We recently connected with Julia Pentecost and have shared our conversation below.

Julia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Green Living by Design, or GLBD for short, is more than just a name. We like to think that this is a way of living. Slowing down in what we do, taking a moment to think of our environment, our impact, and each other. We try to be as sustainable as we can in all parts of our business. For our landscape clients, we prefer organic methods to reduce what we are putting in our waterways. We like to install plants that are hardy, deer-resistant, and low maintenance. We build exterior spaces and interior spaces designed to last for many years, sourcing materials locally, recycling, reusing, and repurposing what we can. In our retail market, you will find lots of locally sourced goods; you will see that our tables, chairs, counters are all upcycled from vintage shops around town or built from solid wood, metal, stone, or other natural materials. We believe that making thoughtful, delicious decisions about how we live will make a better and Greener environment for everyone.

Julia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Green Living By Design started primarily as a full-service design, build, sustain landscape company. We have grown to include residential remodeling and a sustainable retail market, Green Living Market, that offers locally sourced groceries, garden items, botanical gifts, and a café. We try to be as sustainable and local as possible in all that we do.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I started Green Living by Design in the fall of 2019, just before Covid. When I first started my business, we were primarily focused on landscaping. Last year, in March of 2023, I launched our retail space, Green Living Market, which we were very excited about—a way to connect with our community, a place where people could come shop and gather, and see that we practice what we preach. The day before my new market opened, my personal home caught on fire. It was a nightmare. 2023 was the hardest year I have ever had as a business owner. It was so hard to balance the landscape and home portions of the business, focus on building a new retail space, while also trying to rebuild my home, navigate insurance, and all of the things. We survived our first year in business and just celebrated the one-year anniversary at the market, and the finishing touches of my home being restored happened just days before our one-year market anniversary. We are hoping this year will be a great year for all three divisions of the company.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The retail market has had a nice effect of bringing more landscape and home clients to us. People who have stopped in for coffee, plants, or local groceries learn about what we do and get excited to work with us in other parts of their life, and we love that.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.greenliving-bydesign.com
• Instagram: @glbdcincy
• Facebook: Green Living Market

Image Credits
Sybilka Storie