← Profits with Pajak
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Nobody tells you this when you start a business. They tell you about freedom and money and being your own boss. But they don't tell you that your business is going to test your patience, your identity, your relationships, and sometimes even your sanity. If you've ever felt like this business is changing you, you're right. And today we're going to talk about why that's not a bad thing.
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Today's episode is brought to you by Yardbook, the all in one CRM for your lawn care business. And as an exclusive partner of this podcast, you can started today and begin simplifying your business and maximizing your profits. Sign up now@yardbook.com the link is in. The show notes Time now for Profits with Paycheck, an essential podcast for you in the green industry who are looking to unlock the full potential of your business. Hosted by John Pajac, your certified financial coach, the show features in depth discussions with successful entrepreneurs, thought leaders and industry experts. Providing practical advice and proven strategies on financial planning, operations, marketing and sales. Profits with Paycheck has valuable insights and action steps that you can implement today for creating long term success. Now, here's John Paj.
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Welcome to Profits with Pajak, the podcast where we talk about business strategies and financial insights for the green industry. I'm your host, John Pak, and today's episode is going to hit a little different. You know, I came across something recently that laid out five hard truths about being a business owner. And I thought, man, this is exactly what so many of us are living through right now. So today I want to talk through these five truths, break them down, and more importantly, show you how to use them to become a stronger business owner. So let's look at the first one. You know, this was actually an Instagram post. Um, I had seen a couple variations of the same post, so I don't know where it originated from originally, but the, the first point talking point that they had was your business will expose every unhealed wound you have. And this one hits hard. Your business is not just a job, it's a mirror. And if you struggle with control, your business will show that if you avoid conflict, your customers are going to force it. And if you doubt yourself, pricing will expose it really fast. And this is why some guys stay stuck. Not because they don't want, they don't know what to do, but because they won't face what's inside of them. And your business will bring that to the surface whether you like it or not. And I mean, this is, this is true. You know, if you are struggling, you're wounded, you have a, a set mindset. Your business is not only going to expose it, but it's going to definitely pick at that wound. It's going to kind of scrape at it, it's going to irritate it. And you're going to have to figure out whether you're going to keep on suffering with it or if you're going to make a change to make that better, make you better. So with that, you know, there's a lot of things you could unpeel there. There's a lot of, you know, it's like a, that's a deep well to go down into. You could look into that mirror for a really, really long time. But you know, it definitely left an impression with me. That's why I want to talk about it today. But you know, if that wasn't enough about your business being a mirror, here's the next one. The second point that they made. You will pour into people who will leave. You're going to train employees, you will give opportunities, you will invest time, energy and trust. And some of these people will just walk away. You know, some are going to leave for more money, some will leave for less responsibility. And some are going to leave and never even say thank you. And that doesn't mean you are wrong to invest in them. It means you're a leader and your job is to build people and it's not to control outcomes. Now there are. This has happened to me, you know, this is a straight up, this, this one struck a nerve with me pretty, pretty close, you know, because you know, when I read that line, you will pour everything into people who will leave. I didn't just agree with it, I felt that. And let me tell you, there was a time in my business where this hit me square in the face. And you know, this is not just a one time event. This has happened to me over the past decade. And you know, there was a season, specifically one, you know, it was actually two seasons, but they kind of blended into one another. But I was really all in on building a team and I was training guys. I was showing them everything I knew, you know, how to apply, how to talk to customers, how to do the job the right way. You know, all the things I was, you know, not just focusing on the technical side, but I was also focusing on the standards. And I was pouring into each and every one of them like they were going to be with me for the long haul. And for a while it felt like things were clicking. You know, we Were moving faster. I wasn't doing everything myself. And I thought, this is it, you know, man, this is. This is what growth is supposed to feel like. Everything was cruising, man. We were on cruise control for the most part. And then one by one, things started to change. You know, one guy left for another opportunity. I didn't have any, you know, bad feelings about it. I understood he was. He was actually not gonna stay in our area. He was. He met a girl and he was chasing her to some other place. You know, he had an opportunity there, and, you know, I was all for it. I said, you know, you gotta follow your heart, man. You know, if this. The. If you're going about. If you're going because of her and that's who's important, then, yeah, you know, go for it, you know, Another guy, he. He