This is a neighborhood I cut through occasionally and for the last year I have watched these two homes and their yards. The guy on the right had his house built at the same time as the person on the left. He watered his lawn regularly. After it rooted in he applied fertilizer, weed and feed, and winterized it. The guy on the left got his grass and watered it for the first three weeks. Then came the summer drought and he didn’t water. He eventually watered as he saw his lawn deteriorate but it was too late. It looked so bad he had do it it again. This spring we had lots of water and the yard looked good. But now it hasn’t rained for two weeks and his sod went to hell again. So there he is reacting by putting the sprinklers on full bore trying to bring it back. Any of this sound familiar?
The guy on the left hasn’t put forth any effort and yet he wants to be the guy on the right. He reacts rather than prepares. He may have a game plan but he’s not putting in the time or effort to make it happen. In the end it costs him a lot more time and money and the result is still bad. I can almost guarantee that his lawn directly reflects a lot about the person that lives in it. It doesn’t mean that the guy on the right is a hard worker or that the guy on the left is lazy. He may pay someone to do all the work. But it tells me that the guy on the right cares. He makes sure that his lawn looks the way he wants it to. The guy on the left feels it’s not important.
A lot of us have tried building websites to improve the “lawn” of our domains. Unfortunately most look like the left because we’re not putting in the time to make them look like the right.
Great short story love stories like that thnks needed it
Curb Appeal … It sells
Great picture, if you build the website it does you no good if you do not keep it updated with “water”
Great analogy! You can always tell when people really care about their website project and I love working with people who are passionate about their business goals. It rubs off on me and helps me get more excited about the project.
Do you know if the guy on the right pays a lawn service to maintain his lawn?
Do you know if the guy on the left is working 2 jobs. And, when home he is taking care of his sick wife.
Do you know if the house on the left has a guy living there? Could it be a single mom with 5 kids?
There is always more to the story that a casual observer doesn’t know.
A nice guy might knock on the door and offer free professional advice.
Meyer,
See that’s where you are wrong. The guy on the right is in a trade. Not sure what he does but he has a company truck. The guy on the right may work two jobs but I highly doubt it because he’s dressed in nice clothes and there every night at 6 . If you think every lawn service in town hasn’t tried to get his business you’re kidding yourself. They see a brown yard and the brakes on their trucks stop automatically. So yes it could be the tired and the weak overcome by the financial perils and endless hours of work. It could be octomom that merely could use just a little help. But it’s not.
Well said Meyer. House on left has a picket fence=kids=less time. House on right has no fence. Probably old retired guy who fondles his yard 5 hours a day. Honestly, the guy on the right is a fucking asshole because he can easily help his neighbor with that pint sized front yard.
Todd,
You make time for things you want. Maybe the lawn isn’t that important to him but turning on a hose takes 1 min . Moving it 3 times another 10. Lawn came pre fertilized . My next door neighbors are in wheelchairs. They truly need help. Neighbors are always helping. I find that people in my town help their neighbors that are in need. It’s a small town.
But per usual. Take a “effort equals reward” and someone turns it into a “has vs has not”. 🙂
I agree with ‘Meyer’ that there can be many sides to this analogy. But, if we’re talking about what an average domain owner does – then this analogy can be referred aptly.
“The guy on the right may work two jobs”
Do you mean the house on the left?
(Maybe, my coffee hasn’t kicked in yet.)
Meyer,
Yes left. Sorry
If you zoom into the picture you can tell it was a bad sod job not bad lawn maintenance. You can still see the brick pattern in the grass so it wasn’t laid down to long ago. It actually looks like the sod was put on top of the old grass. Instead of using this as a I am right you are wrong opportunity why don’t you send some of your so called 90 employees out there and sponsor their grass. How much could it cost you when you are actually in the business and a perfect before and after opportunity. Take some great pictures or maybe even do a quick commercial. Look like a hero, support your neighbors, and make a bunch of money on the back end from all the free publicity.
Todd,
1. 3 weeks old. Not on top of old grass, grading looks so so
2. When sod goes dry the spacing opens up
3. 30 employees
4. There are 300 opportunities to do a before and after in our town
5. I can barely keep up with the customers I have and prefer to take great care of those we have.
6. I am already a hero
7. I have free publicity coming out of my butt
8. My neighbors love me. Give me pies,gifts, and wash my car for me just out of thanks
My favorite post and comments of the month haha, nice work Shane.
“My neighbors love me. Give me pies,gifts, and wash my car for me just out of thanks”
You are a funny guy. I just have to laugh.
The guy on the left spent more time and money on renovating, decorating and cleaning the house inside than the guy on the right.
The guy on the left wasn’t interested in green lawn…….he’s more interested in interior of his house….
It’s about priority and choice…….
The guy behind the camera needs to clean the bugs off his windshield or the fuzz from his iphone
You can also hire the kid that pushes around his lawn mower and knocks on doors begging for work but can’t be reached when you need him . . .or choose a pro service that does a pro job in 1/2 the time for the same cost