At 11 years old, Cody Kuebler began mowing lawns for $25 per job, using an aging push mower. By 25, he had expanded the childhood gig into a multimillion-dollar landscaping business, employing friends and investing in high-end equipment.
Kuebler’s journey included overcoming setbacks such as a move at 14 that forced him to rebuild his customer base from scratch after his father’s job relocation. Despite early challenges, including his parents’ divorce when he was 10, he persisted in growing the business, eventually adding snow removal services in winter months. Now overseeing millions of dollars’ worth of equipment, he works six days a week, balancing expansion with hands-on leadership.
Early Beginnings and Business Growth
Kuebler’s entrepreneurial roots trace back to his Iowa hometown, where he started cutting neighbors’ grass for pocket money. His father gifted him a lawnmower for his 11th birthday, though the exchange required Kuebler to first mow his father’s lawn—a trade he described as “a little bit of horse-trading.” As demand grew, he hired friends to handle additional clients, allowing him to scale operations. By his late teens, he invested in riding lawn mowers with wagons, enabling more efficient service.
Challenges and Pivot Points
The family’s move to Des Moines when Kuebler was 14 disrupted his early success. He lost a significant portion of his customer base due to circumstances beyond his control, a setback he called “frustrating.” Undeterred, he rebuilt the business from the ground up, leveraging his growing reputation and word-of-mouth referrals.
As high school graduation approached, Kuebler faced uncertainty about his business’s long-term viability. Though he briefly considered alternative career paths—including studying diesel mechanics at a community college and working at a tire shop—he ultimately returned to landscaping full-time. His decision reflected a preference for hands-on work over classroom learning, a choice he made after dropping out of his first semester of college.
Industry and Personal Insights
Kuebler’s story highlights the potential of small-business entrepreneurship as a pathway to financial independence. His emphasis on self-reliance—from trading lawn-mowing services for a mower to hiring his first employees—underscores the grassroots nature of his success. While some peers view lawn mowing as a temporary gig, Kuebler’s persistence demonstrates how early hustle can evolve into a sustainable enterprise.
Now 25, Kuebler’s business spans multiple seasons, with snow removal complementing landscaping services. His work ethic and adaptability have positioned him as a local employer, though he continues to manage most operations himself. The trajectory from a $25 lawn cut to a multimillion-dollar operation reflects both opportunity and resilience in Iowa’s service industry.