just stopped showing up the way he used to. And what I mean by that is, yes, physically absent. But when he was there, he just. Something changed. Something was wrong. And unfortunately, I never could quite figure out what it was. I talked to him on the side. I, you know, tried to get him some help here and there with the things that he was going through, but again, he just. Something changed and he just wasn't there anymore. And, you know, and then I had a few over the same two seasons that, you know, they just walked. They walked away in a way that just didn't sit right with me. You know, I'm sure you've. You might have heard some of the stories that I've told about. I believe it was last season where, you know, a guy just missed. He took one of the production trucks, disappeared. We were behind, and we were. I was out in the field working with them. And each of our trucks is basically a standalone production vehicle. And we were running behind because of weather. It was last spring, and we were trying to get caught up for Memorial Day. And he just. I said, hey, you know, we work Monday through Thursday. That's our regular schedule. I said, we're gonna have to work on Friday as a makeup because of the weather and because of the holiday. And he didn't show up on Friday, and he was taking the production vehicle home with him. That was part of our deal. And then I was still working on a Saturday, you know, I said, I'm going to be out there working on Saturday, whoever chooses to join me. I'm not forcing you to do it, but if you. I would really appreciate the help. And you'll get paid overtime because we're going over our 40 hours. Well, he. No, call no show, we don't work on Sundays. And then Monday comes along and I still hadn't heard from him. The production vehicle's still gone and I was leaving for out of town for an event on that next day. I was going to Texas. But anyway, long story short, he. I didn't get a hold of him until Monday night. Never actually spoke with him, but I started switching the GPS or checking out where the GPS was on that truck so I could get the vehicle back. Anyway, long story short, he was in a bar drinking and took my vehicle. It was parked in the bar. And then I realized also I basically stole my truck back from him without letting him know and kind of stashed it in a place where he couldn't get access to it. Change the locks on the units that he had access to. And so it's not a good thing. He didn't even know about the vehicle. He didn't even try calling me until I was in Texas the next day. And when he couldn't get through to me, he just didn't even bother calling back again. But it was pretty rough. That's a pretty extreme instance. Also found out looking at the GPS that he was in a couple towns over, he was frequenting the strip clubs, which not a good look. Anyway, with all that being said and done, there was, you know, with this particular person, there was no conversation, no closure. He just was gone. I was trying to get him his last check, which he ended up picking up about a month and a half later. And I just remember sitting there thinking, you know, what did I do wrong? What did I do wrong in all of these instances? You know, obviously if somebody's moving to, you know, be with their, their soulmate or, you know, who they think their soulmate is, I. That's nothing that you could change. You know, people go through a lot of things. You know, you can't control how they feel or, you know, if they're depressed or anything like that, you know, and if they don't have passion again and they want to leave, well, you can't stop them from that. And then of course, if you have somebody that's just belligerent and doesn't act like a grown up and steals your truck for a while and doesn't work and all those things, well, it's like, okay, all those things, it's very hard not to take those things personally. And that's why I thought, what did I do wrong? Did I not pay enough? Did I not lead well enough? Did I just waste my time and if you've ever been there, you know, that feeling, it's not just frustration. It really feels personal because, you know, you didn't just hire them, you invested in them. And that's a lesson I had to learn the hard way. Now, that doesn't mean that the investment was a mistake, but that it means, it's just, that's part of leadership. Because your job as a business owner isn't to keep everyone forever. It's to build something that can grow even when people come and go. And honestly, that season really forced me to change. It forced me to stop relying on people to be sustained. It's made me stop relying on people to be the stability in my business. The people were not the stability of my business. I really had to start building systems and standards in the structure that didn't depend on any one person. And that was the shift. You know, that was the version of me that kind of had to die so the business could grow. I'll tell you what, here's another little bonus thing that nobody tells you about. Some of these people will go on and succeed somewhere else, and you'll sit there wondering why they couldn't do that with you. And that'll mess with your head if you let it, you know, but again, it's. That's not failure. That's just part of the process. So let's just take a quick break and when we come back, we're going to talk about the version of you that has to change if you want your business to grow back. When I was getting my lawn care business off the ground, I was juggling routes, invoices and customer notes with paper and prayers. It was chaos until I found Yardbook. Yardbook gave me the structure. It helped me track chemicals, route efficiently, invoice faster, and most importantly, it helped me grow a profitable business. If you're tired of duct taping your systems Together, go to yardbook.com and sign up for free. And if you're ready to go premium use promo code PAYJACK to get your first 30 days on me.
