The Five-Dollar Job: A Lesson in Pride, Effort, and Teamwork

By Vaughn Montgomery, Chief Pilot

Over the past four and a half years, I have had the privilege of traveling with different departments in the BZI family, from collaborating with estimating teams to celebrating at jobsites as the last panels are set. What stands out to me most is that none of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication of every team member.

Walking through a jobsite, I am continually impressed by the extraordinary skills of equipment operators, welders, and bolters. Yet, what truly makes BZI unique isn’t just the talent on the ground; it’s the core values that guide how we work together.

The Parable of the Five-Dollar Job

Growing up in the small town of Leeds, Utah, I often heard a story that has stayed with me: the parable of the five-dollar job.

The story tells of a young man who took on a summer lawn-mowing job for a woman who was known to be very particular about her yard. Expecting easy money, he rushed through the task, only to be paid $2.00 instead of the $5.00 he had hoped for. She explained that a “five-dollar job” meant straight lines, crisp edges, and clean sidewalks free of clippings.

Discouraged at first, the young man soon began observing what made some lawns stand out. Week after week, he refined his work: setting his sights on a straight cut line, carefully aligning each pass, edging precisely, and sweeping sidewalks clean. Eventually, he discovered that the lesson wasn’t about money at all; it was about taking pride in his work and finding satisfaction in exceeding expectations.

A Lesson That Still Applies Today

While the cost of mowing a lawn has certainly changed since the early 1980s, the principle of the five-dollar job remains timeless.

At a recent BZI leadership conference, I was reminded of this parable as I looked around the room. I saw leaders and team members consistently giving their all, not just doing “five-dollar jobs,” but in many cases, “ten-dollar jobs.” That’s the essence of BZI: a culture of excellence where each person has the choice to rise above expectations and, in doing so, inspire and lift others.

Building for Generations

As our team recommitted at that conference, it was clear that this principle continues to guide our path forward. At BZI, we strive not only to deliver extraordinary projects but also to create high-value opportunities in a wholesome work environment for generations to come.

The five-dollar job may have started as a simple story about mowing lawns, but at BZI, it reflects something much greater: a standard of integrity, teamwork, and pride in a job well done.