Christine Whelan, FEO April 28, 2022, VOL. 3 ISSUE 18
From weekly, lawn maintenance to assisting residents with rehabilitating their lawns, the owner of The Erie Beach Lawn Care Company, Brian Graham, makes sure he follows his own motto, I want to treat your property as if it’s my own.
This is not hard for Brian to do as he has created his new business for his new hometown using skills and experience reaching back his entire life, including his own property.
Graham shared, “My parents always had the beautiful gardens and yard that people talked about. For me, it wasn’t so much the gardens but it would be about my lawn. The neighbours would ask me, ‘Hey Brian, how do you keep your lawn so great? It’s the best lawn on the street. What’s your secret?’ For me, it’s a pride of ownership thing. It’s what I was raised with.”
And about his business sense, “I’ve been entrepreneurial my whole life. I remember being about five or six years old, living in our family home. When we first moved into that neighbourhood, a brand new subdivision under construction, I went around with my dad, collecting a bunch of scrap wood. I put the wood on my little red wagon and went around, knocking door to door, asking neighbours if they wanted to buy any wood for their fireplaces.”
Forwarding a few years, “I’ve been cutting grass since I was a teenager. Also, when I was a teenager, I was detailing cars. I was printing off flyers and going around my neighbourhood to promote this service. So, I’ve always had this entrepreneurial spirit.”
From the time Brian was 19 years old, he has been in technology sales. But then, the pivotal point arrived. “In 2018, I was let go at the company I was working for. That was a pretty depressing time for me. I had to try and figure out what my next move in life was going to be.”
When Graham turned 40, he started going to the gym. “I got really healthy, looking fit, and really liked the gym franchise that I had joined. I decided to buy into this franchise.”
Brian explained why this business venture did not pan out for him. “In 2019, I had to make the decision to stop that pursuit.”
And then the pandemic hit. “In 2020, I had to sell my house.” Before making his way to Fort Erie, Brian had lived in Milton for 11 years. “I decided to then rent in Milton for a year just to give me some more time to figure out what I was going to do. I started taking a certificate course on social media, and digital advertising at York.”
But he began noticing a difference.
He was noticing that, through the pandemic, with a lot of the changes people had been making with their lives, they were taking opportunities to slow down, reflect inward a little, think about things. This topic of be happy with what you do, in the sales world, did not exist. According to Brian, no matter how good you are, there is always a need to strive for more, compete and compare, push and pull.
“Just as I’m trying to figure life out, out of the blue, my parents, retired and now in their 70s, announced they were moving out of the family home in the Hamilton area into a new home in this absolutely beautiful neighbourhood, in Ridgeway.
“And once they moved in, my dad immediately, even though he had a nicely landscaped home, needed to put his mark on it.” So, he called Brian down to help.
“While coming down to do this work on his property, I had my peepers looking around, checking out this new neighbourhood that we were all getting used to, seeing all the homes and lawns being taken care of.”
He began exploring the Fort Erie area, outside his parents’ neighbourhood. Other properties. Bigger properties. He noticed that maybe these bigger properties might be harder to take care of.
He then turned to the internet, and platforms like YouTube — he called them knowledge centres — and absorbed each lesson, each trick of the lawn care trade.
This is when Brian, at 45 years old, made the decision to move to Fort Erie. He moved in mid-November, along with 40 years of valuable and valid life experience.
“I realize that my customers are going to be primarily the older generation that’s in town who are retired and still living at home independently. They know how they want their property to look but these days, it’s not as easy to keep up, whether it be mobility issues or health issues.
“Maybe there’s been a recent injury that occurred over the winter. Or even being afraid of something happening to them, say their backs, if they try to do the work.”
Brian looks forward to hearing from anyone, down to those who love and appreciate a beautiful lawn but just don’t want to do the work anymore.
The Truck
The Erie Beach Lawn Care Company truck’s colour gives the impression of a vintage throwback by design. “Turquoise was a pretty popular colour when it came to vehicles, back in the ‘50s and ‘60s”. Potential customers may recall.
“It gets a lot of attention. Many people have said, ‘I’ve seen you around town’. I wasn’t sure how people would take the colour.” Graham said about 98% of the feedback has been positive.
“I don’t know a soul here, other than my parents. I need to get noticed. I thought about green but green is used by other companies. I wanted to stand out like a sore thumb.”
Brian was hoping his trailer would be in, in time for this story however it was still on its way at the time of this interview. “The trailer will have a big design on it.” Watch the Fort Erie streets for the trailer.
The turquoise is working so well for Brian, that he decided to use it as part of his brand. He bought a turquoise watch and a pair of shoes the same colour.
The Name
Being new to the area, and being a history buff, Brian dug into the local history after he moved down. He learned about the obvious, the Old Fort. Then he became aware that, just beyond the fort area, was once an amusement park. “I completely dove into that research, got material from the historical society, and started asking around.
“I started asking some of the older folks I’d gotten to know around town if I used the name Erie Beach Lawn Company, would it click with people or would people not make the connection? Is Erie Beach forgotten? And I was told, oh yes, it would be recognized.” So, Brian decided to name his new business after a piece of his new hometown’s rich history.
Not Just Lawn Care
Graham admits, “I like to talk a lot. I enjoy conversations and meeting other folks. Just having a very nice, down to earth conversation with them. Because it’s not all about their lawn. And I realized it’s so rewarding. There’s a sense of fulfillment in this type of connection. And I know that I’m going to build relationships with these clients over time.” Brian says it’s the little gestures of kindness that make the difference.
Returning a phone call and showing up on time goes a long way. “I take these things very seriously. I’m in a small town now where word travels fast. I want people to only hear positive things about me.”
Brian is so happy to be living the small town experience. Coming from a fast-paced, larger city, he talked about how appreciative he is of the welcoming friendliness of the general, local population. “When I first moved in, all three neighbours of mine, all in their 70’s, came over and introduced themselves immediately, starting a conversation.”
A New Business, A New Awareness
Brian was diagnosed in the fall with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He shared that his diagnosis was like an answer to all the confusion he experienced growing up. Once he was diagnosed, so much about his life made sense. “And now, I’m able to better harness it and better manage it.”
After doing some research, he discovered that those with ADHD have the capabilities of being very successful in life. “Once you know you have it, it’s like a superpower. There’s this ability to multi-task and work really hard on things. The struggle is trying to find the balance and to hold the focus.” Graham has become an advocate for living with ADHD and other forms of mental health.
“I always felt that there was something different about me, that sometimes I wasn’t good enough.” This becomes the obstacle. “Apparently, that is a very common feeling people with ADHD come to recognize.
“I find that, in going through all the motions right now with this business, I’m learning about myself, noticing more about myself, now that I have this diagnosis.”
Graham is taking his new business brought to his new hometown seriously, describing himself as very committed to his plan. Part of that commitment, he adds, is holding onto some of those good old fashioned values.
“My service is professional, reliable, fully licenced and insured. A lot of customers have been asking about weeds. I’m in the process of getting my sprayer’s licence from the province.
With The Erie Beach Lawn Care Company, you get what you pay for. “I won’t leave until my customer is happy.”
To contact Brian, you can find him on Facebook at The Erie Beach Lawn Care Company. On this page, you will find a very easy form to fill out. To speak with Brian personally, call the business line, 289-321-3877.
To request a free site assessment, go to the company’s website: eriebeachlawncare.com
PHOTO provided by Brian Graham
