My dad “James Lawrence Massey” always knew that I had an entrepreneurial mindset. On weekends, I would enjoy going to his office and acting as if I was working beside him. My dad had a strong work ethic that he also instilled in me, which is something I remain grateful for to this day.

As a child, I would come up with ways to sell things. I remember digging up henbit and dandelion, planting them in those small cups that you use in the bathroom to rinse your mouth out with and sitting out in front of my house trying to sell them as flowers. I also spent my summer days selling good old fashioned lemonade from my lemonade stand. When I got to be around eleven years of age or so, I began asking neighbors if I could mow their yard. I always admired the man at the end of my street and thought it would be a privilege to mow his lawn. I approached him reluctantly one day to ask. He agreed and then asked how much I would charge him. I said that for him I would do it for free. Again, he asked how much I would charge. I told him one dollar. He then laughed and supervised as I mowed. Once I finished, he told me what a great job I did and asked me if I would clean his flowerbeds, and of course, I got right to work. He gave me something like twenty-five dollars to mow and five dollars for the bed clean-up. I thought I had gone to heaven. It wasn’t long until I had several yards in my neighborhood that I had made arrangements to mow weekly. I would push my mower and pull my little red wagon along with all the tools that I needed in order to look as professional as I could.

Each week, I would take the pay from mowing neighboring properties and spend it on making my parents’ yard beautiful. Neighbors and family would tell me how great it looked, and every spring season I looked forward to tearing it up and re-doing it because I knew I could make it even better than the year before. It was around this same time that I found out about a great Texas gardener named Neil Sperry and he became my role model. I anxiously awaited his weekly section in the Dallas Morning News, and I was so excited to see him every spring at the garden show in Dallas. I still have his book that he personally signed for me, which is one of my greatest treasures, and one of my favorite birthday gifts every year was his monthly magazine and yearly calendar. For many years, I followed Neil Sperry’s advice to a “T”.

Once I got into high school, I became dedicated to agriculture and FFA. My ag teacher was a graduate of Texas A&M and had a degree in horticulture. I signed up for all his classes pertaining to plants and gardening and aced every course! Through my FFA projects and the profits I made, I bought my first landscape maintenance trailer and equipment in 1995. That’s when my adventures began and my dreams of owning a business started ringing true.

Many challenging times came in the following years, and through those challenges I discovered God was working in my heart in many ways I hadn’t previously realized. Then in 2000, I surrendered my life to my Savior Jesus Christ. I then became heavily involved in Heights Baptist Church. It was there I got to know a man named Fred Roach, whom my dad had great respect for. He taught Bible study at the church. My dad thought it would be a great idea for me to seek Fred’s wisdom after experiencing one of the most turbulent professional periods of my life, so in 2002 I approached Fred to ask him whether it would be a good idea for me to move forward with my own business. He thought it was an excellent idea and stated that he would do all he could to support me. Fred had faith that I could succeed despite all that I had been through, and my dad got on board as well. Of course, I made a few mistakes in the beginning, and I’m still learning today, but I’m also thriving doing the one thing that my heart has always enjoyed, which is stewarding God’s creation of beautiful landscapes and implementing the talents that have been gifted to me.

It’s been a blessing to see how God has woven all the fabrics of my life together. My dad was there from day one supporting me regardless of my trials, and I was able to pay that forward to him by caring for him through his last days. On March 29th of 2017, God blessed me with an amazing daughter named Brooklyn Starr Massey. Brooklyn likes to listen while I talk to clients on the phone and she helps by sorting through paperwork, mail, and shredding paper. I take great joy knowing that I am in a position to pass down to her the same strong work ethic my father passed down to me so that she can also enjoy a successful future.

We reside in Anna, Texas, with our office located on our ranch. We enjoy our horses and sponsoring rodeos, FFA, and 4–H programs around our area.

I’m grateful for my father’s sacrifice over my life so that my childhood dreams could come true. I also feel extremely blessed to have had clients who have shared insights into how I can make my business more successful, and I am continuously grateful to everyone who has put their trust into Brentley’s Landscape & Construction.

Sincerely,
Brentley L. Massey

Recently I was reading a book entitled In Praise and Celebration of Friendship by Helen Exley. It shared the truth that our lives are given real meaning through our relationships. Click + to read more.

This book reminded me of our great relationship over many years. I have enjoyed our many discussions about a variety of subjects over our regular breakfast schedules, as well as our celebration on many different occasions with my wife, Gloria. It’s been particularly rewarding to see your growth over the years—personally, professionally and spiritually. You’ve made it one of your life goals to be as effective as possible in your life purpose and calling. Your dedication as a “hard worker” has helped you achieve personal and business-oriented goals. Seeing you work as a “hands-on” leader demonstrates to me why this has been possible. It was natural for Gloria and me to seek your professional services during this period because we saw the fantastic work you did for others. You helped make our wonderful home, built by our son, even more beautiful through the work you did as a lawn and landscape professional. As a friend, I also had the opportunity to see the very involved work you did on many stately homes—it demonstrated the effort of a knowledgeable expert in his field. I know your drive for excellence comes from having high moral and ethical standards. I have observed you practicing sound business practices, but what I also consider as critical—high ethical standards. At the same time you have acknowledged “making mistakes,” which is normal; but what I like is that you worked hard to correct them. You seek to learn and grow through working to solve the tough issues that we face periodically in business. In Exley’s book on “Friendship,” a Norwegian proverb is quoted: “On the road between the home of friends, grass does not grow.” While this might sound disastrous for someone that is committed to landscaping, this is a truth I see in you. You work to build relationships, which become the “building blocks” of a sound and sturdy life. Thanks for doing that with Gloria and me! Knowing a young professional like yourself, dedicated to those you interface with, and particularly committed to Our Lord, gives me a tremendous.

Fred