From 15 to 25 Lawn Clients: How Richard Built Nature’s Lawn Care in Denver

In this episode of The Contractor Grow Show, Mark sits down with Richard Safo, founder of Nature’s Lawn Care in Lakewood, Colorado, to unpack how he turned a small COVID side hustle into a growing local lawn care business serving Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, and Aurora. You’ll hear how Richard quit his full-time job with just 15 clients, pushed through losing nearly half of them, and still managed to grow to about 25 recurring customers by focusing on relationships, word of mouth, and relentless hustle. We dig into his simple but effective sales process, why he insists on visiting every property in person, and how listening first (instead of talking over customers) has become his secret weapon. Richard also shares how he cobbles together marketing—Nextdoor ads, EDDM postcards, door hangers, and even putting cards on cars at the park—to keep his phone ringing. For lawn and landscape pros, his first winter going full time is a must-listen segment, from slow snow seasons to budgeting and saving enough in the busy months to make it through. If you’re a lawn care or landscaping contractor wondering when to go all in, how far to travel for jobs, or how to keep revenue coming in a seasonal business, this conversation will give you real-world insight from someone in the trenches right now. Bullet points: How Richard turned a COVID side hustle into Nature’s Lawn Care in Lakewood, COQuitting his full-time job with 15 clients, losing nearly half, and rebuilding to 25Simple, relationship-first sales process from first text or call to on-site estimateWhy in-person property visits and truly listening to customers set him apartGrassroots marketing mix: word of mouth, Nextdoor ads, EDDM, door hangers, and moreNavigating Colorado’s slow winter season with minimal snow work and smart savingDialing in service area to cut travel costs while still serving Denver, Lakewood, Littleton, and AuroraHow to contact Nature’s Lawn Care via phone, Instagram, and LinkedIn to book services