A Champion’s Mentality: Meet Weed Man’s Olympic Heroes
If you were to build the perfect Weed Man franchise owners, they would be adaptable, hardworking, and team-oriented. That’s why Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing are such a perfect fit.
The husband-and-wife team has succeeded on the world's largest stages as Olympic and world champion curlers. If you ask us, that gives them the perfect DNA to be successful franchisees.
“We're just a part of a different team. This is a team that delivers customer service in the lawn care industry, whereas before it was a team that delivered shot-making on the curling ice. It's the same,” said Laing.
A Family Business
That focus on teamwork isn’t the only reason that Weed Man was the perfect next chapter after their curling careers. Laing is actually a second-generation owner.
“Mom and Dad bought the first franchise in Collingwood in 1982. I was born in 1978,” said Laing. “So I don't remember life without the green and yellow truck in the driveway.”
Jones added, “It meant a lot to us to be able to keep it in the family because his parents had worked so hard to make it so successful.”
“We have such a strong relationship, strong friendship, and so much respect for each other that it just seemed natural for us to go into business together and try to use that strength that we have in our relationship to try to be successful in business.”
There’s No ‘I’ in Weed Man
Jones and Laing’s ability to perform on high-level teams is unquestionable.
Between them, they have:
Laing:
Competed in the 2018 Olympics
Is a 3-time gold medalist at the World Curling Championships (2007, 2012, and 2016
Jones:
Competed in the Olympics in 2022 and 2014, bringing home the gold from Sochi in 2014
Is a 2-time gold medalist at the World Curling Championships, as well as a 1-time silver medalist, and 1-time bronze medalist in (2018, 2008, 2015, and 2010)
These successes prepared them for their first challenge as Weed Man owners: build a different type of winning team.
“It's just about learning and educating, and then just trying to surround ourselves with the best possible people. And that's what you do in sport. If you surround yourself with like-minded people, you will be successful,” said Jones.
“So you want to have a good balance and versatility, and surround yourself with people that are smarter than you, and you're gonna do great things.”
Laing added, “We just want to get marginally 1% better everywhere, whether that's the customer service or how we empower our technician team, or how we empower the office staff, or the training that we do. I think we're only as good as the training we provide for our people.”
Think Like a Champion
A champion is not someone who has never lost. They’re someone who has lost, but never lost the lesson in defeat.
Jones and Laing have this champion’s perspective, and it has served them well in dealing with the ups and downs of running their own business.
“In sport, you don't look at losses or challenges as the end of the world. You look at that as an opportunity,” said Jones. “Let's sit back, debrief, and figure out how we can change that and make it better. And so we kind of lose that defeatist mindset, and that's been really helpful.”
Laing added, “You plan, you execute, you debrief, and you replan, and you execute, and you debrief. And all the way along, it's not a straight line up. But it's all about getting better at what you do, and being more efficient.”
If you’re a natural team player and have a competitive fire, you belong on the Weed Man team! You can start the next exciting chapter of your life by clicking here for a consultation.