Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Yoo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was the oldest child of a disabled single mother with 3 boys. At the age of 10, I wanted to help my mom out by getting a job but no one would hire this 10 year old quirky boy. I then decided to go door to door asking neighbors if there was something I could do to earn a quarter. This was 1978, so a quarter was worth more than it is today, and I was usually given more than that for my work. I took out people’s trash, walked their dogs, pulled weeds… things like that. This was the beginning of my journey as a jack of all trades.
I saw the benefits that it brought to my family when I contributed a little extra money. I chose to give most of my earnings to my mom. This made it possible for her to do some things she couldn’t do otherwise, like giving us all an allowance and taking us on camping trips which didn’t cost to very much.
I started incorporating more ways to earn my own money very quickly. My crafty grandmother taught me how to make pet rocks with the rocks I would find. I painted them and added cute googly eyes on them and sold them going door to door. Then I saw ads in the comic books we had back then to sell Olympic greeting cards and Grit magazine. I didn’t really like doing this one, but it went well enough to save some money to buy a lawnmower at the age of 12.
As a kid, I had pretty bad asthma and while mowing lawns proved to be quite difficult, I pushed through until I discovered another opportunity. I believe I was 12 or 13 when I met a traveling missionary who made his money by painting address numbers on people’s curbs in front of their house. Doing this was quite fulfilling and I continued doing this 10 years while I travelled the US. When I did try my hand at other things, I’d set curb painting aside but kept coming back to it.
Painting curbs was easy when I was a little kid knocking on doors, but as I grew up it became harder to find customers. In order to remain profitable, I came up with the idea to create a flyer to post on the doors. That was when I was 18. At first, it only had some information about how it helped emergency services find homes, a place on the flyer to choose where they wanted it, and a place to sign it. The flyer instructed them to fill it out and post it back on the door the next day where I would see it and provide the service. Doing this required a lot of walking. Some days I would distribute as many as 500 fliers. I knew very early on that I enjoyed working for myself so much that I didn’t try to work for anyone else. And so, I spent the rest of my life being self-employed, and really enjoying it.
Through all of this, I went to school. I really didn’t enjoy school and did the bare minimum necessary to get through it. In junior high, I was held back a grade twice, but dug in both times and shortly after, was put back into the grade I was supposed to be in. This helped me realize that with enough determination, I could do what ever I put my mind to. This mindset has helped me tremendously throughout my life.
In my senior year of high school, I had to grind hard to get the necessary credits to graduate with my class (1986). I studied hard and also went to night school. My high school had an ROTC program and with 3 years of ROTC, I would have the opportunity to joint the military as an E3 instead of an E1. In my senior year, I decided to take all 3 years of ROTC. A few years later, I went into the Army, but that’s a story for another time.
I was raised in a very religious home. My mom had her boys attending church about 4 or 5 times a week. This included all the regular church services as well as boy scouts and youth group meetings. I mention this because after I graduated from high school, I went to seminary in Dallas, Texas for a couple of years to study Evangelism. I paid for this with the help of some church sponsors and my curb painting business. While doing curb painting in Dallas, I started offing more services on my flier. These included installing peep holes in doors, installing numbers on the house, painting mailboxes, and making customized door mats.
It didn’t take long to realize that being an Evangelist just wasn’t for me, and I dropped out. While I was there, I tried my hand at working for other people. One of these jobs was answering phones serving as a prayer counselor for a television Evangelist who was well known at the time. Every call I received was to pray with someone, and I was instructed to utilize a script where I was to let them know that God answers the prayers of those who have faith… and what better way to show faith, than to offer a pledge of money to that ministry. That didn’t sit well with me, especially seeing how this Evangelist lived, dressed, and spent that money. I’m fairly certain that experience played a role in choosing to drop out of seminary.
After that, at the age of 20, I went into the Army as a Voice Interceptor Linguist (98GL) which was a military intelligence position. Not that I knew several languages, but the aptitude test they gave me suggested I would be a good fit. This was a short-lived path because I had an asthma attack in basic trainng and was let go with an Honorable Medical Discharge. I’m really glad that happened, because I could tell that I wasn’t going to enjoy being a military man at that point.
This was a pivotal point in my life. What was I to do next? I moved to San Antonio and continued painting address numbers on people’s curbs, but this time, I developed a phone room and had people call everyone in a neighborhood to sign them up for service. This was pretty successful! However, I grew bored of it.
When I was 23 in 1991, I decided to sell everything, buy an RV, and travel the US doing curb painting along the way. I discovered if I offered that service in small towns, the fliers got a dynamic response for the curb painting service. I started to really enjoy life to a degree that I never had experienced before. I would work for one week, and then camp in the great outdoors for the rest of the month. I eventually bought a school bus and converted it into a traveling home — This was long before skoolies were as cool as they are now! While camping I taught myself a few crafts like leatherworking, jewelry-making, sewing, chainmail, and much more. I realized I am deeply an artist at heart.
I enjoyed traveling like this until 1997. I settled in Fayetteville, Arkansas and started a tattoo and body piercing studio. In 2000, I did a glass blowing apprenticeship and took this as a career for 20+ years. I learned that I love to teach and created an apprenticeship program of my own. Here in Austin, I ran my glassblowing school for 10 years, Glass Monkey Art Studio.
In 2014, things fell apart. Somehow, while trying to offer others the most affordable opportunity to learn to blow glass, I had forced my business to exist on a shoestring financially. I worried about money constantly, and the stress was relentless. It poisoned all aspects of my life. I lost all the joy I had previously felt about following my passions, just from trying to make everything work. I lost my business, my home, and the relationship I had with a wonderful woman.
