We recently connected with Greer Bowley and have shared our conversation below.
Greer, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
Starting my business was a risk in and of itself. I have always worked for other people and relied upon those jobs to pay my bills. Being able to step away from that and start my own business that supports not only myself but my whole household was very scary! I tried to take baby steps, and slowly ease into it, but at some point or another you just have to take the leap! I had a full time job at the same place for over 7 years, it was a long commute and made it difficult to have any time to work on my own dreams. So I left that job to take a position at another company where I could work less days a week and have a short commute, this job allowed me the time and space to get started on my own venture! After a year at that job I was able to take the leap and start running my business full time.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am Greer Bowley and I own and operate The Green Crow with my husband Matt Bowley. The Green Crow is a mobile, online and brick and mortar houseplant and terrarium supply store. We sell tropical indoor plants both common and rare! We also sell supplies to help you create your own bioactive terrariums. Bioactive terrariums are enclosed ecosystems that use bugs, soil, moss, water and plants to great a little “world” in a glass vessel! We teach workshops at other local businesses on how to create terrariums and we often pair this with another craft as well, such as wood burning or a cocktail tasting, depending on the venue. We also offer private classes, we have taught classes for employee appreciations, baby showers and church groups! Aside from having a brick and mortar in Rossford OH we also travel to local farmers markets and other shows in the Ohio/Michigan area! We bring tropical houseplants, pre made terrariums, terrarium kits and stickers. Our online store is also a great resource, you can buy tickets for many of our events on our website or place an order for plants and then pick them up from our store.
I think what sets us apart from other places you can purchase plants is the personal touch. Im pretty much available for any question or concern you have when you buy a plant from me, or even if you have a plant you got somewhere else Im always happy to try to help out with any questions. Your never left hanging, I really want everyone to succeed at being a plant parent, and I truly believe that there is a right plant “fit” for everyone, even if you have killed a bunch of plants in the past. Im really proud about how approachable and accessible we are!
How did you build your audience on social media?
I’ll brag a little about my husband Matt Bowley here! He handles our online presence and I am super lucky to have him as a business/life partner! We strive to have a very “real” presence on social media, yes obviously we want everything to look nice but we also want everyone to see the “real” us. Matt is always creating videos of events we take part in, we also love to take photos of our customers and share that on social media. I think the biggest lesson I had to learn, and am still learning is “everything is content”, are we driving to a market and loading the van? That could be a post or a story, it allows the customer to engage with us and shows them all the work it takes to make something happen. So my biggest take away is to just share your journey, engage with people, be real and accessible….not everything is shiny and perfect and I think people appreciate and enjoy getting to see a glimpse of our lives. And if your doing everything from scratch…it takes time! Patience is key.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Getting out in our community! The more times you are out in front of people the better! Maybe they don’t need your product but they know someone who does. Attending local markets leads to so many connections with people! This ties right into word of mouth, because of connections we have made at markets and local events we have been so lucky to been included in their journey by having our product at their stores, teaching a class for or with them, being featured on the news etc! Its always so shocking and amazing to really look back on all the things we have been able to achieve in 2 1/2 years just due to connections we make by being out and about in our community. 
Contact Info:
- Website: www.greencrowplants.com
- Instagram: @greencrowplants
- Facebook: The Green Crow Plants
Image Credits
Matt Bowley