Lawn Doctor

Life hasn’t been easy for Michigan-based <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-sallmen-59b06322/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-two-brothers-turned-adversity-into-prosperity-with-their-lawn-doctor-franchise-2717580" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Bryan Sallmen</a>. The day Bryan graduated from college, he intended to be a golf professional. But it was on that fateful date in 2001 that he also found out his mother had cancer. While his father was traveling to and from appointments to Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic, the family business struggled. Two years after her diagnosis, Sallmen’s mother passed away.He didn’t cope well with the pain.&nbsp;“I went on an 18-month drinking binge, and my dad even kicked me out of the house,” he explained. “I went into a rehab center, and I told God, ‘If you want me to walk backwards for the rest of my life, I will. Whatever it takes to keep me sober.’”On his path to sobriety, Bryan found himself employed in the lawn care business. He enjoyed the work and the relationships he was able to build, and he worked every chance he could. Soon, he was an assistant manager for a lawn care business and then encountered <a href="https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-two-brothers-turned-adversity-into-prosperity-with-their-lawn-doctor-franchise-2717580" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Lawn Doctor</a>.&nbsp;“I always wondered why the customers with Lawn Doctor were so happy,” he said. “I asked myself why the lawns they did looked better and why I couldn’t get those customers for my company.”It was then that he started researching Lawn Doctor and found what it was that made them stand out —&nbsp; the brand uses patented equipment to do better overall applications for customers. Sallmen got in touch with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottfrith/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-two-brothers-turned-adversity-into-prosperity-with-their-lawn-doctor-franchise-2717580" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Scott Frith</a>, who was the director of marketing at Lawn Doctor at the time before moving on to become the CEO and now chairman at Happinest, and found himself in New Jersey at the brand’s corporate headquarters for a discovery day.While Bryan enjoyed the visit and all he learned about Lawn Doctor, he wasn’t fully ready to move forward as a franchisee. He had money saved up, but not quite enough to launch his own franchise in the area of Kalamazoo and Portage, where his wife was living. He worked out a deal with Frith to hold the territory for a year and was able to obtain in-house financing with Lawn Doctor that allowed him to launch his own franchise and become his own boss.&nbsp;“I started out with zero customers, and my company van was my personal vehicle,” said Bryan. “I started in an unfinished basement and after our first year in 2011, I was able to get 332 customers (after setting a goal of 200 new customers) and achieved $132,000 in revenue.”Every year since he opened his doors, Bryan has set a goal to get one new vehicle, one new technician and 300-400 new customers in the Kalamazoo area. And in the meantime, he has worked to help other franchisees open their own Lawn Doctor locations and has helped with national training for Lawn Doctor, teaching other owners how to sell lawn care and keep up with customers. The ultimate achievement, though, was when Bryan hit his goal of being a $1 million franchise.“What I set out to do in 10 years, I was able to accomplish in eight,” he said.&nbsp;And in 2019, he also helped a fellow franchisee sell Lawn Doctor South Bend after running it for five years.&nbsp;That’s where Bryan’s brother Mitch came in.“My brother Mitch then started running sales and estimates for me, and when the opportunity came in South Bend to buy the business, I said, ‘Here’s your opportunity,’” added Bryan.&nbsp;While Mitch doesn’t own the business just yet, the brothers are working together so that one day, he does.Today, the Sallmens own a good portion of Southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana with more than 1,500 customers in their territory, and their Lawn Doctor business is worth more than $3 million.“Now, in two years with my brother working down there and support from Lawn Doctor, we now have 1,500 customers, and the market share has significantly increased as well,” said Bryan.Bryan credits his brother with the growth of the South Bend Lawn Doctor. “He’s been down there selling and growing, saving cancellations, meeting with customers and doing all the necessary things that we do to grow the business,” Bryan added.&nbsp;<h4>More Than a Name</h4>The Sallmen brothers said that they’re able to offer customers something different with Lawn Doctor, and potential franchisees should take that into serious consideration when they’re deciding whether or not to pull the trigger on opening their own business.&nbsp;“We have our own patented equipment to do fertilizing and weed control,” said Bryan. “Lawn Doctor is at the top of the list when it comes to marketing, social media marketing and SEO value. Sure, other companies are bigger, but if you look at those locations, they have far less reviews and stars than we do, and people look at that.”&nbsp;<h4>Planning for the Future</h4>In looking to the future of the business, the Sallmen brothers are excited about the growth potential not just as a business, but in their journey as business owners.&nbsp;“Grass is always going to grow, and people are always going to want to grow nice lawns,” said Mitch. “There’s a high demand for what we do.”Mitch said that he hopes to one day, when he’s ready, own his own Lawn Doctor franchise, a plan that Bryan is also on board with.&nbsp;“My brother is 18 years younger than me, and my son is 19 years old, and he also works with the business,” said Bryan. “My sister-in-law works in the business. My dad works for us — it’s truly a family-run business, and it’s nice to be able to employ family. My brother and my son are going to take it over eventually and start taking steps into ownership. If you think the business is big now, wait until they’re in their 30s and 40s — it’s going to be monstrous.”While many businesses were shuttered or struggled during the COVID pandemic, Lawn Doctor saw significant gains as a company. The brand now has more than 630 locations, with more than 20 locations opened in 2020.“While more people than ever work from home, they don’t always have the time to give their lawns the care it needs,” said <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmartinfranchisedevelopment/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-two-brothers-turned-adversity-into-prosperity-with-their-lawn-doctor-franchise-2717580" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Eric Martin</a>, vice president of franchise development for Lawn Doctor’s parent brand Happinest. “Lawn Doctor is able to take care of this item from customers’ to-do list and give them the satisfaction of knowing the work is done with both quality and care.”The startup costs for a Lawn Doctor franchise range from $102,015 to $127,065. The franchise fee ranges between $88,950 and $102,000. To learn more about franchising with Lawn Doctor, visit https://lawndoctorfranchise.com/.

