Plant Street Flower Cart

Hello Friends!

I hope you are having an amazing start to the new year!

This year I hope to continue to bring you the stories of the small businesses that make our community unique.

Today’s article features the Plant Street Flower Cart, a mobile bicycle flower cart that sells bouquets of flowers by the stem in Downtown Winter Garden. The cart’s owner Tasha says “People always tell us that our cart ‘looks like it could be in a Hallmark movie.’” I agree, this cart looks almost like it rolled out of the screen, but I’m super excited to share its amazing real life story!

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Before opening the Plant Street Flower Cart, Tasha has had previous experience in spreading happiness. “I was a wedding planner/ designer for 5 years but as I was nearing the birth of my second baby I knew I wanted to slow down a little bit. I didn’t want to go back into corporate America. I wanted to be able to use my giftings in floral and customer service but wasn’t sure how. Then we moved to Winter Garden and I noticed that there were no florists on Plant Street. I happened to see another flower cart on Pinterest in California and I thought, ‘That’s something I could do here and it would fit perfectly with the aesthetic of downtown WG.’ I showed it to my husband and he offered to build me the cart. I started out thinking it would just be a fun little side hustle, but from day one the community has welcomed us with open arms. The first night I had the cart out just for a photo shoot and people ended up lining up buying flowers for 3 hours. We’re blown away by people’s reactions and support of the cart. We’re only 3 months in but we’re already working on building another cart.”

With it’s whimsical nature and beautiful arrangements, the Plant Street Flower Cart has become a great way for Tasha to spread joy and her talents throughout Winter Garden. Their current success has helped them to dream of their future. “Our future goals are to grow our following on social media, build several new carts, and possibly build a bouquet studio one day. Also, continue to put smiles on peoples faces with flowers.”

Currently,  you can find them on Fridays and Saturdays in Downtown Winter Garden outside Rosallie, with whom they have a great relationship. They are open to other opportunities, as well. “We’d like to do some pop up shops, and photographers can rent out the cart for photos, others can also rent the cart for private events, etc.” 

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Having the Plant Street Flower Cart has improved their personal lives, as well. “It’s rooted us in a community we love, it’s given us connections with people of all backgrounds, socioeconomic status, age, etc., and it’s been a blessing to our family financially and because of the flexible nature of a mobile cart. If we want to go on vacation we just don’t go out that week. That’s been incredible.

Probably the biggest challenge was in building the cart. Making sure the materials could stand up to heat, rain and bouncing around down the road. My husband built the cart and put a lot of time and effort into the research of materials and building it. 

We haven’t encountered too many hurdles with this business. But in life in general my faith is the anchor in my life, so even if there are obstacles or storms it keeps me grounded. Sometimes you also just have to have an attitude of tenacity and perseverance, while also flexing with what comes at you. I’m good with the perseverance, I’m learning the flexibility.”

Photo by Sophia’s Art Photography

Plant Street Flower Cart has also given Tasha the opportunity to truly impact the community.  “Time and time again I’ve had people say, ‘This year has been so hard and it’s so nice to just be out …building a bouquet (for myself or someone else) put a smile on my face.’” The community has been able to positively embrace and impact Tasha as well. In our interview, she said she wished she had known “…how absolutely amazing the people of Winter Garden are. Friendly, supportive, knowledgeable (I’ve learned so much local history), generous, and kind. LOVE living here.”

Photo by Steven Miller Photography

Tasha offers this advice for anyone looking to start their own business, “Find something you LOVE and have a talent or gifting for. Educate yourself and learn as much as you can. Get your basics in order first (license, insurance, etc), mentor or apprentice with someone who’s done what you want to do. Just do it! The worst that can happen is it doesn’t work well and you learn how to do it better or to shift into something that does work well. So many people’s dreams die before they even try.”

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

Please support this amazing business by following them on social media. Soon they are hoping to have a website! Follow them on social media for more updates!

Plant Street Flower Cart Instagram

Plant Street Flower Cart Facebook

You can also find them currently outside Rosallie’s in Downtown Winter Garden, Florida on the following days:

Fridays: 5:00 PM- 9:00 PM
Saturdays: 10:00 AM-1:00 PM

Stop by, say hi, and pick up your own arrangement! 

Thank you all for reading!

Remember to support small businesses and find something you love to do too!

Have a great week!

Logo courtesy of owner

_{The photographs used in this article are approved by the owner. Each photographer is credited below each picture}

Dream and Brush by Danielle

Hello, friends!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are having a great day and are finding time to enjoy the holiday season! 

