The sun hasn’t even started to rise when Braedan Steahle’s alarm goes off. During the summer, most of his classmates at Morgan sleep in late or spend their time at the beach, while Braedan fuels up his truck and lawn mowers for a long day of work.
Braedan doesn’t have the usual summer job at a restaurant or grocery store; instead, he owns a lawn care company called B and J’s – a business that takes him 40 minutes away from his home to the historic town of Mystic. “It’s definitely challenging,” said Steahle. “Gas and maintenance are expensive, so we’ve had to raise prices a bit, but most customers understand that we need to cover costs to keep the business running.”
Operating a business in your own neighborhood is one thing, but locating your business in a high-demand area like Mystic requires a different level of commitment. Braedan’s decision to locate his business away from Clinton was strategic. Mystic has waterfront estates, steep hills, and the need for high curb appeal.
“I started my business just trying to make some extra money. I used a borrowed push mower, a used weedwhacker, and started with a few neighbors. Over time, more people asked us to mow, but I was limited until I could drive.” A few summers back, Braedan met his mentor, Wolfie. He was the local landscaper; he took Braedan under his wing to teach him mowing patterns, how to properly trim bushes, and most importantly, how to deal with customers. Wolfie was at the age of retirement, and he was impressed with Steahle’s drive and hunger for work, so he sold Braedan his business, knowing he would continue his legacy. “Now I have trucks, professional equipment, and around 30 accounts, and we do everything from mowing to mulching and small projects,” said Braedan.
Morgan is known for its “Husky Grit,” usually reserved for the classroom or on the sports fields, Braedan applies that to his business, too. Running a business at seventeen means he must deal with customer service, pricing, managing his business money, and long days of work. One of Steahle’s biggest challenges has been keeping up with the financial books. Monthly billing became a problem for Braedan because of all the expense tracking, so he’s switching to weekly invoices this year to keep things simple.
While classmates are sleeping, Braedan is planning his mowing route for the day to ensure he can mow each client weekly. The work is tiring; he spends all day working in the hot summer weather. Sometimes, he finishes one job and realizes he has five more before his day ends. “I still have some time to enjoy my summer, but work definitely comes first most days. It’s a balance, but I like being busy and making money.”
Braedan didn’t always have a thriving business; it started with old equipment and figuring out the basics of landscaping. Braedan made plenty of beginner mistakes, like when starting anything new. Whether it was crooked stripes or cutting a lawn too short, those mistakes were part of building a better business. “ I made the mistake of underpricing a job and realizing too late that I wasn’t making enough profit. Instead of backing out, I finished the job strongly and explained the situation to the client for future work, which helped me adjust my pricing without losing them.” Braedan persevered through the messy times and used every mistake to get better. He learned that your reputation is everything, and that one bad job can cost you an entire street of clients.
When Braedan attends the Massachusetts Maritime Academy this fall, he won’t be mowing as consistently, but he will take the knowledge he learned with him. “Running a business has made me much better at time management and staying disciplined, said Steahle, “I’m more focused and organized because I’m used to balancing a lot.” His real-world experience of running a business has taught him more than a book ever could. Braedan Steahle is proof that big ideas and a strong work ethic can make any dream a reality.