Today we’d like to introduce you to Pam “PJ” Holtz.
Hi Pam “PJ”, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved into a new construction home and had a lawn to build and take care of from scratch, something I’d never had to think about living in condos and townhomes before. Before that, I didn’t really have a passion for anything, and I wasn’t even someone who enjoyed being outside much. But once I took on the job of caring for that lawn, I started researching and fell straight down the lawn care rabbit hole, and that’s where the passion was born. It felt natural, peaceful, like the missing piece of my life I didn’t know I needed. Funny enough, I’m allergic to pollen, so I have to take allergy medication year round just so I can stay outside as much as I want to. Since discovering this passion, my life has genuinely gotten exponentially better. I’m more grounded and more at peace internally than I’ve ever been. I’m also so grateful my kids get to see me passionate about something real, that’s been incredibly fulfilling to give them. I can honestly say I’ve lived because of it.
GirlzLawn started as a way to document that journey and connect with other women in a space that’s pretty male-dominated. It became an official business in 2021, and it’s grown into DIY lawn care consulting and content, all built around teaching homeowners the fundamentals rather than just selling quick fixes. I still work full time in cybersecurity, but honestly, my career has never given me the fulfillment lawn care has. If only Dad had asked me instead of my brother to help with the lawn. I’m an introvert, and I actually got into IT specifically to avoid dealing with people all day, starting out in hardware repair where it was just me and the machine. The field shifted more toward customer facing work over time, and I stayed the course because that’s where my education was, so I learned to just endure the people interaction. With GirlzLawn, I’ve actually become more open to social interaction, but on my own terms. I control how much and how I engage, communicating in the way that’s most comfortable for me, and that’s part of why this business has worked so well for me specifically.
What’s kept it growing isn’t the business side, it’s seeing how many people I’ve been able to help and the community that’s formed around it. If I can get someone to love their lawn even half as much as I love mine, or just find a little enjoyment in it, that’s the whole point for me. This year, adding I Want To Mow Your Lawn to what I do has been amazing, because my true joy comes from being helpful to others. It’s a nonprofit that provides lawn care for veterans, disabled individuals, and elderly community members who can’t manage their properties on their own. Looking ahead, I’d love to bring that same mission to underserved young women in my community, giving them vocational skills and a real connection to the outdoors. Long-term, I want to build GirlzLawn into something I can pass down to my own kids. GirlzLawn is PJ, and I don’t think I’ve ever meant that more than I do right now.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been perfectly smooth, but every struggle taught me something, and honestly, pushing through them is part of why I love this so much now. Being a Black woman in a space that’s overwhelmingly male and not very diverse came with its own challenges, having to work harder to be taken seriously and respected for my knowledge, not just my presence. I pushed through that by leaning into the results and letting my lawn and my consultations speak for themselves, and there’s a specific kind of pride in earning that respect the hard way.
On the lawn care side, I’ve fought battles with problem grasses and had full renovations and setbacks along the way, seasons where things looked great and then suddenly didn’t, and I had no idea why. Those moments were frustrating, but they’re also when I fell even deeper in love with this. I learned patience the hard way, sometimes the answer isn’t more product, it’s stepping back, watching, and letting the lawn tell you what it actually needs. Watching something recover because I trusted the process instead of panicking taught me more about myself than about grass. That’s become a core part of how I approach every consultation now.
On the business side, growing GirlzLawn as a solo operation has its own challenges. I’m cautious about outside partnerships because I’ve learned the hard way that not everyone has good intentions with your ideas, so I’ve had to be protective of what I’ve built while still trying to stay open and collaborative where it makes sense. It hasn’t always been easy building this in the margins of my time, but every bit of it comes from a place I genuinely love, and that makes it worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of GirlzLawn LLC. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
GirlzLawn is a DIY lawn care consulting and content brand built for everyday homeowners, not lawn care professionals, and every part of it comes from a place of genuine love for this work. I specialize in helping people understand their own lawns from the ground up, literally. Every consultation starts with a soil test, because you can’t treat a problem you don’t actually understand. I encourage best cultural practices as the healthiest approach to lawn care, and I try to minimize chemical usage whenever it makes sense. When chemicals are necessary, I emphasize using them properly rather than avoiding them altogether. I also recommend cooperative extension office as a key resource for help with lawn related issues like plant identification, though I don’t discourage people from using apps too, I just want them to have accurate information either way.
What sets me apart is that I’m not selling a quick fix or a subscription program. I’m teaching people the why behind what they’re doing so they can actually maintain their lawn long term, not depend on me forever, because watching someone else fall in love with their yard is honestly one of my favorite parts of doing this. Unlike a lot of my lawn care colleagues who go deep into complexity, simplicity is key for me, both in how I treat lawns and how I run this business. GirlzLawn also carries a distinct brand identity, the “z” style you see in GirlzLawn and Kidz, which has become something people recognize and connect with.
If someone wants help with their own lawn, the best place to start is my intake form at GirlzLawn.net, which walks through what’s going on so I can point them in the right direction. Honestly though, a lot of people just slide into my DMs with questions, and I love that. It keeps things simple and personal, no formal process required, just come as you are and ask what you need to ask.
What I’m most proud of is that this whole thing grew organically from a genuine passion, not a business plan. It’s stayed independent and solo by choice, and every bit of it reflects my own knowledge and experience rather than a franchise model or a formula.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If there’s one thing I’d want readers to take away, it’s that lawn care isn’t just a chore, it’s one of the most relaxing and beneficial things I do for myself. As a mother, it became my escape, time outside, hands in the dirt, just me and the grass with no one needing anything from me. For a long time I think the assumption was that lawn care was this heavy lift, a responsibility that just naturally fell on the men, while women weren’t really invited into that world. What nobody told us is how peaceful it actually is. Turns out the guys were quietly enjoying some serious therapy out there the whole time. Women just weren’t let in on the secret.
I’d also encourage people to stop chasing the perfect stripes and the deep green you see influencers posting, a lot of that is way more effort than an actual healthy lawn needs. My motto is simplicity. You don’t need to overcomplicate this to get real benefit from it. Lawn care offers grounding, peace, and a genuine sense of satisfaction, and that’s available to anyone willing to get out there and try it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Girlzlawn.net
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/girlzlawn
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/girlzlawn
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@girlzlawn
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@girlzlawn