How Two Brothers Turned Adversity Into Prosperity With Their Lawn Doctor Franchise

1851 Franchise

This once-aspiring golf professional had a rocky journey through early adulthood until he found a passion for helping others get the lawn of their dreams. Now Bryan Sallmen and his brother Mitch are on a mission to grow as business owners.

how-two-brothers-turned-adversity-into-prosperity-with-their-lawn-doctor-franchise

FRANCHISE INFORMATION

Own a Lawn Doctor

Happinest Brands Makes the Off-Season a Win for Franchisees

Veteran Success With Lawn Doctor

Lawn Care Franchise Opportunity Overview

Learn

Download Brochure

Visit Website

LAWN DOCTOR

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

SOCIAL MEDIA

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

Navy Veteran, Former Field Service Engineer Celebrates Early Success With Lawn Doctor Franchise

LAWN DOCTOR MOST READ STORIES

1851 LOGIN

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

ABOUT LAWN DOCTOR

CONTACT LAWN DOCTOR

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

First Name

Last Name

Email

Phone

City

State / Province

Zip Code

For&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominick-pennella-9918a448/">Dominick Pennella</a>, the journey to becoming a franchise owner with&nbsp;<a href="http://lawndoctorfranchise.com">Lawn Doctor</a>, the 700-plus-unit national lawn care franchise, has unique ties back to his childhood and family. Growing up in Brooklyn in a traditional Italian family, Pennella was involved in the family landscaping business from a young age. He also saw just how important family was. As he approached adulthood, he wanted to explore other paths, which led him to the Navy“I was the baby of three kids. The family culture was already set; landscaping was the thing, and we were Italians who lived in Brooklyn,” Pennella said. “I just felt like there was so much more world to see. I’m appreciating all of these things now, in hindsight, but as an 18-year-old, I just wanted to get going. So I joined the military, and it was the scariest thing I ever did.”<h2>The Military to Corporate Transition</h2>For Pennella, the military was a way to fast-track personal growth, in a way, allowing him to explore what it would mean to go out on his own. It meant leaving his hometown and taking on the adventure without familial backing.He spent about four years in the Navy, working on submarines and doing things like monitoring nuclear reactors through a keyhole. In addition to meeting new people and seeing new places, his time in the Navy set Pennella up with a technical foundation that would define his corporate journey.This military background and technical proficiency opened doors for Pennella as he transitioned to civilian life. He was hired as a field service engineer for a biomedical company before even completing a college degree, but he was already looking toward the “next rung” of the ladder.“I was looking up at the next rung. I thought, ‘I can do that, and to do that, I would need an education directly in management,’” he said. “I decided to sign up for distance learning and see if I could work full-time and go to school at the same time. I did that for about five years. My master’s was in business management.”As he continued to climb the corporate ladder, Pennella returned to lessons he learned in his early landscaping years.“Whether you're showing up to someone's home to take care of a lawn or whether you're showing up to a hospital mid-surgery to take care of a blood gas instrument, the end result is still the same,” he said. “You still have to deal with people who are discontent. They don’t like the current situation, and they need to believe in you. You need to convey a plan, communicate throughout that process and close the loop at the end.”“Regardless of the perceived severity of what you’re fixing, any type of field service is similar,” he continued. “When I worked for my father as a landscaper, it was the exact same thing. A different product, but the exact same customer-facing experience. They want to know what you can do for them. ‘I’m in this situation. How can you help me? And can I contact you if I need anything?’ If you answer all those questions, they're happy. It was the same thing in medical device field service. So, I did well by literally copying the same tenets my father taught me.”Throughout his corporate career, Pennella’s approach earned him and his teams multiple awards and widespread recognition. But as he advanced, it also began to demand more from Pennella in terms of travel. When these requirements began to overshadow his family time, he knew it was time for a change.“I was successful, but my family is so important to me, and they were not more than 20% of my week in any given week in that life,” he said. “I knew it was time for a change.”Today, Pennella says that decision was fueled by the people who matter most — his wife of 14 years, Maria, who is also his partner in running the business, and their two daughters, Dora (11) and Gigi (7). He describes them as his daily inspiration and the driving force behind his decision to build something that would allow him to be present, ambitious and rooted at home all at once.“I didn’t even think of landscaping again, because that was what my dad did,” he continued. “I did electronics in the Navy, and that was my thing. But my father and I, one thing we have in common is the love of family. He couldn’t wait to get home and spend time with us when I was young, and I share that same view.”So, when he first began searching for his next opportunity, Pennella was looking for other roles in the same industry. He wanted to stick with “his thing,” just in a capacity that would require less travel and allow for more family time. After realizing that, at his level of seniority, any new role would be more of the same, he went to step two: franchises.