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Are you mowing lawns, running crews, and still wondering where all the money went? You're not alone. Naylor Taliaferro of LCR Media has been there. And that's exactly why he created Profit Accelerator Live. Join Naylor and expert speakers John Pajak and Eric Triplett for two powerful days of hands on workshops designed specifically for lawn care and landscaping business owners in Richmond, Virginia, June 26th and 27th. This isn't a conference where you'll sit in the Back and take notes. You'll leave with an actual business plan in hand, knowing exactly what to charge, how to manage your time, and how to attract better customers. Tickets are just $299, but right now you can bring a partner or fellow business owner free with our two for one special. Tickets are just $299, but right now you can bring a partner or fellow business owner free with our 2 for 1 special. Only 75 spots are available and they will fill up fast. Use the link in the show description or go to profitacceleratorlive.com to secure your spot today. Put more money in the bank and more time in your schedule with profit
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Accelerator Live Equip Expo 2026 is coming up October 20th through the 23rd in Louisville, Kentucky. If you're serious about growing your business, this is where you need to be. We're talking live equipment demos, the latest technology, and thousands of contractors all in one place, sharing what's actually working right now. And here's the deal. Tickets are normally $120, but right now you can get them for $12.50 when you use promo code PAYCHECK. That's 50% off the already discounted early bird price. But this deal expires May 31 and prices go up after that. So don't wait on this. Lock in your ticket now. Get in the room and I'll see you there. Use promo code payjack. The link is in the show notes. And grab your ticket today. All right, we're back. And guess what? You know the guy that started your business, you know, I'm talking. Look at the man in the mirror here. You know, he hustled, he grinded, he did everything himself. But that version of you cannot run a scalable business. At some point, you have to let go of doing everything. You have to become a leader, not just a worker. And that transition is really uncomfortable because it feels like you're losing control. But what you're actually doing is you're expanding your capacity so that you could actually take care of, of more people and actually grow and scale your business. Because one man alone. If you're, you know, back in the day, you know, my, like heroes growing up, you know, he had like, you know, Sylvester Stallone, Rambo, the one man army. He had, you know, Arnold Schwarzenegger and, you know, Commando, you know, he was like one dude and he comes out and takes out a whole, like, little private army. You know what I mean? It's, it's like, yeah, one dude could do a lot, you know, they could do a lot of damage. They could do a lot of good things. They could do, you know, come and save the day, you know. But the thing is, it's. It's pretty hard, you know, to try to be sustainable. You know, you could only push so hard before you start to break down. And unfortunately, you know, you're. When you have that mindset of, you know, the lone wolf, the. I could do it myself. Oh, nobody could do it better than me. Or I tried doing things with employees, but it just didn't work out. Nobody could work as hard as I could. Okay, that doesn't matter anymore. Okay. If you're trying to build something that's going to outlive you, something that's going to outlast you, you could still be alive and kicking. But maybe you can't do the things you once did. We're all starting to get a bit older. I mean, I'm talking to the new guys. I know you guys are, you know, I'm in my 20s and you got the whole world in front of you, right? But for some of us that have had, you know, we're getting kind of long in the tooth and we're seeing where our capabilities are. Doing it by yourself is not fun. You know, I'm not as good as I once was, but, you know, still good as I ever was type thing, you know, Toby Keith right there. But it. There's a version of you that literally you could get things started and move on and get, you know, get the ball rolling, but eventually that guy's gonna die. And I don't mean that, that. I don't mean that like literally we're all gonna die. But I know this sounds so motivating, but what I'm saying is that personality, that guy, he. To have a scalable business, he has to change. He has to. It's like. It's almost easier just to kill him off than it is to try to retrain him, you know? And this is one of the reasons why I'm trying myself, and I'm talking about personal experience. That's some pie in the sky. I read this in a book thing, okay? I always try to be honest with you guys, with how I've experienced this business in this industry. It's. You almost have to. I have to replace myself. I go, this is John 2.0. This is Paycheck 2.1. Whatever. He is running the truck. That guy is doing the technician paycheck job, right? Does he do it as good as I do? Sometimes. I have some criticism, but at the same time, the work gets done and people are happy, and then I gotta realize that's the point. That's what's good. It's not done exactly my way every single time, but at the same