Some mowing stories start with a summer job. Others begin with a hand-me-down mower. For Paul Braatz of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it all started with a toy mower and a little boy determined to follow in his dad’s footsteps. What began as a family ritual has since grown into a thriving lawn care business built on passion, persistence, and the simple Joy of Mowing.
Ever since he was just a little kid, Paul loved being outdoors. At two or three years old, he’d trail behind his dad across the yard, pushing his own toy mower in sync. For Paul, mowing was never a chore – it was something to share, something to enjoy.
By the time he was 11 or 12, his dad handed him the real mower. It took some practice, but once he got the hang of it, Paul was hooked. “I fell in love with the Joy of Mowing,” he says. From then on, mowing once a week became part of his routine.
When he entered high school, Paul decided to turn that passion into something more. At 16, his next-door neighbor became his first paying customer, hiring Paul to take care of the lawn while on vacation. That first summer of mowing came with a memorable moment – Paul accidentally ran over one of the neighbor’s dog toys. “I had somewhat of a panic,” he laughs, “but the mechanic at the hardware store assured me the mower was just fine – which is more than I could say for the toy!”
Word spread quickly, and soon another neighbor across the street signed up. By 2009, Paul’s weekend side hustle had grown into a full-fledged after-school business. He even gave it a name: Turf Surfer Lawn Service. While the name didn’t stick, the customers did – and each year his list grew bigger.
Fast forward to today, and Paul is still at it. Some customers have come and gone, others have stayed with him for years, and his business continues to thrive under the name Paul’s Lawn Service. His trusty Toro push mowers have been with him since the beginning, and now he’s added a Gravely Zero-Turn to the fleet – the very one featured in his original Mowfile.
For Paul, mowing is more than just cutting grass. “It’s a grown man’s way to still be able to play outside,” he says. “All kidding aside though, it can be so peaceful and relaxing – almost therapeutic.”
Looking ahead, Paul hopes to keep growing his business while staying true to the same priority he’s had since the beginning: providing quality service from the ground up.