From hauling weeds out of Lavender Blue’s dam and washing eggs to generating tens of millions of rand with his own international company, Jadon Moerdyk says his upbringing in the East London family business laid a foundation for success.
Moerdyk, 27, who matriculated from Merrifield College before studying strategic brand management at Vega Cape Town, started RemodelBoom 3½ years ago and now employs almost 40 people across SA, the UK, the US and the Philippines who work remotely.
“What RemodelBoom does is simple,” Moerdyk said.
“We take leads that didn’t buy from our clients, re-engage them, and book them back in for another appointment. We only make money if the client actually sells.”
His clients, large US companies that sell home improvement elements like windows, bathroom remodels and roofing, send RemodelBoom old leads that did not close.
“We turn them back into appointments, which helps them make more sales,” he explains.
“Our ethos is performance-driven. We put the risk on ourselves. A lot of agencies charge upfront whether it works or not.
“With us, you only pay a percentage of what we generate. No upfront fees.
“We take a percentage of the revenue we generate for clients.”
Moerdyk’s entrepreneurial mindset and resilience was shaped by a childhood helping out at the landmark country restaurant Lavender Blue which his parents, Karen Esterhuyse and Len Moerdyk, used to own.
There, he and his two sisters, Michelle and Hannah, were expected to pitch in every weekend.
“On the weekends, me and my sisters were very involved in Lavender Blue.
“We’d be folding knives and forks, fetching cutlery, bringing dirty dishes back to the kitchen. I was cleaning eggs!
“There were lots of times where we’d run out of eggs in the shop and I’d have to go up to the house, get all the eggs from the chicken coop, bring them down, wash the eggs, and restock so the restaurant could keep frying eggs for customers.”
Moerdyk, who is back in Cape Town from a two-year stint living in London before a permanent move to Austin, Texas shortly, paints a picture of rural idyll punctuated with hard work and an ethos of earning money from a young age.
“Living on the farm was probably the ultimate childhood dream.
“We were swimming in the dam and playing with a whole bunch of different animals — from cows to pigs to chickens.
“We were motorbike riding, climbing trees, building swings, playing in the mud. It was really fun, very active, and honestly the best.
“But every Saturday and Sunday we were basically in the shop from morning to late afternoon. There wasn’t much TV or ‘weekend chill’.
“I remember being at a friend’s house on a Saturday and getting a call saying I needed to come back because it was too busy and they needed help in the shop.
“When I arrived, my two sisters were already folding cutlery. We used to call ourselves the unpaid workforce.
“Obviously it was a joke, but at the time we were convinced our parents had us purely so they could have three free employees!”
Being part of a thriving family-run farm business meant there were always tasks to be done and so Moerdyk patrolled the parking lot, showed children how to pick strawberries, ran a touch farm and earned cash for weeding the dam.
“Me and my friend got paid 50 cents per weed, so we’d spend the whole day in the dam pulling weeds and counting our money.
“I’d take kids to the strawberry fields and show them how to pick a strawberry properly. It sounds small, but those little responsibilities started really early.”
In the Moerdyk household, lounging around was frowned upon.
“One big philosophy in our house was that no-one was ever allowed to just laze around.
“If we were watching TV on a Saturday and our parents caught us, it was game over.
“I even asked my mom once, ‘What’s the point of having DStv if we’re never allowed to watch it?’
“She said: ‘Good point,’ and cancelled it the next day. So we were always encouraged to do something, help out, get involved.”
The social aspect of the popular restaurant built his confidence and social skills.
“We were constantly around people. A lot of kids are shy around adults, but my mom basically forced us to talk to customers, employees, and everyone in the shop.
“We learnt how to speak to people from a very young age because we didn’t really have a choice — we were in the environment every day.
“That built confidence early, and I think it helped a lot later in business.
Because he had to earn money from a young age, Moerdyk knew pretty early that he wanted a lot of it.
“I didn’t always know I wanted to be an entrepreneur. What I did know was that I wanted to be very successful and make a lot of money.
“I wanted to drive a nice car, stay in nice places, and travel. I didn’t exactly know how I’d do it, but I was extremely determined to make that a reality from a young age.
“When I was younger I actually wanted to be a YouTuber.
“I was obsessed with YouTube, taught myself video editing, taught myself how to use a camera, saved up and bought cameras so I could make vlogs.
“I enjoyed making content and putting myself out there, even when people thought it was weird.”
Watching his parents build Lavender Blue into a thriving lifestyle restaurant nurtured a conviction that he could forge his own path.
“My mom and dad were definitely role models.
“They built Lavender Blue from scratch and seeing them create something out of the ordinary made me believe I could also do something different and not just follow the mainstream route.”
By encouraging their children to be self-reliant, their parents fostered their independence and generated a resilient work ethic.
“The main way my mom and dad influenced me was through tough love and independence.
“They forced us to be independent from a young age.
“From around 12, we had to book our own dentist and hair appointments, pack our own lunches and figure things out.
“If you wanted something, you worked for it. If you wanted a new camera, you sold more biltong.
“If you wanted petrol for your motorbike, you pulled more weeds in the dam.
“If you wanted petrol money, you made brownies with your sister and sold them in the shop. Nothing was handed to us.”
