Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alondra Roland. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alondra, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I came up with the idea of our business mid pandemic. A lot of us were spending time at home and doing things we never had time to do. Many of those things were taking care of our plants. Whether it was outdoor plants or indoor houseplants people were starting their journey. My friends and family always came to me for advice on how to rehab or care for a plant they just purchased or received as gifts because I had a “green thumb”. Little did they know I killed a lot of plants and that’s how I got my experience. At this time during the pandemic there was a craze for houseplants- especially rare ones. They were the “it” thing. Everyone (millennials) moved on from having babies, to having dogs, to now becoming “plant parents.” The problem was not many people knew what they were doing with them, and they would die.
There was no logical thinking behind it. I just knew that I didn’t want to be another number to a corporate company. I wanted to share the joy through plants. Not the smartest thing to do mid pandemic knowing i had a secure job in my field but I did! Something about plants brings comfort to me and I knew that there are people that feel the same. What do you do when you’re celebrating a birthday, a special occasion or remembering a loved one that passed away or decorate your home with? You buy flowers and plants!
A lot of small business owners select plants to decorate their space with but don’t have the time to care for them. Soon after I received all official documents I started reaching out to commercial spaces, making ads on Facebook about plant sitting and rehab services in my area. I then was asked if i sold any plants. This was when I knew that hand selecting each plant was going to make us different. This would ensure that this plant would go to a new space pest free, full of beautiful green foliage and in the proper environment it would thrive. I found the perfect wholesaler in town and my business grew after offering plants to the public.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Alondra. I am co-owner, lead floral designer and plant consultant for Alo-Nest, LLC. Alo-Nest is a husband and wife owned and operated business. Our passion revolves around all things houseplants and flowers. Our mission is to spread joy through plants. Whether you’re seeking vibrant green companions or eye-catching blooms to brighten your space, Alo-Nest has you covered. The company was established in 2021 and hasn’t slowed down since. When asked why we left our careers to start a business I always mention it was a no brainer to leave what we have always known. We are only a number to a corporate company. Even with a 10 year medical laboratory background we knew that diving into our dream was worth leaving our careers. The pandemic changed that for our family. We wanted to spend more time together.
What started just as a hobby for me, quickly turned into giving plant care tips to my friends and family and has now transitioned into a small business with very sought-after houseplants and floral arrangements for residential and commercial spaces.
What makes us different is that we not only offer retail services, but we offer guidance and care tips after you take your plants home. Once you’ve made a purchase, you’re considered part of the plant parenthood village. Just like it takes a village to raise a child the same applies to a plant. We source from local flower farmers to support them and our economy.
I am most proud of the accomplishments and partnerships we have made through the last two and a half years. In this short time, I have won second place in the category “Women Owned business of the Year” for Austin Businesswoman. We have also partnered with The Children’s Advocacy Center of Bastrop County and offered support to the children and teens they service. Throughout the year we are having donation drives or sponsoring events that help the non-profit. Both JP, my husband, and I always knew we wanted to give back to the community and The Children’s Advocacy Center has allowed us to do this. We appreciate everything they do to support children and teens who have been victims of child abuse. I am also proud of my mexican roots. Being a minority owned business thriving in this economy has been something I still can’t wrap my head around. Both my parents are Mexican. They came to the United States from Coahuila, Mexico seeking an opportunity. I believe I have made my parents proud of accomplishing what I have in short time.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In the summer of 2022, both of Jp’s grandfathers became ill and were admitted to the hospital multiple times. Eventually leading them to be discharged to hospice care and shortly passing away. We were grateful for our flexible schedule that our business allowed us to have. We were able to spend the last few moments with them during this difficult time. However, this also meant we neglected the plants in our inventory to be with our family. before we knew it, we had the worst pest infestation you could imagine. From thrips to spider mites and mealy bugs. We could have easily treated the plants with insecticide, but it was a loss we wouldn’t be able to come back from fast enough to profit anything. We quickly learned no matter how careful we are at hand selecting our inventory we had to take all precautions before bringing in more plants from different wholesale nurseries. Any live plants are at high risk for bringing in pests. We decided to contact greenhouses in California and Florida and cut the middleman out. We now offer shipping directly from the greenhouses. By doing this we are able to control the environment of the plants we currently have on hand better.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
When people mention Alo-Nest some might think of flowers and others might think of plants. We started off only offering houseplants. Actually, our first Valentine’s Day we only offered blooming potted plants. Such as gardenias, mini roses, azaleas, and anthuriums. It was different and unique, but it wasn’t the red roses everyone associated the holiday with. We quickly learned we had a slow season after Mother’s Day. Then came in the idea of starting to offer a luxurious high stem count bouquet or a Ramo Buchon. Although we knew nothing about flowers, I knew that offering arrangements was going to quickly fill in the gaps of the revenue coming in. I wasn’t wrong. People started calling us left and right customizing their arrangements based on what they saw trending on TikTok. It’s not the only service we added on last year in 2023. I’ve had many childhood friends reach out to me and asked me if I would help design their bridal bouquet and shortly after that we did our first wedding. Although we haven’t announced it to the public, it’s something we’ll happily say yes to for our friends and family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alo-nest.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alo.nest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alonestllc/