At Weed Man, we know the difference between a good lawn and a great one. Our experienced pros play at the top of their game to deliver Olympic-level results you can enjoy all season long. But did you know we also have some genuine Olympians in the Weed Man family? Here’s a closer look at the husband-and-wife team behind the Weed Man franchise in Barrie-Collingwood, ON, and how the same principles bring big wins on the curling ice and lawns near you!
For the husband-and-wife team of Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing, shades of green and gold have always gone together.
They have both competed on the biggest stage in the world as Olympic curlers and have been proud Weed Man franchise owners since 2024.
“Mom and Dad bought the first franchise in Collingwood in 1982. I was born in 1978,” said Laing. “So I don't remember life without the green and yellow truck in the driveway.”
Jones added that continuing the family business was the next logical step for their second careers after professional curling.
“It meant a lot to us to be able to keep it in the family because his parents had worked so hard to make it so successful,” she said.
“We love working together. And it's a way that we can continue our curling partnership… So it's been really, really fun and great for us. And it's a way to keep that competitive fire.”
Fierce competitors, both Jennifer and Brent have etched their legacies across the world of curling.
Jennifer:
Brent:
To them, their experiences working with teams made Weed Man and Mosquito Hero a fitting next chapter for their stories.
“We're just a part of a different team. This is a team that delivers customer service in the lawn care industry, whereas before it was a team that delivered shot-making on the curling ice. It's the same,” said Laing.
“You plan, you execute, you debrief, and you replan, and you execute, and you debrief. And all the way along, it's not a straight line up. But it's all about getting better at what you do, and being more efficient.”
Jones added that an athlete’s mindset is particularly helpful when dealing with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
“In sport, you don't look at losses or challenges as the end of the world. You look at that as an opportunity.”
She added, “If something doesn't go our way, it's like, okay, let's sit back and debrief and figure out how we can change that and make it better. You kind of lose that defeatist mindset, and that's been really helpful.”
Neither of them has ever shied away from a new opportunity. However, for Jones, it wasn’t just about the challenge of launching her own business – it was about doing it in a typically male-dominated industry.
“Way back when, we didn't have a lot of female role models to look up to in curling, because women's curling wasn't on TV as much as the men, and so I aspired to try to be as good as the men. And you look at it like that, and it was just more trying to look at who is the best and trying to be the best, no matter what their gender was,” said Jones.
“I've always just looked at trying to push myself, and I'm probably my worst critic. But I also really get a lot of self-gratification. I don't need a lot of accolades. I'm good, just to see what I can do and be proud of things that I accomplish.”
We could not be more thrilled to have two world champions on our team, and we’re blessed to have the leadership and winning attitude that they bring to the Weed Man family. As for Jones and Laing, they say a team is only as good as the people on it, and that includes their own employees.
We just want to get marginally 1% better everywhere, whether that's the customer service or how we empower our technician team, or how we empower the office staff, or the training that we do,” said Laing.
“I think we're only as good as the training we provide for our people.”
Written By
Ryan LeClaire
Published On
January 30, 2026
