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Mowing those 50 yards sparked a newfound passion for that type of work. At 14, he picked up his first paying client, Jordan Cunningham. His dear mother continued to drive him to his jobs for the first few times before he got his own driver\u2019s license. He then started a pressure-washing and lawn-care company with a childhood friend, operating out of a 1984 F-250 with two pressure washers in the bed. The two boys knocked on doors to find clients and, at one point, were booked two months out. It was a successful venture, but their partnership only lasted a few years, which was still impressive given their young ages. Entrepreneurship can be a risk, but when it succeeds, it is all worth it, Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a big risk you have to take, but I feel it\u2019s a possibility for big rewards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Taylor bought out his partner and, in July 2025, at 17 years old, launched Smoothscape Lawn and Land as a licensed and insured business \u2014 one he still runs today. His company offers lawn care, landscaping, hardscaping, tree trimming and removal, junk removal, dump-trailer rental, pressure washing, and more. Within the first six months, Taylor purchased a newer truck and a dump trailer. He has since added a skid steer and an excavator, and recently launched a second business, Taylor\u2019s Land Management, to handle dirt work and land clearing separately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also graduated from Lincoln County High School in May 2026 with his diploma and a welding degree from Tennessee College of Applied Technology in McMinnville. These businesses brought him quite a lot of success before high school ended, and he continues to grow and chase his dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All high school graduations are meaningful, but this one was an especially important accomplishment for Taylor. Back in an eighth grade math class, a teacher told Taylor and two friends that if they didn\u2019t stop talking, they would fail high school and not succeed in life.’<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love when people tell me I can\u2019t, because I will,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This personal motto continues to push him forward with even more ambition and determination. His senior quote read: \u201cIt\u2019s not about the grades you make; it\u2019s the handshake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now 18 and running two companies with employees, Taylor says he is only at the beginning of this journey, and he is ready to keep moving, fullsteam ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you believe in yourself and you think you can do it, you can do it,\u201d he said. \u201cDon\u2019t stop. Don\u2019t give up when it gets hard. It\u2019s going to get harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His great-grandfather worked in the dirt industry before him, and Taylor said his father used to tell him as a little boy that he\u2019d end up doing the same thing one day. Now, that prediction has become his next chapter. With Taylor\u2019s Land Management, he is moving into excavation and land clearing full time, running it alongside Smoothscape rather than letting one take a back seat to the other. Having your own company (or two) is a risk, but one he says is worth taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTrust in the Lord, trust in his plan \u2014 that\u2019s it,\u201d Taylor said. \u201cEverything\u2019s going to work according to His will. If something needs to be done, then that\u2019s what\u2019s going to happen.\u201dGN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Garrett Taylor has been operating heavy equipment since before most kids were riding bikes. Growing up in a logging family in Fayetteville, he was driving skidders and dragging logs at just 8 years old. He was also mowing his own lawn, and a few others nearby. When his mother noticed a lawn care challenge posted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":26460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[69,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26459","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fayetteville","category-feature"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/fayetteville\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/09\/1-3-1024x683.jpg\")
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