Jennifer Lemcke grew up within the garden care enterprise along with her dad proudly owning a Weed Man franchise. Over the course of 30 years, the household went from a one-territory franchisee, to buying the worldwide rights to the Weed Man model and rising it right into a $387 million enterprise.
At the moment Lemcke is CEO of the Toronto-based group with greater than 300 Weed Man franchises throughout Canada, the U.S. and the UK, and has plans to grow to be a $1 billion firm. In an interview, she shares perception into her profession journey, what it took to develop the model internationally and necessary classes she’s discovered alongside the best way.
Inform us about your profession journey.
During the last 30 years, I’ve labored nearly each place at Weed Man—from advertising and marketing to administration to discipline technician. It began in 1986 when my dad, Roger Mongeon, purchased his first Weed Man franchise in Hull, Quebec. At the moment, he was a one-territory franchisee. By expansions and acquisitions, he quickly grew to become Weed Man’s largest multi-unit franchisee.
In 1992, my husband and I joined Weed Man, did a yr as managers-in-training, then started our franchisee journey in Ottawa, Ontario. It proved to be a superb match. In simply six years, we grew the enterprise from $240,000 after we acquired it to $2 million.
Inside 10 years of my dad’s rise to the highest of the Canadian franchisees, he approached Weed Man founder Des Rice to buy the rights for the Weed Man model in america. Together with our staff of devoted sub franchisors, who’re charged with awarding and supporting franchisees of their native areas, we started constructing the model in america. And in 2018, we had the chance to buy the worldwide rights to the Weed Man model.
Now, Weed Man is a $387 million firm, and probably the most thrilling chapter continues to be being written. We’re at a significant turning level for Weed Man, as we embark on a digital transformation, which is a flowery approach of claiming we’re modernizing our applied sciences and our information.
We’re standardizing the best way we do enterprise, so we are able to keep aggressive within the altering landscapes of digital and conventional advertising and marketing, know-how, automation and AI. And we’re taking the time to do it proper, partnering with consultants and investing in our imaginative and prescient: to be a $1 billion firm.
I’m so blessed to be surrounded by the unimaginable individuals who have gotten us this far. It’s rewarding to see the staff embrace change and tackle immense challenges for the betterment of the model, but additionally for the success of franchisees and rising profession alternatives for workers.
What classes have you ever discovered alongside the best way?
It is advisable have a transparent imaginative and prescient. It needs to be audacious however achievable, and it must be one thing your franchisees can purchase into. You additionally want to elucidate what’s in it for them. Weed Man’s imaginative and prescient is to be a $1 billion firm. What does that imply for our individuals? It means extra success, stronger belongings and alternatives for his or her employees members. Afterall, you don’t wish to simply give individuals a job—you wish to give them a profession. That’s what a imaginative and prescient ought to provide you with.
It’s additionally necessary to maintain rating. When you don’t hold rating, individuals gained’t know the place they sit they usually are likely to grow to be complacent. When you don’t hold rating, the limiting mindsets spiral and take maintain. While you do hold rating, nevertheless, everybody has a clearer image. Folks can see a close-by market succeeding and it clears the idea window. It additionally motivates your employees after they can see the rankings; they assume: We are able to do that, too! We have now the expertise and the flexibility, so let’s get it achieved.
As a franchisor, it’s important to focus in your franchisees’ success. We all the time discuss concerning the thought of servant management, of placing others first. I do know that if I assist our franchisees attain their targets, I’ll achieve success. We’re very centered on teaching and assist, serving to our franchisees grow to be enterprise house owners.
This can be a community stuffed with proficient people who find themselves all the time solely a cellphone name away and prepared to drop all the things and assist. We’re responsive, we embrace our individuals in main selections and we’ve earned loads of belief, which positively goes each methods. It’s necessary to have that infrastructure and that community of assist.
What was it prefer to launch a model in a brand new nation?
Once we determined to franchise in america, we have been already working the biggest multi-unit in Canada, and we confronted the problem of readying our methods and processes to be used in america, which, in some methods, is a complete totally different ball recreation. However one thing that now we have, which many franchisors within the trade wouldn’t have, is that boots-on-the-ground garden care expertise.
We grew up within the garden care trade after which grew to become the franchisor, whereas in lots of different methods, the franchisor begins with the model and hasn’t actually lived and breathed the day-to-day operations. At Weed Man, most of our head workplace has hands-on expertise on the franchise degree. I’ve personally labored nearly each place at Weed Man, and I all the time lean on that perspective.
What recommendation do it’s important to aspiring younger girls professionals?
Early in my profession, I discovered myself rising rapidly. I’d go from committee member to board member to govt staff in a matter of months, and that got here with challenges. Typically, I used to be the one girl within the room, which meant I used to be delegated duties like notetaking and appointment-making. And on high of that, my dad was the chairman of the board, so I had lots to show.
My dad gave me a vital piece of recommendation, which I’d go on to any younger girl in enterprise. He stated, “Go in there and pay attention.” He knew that if I listened—actually listened—I’d discover my place within the firm and the trade, and that has turned out to be true. By listening, I may determine gaps and alternatives that others have been lacking. And impulsively, I grew to become an professional in these matters.
I’ve all the time had a hearth within the pit of my abdomen. It has fueled me from the beginning. I might not be the neatest particular person within the room or probably the most educated, however I’ll out-work everybody. I’ll pay attention and actually hear. It’s what will get me away from bed and drives me to place within the hours.