time, we're getting good results. So I can't criticize it, you know, but that person that did everything and wore all the hats, that guy has to go away eventually. Now, I'm not saying that you don't. You still don't keep the passion that you have, but what I'm saying is, like, it's very difficult to keep that guy alive. You know, it's. It's like you're playing a video game and you get three lives, right? Well, that one life might get you through the first five levels, and then things get really, really hard and then you die. And then your second dude comes in and he gets X amount done, and then he gets killed, and then blah, blah, you know what I'm saying? I mean, think of it in that fun frame. Don't think of it as, like, literal death, but you get what I'm saying. It's like every time you add a new employee or team member, technician, whatever they are in your business, it's like adding extra lives to your game and you'll go way, way farther, way faster if you have that. You know, you look up in the corner real quick and you say, hey, I got three lives. Oh, cool, cool, cool. You'll take more chances. You take more risks as opposed to, you know, it's like, oh, man, I got 10 lives. Yeah, let's go. Let's do everything. Let's. It's okay if I mess up a couple times, it's fine. But, you know, when you have one life left, this is your last life. You're not taking some chances. You're not moving as fast. You're kind of slow, you're stagnant. You're overthinking it, and it actually makes more mistakes that way. But anyhow, let's move on to the fourth thing that I saw. And it was, you're not just building a company. You're building a reputation. I was like, yeah, that's. That's true. Because every job you complete, every phone call you take, every invoice you send, you're building your reputation. And, you know, here's the truth. Your reputation is your real asset. It's not your truck, it's not your equipment. It's not even your client list. Your reputation is what gets you referrals. It Gets you the jobs. It's what lets you raise your prices. It's what lets you make your business sustainable long term. I mean, right now, this. At this moment, I'm still going through the loss of a vehicle due to an accident caused by somebody else. You know, like, I wasn't even in the truck, and it got smashed up. It's totaled, It's. It's gone. But guess what? I'm not dead in the water because, one, I have a good reputation with my clients. I said, hey, listen, there might be a little bit of a slowdown. And right now we're. We're still keeping. We're still keeping track. I went and rented a truck and, you know, put some old equipment on it, and we're okay for right now, But I know things are going to get jammed up if we can't get this, you know, insurance thing moving here faster. But anyway, that's not the point. The point that I'm trying to get to here is I could be basically be stripped of every. All the things I have right now. But because I have a good reputation and I have the skills in my head and on paper, in systems, we could figure it out. You know, if it means renting an entire fleet of trucks and then me having to, you know, dip into our savings and get equipment on those trucks, we could do it. You know, it's not because I have a truck is why we're good in business. Our reputation precedes us. So just let that sink in. It's not just about building the company. You're building a reputation. And the fifth thing, and this one is, is excellent. It is. You will be misunderstood. And that's part of it. You know, you're going to have people question your prices. You're going to have people talk behind your back. You're going to. You're going to have people who knew you before and not understand who you're becoming. And that's part of growth, because not everyone is meant to come with you to the next level. Let me say that one again, because that's. That's very difficult to say and hear at the same time. Not everyone is meant to come with you to the next level. I'll tell you what, if you wait for everyone to understand you, you're never going to move forward. It's crazy to me to think that I thought, you know, when I started my business, I thought my friends and family were gonna be, like, so supportive and I would get so many attaboys and all these things, you know, what happened. It was like, oh, wow, that's. You're gonna go back to mowing lawns? Because that's what we did when we first started. We were back to mowing lawns. You know, this is a decade ago, right? This is actually longer than a decade ago. It was almost 11 years ago. This is. I remember talking about it in the summer of 2015, and I had already kind of gotten a lot of things together, and they were just like, why are you. Wow. That's. Wow. Why are you doing that? This is friends and family. Well, you got a really good job in construction. Why are you changing? Why would you give up that security? You got a pension and you got all these benefits and stuff. Why? Huh? Well, okay, I guess, you know, there was no enthusiasm. There was no support. There was nothing there. And then again, you know, as I've gone through this whole transition with. With my lawn care company, the new one, the one that's actually succeeded and succeeding, you know, I also have people that, for the longest time, you know, I've been always good with numbers. I've always good at being good at