Another influential aspect of his parent’s core values was their sensible approach to money.
“They were also extremely frugal and disciplined with money. Even small things — if we went to a restaurant, you were allowed one drink, then tap water.
“We weren’t allowed to order above a certain price on the menu.
“Even family holidays: if you wanted to join, you’d have to pay half your flight — even at 15 or 16 years old.
“It wasn’t mean, it was just the mindset of: money is hard to make, don’t waste it, and work for what you want.
“One small but very telling thing was that once I turned 20, there was no more ‘free lunch’ at Lavender Blue.
“I actually had an account at the restaurant that I had to top up and pay for my own meals.
“My mom’s view was simple: “If you’re not paying for it, someone else is — and that someone is me.”
“At the time it felt harsh, but looking back it taught me independence and responsibility very quickly.”
Another defining moment occurred after Moerdyk lost his rag on the tennis court during a match.
“I actually ended up winning the match, but my behaviour wasn’t great.
“After that, my mom told me I’d have to start paying for my own tennis lessons.
“That taught me a lot about emotional control, respect and the real cost of things. It stuck with me.
“Looking back, my parents were incredibly intentional in how they parented.
“It would’ve been easier to just give us things, but they chose the harder route because they knew it would set us up for life.
“At the time we complained, but now we all have a good laugh when we reflect back on being kids at Lavender Blue.
“And we are so proud of our mom and dad and how well they loved us.
“A big influence was how my parents treated people. They respected their employees, cared about the community and were empathetic.
“That rubbed off on me and how I try to lead now.
Besides pulling weeds and selling bread to feed the dam’s fish, Moerdyk also devised other ways to make money as a teenager.
“I did video editing and wedding photography/videography for a while. I sold diabolos and J-boards at school.
“I’d ride them around at school, get other kids wanting them, then I’d tell them to come to Lavender Blue to buy one.
“I got a percentage of each sale. I also picked strawberries and sold them.
“One of the big lessons was that trends come and go — diabolos and J-boards were massive, then they disappeared.
“Another was that if you pay attention, there’s opportunity everywhere — even in small things.”
Now that he has hit the big time and has the freedom that money can bring, Moerdyk has not forgotten what it was like to stress about paying for basics.
“I’ve been very broke before — I was constantly stressed about rent and I wouldn’t even buy a coffee because I had so little money in my bank account at around age 20.
“There were moments when I was texting friends to see whose couch I could sleep on if things got tight.
“That period really changes how you view money and stability. Money problems are extremely stressful, so having stability changes your whole baseline.
“That said, success comes with responsibility. There are nearly 40 people and their families relying on decisions I make.
“That can be stressful, but I try to zoom out and remind myself these are ‘good problems’ in the grand scheme of things.”
Employing and upskilling people also adds dimension and satisfaction to his life.
“It’s incredibly fulfilling to employ people, teach them, coach them, and help them build a life.
“I also like being able to employ South Africans where possible and contribute back in that way.
“Success has given me freedom — location freedom, time freedom and financial freedom.
“It also means if something happens in the family or someone needs help, I can step in.
“It also changes your social world. You meet different people and get access to experiences you wouldn’t have otherwise.
“But you also become more aware that some people may be around you for the wrong reasons.
“I try not to overthink it. I keep the same grounded relationships and my family definitely keeps me humble if I ever start getting ahead of myself.
“I’m mostly just grateful. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, and it definitely didn’t happen overnight, but I’m grateful for the opportunities and the foundation I had growing up.”
Moerdyk will soon be jetting off to the States to join his business partner who he met online two years ago.
“We met online and built the business for two years before meeting in person. We were making millions together and hadn’t even met face to face. Unreal!
“He’s German-American and handles operations. I handle sales, marketing and hiring.
“The move makes sense because all our clients are in the US, and being there in person will help build stronger relationships. We plan to build an office in Austin, Texas.”
Looking back to his youth in East London, Moerdyk says the small city made him think big.
“Growing up in East London was awesome. When you’re in it, you want the ‘big city’, but looking back it was so much fun.
“It encouraged me to think big. If I wasn’t in that environment, I wouldn’t have wanted to get out of that environment and build something bigger.”
SIDEBAR:
Jadon Moerdyk’s tips for young East London entrepreneurs:
* East London is a small town and everyone knows everyone. A lot of people want to “get out” and go do something bigger — and that’s fine — but also enjoy the small-town lifestyle. Being able to go to the beach, go to lunch and then the movies, all in one day is actually special;
* My biggest advice: don’t take advice from people who don’t have what you want. Everyone will give you opinions about what’s “realistic”. Take career and business advice from people who are actually doing what you want to do;
* Second: don’t let other people’s opinions control you. If you care too much about what everyone thinks, you’ll never do anything different;
* Third: don’t be a victim. Take responsibility. Even if something isn’t your fault, taking responsibility puts you back in control;
* Fourth: drop the ego. Be curious. Ask questions. Learn from people ahead of you: and
* Finally: don’t be afraid of rejection. You have to be willing to hear “no” a lot. You learn by failing and trying again. It might look overnight from the outside, but it never is.
Daily Dispatch
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