In an era of AI fakery and fake news, star of the CutCrew YouTube channel, Jack Churchman has built his grounds maintenance business through authenticity and it has served him well. Eschewing the 'easy' money of kit sponsorship, he has won respect, credibility and work by sticking to his principles and maintaining standards.
Inspired by his mum and grandad who were keen gardeners, he got his first job at a golf course at the tender age of 9. After a spell in the military he used his spare time to work for free on gardens and golf courses during the pandemic and gradually turned it into a business.
Blessed with a ferocious work ethic, tenacity, resilience and a restlessness, he now at least partly attributes to ADHD, Churchman built his landscape maintenance business from the ground up and he is candid about the challenges of finding finance to grow his company with "no mummy and daddy to lend me £100k or whatever".
As much as YouTube has served Churchman, it has drawn some unwanted attention, tipping off burglars looking to move expensive machinery to competitors trying to sabotage CutCrew by trolling, misrepresenting and even stalking him. Despite the dramas, however, he maintains "the benefits far outweigh the negatives".
But interspersed with laughs and self-deprecation that have made Churchman such a YouTube phenomenon, is frank discussion of the challenges of running a business, negotiating competition, issues with late payment, spreading of risk, pricing, cost pressures and being responsible for people's livelihoods.
The podcast is also littered with tips and hard-won wisdom on how to win clients. And his advice to prospective entrepreneurs?: "Chase the thing you like, know and love from the beginning".
Podcast producer: HortWeek digital content manager, Christina Taylor
Podcast presenter: HortWeek senior reporter, Rachael Forsyth
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