Today we’d like to introduce you to John Boone.
Hi John, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We had just drove across country (dad, brother and me) in a 92’ suburban about 6 months prior from the bay area of CA and this was my first year of public school from being home schooled. (The year was 93’ I was 5 years old and 12 years later I traded a car for this suburban my brother got and used it to start my landscaping business.) My journey then started as an entrepreneur on a hot summer day at 7 years old after graduating 2nd grade. It all started out at a dump right down the street from our house in Woodbridge Ct. Not a proverbial dump but an actual place where the community took their household waste. I noticed lots of traffic there in the afternoons so I asked my mom if she could take me to Costco to purchase some sodas to try and sell . I positioned myself on a little cut through road right before the entrance, set up a card table with a cooler and the journey began. I was able to save enough money to wisely invest in an N64 where I could hone my hand and eye coordination in on the game 007. Not many years later around 9 years old in 1997 I transitioned to door to door water filter sales with my older brother. In 2000 my dad started his own business in contract manufacturing and we moved down to Raleigh North Carolina where he is from. I entered the 5th grade in a new school and sold the most mardi grass tickets ever sold but it was before they started giving out any prizes which they then started doing so that next year. In 6th grade I teamed up with a buddy and we started landscaping which mainly consisted of cutting grass and yard cleanups. All this started from a riding lawn mower rescued from the trash which I rebuilt in the back yard. We moved from a neighborhood further out with about 8 acres of property. My revenue then dropped to 0 by providing free labor for my dads property task. Which consisted of building rock walls, grading, tree removals and more. This provided a solid foundation of work ethic and skill training with a heavy side of character. In high school the landscape business picked up especially after getting a drivers license and expanding my services. After graduating from Broughton high school in Raleigh I joined the Marine Corps and shipped out to boot camp in the summer of 2006. I forgot there was a war going on and signed up for 5 years in the infantry. I startd out on an anti terrorist security team and our first deployment took us all over the world. I then shipped down the camp Lejeune back in NC to an infantry battalion and went off to a combat deployment in Afghanstan. The corps gave me lots of mental of physcial toughness and the ability to push past any limit which is a much needed business skill. I also learned alot of leadership traits and how to lead under pressure while staying calm another key business principle. After being honorable discharged in 2011 I went to Wake tech and the NC state to graduate with a bachlors in agriculture business management. Still trying to figure out what I learned there but im sure it was something. I was also remodeling a foreclosed house I bought in very rought shape and started the landscaping company back up so there was little sleep involved. In 2017 when I finished NC state I finally incorporated my business and started to really grow it. I always wanted to get into the sales side of things where my roots started but for now I needed to make money on the service side before I could do so. I also saw an opportunity in a landscape supply business where the homeowner style nurseries didnt want to deal with landscapers and the commercial landscape supply places where much like Walmart where the customer service was well below par. I grew the company to a 7 figure business by 2024 when a friend of mine told me about an opportunity to buy some land that was properly zoned for a commercial sales business. I knew it was time to sell the business and move onto the sales side. So in 2024 I sold my landscaping business, some stock and some land I owned and went all in on (BOSS) Boone One Stop Supply. We now sell to other landscape companies products that I use to install. My hope is to grow the supply side into many sectors and bring in new products onto the market that the homeowner and landscaper could both truly appreciate. My vision is to help make landscapers more profitable by providing them with all their needs in one stop but also the skills and mindset they need in order to be successful. Landscaping can have a relatively low barrier to entry so its pretty easy to get one started. The challenge lies in going from a hustle to running a well oil business with systems in place where it can run itself. Thats where the mentorship comes into play that I hope to build at BOSS. From mental toughness to skill based trainging and financials diciplines I hope to really make a difference in young entrepreneurs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The path less traveled is often the best and most profitable one. There is a reason most people are not on it because its tough. Whether its taking rough terrain on a patrol to avoid an IED (yes even terrorist can be lazy) and typically don’t put them in tough spaces or the when summitting mountians. The further you hike up a mountain or down a trail the less and less people you will encounter. The real beauty and splendor is typically at the end of the trail where the breath taking view lies where not many people make it. This is very true in business the harder it is the less people do it and the bigger the potential reward. BOSS has only been around for about a year so we are still struggling daily with startup, finances and workflow but I always look to the small victories for motivation. Besides the typical problems of cash flow, personnel, technology systems, and just a massive amount of work launching a business due to wearing multiple hats and never having enough time. The first big challenge is building trust and convincing landscapers you can benefit there business with quality products, excellent service, and a more convenient location. I have learned this is a huge task not only breaking their old habits but educating folks on what we have to offer. We live in a culture were