From Olympians to Entrepreneurs — Here is Their Gold Medal Technique

Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing have competed in curling for Crew Canada in a mixed complete of three Olympic video games — with Jennifer successful Gold in 2014 — in order that they each know one thing about dedication. Now, after retiring from competing, they’re bringing that very same aggressive spirit and dedication to their household garden care franchise, Weed Man, in Ontario, Canada.

“The transition’s been actually enjoyable,” Jones says, of the ice-to-grass shift.” After retiring from competitors [in April 2024] and in search of what to do subsequent, it appeared like an important match. It is a well-established enterprise and simply coping with the shoppers and making an attempt to be taught the enterprise has been a number of enjoyable.”

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Weed Man

Ontario-based garden care firm Weed Man, ranked #281 on the 2024 Franchise 500, was already acquainted to Laing — his dad and mom initially opened the franchise in 1982, then bought a neighboring territory in 1992. Laing, who’s a three-time Canadian and world champion who narrowly missed medaling within the 2018 Olympic Video games, labored on the franchise when he was a teen and in his early 20s. The model, he defined, has grow to be a part of the material of his household, and when his dad and mom started speaking about promoting, it obtained him and Jones pondering.

“My mother and pop put their blood, sweat and tears into this for 40 years,” he says, “no matter who was going to purchase, it was simply going to be unusual to not have it within the household.”

So when his dad and mom lastly determined to retire earlier this 12 months, it appeared like an ideal entrepreneurial alternative for Jones and Laing.

“We had been taking a look at making an attempt to start out a enterprise or create an entrepreneurship surroundings for our household,” Jones says, “and so it appeared like the proper match.”

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Olympic classes

So does being a world champion Olympic athlete translate to franchising? Jones — who’s a lawyer by commerce, so she’s not utterly new to the enterprise surroundings — thinks so.

“It is the aggressive nature and at all times making an attempt to try to be higher,” she says. “As an athlete, you are by no means glad with the established order. You are at all times making an attempt to determine methods to be higher.”

She provides that work ethic, the idea in your self and the willingness to take constructive criticism are additionally expertise and traits she’s carrying over from competing to her franchise life.

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Neighborhood First

Laing and Jones are dedicated to fostering a way of group by way of their franchise. They emphasize the significance of native involvement and buyer relationships, an method laid out by Laing’s father when he opened the franchise within the Eighties.

“It was simply my dad to start with, him and a truck, knocking on doorways,” Laing says, “and we have by no means overpassed that, It is a household enterprise. It is a huge firm, however we have at all times targeted on that it is the Laing household enterprise.”

Jones factors out that they’re actually a community-based enterprise — their workplace is true within the middle of city — and provides that that visibility is important to being the kind of enterprise they’re.

“We get to know our prospects this fashion,” she says, “they arrive by the workplace and I like listening to their tales.”

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Balancing household and enterprise

As dad and mom and enterprise house owners, Jones and Laing are understandably busy. They’ve two daughters collectively who’re beneath 13 and Laing has an older son from a earlier marriage. Based on Jones, working a thriving franchise shouldn’t be a lot completely different from aggressive curling, so far as the entire household is worried.

“It has been our life for the reason that children had been little,” she says, of the hectic schedule. “Our two daughters have come on the street with us their entire lives and understood that flexibility is part of our life. So it is simply grow to be a part of our household, identical to curling was.”

The household really feel, together with their children serving to across the workplace, is one thing that they wish to preserve. Each Jones and Laing mentioned they really feel an vital duty to the legacy of Laing’s dad and mom — each in preserving the enterprise working sturdy and in persevering with the small enterprise really feel that has made it profitable.

“It is a balancing act,” Laing says, “we’ve got to be sure that we preserve it native and family-focused and be sure that we at all times reply the telephones and we do not grow to be too company. We wish to make cash, we wish to develop, however it’s all about that status that mother and pop have labored so exhausting to construct.”

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