03/10/2026
"What about Justin? You should ask him."
,
My well-meaning wife was helping...gesturing... to her sister's fast-driving long-haired boyfriend, who at this moment was sitting directly across from us at the campground. Head tilted. Ears pricked. Eyes eager.
"Ask me what?"
"Lush is hiring," Angie continued, unabated. What a great helper she was being. Finding myself on the spot, I responded with a fumbled, "Yeah. Yeah Yeah. I mean, we might be, I don't know?"
Later, when we left, I gave Angie permission to be less helpful in the future. But she was right, we did need someone.
A few weeks later, Justin showed up for his working interview. He was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and carried a lawn roller I had him pick up/ jam into his stuffed hatchback. I have a reputation for killing prospective employees on their first day to see if they're Lush material, so I had Justin shovel and wheelbarrow several yards of heavy soil up a steep hill and then roll that same heavy soil to make a future lawn. What he lacked in biceps, he made up for in extreme cheerfulness. And damnit if he didn't work hard. To his credit, he had earned the job. And from that point on, he became J.
The next several years would be among the best of my working life. J, Zach (another family friend) and I sweated 6 days a week, 12 hr days, mowing and renovating lawns all over the Island. In the summers, we jumped off cliffs and competed in Tough Mudder (3x). In the winter, we climbed roofs and installed Christmas lights. J's biceps grew like tree trunks, and his cheerfulness never diminished. What was his regular reward for a job well done? It was always the same, per his request. "2 McDoubles, no pickles or onions, large fries and a large Coke, please."
One day, I asked J to manage our Nanaimo branch. "We have a Nanaimo branch?" We sure will, big guy! Justin gave management his all, including joining the local chapter of the BNI, which meant showing up for early morning meetings and even worse, standing up and selling Lush for 60 seconds at a time. J overcame his fear of public speaking and sold Lush like a pro, and just like the lawns, J grew Nanaimo and created a solid base of operations for Lush North Island. To this day, our Nanaimo clients are some of the most loyal Lush has. Who wouldn't be with a nice fella like Justin serving them?
The time came when Justin was ready to soar to even greater heights. So, he left management and the lawns and became our Master Hedge Trimmer and Fruit Tree Pruner. For the next 10 years, Justin practiced his craft at the top of the ladder, delighting everyone he worked with and for. But on Mondays and some Fridays, J still made time to run alongside me with wheelbarrows/ carry soil up and down stairs/ as we continued our first love - renovating lawns. "His name is Justin, my name is John, we've come here today to lush up your lawn," we'd rap confidently and without shame/ rhythm.
Last summer, J hit 13 years at Lush. He had given Lush most of his twenties and half of his thirties - an incredible achievement for a modern working man. We planned to meet for supper to toast another year. As I sat down, I could tell something was weighing heavily on him. Justin began by thanking me for the opportunity I had given him, all those years ago. For the sweat, laughter, McDoubles and now, tears. But his boys were growing up. And he needed more flexibility and control over his schedule. He would be leaving Lush in March to begin the next chapter of his life. I remember thinking March was still a long way off.
Damn.
You never know what you're going to get. Sitting at the campground all those years ago, I certainly didn't. But what Lush would receive in Justin would be a one-in-a-billion employee, and me? A lifelong friend.
We will miss J's smile, his sweat, his strength, his stretch, but most of all, we will miss his kindness. Kindness is a rare and precious gem in this world; it's probably why Justin glows.
What about Justin?
I'm so glad I asked.
