We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kenneth Rickerd a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kenneth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Would you say you are more focused on growing revenue or cutting costs? We’d love to hear how you think about these two critical drivers

I really like this question because it is something we are currently struggling with. Initially the more productive and urgent item was to focus on increasing the volume of sales we are doing. We needed to get our team up to full steam closing sales and completing projects. Revenue is the key to: expanding of the team, acquiring tools for the job and our ability to spend on infrastructures/software which help efficiency. Without immediate revenue nothing else would be possible. Especially for our business which we started on an extremely bootstrapped budget. Cash flow is king so we don’t have to turn to using serious credit or outside investment.

We are starting to get to the point where we are ready for the next expansion which would be hiring another installation team. We finally have some sense of stability in our business which will allow us to look toward that expansion but also spend time looking at the second part of this question which is cutting cost. Trying to improve our margins is a main goal for this next quarter and year. We are revisiting our pricing, but I think more importantly we are trying to figure out how to bring down our material costs. While pricing increases are direct in the sense that we could implement them tomorrow and impact our margins, we are trying to first squeeze any juice we can out of sourcing materials we use at a better rate. The two things that will help are being able to buy materials in larger volume and to look for suppliers who will provide more competitive pricing. Now that we have gathered more experience in the business we can predict the amount of stock we need which also helps our purchasing.

For us, revenue has been most important to stabilize the business and allow us to grow. Now we can focus on cutting cost and improving margins. Hopefully we will get to keep a little more of the money we make. Its a tough balance for a growing business especially our where all three partners are essentially new to this industry.

Kenneth , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Our business was born from the covid era. Dane and Macy the original founders with newly found time on their hands during shutdown saw the plant trend booming and filled a needed space in the industry. Both Dane and Macy have an affinity for plants. Dane has prior nursery and horticulture experience from younger years and Macy a self-proclaimed plant daddy. The third piece of the team is Kenny. Although not a plant expert he helps organize the business for success so Macy and Dane can execute the vision.

We consider ourselves a premier destination for exotic and high-end, outdoor-made indoor plants. We are dedicated horticultural experts who specialize in curating, designing, and nurturing. We provide our exclusive clientele with unique and sought-after plants native to the far reaches of the world, carefully acclimated to the California environment.

We have curated a collection of living works of art, each one chosen for its beauty, resilience, and ability to thrive inside. Our plants are paired with Berbere Imports pots, and we deliver directly to your door.

We are excited about our new expansion into full backyard remodels. Our goal is to start building full outdoor experiences for our client’s homes. From conceptual design to completed construction of upscale outdoor living and activities. More of this to come very soon.

I think we are most proud of the team we have built and the projects we are now taking on. It’s amazing to see the growth of the company and the individuals we have working here with us. I think our team is one item that sets us apart from the competition. We have a great reputation with our satisfied clients.

Secondly our product speaks for itself. We luckily have access to Berbere Imports and that allows us to use the finest vessels. This allows us to come up with beautiful pieces to install in fabulous homes throughout the Los Angeles area.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

Dane and Macy met through mutual friends in Los Angeles. Their friendship started as many do being assisted with booze, late nights and poor decisions. They ended up working together at a restaurant for a while as well. During the shut down was when they made the plan to pursue selling plants as a business.

Kenny and Macy had a more wholesome introduction being only in kindergarten. They grew up together from little league through high school graduation. They did however accomplish to make their own poor decisions along the way but it has been a 32 year friendship so far.

Macy is the reason that Dane and Kenny met. He orchestrated bringing Kenny into the Plant Daddies business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

This business was absolutely a side hustle that became a full time business. Dane and Macy initially started selling plants on craiglists and Facebook marketplace. They then started an Instagram account to gather an audience. The first plant sales were very primitive. Simple pots and very basic plants sold at small profits and delivered out of the back of Dane’s little SUV or Macy’s Scoin XB. Eventually getting some installations at a few local businesses and restaurants which helped give a small push. There were a few big milestones though. One was getting a large landscaping job. This was a job for a popular fashion influencer, a well known designer and it was photographed for Architectural Digest. In reality the job was at the very edge of the abilities and resources the Plant Daddies had at that time. However, it went well and got us some recognition. The next and most important milestone is partnering with Berbere Imports. Them reaching out to the Plant Daddies really changed the course of the business. Berbere brought us into their warehouse as a resident. This gave us a place to work, store inventory, build installations and be in front of their huge client base including tons of the top designers from all over the area. The list of all the things this did for the business is long but it was a vital change making the business what it is today.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theplantdaddies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.plant.daddies