In May of 2022, Jaysonn Thompson was thinking about what to do when school was out for the summer. As a 15-year-old sophomore at Fountain Hills High School, Thompson toyed with the idea of starting a summer business. With help from his mother, Tiffany Burling, the two landed on the concept of starting a business around yard work, house chores, pet sitting and other odd jobs for residents in the community.

Hoping for some help from his friends, Thompson met with Colby Wright and Hanson Remm at the Four Peaks basketball courts to run the idea by them. Remm and Wright were eager to join, especially since Remm had been eying a new gaming computer and Wright liked the idea of making some summer cash.

“My mom decided to be the secretary and it just all came together,” Thompson said.

Yard work, garage organizing, house chores, house sitting, trash bin cleaning, hanging up Christmas lights, watering plants, moving furniture and of course, picking up dog poop are all items on the list for Fountain Hills Teen Services, who work in together to get jobs done.

“I don’t think these boys went one week without one to two jobs a week last summer,” Burling said, adding that as the summer waned, jobs kept coming in. With school now in session, the three boys work in the afternoons and on the weekends, with a handful of customers requesting help on a regular basis.

Prices are left up to the customer, Burling added, and most customers are generous with the boys.

The faces of FH Teen Services

Hanson Remm is a sophomore at Desert Mountain High School and participates in band, the Mayor’s Youth Council and also umpires for Little League baseball.

Colby Wright is in track and field and cross country, most recently leading the boys’ cross country team while running his personal record for the 5000m race at the season opener on Monday, Aug. 28.

Thompson is on the yearbook committee, the track and field team and he’s a member of the Mayor’s Youth Council. He’d like to also add soccer to his schedule while still keeping up his duties at Fountain Hills Teen Services.

Entering their second year working together, the trio has begun to accumulate tools, skills and tricks of the trade.

“Whenever we’re working on a job, especially the bigger ones, we do stuff that at least I’ve never done before, like learning how to pick up leaves more efficiently and how to operate a power washer, which is really cool,” Remm said.

Wright said he enjoys helping his community and making sure the town is well-kept.

“I want to make sure we get more people to come into the community,” he said, adding that the flexibility to show up around his schedule of extracurricular activities is a plus, knowing that he may not have this freedom at a future job.

Ever the entrepreneur, Thompson is focused on the future. He said adding this experience to his resume is important to him, especially since he plans on applying to work at the incoming Dutch Bros Coffee shop in town.

“I like that I can write this down on future applications, like, ‘Hey, I started a business, I ran it for so-and-so years and it was pretty successful,” he said.

Long-term skills

According to Burling, this is more than just a job, it’s about building skills and a good work ethic that the three boys can tap into later in life.

“Even when it’s hot outside, they go out there and they do as best as they can,” Burling said. “They’re learning how to interact with customers of different ages, they’re helping their community no matter what they’re getting paid...I just think it’s really good skills for high school boys.”

When asked if the boys pay her for her secretary work, Burling replies, “Every once in a while, my son will buy me Starbucks. I count that as my cut.”

Over the last year, the three have become good at working with each other, Thompson added. He’s also glad he works in his hometown.

“This town is full of nice people,” Thompson said. “It’s nice that we started it in this town and not, like, Hollywood or something.”

To schedule a job for Fountain Hills Teen Services, visit their Facebook page at @Fountain Hills Teen Services or call 480-779-7765.