Meet Jayden Kazantsev | Founder and CEO of JMK Lawn Service, LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jayden Kazantsev and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jayden, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
For the most, I have had a pretty happy and conventional upbringing. I spent the first nine years of my life on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest. Those days were full of getting lost in the deep green shrubbery, jumping from tree to tree, creating magical miniature fairy villages, and enjoying pure, unbridled fun, generally by myself. Nature was my happy place and my one escape from my daily torture, which was school. Even by the age of nine, I could not read or write, which made school nearly impossible. This led to me having no close friends and feeling like I was “the dumb kid.” In search of a better schooling experience, my family and I moved to Boulder, Colorado. After we moved, I turned ten, and as a birthday gift, I finally found out why I couldn’t read or keep up in my classes. It turns out it wasn’t because I was stupid or not trying hard enough; it was because I was severely dyslexic. This information explained why I could not read and why it took me hours to do my homework as a 3rd grader while my classmates finished their work in class.
One day I was asked to read a story in front of my class. I stood up there, struggling to read as the class laughed. I remember feeling the hot, prickly waves of embarrassment course throughout my body. After that day, my parents decided it was time to address my dyslexia head-on. They enrolled me in a half day program specifically for dyslexia in Boulder. There, I was welcomed with open arms by a whole community of kids like me, struggling just like me, and teachers who understood dyslexia and could help me. Those days were filled with countless hours breaking down words-syllable by syllable, sentences-word by word, paragraphs-sentence by sentence, then eventually, entire pages-paragraph by paragraph. In the mornings, I worked my brain to exhaustion at the dyslexia program, and then had to work many more hours to keep my head above water at regular school, while my classmates were outside playing soccer.
Spending some of the most formative years of my life stuck inside, breaking down the English language to the total bare bones, has made me no stranger to what hard work and grit can achieve. After four years of hard work, I finally started to get it, and by ninth grade, I was reading close to grade level. After that, I hit my stride. I got on the honor roll with a 4.0 GPA for the first time in my life, and continued to get all A’s for the rest of high school.
Growing up with dyslexia has instilled a burning drive inside of me that has acted like an eternal flame. This flame led me to start a lawn care company, JMK Lawn Service, when I was in middle school, and once I was able to drive, I decided I wanted to turn this tiny business into something more serious. And that is exactly what happened. In 2020, I formalized the business into an LLC. And In 2021, it grew to having over one hundred active clients, encompassing small landscaping projects, lawn treatments, cleanups, and weekly mowing. With the profit from previous years, I purchased two trucks, a trailer, multiple mowers and equipment. I was also able to hire a small crew of guys to work with me. While I continue my education at the University of Colorado Boulder, I plan to keep and grow JMK Lawn Service LLC and start my real estate rental investing career.
Growing up in Washington, then in Boulder, and struggling with dyslexia in both places has formed me into the person I am today. If it were not for Washington, I would not appreciate the subtle rustle of the trees on a windy day and the simple beauty of a cloudy day. If it were not for Boulder, I most likely would not have gotten the help I needed for my dyslexia. I also would not have had the platform to grow my business and, in turn, not self-educate myself on real estate, investing, and business in general. Also, I am not sure if there is a better place to grow up than in colorful Colorado. If it weren’t for my struggles with dyslexia, I don’t think I would have nearly as much drive to achieve my goals in life. These three main factors have played a significant role in my upbringing, but nothing has played a bigger role than my parents. I really do owe them everything.
My upbringing might have been a little bit different than others, but I know everyone experiences hardship, faces personal challenges, and significant life changes. Life is not always going to be nice, fun, or pleasant, but if we have the strength to not back down from those challenges, we will turn into the best version of ourselves—one that is resilient, empathetic, kind, and in my opinion a total badass.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started JMK Lawn Service when I was 12 years old. The business was born from the desire to buy more candy. Limited to where I could push my mower, I mowed a few lawns in my neighborhood for $20 each and felt pretty darn good about myself. I enjoyed the hard work, being outside, and listening to audiobooks while I mowed. As I got older, my taste in audiobooks shifted from Harry Potter to books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, How to Make Friends and Influence People, and Think and Grow Rich. Once I started to develop a taste for business books and self-help books, I could not help myself from spending more money on books than I ever had on candy. One after another, I finished book after book, and the more I learned about business, the more I knew that the business world was for me. After this realization, I decided to take JMK Lawn Service more seriously and built a bike trailer to expand my customer base. I also started to focus on the quality of my product and customer satisfaction. In the service industry, people surprisingly care about the level of service they are receiving. I wanted to graduate from the realm of being the cute kid down the street with a mower to a real business owner, providing a superior experience. I did this by making sure that not only did I provide a high-quality service, but also ensuring that the customer’s experience is enjoyable from start to finish by focusing on the small but essential details every time.
For example, I always arrive on time, communicate effectively, and do what I say I am going to do when I say I’m going to do it. I understand that I am not perfect, and I don’t pretend to be. If I make a mistake, I own up to it, communicate solutions, and do my best to make it right. People seem to appreciate that. Getting the simple things right and respecting my clients is what I believe sets JMK Lawn Service apart.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If someone were to visit me In Boulder, we would first go on a sunrise hike up to one of the Flatirons. Eventually, we would make our way down to Pearl Street Mall for breakfast at one of the many excellent restaurants, support local businesses, and watch the street performers. Afterward, we would head back to the mountains to explore Boulder Falls, Nederland, and drive along the Peak to Peak Highway to Estes Park and back down through Lyons to explore North Boulder. I don’t know Denver as well as Boulder, but we would definitely need to go down to Union Station and explore the city. There is so much to see and do in Denver. In my opinion, I think some of the most fun, interesting and exciting things to do in Colorado are found in nature and the mountains, so I would probably spend most of my time there with my friend.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

More than anything, my parents deserve all the thanks in the world. They both have been with me every step of the way. They are always there to listen to all my crazy ideas and provide honest feedback. I feel very grateful to have them as my parents.
I would also like to thank Marty Grunder, Loriena Harrington, and Matt Bailey for mentoring me over the last four years. All three are landscape business owners and have shown me what is possible in this industry. Whenever I have a question about running my business, they are always willing to give advice and offer guidance. I can’t thank them enough.

Website: JMKLawnService.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmk.lawn.service/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkazantsev/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JMK.Lawn.Service03/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jmk-lawn-service-louisville

Other: Email – Jayden@JMKLawnService.com