Back when MLF bass pro Brian Latimer started his former landscaping job, he’d take on any extra work he could find, all in the name of funding his budding fishing career. Well, as it turns out, he needs some extra cash again! He’s in the market for a new jon boat so he and his kids can hit the coast and enjoy some shrimping, swimming, and more. So, follow along in this Backyard Life video as BLat hops on his Exmark zero-turn and gets to work instilling wisdom on how to make a few extra dollars.
Back to His Roots
As most avid BLat fans know, before he started fishing for a living, he ran a landscaping company. But, when he says “landscaping company,” people tend to think going yard-to-yard and cutting grass. What most don’t know, however, is that he did so much more than just mow. He actually did a little bit of everything: installation, new construction, laying pavers or stone, building patios, excavating ponds, installing light fixtures—the list goes on.
Ultimately, he did all that in the name of paving his way to his fishing career. By finding any extra possible work he eventually made his way to doing what he really loves.
The Goal
Brian’s goal is to make about $5k over the next three months—more than enough to cover the boat and a trailer. And, as we all know, you can’t have the fun stuff without putting in the work. So he’s set on picking up as many jobs as possible to fund his dream.
Thankfully, the pursuit of this goal has gotten a little easier. Brian’s kept a lot of his old equipment—namely his skid steer, which’ll come in handy for land clearing. And he has his Exmark zero-turn mower, of course, which’ll be his breadwinning machine. He mainly uses his mower to cut his own yard; but, as he says, it’s commercial-grade, so it’s perfect for this task.
About His Exmark Zero-turn
For his first job, Brian’s riding his 52-inch Exmark Lazer Z E-Series, which he’s owned for about five years now. He doesn’t have that many hours on it, given it’s primarily used for residential mowing. He’s changed the oil and recently swapped out the blades since getting back in the landscaping game. But aside from that, the maintenance has been minimal—a testament to its durability and design.
And the 52-inch deck is perfect for what he’s doing. It covers a lot of ground, fits in his trailer, and fits perfectly in his garage. When he was running his landscaping company, he ran 60-inch mowers, which helped them get even more done, in even less time. As he jokes, “a man with a lawnmower’ll never be poor… At least not that poor, anyway.”
Finishing Touches
After the mowing is complete, BLat whips out the edge trimmer. He says you can always use a string trimmer, but it doesn’t leave that “extra crispy” finish. As he explains it, if you’re washing your car, you don’t want to only wash it and not put on any tire shine. If you’re not cleaning everything, you may as well not clean anything.
So that’s why he adds all these finishing touches. He doesn’t charge any extra, but it secures future jobs by showing an incredibly high level of care and attention to detail.
Moving Land
Especially since you never know when you’ll need to move some dirt or tear a tree down. Latimer loves cutting grass, but to make the money he needs will take a whole lot longer if all he does is mow.
So, to bring in even more cash, he’ll use his skid steer to lay down a few gravel driveways. It also allows him to do some small land clearing and other moderately heavy work.
That tractor, in tandem with his truck, trailer, and Exmark, will make a whole lot of money in the coming months. And, he says you don’t necessarily need the tractor—just something to cut the grass with and some form of transport. You’ll be reeling in the cash shortly.