<h2>Identifying Lawn Doctor: The Return to the Lawn Care Business</h2>“There are about a billion franchises for anything you could possibly think of, so how do you choose one?” he said. “I ended up finding some really great people — some franchise brokers. I took the Zorakle Assessment, and two days later, they called and said, ‘Hey, have you ever heard of&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor/info">Lawn Doctor</a>?’”At this point, Pennella had not mentioned Lawn Doctor to the brokers, but he remembered it from childhood. He saw the green thumb logo and vehicles in the community and, as a child, asked his father how the business model worked since he never saw them cutting anyone’s lawn. At the time, his father explained that fertilization was one of the more profitable services in the lawn care space, but the conversation stopped there.So, when Pennella was presented with the Lawn Doctor franchise opportunity decades later, it almost felt meant to be.“When I started doing some research, I realized it might be the perfect fit. It tied in with my nostalgia, my culture, my history, my skill sets — everything,” he said. “And again, it’s field service. It wasn’t a straight line, and I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t for the folks who guided me in the selection process. But when they said ‘Lawn Doctor,’ I thought, ‘Are you kidding me? I used to joke about comparing Lawn Doctor to the type of work I did in my father’s business.’ And here I am, the owner of a Lawn Doctor franchise! And I couldn’t be happier with the choice.”<h2>Building Momentum Through a Culture of Collaboration</h2>As Pennella launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lawndoctor.com/naples-fl/">Lawn Doctor of Naples-LaBelle-Marco Island</a>, he applied a sophisticated management lens to a local service model. This approach has already yielded impressive results, driving Pennella to blow his first-year projections out of the water within a couple of months. By focusing on communication and personal outreach, including knocking on clients’ doors himself, he was able to build trust and set the business up for an amazing first year.“It’s a simple, scalable model, and it sets you up to make your money back in a fairly short time frame,” he said. “It’s a great choice for a calculated risk-taker.”In addition to his own analytical lens, Pennella’s success has been driven by the support of the entire franchise system. Previously accustomed to a “dog-eat-dog” atmosphere in corporate America, Pennella was pleasantly surprised by the collaborative nature of the Lawn Doctor system. While he has worked diligently to educate himself on all facets of the business, he realized that, with the franchise system behind him, he didn’t have to absorb all of the information immediately and completely.“In the corporate world, everyone is looking for their own win. Here, a rising tide floats all ships,” he said. “I have at least five other owners and a dedicated mentor that I can call any time for any reason, and they’ll have an answer. I’m not scared to take on things I might not be an expert on yet because I have the backup to help me find those answers if needed.”&nbsp;Pennella is quick to credit those who have walked beside him during this first year. He highlights&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottspitz/">Scott Spitz</a> of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lawndoctor.com/lakeworth-fl/lawn-care-in-west-palm-beach/">West Palm Beach</a>, who has served as a dedicated mentor, providing the institutional knowledge that only a veteran owner can offer. He also expresses deep gratitude for the ongoing support from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-valle-a92584103/">Ralph Valle</a> in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lawndoctor.com/jacksonville-fl/lawn-care-in-jacksonville/">Jacksonville</a> and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lawndoctor.com/fortmyers-fl/home/">Duffy family in Fort Myers</a>, whose insights helped him navigate the nuances of the Florida market, illustrating just how valuable it is to be a part of the Lawn Doctor system, which functions as a true team.As he prepares for continued growth, Pennella recognizes that there will be additional learning and growth opportunities as a Lawn Doctor owner, but he’s ready for them, and he encourages others in a similar position to consider taking the leap, as well.“If you are willing to learn agronomy and work closely with the franchisor, this can change your life,” he said. “It gave me the one thing I couldn’t find in the corporate world: the ability to put my family first without sacrificing my ambition. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made.”To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit&nbsp;<a href="https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor">https://1851franchise.com/lawndoctor.</a>&nbsp;

Photo of Lawn Doctor franchisee Dominick Pennella and family

After making the switch to franchising for better work-life balance and to prioritize his family, Dominick Pennella exceeded his first-year projections by 50% in his first few months of operations.

navy-veteran-dominick-pennella-success

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Happinest-Lawn-Doctor-Franchisee-Ralph-Valle-Profile-Jacksonville-FL-June-2025

From Near-Quit to 7 Figures: Success With Lawn Doctor in Jacksonville, Florida

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-jacksonville

Record-Breaking Rookies: Firefighter-Banker Duo Blazes Trail With Lawn Doctor Success

record-breaking-rookies-firefighter-banker-lawn-doctor-success

How Two Brothers Turned Adversity Into Prosperity With Their Lawn Doctor Franchise

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS