We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Brookfield a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hannah , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today 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.
In 2021 I made the scary decision to leave my career I planned to have forever to start my business. My “side gig” turned into a business that made a positive impact on the community and I had to see where it would lead.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a certified professional horticulturist and a certified horticulture therapy. My first job was at a garden center when I was 16. This is where I fell in love with plants but more importantly fell in love with talking to people about plants. Fast forward to today, I own a unique houseplant boutique called BotaniGal in Sykesville, Maryland. BotaniGal carries unique houseplants. quality plant care items, and curated planty gifts. BotaniGal also provides horticultural therapy services to Carroll County and surrounding areas. Horticulture therapy is the use of plants and plant related activities to improve on a person’s overall health and wellbeing.
BotaniGal gives back to the community by donating 1% of our sales to rotating local nonprofits. We also employ neurodiverse individuals because we believe strongly in inclusion.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My knowledge and passion for plants and horticulture therapy has helped me build a great reputation and following. In addition, providing quality and healthy houseplants and advice has instilled trust in BotaniGal. Customers can be confident that they are leaving with a quality plant as well as the tool and knowledge they need to keep it looking great. I also have a desire to relationships with my customers and grow along with them.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
BotaniGal started as a side gig. I started selling houseplants at a local market. My two little shelves in the back of the store eventually turned into taking over 1/4 of the store. As I gained a following, I started sourcing more uncommon plants and started conducting classes. In July of 2021 I decided to leave my career of almost 10 years to pursue BotaniGal full time. I was hoping to move into my brick-and-mortar space in October of 2021 but after a year of renovation hang ups, I didn’t open my brick and mortar until October 15th, 2022. Now I have had my store for almost a year!
Contact Info:
- Website: botanigalplants.com
- Instagram: @botanigal
- Facebook: facebook.com/botanigalplants
Image Credits
Jill Fannon