Teens are gaining practical skills and business savvy through a cool nonprofit.
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis nonprofit is teaching teenagers how to start their own lawn mowing business - but it is about much more than just cutting grass.
Teens are learning marketing, customer service and cash flow, but most importantly, they're gaining confidence and building character.
Jacob Couch is the owner of "J's Lucrative Max Mowing." You could call him the lawnmower whisperer - because this kid is that good at fixing stuff.
"I was like working on this for an hour and when I pulled it and it started, I was like, 'Yes, yes, yes!'" Jacob said, about his latest lawnmower repair. "I was so happy."
But the soon-to-be Riverside High School sophomore didn't know much about these machines until a few months ago.
"I knew how to like push them. I knew how to like cut grass. But nothing - absolutely nothing - about fixing them," he said.
"I'm a pro," Jacob exclaimed. "What can I say, I'm a pro!"
He's one of the biggest success stories of The Lawnmower Project.
Based out of a repair shop along the canal in Broad Ripple, The Lawnmower Project is giving teens the tools to be their own boss, start their own business and earn cash by mowing lawns and repairing mowers.
"Yeah, I'm making money. Ten dollars an hour," Jacob said with a clap of his hands.
"Cash dollar," added Za'Niyah Turner - known as "Z", a Shortridge High School student and owner of Z Turner Landscape. "I'm hoping to start a savings account this year as soon as I turn 17 to buy a car with this money."
Gary Szymczak founded the nonprofit. He's like a proud dad watching young people achieve. And he says mowing lawns is how so many successful adults started out, back in the day.
"You're going to be able to take those skills and transfer them to whatever you do. So, that's what's great I think. I have such a great feeling about it," Szymczak said.
The Lawnmower Project started with just one mower.
A couple years ago, Gary spotted a lawnmower someone gave up on, on the curb, and fixed it. He started finding and fixing more and decided underserved youth could really benefit from these.
In order to start their own company, kids sign a pledge: never give up, represent the project with respect and mow the lawn of at least one person in need for free.
Then, Szymczak gives each teen a mower and mentors them as entrepreneurs.
"We tell them how to get business, where to get business, how to negotiate money, the financial literacy comes in," he explained. "It's just crazy the things that you learn, you know, having your own business like that and how you can relate it to other things."
Six companies formed last year through The Lawnmower Project. Another six started this year. Z Turner Landscape, a brother-sister team, is thriving.
They're not just getting customers, but keeping them, which takes skill.
"We have the business cards, the shirts, the lawnmowers," Turner explained. "And then we also have us, our caring self, just here to serve people, here to help. It's more than just cutting grass. You're actually talking to people. You're learning how to communicate better."
Z started the company first and then her brother, Za'Kariah, saw a flyer at school, and decided to be part of it, too.
Zak has autism. He has blossomed with this project.
"I mean, I'm getting good at it," Zak said. "It teaches me a lot, actually. And then you can take that aspect and be effective, but with a different setting."
"I love that! That was great," Z responded.
These teens say they've seen personal changes thanks to The Lawnmower Project.
"Maturity. Improvement. Greatness," Zak said.
And they're making future plans.
Z wants to grow the business and wants to inspire other kids, too.
"I want to get kids off the street," she said, "so they know they have other options than to just be going outside doing violence from everything, when you could just be out here hustling and making serious money like a young adult's supposed to."
And if you still doubt a lawnmower can change lives?
Just look at Jacob.
"Because it gives you a sense of responsibility and a sense of importance. Because when you're important, then you feel inside you that you're needed. So you feel good about yourself," he said. "Yeah, I feel pretty good."
Turns out cutting grass can lead to big time growth.
If you'd like to learn more about the project or donate to help the mission, click here.
