This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Lemcke, CEO of Weed Man. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I was not happy when my dad decided to purchase a Weed Man lawn care franchise. At the time, I was in 10th grade. It was difficult to accept that we were moving from our home near Toronto to Ottawa, just to pull weeds. To this day, my dad swears there was a family meeting about it, but I don’t think there was.
Despite my reluctance, I made friends in Ottawa and settled in quickly. I’ve always been very money-motivated, so I would pick up shifts and odd jobs for my dad. That helped me earn money to buy a car and cover my insurance, but I didn’t have much interest in joining the family business. Instead, I went to college to study political science.
I was drawn by my dad’s financial success
During school, I worked full-time in telecommunications at the university. My boss was a great mentor. Although he was working for the school, he was very entrepreneurial-minded, and he encouraged me to think that way, too.
My dad was buying up more and more Weed Man franchise territories. I was seeing him purchasing nicer cars and bigger houses. That really attracted me to the business.
When I was 21, my now-husband and I decided to purchase our own franchise, while also becoming investors with my dad. Other family and friends followed us, including my uncle, the best man at our wedding, and that friend’s brothers.
Really, Weed Man was a big family business to its core. Because of that, I’m motivated to make money not only for myself, but for my franchisees and employees, many of whom are family.
I worked extra hard to prove myself in my dad’s business
Working with my dad wasn’t easy. I joke that I experienced reverse nepotism, but there’s some truth to that. There were times when I worked more hours but earned less than my colleagues.
I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I’ll work harder than anyone else. In my soul, I needed to work extra to prove myself to my dad and our franchisees. I wanted them to know that I was there alongside them, feeling any pain they were feeling.
My kids were forced to be independent
Around 2000, my dad’s ownership group purchased the American rights to Weed Man. I was the chief operating officer, so I traveled often while we expanded into the US.
I had three kids at home, so that wasn’t easy. Sometimes, I had to give the kids Tylenol and send them to school when they weren’t feeling well, because I couldn’t miss an important meeting. If they wanted to play sports, they had to organize their own rides. I had a nanny even when they were in high school, and she was a lifesaver, but I still questioned whether I was doing the right thing as a working mom.
During that period, work came first, the kids came second, and my husband was third. I was further down the list, after the pets. There was no work-life balance or harmony, but I was motivated by the idea of making this business a success for the people who had been alongside me for decades.
In the end, it all turned out OK. My kids — who are now 26, 28, 31 — are incredibly hard workers. Their dad and I instilled that in them. My daughter and her husband work for the business.
My desire to make money isn’t a bad thing
I became the CEO of Weed Man in 2020, replacing my dad. Last year, the business did more than $426 million in revenue. My dad is the chairman of the board, so we still work together frequently. Our relationship feels more balanced these days, and we’re often aligned on our thinking.
My career has never been selfish: at my core, I’m driven by the desire to make money for my franchisees and my family. There’s nothing bad about that. Money allows you to do things that matter to you (like, for me, supporting youth sports).
I’m grateful I’ve been able to help facilitate that for myself and my family, as well as for the families we’ve touched through franchising.
