We recently connected with Charles Jenkins and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Charles thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?

In the beginning of the business, it was just me, one lawnmower, and a weed trimmer. My first clients were individuals I acquired from marketing on social media. The business started slow, but eventually picked up, in turn, I needed help. My first hire was a man I worked with at the Boys and Girls Club. We would cut grass in the morning before our shift began at the Boys and Girls Club. That individual worked with me throughout the entire summer, greatly assisting in the first successful year of running my own business.

I started Jenkins and Sons Lawn Care seven years ago, and each year the client pool has significantly increased. As the business grew and attained more and more customers, there was indeed a serious need for help. During the third year of the business, I also worked for a Non-For-Profit organization whose sole purpose was to help economically disadvantaged men obtain gainful employment. While performing my duties at the NFP organization, one of the participants needed a job badly, so I asked him to come work with me. While working with this particular person, I truly gained purpose. I wanted to make sure that the business had the necessary resources to ensure the employee’s needs were met.

After my first two hires, everyone thereafter was a family member. I hired my two brothers, a few cousins, even some uncles. One major issue with a labor intense job is keeping a faithful, hardworking employee. There tended to be a constant flux with personnel. Then I hired a dear friend who has been working with me for the last three years and is dedicated to being a part of the business’ continued growth.

If I was to start my business today, there isn’t much I would change outside of having a mentor. I’ve learned a lot as my business grew, but I firmly believe there were many obstacles that could have been avoided if I had a mentor I could consult. Hard work does not usurp wisdom.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

After completing my four years degree, I worked for a large bank, hired as a leadership trainee with expectations of becoming branch manager. Those expectations seemed like they were coming to fruition until I was relocated from Denver, Colorado to St. Louis, Missouri.

Once in St. Louis, the atmosphere changed and due to consistent discriminatory behavior by a sub-manager, I found I no longer enjoyed my job and wanted to find a peace of mind. Recognizing that the aforementioned situation is likely to occur in various St. Louis work environments, I determined that the best way for me to get that peace of mind was to start and run my own business., I briefly researched the type of businesses that one could start immediately and with little investment funds. And after perusing the many possibilities, I decided on lawn care.

After the decision was finalized, I borrowed a lawnmower and purchased a trimmer. From there, I sought out customers. Every year thereafter, the clientele list grew. Now I own two trucks and two enclosed trailers full of lawn care equipment. I also have two legitimate full-time employees that are paid quite handsomely.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are absolutely some books, quotes and videos that greatly impacted my management style and life in general. One book that really stands out is the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Though there are numerous lessons the book provides, the one piece of information that resonated within me is the Law of Navigation which simply means that it’s the leaders job to steer the ship and determine the course that will be taken. This law also speaks about the importance of vision and drawing on past experiences to help in the decision make process.

There is also a particular video from Les Brown, a motivational speaker, who speaks on practice. There is an old adage that says practice makes perfect, but Les Brown provides a truer sentiment. He says practice makes improvement. I had to understand that perfection is not attainable, but as long as I practice, there will always be breakthroughs which will improve the process.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Entering the 2020 season, Jenkins and Sons Lawn Care had a partnership with a property preservation company. We were servicing foreclosed properties. This partnership constituted 90% of the business revenue. The relationship between the bank and the property preservation company ended, leaving me with only 10% of my expected revenue. As a result, 33% of my workforce was laid off entering the Covid-19 pandemic.

While speaking with a good friend, he explained that I would never be able to cut every yard in the city, but everyone is a potential client. So, to ensure the business’ sustainability, I had to reinvent the strategy and create new income streams. For example, I began to sell Jenkins and Sons merchandise which can be found at https://jenkinssonslawncare.bigcartel.com/product/infusion-bottle. Selling the merchandise was also an excellent marketing strategy. Due to the social media visibility, my reach expanded substantially allowing me to regain, even exceeding my prior numbers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jenkinssonslawncare.bigcartel.com/product/infusion-bottle
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenkinsandsonslawncare?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenkinsandsonslawncarellc/