It’s not surprising that the video went viral.
The clip displays a yard in dire need of a makeover. A man approaches the homeowner and asks if he can mow the lawn and trim the weeds for free. The video of a man providing a service Edward Scissorhands would appreciate is compelling. It’s not just the visual of a lawn going from unruly to well-manicured. There’s something about the appreciation the homeowner exudes after a stranger took care of a task that had fallen off the to-do list.
“You should do something like that,” an associate said to Carter Schwartz, who owns C. Henry Painting, when the two were at a charity event at Twin Lights Brewing in Tinton Falls.
Schwartz had never heard of SB Mowing, whose viral videos have led to 3.4 million followers on Instagram, but he was taken by the idea.
“I was like, ‘Oh boy, I can do that’,” Schwartz said. But instead of a lawnmower and weed trimmer, Schwartz’s team has rollers and brushes.
At the end of the summer, Schwartz turned the concept into reality and launched the “Paint it Forward” program. His goal is providing one free job a month for a person or family that needs to have their space spruced up a little bit.
“Every time I talk about it, I get really fired up about doing it more,” Schwartz said just before he started his first job of the program for a single mother in Asbury Park.
Veronica Holbert, who owns Casa Sol Design Studio in Ocean, provided the first round of assistance for a family. Holbert was working on a renovation in Spring Lake and the client’s old cabinets were in excellent condition. The client was open to donating them. Holbert installed the cabinets along with new countertops that she and her husband provided. They also connected the family, who had been without a functioning kitchen for nearly a year, with a plumber and electrician to get the space safe and up to code.
“Being in this industry, we’re typically working for people who can afford the luxury designer or contractor experience,” said Holbert, who connected Schwartz with the family. “It's not very often that we’re able to provide services for people in need. It really touched me.”
Assisting the community is a blessing that isn’t lost on Schwartz. He also knows that a fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a room and the people living in it.
“That’s what I love about it,” Schwartz said. “It’s the fastest way to transform a space in a day or two.”
While the room rejuvenation can be quick, the path to this point was a little longer. Schwartz opened C. Henry Painting in 2018, but has been working in the field for years. When Schwartz was an undergrad at Rutgers, he had a summer internship where he was responsible for all aspects of what was essentially a painting franchise, Schwartz hired staff, handled sales and marketing and, of course, he dealt with the painting. Schwartz worked in other trades after graduating and ultimately launched his own business after taking inspiration from his father, who operates his own law practice in Arizona.
So now, in between commercial and residential jobs, the attention is on helping where he can, and hopefully connecting like-minded peers to contribute.
“It feels really good to have it out there in the world,” Schwartz said. “ I’m hoping that it kind of snowballs.”
Or maybe it’ll grow like the weeds in those lawn-mowing videos.
If you know someone who could benefit from the Paint it Forward program, submit it to office@chenrypainting.com.
“Paint it Forward” aims to help one family in need every month