months and months and he&#039;s a grown man, he knows what he needs to do.<br /> <br /> I will never teach people 1-1 and give access to my personal number like this again.<br /> <br /> If I ever do this again it will be set-time frame, weekly/monthly calls.<br /> <br /> I blame myself.<br /> <br /> I hope he succeeds I hope he gets pissed on and goes out and grows a huge business and tells me I&#039;m an a$$, that would make me happy. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote>Don&#039;t feel bad. You&#039;re in good company. I think the last super successful person on the forum who had to rethink mentoring was Biophase or Kak..? I think it might be a genuine stage of growth for leaders. It&#039;s like they have to figure out how to help others and what that entails but their first couple go rounds they always get burned. <br /> <br /> It sucks so much. I feel like the ppl who would actually benefit from mentoring -in any vertical- are all too afraid to ask for help and the ppl who actually slide in and sign up screw it all up for the nice ppl. <br /> <br /> Oh well. Onward and upward.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 142181" data-quote="BPH1994" data-source="post: 1169410" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169410" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169410">BPH1994 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> I got into this because I believed I could follow a blueprint with the guidance of somebody who had successfully built the business </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> Moral of the story is that a blueprint, course or mentor is not a magic solution that will build your business for you.</div>
 
<div class="bbWrapper"><blockquote data-attributes="member: 145549" data-quote="FJ123" data-source="post: 1169413" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-title"> <a href="/community/goto/post?id=1169413" class="bbCodeBlock-sourceJump" rel="nofollow" data-xf-click="attribution" data-content-selector="#post-1169413">FJ123 said:</a> </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-content"> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandContent js-expandContent "> Moral of the story is that a blueprint, course or mentor is not a magic solution that will build your business for you. </div> <div class="bbCodeBlock-expandLink js-expandLink"><a role="button" tabindex="0">Click to expand...</a></div> </div> </blockquote><br /> I think it works if it aligns with something you&#039;re already doing.<br /> <br /> I did this because I lacked direction and figured I could follow instructions and persevere because I knew it would eventually work. That kinda falls apart after a while when the person giving instructions constantly tells you you&#039;re f***ing stupid when you ask for them.</div>
 

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