Wichita’s good Samaritan with a lawnmower is featured in a new advertising campaign for Chevrolet.
SB Mowing owner Spencer is featured as a "Keeper of the Heartbeat" in the car maker’s revived “Heartbeat of America” commercials. Spencer does not release his last name to protect his privacy.
The classic “Heartbeat of America” ads were television staples during the 1980s. Chevrolet has revived them to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
The YouTube videos and broadcast commercials highlight notable people who serve their communities. In addition to SB Mowing in Wichita, the commercials feature a 91-year-old barbecue pitmaster in Texas and a Detroit-based clothing manufacturer.
Spencer said the car maker reached out to him because he’s owned Chevy vehicles his entire life. The first car he bought with his mowing money was a 1989 Corvette, and now he uses a 2025 Silverado for work.
“They're reliable, they're easy to work on,” Spencer said. “I've always been really keen on the Chevy small-block engine, and it's a good American car.”
Spencer started mowing lawns with his dad’s push mower when he was 11 years old. Sixteen years later, he has become a viral sensation cleaning up yards for people in need.
He drives around Wichita, looking for overgrown yards. Once he finds a challenge, he’ll knock on the door and offer his yard services free of charge.
He said many of the yards he services are owned by elderly people, veterans, single mothers or "just people that just need a little extra help.”
During a recent summer day in Wichita, Spencer used a drone to film an overgrown backyard before he got to work. Weeds had overtaken the yard, and the ground wasn’t visible. Spencer speculated he would be working over the weekend to finish the job.
As he unloaded equipment from his truck, Spencer took time to reflect on his time being filmed for the ad. He said he's used to working on his own, so it was strange having a crew follow him.
When someone isn’t able to keep up their lawn, it can affect their life, Spencer said. They might get a notice or fine from the city, which can cause even more stress.
“People are so grateful for the help, because the lawn is the first thing they see when they come in and out of their house,” he said. “Being able to get that back in shape, I think it just really turns people's lives around.”
Spencer started posting before and after videos of his work online as a way to connect with his friends in lawn care. Before long, those videos started going viral.
These days, he’s closing in on 70 million followers across his platforms. His videos get about 3 billion views a year.
In addition to the Chevy ads, Spencer’s fame has opened up opportunities like mowing the grass at Kauffman Stadium, the largest lawn he’s done. He doesn’t take on paying jobs anymore, working full time to help people in need.
For Spencer, neighbors caring for neighbors is the true meaning of the heartbeat of America.
“I think when we all do what we're meant to do, when we all come together, that's the heartbeat,” Spencer said.
He added that he contributed a literal heartbeat to the campaign.
“I was part of the song that they had made for the 'Heartbeat of America' series," he said. "They actually came and recorded my heartbeat and used it as part of the rhythm in the song."
