We had no work, no money and Christmas was coming. At least we had $1,000 on a credit card that was going to get us through. Or did we? I spent the last $1,000 we had on a mower, a trimmer, and a blower. I pulled into the driveway, opened the trunk, and started unloading. My girlfriend (now wife) came out. She looked at what I had bought. Then she looked at me. Her face said it all. āWhat... is that?ā I told her Iād spent the last of the money. She just stood there.Silent. Then came the...
1 day agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
When we bought the house we live in, it came with what I can only describe as a useless pool. Not a kiddie poolāthis thing was big. Plastic sides, built-in pump, half-sunken into the ground like someone had big dreams and a limited budget. We didnāt really want it. The kids didnāt use it. And we didnāt love the idea of climbing up and into it every time just to cool off. So, we got rid of it. And of course, underneath? A giant hole. A couple of feet deep. Just sitting there, mocking us. Our...
2 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
He cut me off!! What theā¦ Driving down the road, I see this guy pull out from a side street ā right in front of me. I slam the brakes, blast my horn, and give him the classic āwhat are you doing?!ā glare. He looks at me like Iām the one acting weirdā¦ and drives off. I mutter something about idiots and keep going. But then I notice something. Cars behind meā¦ are also looking at me funny. Whatās going on? And then I see it. My indicatorās still on. Iād forgotten to cancel it after my last turn,...
4 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
A long time ago, I mowed a lawn for an accountant. He had a nice little office on a beautiful property. He also had a sports car, a pool, and a boat.All the trappings of success. I mowed his lawn for a while, and weād chat occasionally. One day, he came out to say how much he appreciated my service. He told me he liked the way I always smiled and waved.Said it cheered him up every time. Then he told me about the last guy who mowed his lawn. That guy was always frowning. He was always...
4 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
Sometimes you just feel like you need to get away. Not a vacation. Not a spa weekend. Justā¦ away. šæ When youāre running your own business, the pressure builds. Thereās always something to fix, plan, chase up or do ASAP. And if youāre always in the same place, driving around the same streets, it can start to feel like Groundhog Day. šµš« Thatās usually when I know I need a reset. For me, itās as simple as driving to a small town nearby. Here in the Waikato, weāve got plenty of them. š I donāt go...
5 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
You know how some people chuck a lobster š¦ into boiling water? I wouldn't do that. I think it's cruel. But I get why the lobster stays there. Itās because the water warms up slowly. It doesnāt realise itās in trouble until itās too late. Something simular happened to me the other day. Not life or death, not even close. But close enough to make me think. I was out mowing and it started to rain š§ļø Just a bit, so I kept going. Then a bit more. Then more again. Before I knew it, five hours had...
6 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
I went to get my ear checked out the other day. One was infected, and unfortunately, that was my good ear. So Iām sitting in the clinic, deaf as a post, waiting for them to check it out, and suddenly everyone looks up. I didnāt hear it anything but something was going on outside. People started getting up, heading towards the door. Thereās a guy in the car park arguing at a woman. And then ā he puts her in a headlock. Likeā¦ what? One of the guys from inside ā this huge dude who looked like he...
7 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
I used to mow this lawn a while ago. Nothing special about the job, really.Except for the Dalmatian. Heād go absolutely wild when I showed up. Tail thumping. Whole body wiggling. Like I was his favorite part of the week. I started looking forward to it too. Weād say hello. Iād give him a pat. And over time, we became friends ā in that unspoken, simple way dogs and people do. I never told anyone about him. Nobody asked. And I guess I didnāt think it was worth mentioning. But then one day, I...
8 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read
I was running behind. The day before it had rained, so I was trying to catch up on a bunch of lawns. I pull up to the next job and Iām on the phone to my wife, and I say,āIām going to have to go ā if I sit here for more than 30 seconds, the guyās going to come out and start talking to me.ā Lovely guy. Justā¦ talkative. And that day, I didnāt have time to talk. So I hang up, jump out of the van, grab the weed eater and get straight to work. After a while, I can see him in the background trying...
9 days agoĀ ā¢Ā 1 min read