Today, I have my good friend Danielle who has recently started an Etsy shop called Dream and Brush.

Danielle specializes in digital hand-lettering art, color-block portraits, and has recently started offering some decor pieces as well. What started out as a hobby to keep her busy during the stay at home orders earlier in the year, quickly became something more. 

According to Danielle, “I started my business in September of this year, so just a few months ago! I started off with making an Instagram account for all of my hand-lettering designs and friends started asking me if I ever planned on selling my work. After I felt like I was at a better place creatively, I opened my Etsy shop just in time for Fall. Since then, I have launched a holiday collection as well as multiple custom offerings. I’m having so much fun with it, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”

“What makes me unique is my lettering style. Lettering and calligraphy has become a larger community since quarantine, but so many artists say that there is a place for everyone, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Most of my pieces are based around fandoms (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Broadway) as well as mental health and motivation.”

Danielle has previously had entrepreneurial aspirations through other shops in the past. “I had an Etsy shop back in college where I made and sold Disney-themed bows, when that was the latest and greatest thing. While I was not that successful, and did not do it for very long, I still had fun and loved how easy it was to work the website. I knew a lot of lettering artists also used Etsy, so it was a perfect move for me to make.”

“When I first started lettering, I never planned on opening an Etsy shop. I also never thought I would dive into more drawing along with lettering, but am so glad I have. Long-term, I would love to be able to fully support myself doing this, because I love it so much. Short-term goals are to keep making content I love and to start creating more physical pieces in the future that I can ship to customers.”

This project means a lot to Danielle personally, as well. “My business has grown my confidence as an artist. If you told me a year or even six months ago that I’d be making art that people would actually buy, I would have laughed. Also, since being laid off from my job, the extra income has been a huge blessing.”

Even though she loves the process of creating, Danielle noted that every business has its challenges. “There have been some pieces I made that have not sold at all, which is discouraging. I had plans for custom ornaments, and all the supplies are now sitting in a drawer and I have yet to sell a single ornament. I also released my holiday pieces during multiple days, and it decreased a lot of my Instagram engagement since it felt like I was just selling and selling instead of just making pretty things. It’s definitely something I’ve learned from and plan to improve next time.”

“I wish I knew more about Etsy SEO as well as better ways to display my products before launching my shop. I’ve definitely made countless changes to my listings in order to make them perform better, which has worked. I also wish I knew that it doesn’t matter how many social media followers you have when you start out, because you can grow you shop and your social media together at the same time.”

Danielle offers something that has helped her keep perspective when things become challenging. “Stepping away from the Internet for a bit helps me refocus. I’ll turn off my phone and just open my iPad and draw or letter whatever comes to mind. This puts me back in the place of why I do what I do. At the end of the day it’s not always about the views or sales, it’s just about me getting better at a hobby I truly love.”

While mostly focusing on a lot of word-of-mouth and social media marketing, Danielle has also gained perspective on finding a supportive community. “When the Disney layoff announcement happened, that was actually what doubled my Instagram following because a few bloggers added my shop to a huge Google Doc full of other furloughed and laid off Cast Members. It’s crazy to think that such a sad life-change for me actually benefited my business.”

Danielle decided to give back to some of the community that has been supportive of her passion. “One way I’ve impacted the community is during Giving Tuesday, I decided to donate a portion of my sales made from my Etsy shop as well as $1 per new Instagram follower that day to Cast Member Pantry, which provides food to furloughed and laid off Cast Members. I love how they’ve been supporting the community and I really wanted to give back to them.”

“If the events of this year, like quarantine and losing my job, did not happen, I most likely would not have even started this shop. I tried to learn hand-lettering last year, but failed miserably. Having that extra time and a need for a creative outlet is what led to all of this.

I was surprised when a blogger I follow made a purchase from my shop! Also, someone who never followed my Instagram found my shop through Etsy, made a purchase for a custom order, and now follows my account! Those little surprises reminded me that people do genuinely like what I have created.

My first tip when starting a business is to be financially smart. I didn’t have two pennies to rub together when starting this, so that is why I decided to make digital pieces to avoid spending money on shipping, a printer, shipment products, etc., that I did not have. Second, and more importantly, do not listen to the ‘haters.’ If people in your life are telling you that this is a dumb idea and that it won’t succeed, tune them out and prove them wrong. Lastly, be yourself and do not copy other artists’ work. Your unique style and way of creating is what is going to draw others to your shop, not a copy of someone else.”