When things crumbled, I made the decision to go “intentionally homeless”… in a way. This took me back to my traveling gypsy days. I had a very tiny trailer with a glass blowing station in it (which I still have today!), and I would find places to park it where I could then work out of it a few hours a week. I would camp in the greenbelt areas of Austin most of the time, and had just enough money for my basic needs. During this time, I tried to detach myself from money as much as possible and focus on maintaining joy in my life. I decided that, moving forward, maintaining my joy in life was the most important objective.
A few years back, I had taken interest in self sustainability and became a Certified Permaculture Designer. I had also taken a deep interest in healthy intentional community design. I was studying these this with great fervor. While unhoused, I decided to spend time visiting all the intentional communities in the Austin area and see what I could learn from them. In that journey, I discovered Community First Village. I was eligible to move into this amazing place due to being unhoused. In 2017, I moved into a tiny home there.
I immersed myself in Community First Village with my whole being. I joined the community council, started a social club, hosted scheduled drum circles, created events for my neighbors, started a non-profit organization, did community fundraising, and even served as an intern for their parent organization, Mobile Loaves and Fishes. I became a leader and an advocate for my fellow neighbors who had been chronically homeless before finding themselves in the Village. Most of them were challenged with mental disorders, physical disabilities, and/or drug addictions. I learned skills like authentic relating, de-escalation, and non-violent communication in order to help me serve my community in that capacity better.
While this was an incredible opportunity, it became clear that I was needing to do somethings different with my life after a time. I was there for 6 years, and at 53 years old, I decided to step off my path and begin a new adventure. That’s when I started the business I’m building today. I had spent my whole life as a student of life and I learned so many skill sets, but I was of the age… or past the age that I needed to focus on building something long-term for myself. Since I hadn’t worked in any system where you might typically be encouraged to build a retirement fund, I realized that I needed to come up with a business plan that had the potential to take care of me later. Now, with all of the work I’ve put in and all of the help I’ve gotten along the way from my amazing crew, Beyond Curb Appeal is on the trajectory to not just provide for myself, but also the people around me who I’ve taken under my wing to pass on any knowledge I can and encourage to build on themselves while we grow this business together. I’m confident that I have learned enough in this life to make a difference.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
While I touched on some challenges in my previous answer, I’d say the road has been anything but smooth. The constant thread through my journey has been learning to adapt when things don’t go as planned – from asthma ending my military career to losing everything in 2014. Each setback taught me something crucial: my worth isn’t tied to financial success, and joy can’t be sacrificed for survival. The struggles have ranged from literal homelessness to the emotional toll of watching a business I loved slip away due to financial strain. But each difficult chapter prepared me for the next one, and ultimately led me to build Beyond Curb Appeal with a clearer vision of what truly matters.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Beyond Curb Appeal is a full-service outdoor solutions company serving Austin’s five-county area. We specialize in irrigation systems – installations, repairs, maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting – plus landscaping, hardscapes, custom carpentry, deck building, fence installation, French drains, and erosion control. I’m a licensed Landscape Irrigator in Texas (License #LI0027792), and we offer various discounts for seniors, veterans, property managers, and preferred customers.
What I’m most proud of is our reputation: over 60% of our business comes from repeat clients, and we maintain a 4.9-star rating with nearly 200 reviews. But more than that, I’m proud of building a business that passes on knowledge. I’ve taken crew members under my wing, teaching them the skills I’ve spent a lifetime accumulating while we grow together, and I view every interaction I have with a client as an opportunity to help them feel well-informed and confident about their property, their decisions, and all of the work that we do for them.
What sets us apart is honesty and craftsmanship. We don’t take shortcuts. I walk clients through every issue, explain what needs fixing and why, and work within their budget. We go to great lengths to be transparent about our processes and pricing in an industry which typically struggles with this, especially when it comes to actual excavation into unknown conditions. Unlike larger companies focused on volume, we’re committed to 100% customer satisfaction on every job. My life experience – including having lost everything and rebuilt something bigger and better – taught me that joy and integrity matter more than profit. That philosophy shapes how we operate: transparent pricing, quality workmanship, and genuine care about enhancing people’s life experiences at their homes. We’re not just fixing sprinklers or building decks; we’re creating value that lasts.
What are your plans for the future?
As Beyond Curb Appeal grows, we’re going to expand our service offerings strategically. But my vision extends beyond just this business – I have several projects in the works that I’ll implement when the timing is right. These include a biodiverse farm, crafting studios, and upcycling ventures. Within the next few years, my goal is to purchase land and develop it into an ecovillage.
This isn’t just dreaming – it’s the culmination of everything I’ve studied and experienced. I’m a Certified Permaculture Designer, and I’ve spent years researching healthy intentional community design. During my time at Community First Village, I saw firsthand how thoughtful community planning can transform lives. Now I want to create a space that combines sustainable living, creative enterprise, and genuine community – bringing together all the skills I’ve accumulated over a lifetime.
The ecovillage concept ties directly into Beyond Curb Appeal’s mission. The landscaping, irrigation, and outdoor construction expertise we’re building now will be foundational to creating a truly sustainable, regenerative property. And the crafting studios and upcycling projects reflect my roots as an artist and maker – the leatherworking, jewelry-making, and creative skills I taught myself while traveling.
I’m looking forward to building something that doesn’t just provide for me in retirement, but creates opportunities for others who share similar values. After decades of helping others realize their outdoor visions, I’m excited to bring my own vision to life – a place where sustainability, creativity, and community intersect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Beyondcurbappeal.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondcurbappealatx?igsh=MXE2cWhkcWptMTR0NA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17TM3tgEyN/
Image Credits
Name: Tee Hollow
Business: OctoPhoto
