Meet Mariann Hefner of Metro Atlanta Lawn Care in Buckhead

Mariann, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I grew up in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. In the 1980’s my grandparents moved to Stone Mountain for work. My mother was a single parent so each summer I would come to Georgia and spend the summer with my grandparents. I attended college in West Virginia at Glenville State College where I received a Bachelor in Business Administration and Business Marketing. In 2004 I moved to Georgia and took my first job as a cold call business to business sales representative. This was the best job of my life. I learned how to read people. I learned how to weave in and out of conversations with any type of person. I learned how to have business people tell me no over and over again and I would still ask for the sale. I would suggest if you are looking to become more business savvy take a job at DMC Atlanta. Over the span of the next six years I worked hodge podge type of jobs. To say the least I was lost but on the correct path. In 2008 at the age of 26 I opened a boutique in West Virginia. Owning that business was my biggest teacher on how to take care of my customers. I remember one time a lady wanted a refund on a $36 hand bag and I refused. After, I thought why didn’t I refund her? It is $36 and if she is happy she will shop with me for life. In 2012, I walked out of my boutique because I was unhappy and I missed living in Atlanta. In 2013, I moved to Atlanta with my at that time boyfriend. He would become my husband and the father of our two children. In 2013, I started working at State Farm corporate and I loved it but after about six months I realized that the corporate model was not for me but I needed my job and so I stayed for about 3 years. At the same time my husband was working as a laborer (because he is an illegal immigrant) and I had a friend ask if we knew anyone who could cut her grass and I said my husband can do it. So we bought a $200 lawn mower from Home Depot and he would put it in our Honda Civic and go cut her grass. After that people just started asking him to cut their grass. We lived in Garden Hills, so I made up some nice glossy post cards and started going door to door and that same day I got our first advertised customer which is Arnoud Michelle that owns Anis. We still only had a car. Things started moving fast we went to 90 customers fast. They all are within a five mile radius. My husband and I both quit our jobs and ran this business that we never planned to have. So here I am, a women working in landscape that does not fit the “profile” of a landscaper but somehow I am exactly where God wants me to be and life is perfect.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Absolutely Not, The CEO of AT&T, Ralph de la Vega wrote a book called Obstacles Welcome and that is the truth. When you are running a business of any size you are going to have challenges. The key is how you handle them. I am in the service industry so I have to always let each customer know “they matter”.

Metro Atlanta Lawn Care – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Metro Atlanta Lawn Care is a full service landscape company. We specialize in sod instillation and yard maintenance. We work with several real estate agents and builders in the Buckhead area. We help them prepare homes to go on the market or maintain them while they are on the market. I am the most proud of my team. My entire team is bi-lingual. They are passionate about their work and they take pride in each property that they touch. What sets us apart is that we don’t make our customers sign a contract. Our belief is that “if we do a good job our customer will not want to cancel service.”

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success to me is living my best life. When I was in my corporate job I didn’t have time for my family. Success for me is being able to live life on my terms and that makes me happy. Happiness is the key to success!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.metroatlantalawncare.com
• Phone: 404-326-8263
• Email: info@metroatlantalawncare.com