Thank you so much, Danielle, for sharing your story and your art with us!

The last piece is a custom hand-lettered quote inspired by Cinderella that I purchased through Danielle’s shop  and I could not be happier with how it turned out.  

If you would like to purchase anything from Danielle yourself please click the link below!

shopdreamandbrush.etsy.com

Also, please follow Danielle on social media for awesome updates and behind-the-scenes looks at her process!

Instagram

Thanks again for reading. 

If you have a small business and would like to be featured, please email me!

Remember to support small businesses and go find your new dream!

Amy

Frondezvous

Hello everyone! 

Today’s article is about Frondezvous, a small houseplant boutique specializing in 3D printed pots and plants that require easy to intermediate levels of care. According to owner Lex, this shop represents where the digital world and the natural world intersect.

Lex started Frondezvous after learning from her personal experiences growing plants for the past few years. According to Lex, “I knew I wanted to start a plant boutique after talking to several of my friends and learning about their trepidations in finding the right plants for their home. So many people immediately say, ‘Nope, I’ll kill that!’ But having and caring for plants around my house has really improved my happiness and well-being, so I wanted to share that joy. A friend of mine made a 3D printed pot for me as a novelty and the fully formed idea took off from there.”

By blending the unique designs of the 3D printed pots with the natural beauty of the plants, Frondezvous stands apart. “Anyone who knows me personally knows I’m obsessed with plants. To quote The Sill, one of my favorite online plant boutiques, ‘Plants make people happy.’ There’s nothing more exciting than swapping plants with a friend and having them send you pictures of every new leaf and growth spurt. I think plants are a joy that’s accessible to everyone with the right education and it would be the ultimate fulfillment for me to spread that joy.“

Though this is currently a mostly independent venture, Lex hopes to make Frondezvous more collaborative in the future. “I believe small, local businesses are what make any community thrive, and I’m lucky to be situated near a number of them, including the businesses and bars of the Milk District, SODO, and so on. Frondezvous is still a seedling but as we grow, I hope to collaborate with lots of local makers, artists, and businesses.” Lex has already started branching out into collaborating with other businesses to continue to produce unique products and has big plans for the future. “Currently I’m collecting used candle holders from The Thirsty Topher to repurpose as potting vessels. I’d like to start a recycling program with local coffee shops and restaurants to collect coffee grounds and food scraps for composting.” 

Lex credits her business in helping her grow personally as well. “I’m becoming really proficient in ‘tinkering’ and technical work to make sure my prints are coming out right. I’m also learning so much about 3D design and building which are things I wanted to learn independently anyway, so it’s doubly exciting that I get to learn about them for my business.”

No business is immune from challenges. Sometimes those challenges can be personal. “I’ve had plenty of challenges, many of them stemming from self-doubt. Many of the big makers’ markets around Orlando frequently feature big names in the local plant community, so it was definitely intimidating to arrive at my first market in direct competition with them. I’ve also had a learning curve with design software since it was initially way far outside of my comfort zone. The great thing about working with plants and 3D prints is that you can see when you’re doing well and when you’re not. When my prints and my plants are pretty and healthy, I know I’m going in the right direction, and I gain a little more confidence to take the right next steps.”

Lex has many goals for how her business can grow and impact the community. “I’m doing what I can to spread happiness and plant education in my community! Although COVID-19 has slowed the process, I’m hoping to join the UFAS Master Gardener Volunteer program to improve my knowledge and help native Florida wildlife to thrive in the area. I also hope in the future to shed more of a light on recycling programs for businesses when I start up my composting program.” Lex also hopes to have a website completed by June so that she can reach a larger audience and help grow the local plant community.

When asked if there was any tips she had for people looking to start their own business Lex responded with the following advice: “Find a mentor.” As she put it, “When I set out to start Frondezvous, I was mostly flying blind and have had to restructure as I learned. Finding someone who has already been through the hard parts – or at least someone who can guide you in developing your skills and confidence – can make the process so much smoother.”

Thank you so much Lex for sharing your story with us!

Follow Lex through her social media accounts for updates about her nursery and behind the scenes looks at new designs. There you can also see where she will be selling her plants and pots if you would like one for yourself. 

Facebook @frondezvous

Instagram @frondezvous

You can also email frondezvous@gmail.com to inquire about ordering something from the boutique. 

Thank you readers for supporting me and small businesses in your community!

Have an amazing day and keep growing!

Amy

All pictures are graciously sent by Lex Burton and Frondezvous and are not my own.