people glance at something for 2 seconds and decide whether its worth their time or not typically through social media. Creating awareness with a small marketing budget has been an uphill battle to say the least. One of the most challenging parts of trying to start a business is not what most expect but it lies with the county and city regulations. Like my soda stand in my early days all it took was a litte cash and the heart to do it. That stand is actually illegal to be operated in Wake county NC without a massive amount of permitting, zoning and regulatory matters to be paid for and confrumed before such a stand could exist. Its not only the zoning, its the use, what the business does and then to sub permits such as water shed, water taps, clearing, grading, the list goes on. There is much gate keeping when it comes to small businesses being able to get started. The large corporate cookie cutter businesses owned my large hedge funds and wall street are the only ones seemingly able to pay the countless fees the county/cities impose on businesses to start. The last property I bought in Durham which I sold before purchasing the land beside Rolesville and Wake Forest on Jones Dairy rd. They wanted me to pay for a 12” water line to be extended down the st, widen the road, put in sidewalks, and put in a large greenway system trail for a potential future greenway and this was just the tip of the iceberg on what needed to happen before a business would be allowed to be built there. So after thousands later in engineering bills I decided this was not feasible. While this may be nice for the public there is no way possible for a small business to ever establish there. The purpose of the business was to serve the public’s interest and provide and educate the public about green spaces and encourage more greenscapes. This is what the towns want you to believe they have in their interest but it’s really just about money. Several people I know that ran their small businesses out of their homes with just a truck and trailer and were kicked out by the town for doing so because it wasn’t zoned commercial. They have no other option and are forced to shut down their business. This baffling part of it is that the towns and counties stifle small business while pushing low paying large corporate businesses by giving them tax breaks to come to the area. There is a reason you won’t see privately owned hardware, parts or drugstores and the list goes on due to the city’s harsh fees. This chokes innovation, good paying jobs and upward mobility for communities. This is the most challenging part of starting a retail business now trying to navigate all the permitting and regulatory hoops even with the proper zoning. The days are long over for the entrepreneurs that have great ideas and just want to hang up a sign and get to work.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My driving force comes from my faith in Jesus. The bible provides wisdom, business skills and grace which all come together with Jesus leading and setting the example as a servant.
A huge part of my success comes from having the right leadership around me. Everyone has heard the saying “self made” you fill in the blank.. Millionaire, musician etc this phrase is a complete lie. There have been countless people that have shaped me and molded me into the person that I am today whether its from a book or in person. My Dad has taught me not only work ethic but how to turn an idea into a product from production to sourcing to manufacturing. My mom taught me there is no limit except the ones you place upon yourself and to always be patient, which I work on daily. The General Manager of BOSS, Greg Fisher, is a great example of leadership and has been with me from the beginning getting key systems into place. Greg brings over 40 years of experience in landscaping and retail management, and while he’s a key part of the business, he’s also a personal friend and I see him as a partner. We challenge each other, support each other, and share the same commitment to customer service and team development. Lots of times I see things differently than Greg which actually makes us a great team in that we can cover different angles and solve more problems coming at them with different solutions. Having a good team directly determines how the business will do and what culture the business has.
What are your plans for the future?
at the heart of it all is the “one-stop supply” idea, and it comes directly from my own experience as a landscaper.
Before starting BOSS, I remember how frustrating it was trying to gather everything I needed for one project. I’d spend hours driving from store to store—one place for mulch, another for stone, another for tools or parts. It was inefficient, it cost time, and it took my focus away from the actual work. That experience stuck with me.
That’s why I created BOSS – Boone One Stop Supply. I wanted to make life easier for contractors by offering everything in one place—materials, rentals, tools, training, and support—all in one yard. You can pull up, load up, pay from your truck or online, and be back on the job site in no time. No lines, no wasted trips, no hassle.
Our goal is to be the kind of supply yard I always wished existed when I was out in the field—a place built for working professionals that respects their time, understands their needs, and helps them succeed. That’s what BOSS is all about.
Future plans- continue expanding product lines with unique outdoor items such as stone art, water features, furniture and many other decorative and outdoor comfort items.
Pricing:
- Pricing- all our pricing and products can be seen online, be sure to sign up for exclusive offers, deals and free training events with BOSS academy here at BOSS. Pros will need to sign up in our system to get their special commercial pricing. We offer delivers, online check out so your items will be ready for pickup up or yard side checkout for buying bulk materials. We offer net terms for our frequent buyers as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://boss.supply/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17Dk5GwLds/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/boss-boone-one-stop-supply/
- Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/bGRVkrdxfQ7vRYpG9
