Blue Collar StartUp - Episode 22: Brad Lewis (Lewis Lawn Care & Masonry)

In this episode, our hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster interview Brad Lewis, the hard-working owner of Lewis Lawn Care & Masonry! He started at a very young age without even having a car to take him between clients; but he grew his "side hustle" into a successful business with hard work and dedication! Take a listen and find out how!

Welcome to Blue Collar StartUp, the podcast!

Our Mission is Simple: To facilitate the growth and development of Blue Collar businesses. We will showcase REAL Blue Collar businesses in interviews, and use these stories to help educate and empower the next generation of trades workers to become Blue Collar business owners!

Brad Lewis - Lewis Lawn Care & Masonry

00:00:15 - Introduction: Marketing with “Money” Mike Nelson
00:02:25 - A Brief Overview of Brad Lewis: Master Mason, Handy Hardscaper!
00:04:42 - Starting Young: Want a New Skateboard? Get Mowin’!
00:07:04 - Learning From (and Teaching) Sub-Contractors… Way up High!
00:08:52 - Securing Equipment… Without a Car!
00:11:45 - Working Within Walking Distance
00:13:24 - Running the Mile
00:15:46 - Pathetic Pay Entering White Collar… Screw It! Blue All the Way!
00:18:22 - Tutoring Economics… But Teaching? No Way! Brad’s a Machine!
00:20:30 - Sleep is for the WEAK! Work, Learn, and Work Some More!
00:23:14 - Back to the Present: Home and Apartment Rehabbing with the Crew
00:26:59 - Doing Nothing?.. No Way! FIRE Movement Counter-Intuitive?
00:31:30 - Restoring Busted-Up Homes: “Be a Good Steward”
00:34:45 - Don’t Be Afraid of Your Employees Spreading Their Wings - Support It!
00:40:01 - Finding Customers: The Single Most Important Part of Business!
00:44:12 - The Future… Let it Come! You Can’t Plan For the Unknown!
00:46:27 - Lawnwork?.. Not Worth It! Get a Goat!
00:50:20 - “Foster Freedom”: Value Your Workers and Their Families!
00:53:17 - Brad’s #1 Piece of Advice: Spread Your Work Out, Don’t Try to “Burn a Year”!
00:56:40 - The 5:30 AM Riser: Get Emails Out of the Way and Plan Your Day!
00:58:20 - Closing Remarks: Masonry, Not Masonary! hardhat@bluecollarstartup.io