budgeting my personal life. And at one point in time, I was helping a lot of people get their personal budgets. And then I realized I would see my family struggle. Brothers and sisters, my mom, they were struggling financially. And I'm like, I can help you. And this is before I did budgets breakevens and bottom lines, which is meant for business and not really your personal life. But I put that all together, and they still doubted me. And it's like, well, yeah, that's fine. That probably works for everybody else, but, you know, we're. I'm okay or whatever. It's like. It's crazy. It's like I care about these. These are the people I care about the most. And they didn't give me the support that I was looking for, you know, and you're gonna have that in your business, you know, over time. Like, I have very good friends right now that knew me 10 years ago. And now I, you know, I have the podcast. I. I go cross country. I. I visit lawn, skate, landscape businesses all over the country and help them get their numbers right. I help them get to where they're profitable. And even some of my closest friends now, they don't. They don't live. Some of them live here near me. There's actually a few people that I mentor. I don't charge them or whatever, but I don't exactly give them full access to everything I have because I realize I could lead A horse to water, but I can't make them drink. And sometimes the horse just poops in the water, too. And it just kind of ruins everything for everybody. You kind of have to pay for things to put some skin in the game. And the crazy part is, as you're growing your business, you're going to encounter this. You're going to think the people that your friends, your family, the closest people to you, you would think that they would be your biggest supporters. And a lot of times it turns out that that's not right. That's not true. You get more support from a complete stranger that is just learning about you. Whether it's social media or from a referral or whatever it might be, they learn about you, and then they put their whole trust in you. Those end up being like the ride or die people, which is crazy to me. Again, it's all about being misunderstood. And I feel that that is part of the whole process of, you know, growing up or, you know, building your business and expanding it. It's just wild to me. And I don't know if you feel the same way, but it's kind of crazy. So anyway, I could go down some rabbit holes with all of these, these, these top five hard truths that we're talking about. But anyway, here's the thing. Here's what I want you to take away from all of this. These aren't problems. These are signs that you're growing. The business is refining you. It's shaping you into someone who can handle more responsibility, more income, and more impact, but only if you lean into it and you don't run from it. So being a business owner isn't just about making money. It's about becoming someone who can handle the responsibility of making money. So as always, I want to kind of give you a little challenge. I want to kind of test you a little bit instead of asking, why is this happening to me? You know, something bad happens or, you know, you lose a. You lose an employee or something just doesn't work out. You're not getting any support from your family or whatever. Instead of asking, why is this happening to me? Ask what. What is this trying to teach me? Because your business isn't just something you run. It's something that's shaping you every single day. Now I want you to go build something worth being known for. Get your reputation up. Get your reputation out there, weather the storms. These things are difficult. They're hard. But I'll tell you what, it's been the most rewarding part of my life. Even though it has caused me so many gray hairs and sleepless nights and headaches and yada yada yada. If I I can't even imagine going back to a 9 to 5 job, I can't imagine not being a business owner. I just can't function like that in my life anymore. I've always been a little odd, but at this point in my life, absolutely there's no way I could go back. So I'm hoping that this episode, kind of pointed put a spotlight on things for you, and I hope it's helped you cope with some things. You know, maybe you're still going through it right now. I'm hoping that this inspires you to just keep pushing through. That's why I always say that. So anyway, as always, God Bless. Keep pushing through and we'll catch you on the next one. Thank you once again for listening. If you've enjoyed the show, please leave a review and share it with fellow business owners. Your support means the world to me and helps keep the show going strong. I want to give a special shout out to our friends at Yardbook. Their continued support has been instrumental in bringing this podcast to you week after week. If you haven't checked them out yet, visit yardbook.com and see how they can give you the tools to streamline and manage your lawn care business. Also, don't forget to explore the resources and upcoming events that I've collected just for you in the show Notes. These are curated to help you stay ahead in your business with the latest tips, tools and networking opportunities. Whether it's a new tool, an insightful article, or an event you don't want to miss, I've got you covered. Until next time, keep pushing through and God bless. Sam.