Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Neely. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsay , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you have a hero? What have you learned from them?

My hero would have to be my late mother, Cynthia Day Neely. She’s the inspiration behind Pink Fern and the reason it’s a truly magical space. She was a gifted artist who also happened to have a keen eye for design through secondhand shopping. Growing up, I would frequent garage sales and flea markets with her – where I first discovered the “thrill of the hunt”. My favorite was when we would visit my Aunt Sandra in Shreveport, LA to go antiquing. The antique shops always felt like an adventure to me, like stepping back in time. I adored the ornate details and quality of items made decades and even centuries ago. It made me wonder about the story behind the pieces and the homes they’d lived in before. It really instilled a sense of appreciation for things that are old or preloved and giving them a new life.

My mom was a creative entrepreneur, owning a fine art business where she specialized in portraiture and teaching classes to people of all skill levels. Her eye for design and attention to detail was truly a gift – a gift that I like to think I got from her. After spending almost a decade in a secure but draining profession, I decided to trust my gut, take the leap, and follow in her footsteps pursuing a creative passion. I incorporated my love for secondhand shopping and design into my plant business, and it quickly became one of the main reasons people love Pink Fern. It’s the personal touch, the feeling of “home” as soon as you walk in.

Lindsay , 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?

I’m Lindsay Neely, owner of Pink Fern. What started as a side gig/creative outlet turned into my full time job and I’ve never looked back. In 2021, I started selling vintage and secondhand finds through Instagram. I loved incorporating my love for plants when styling the items to post. Posts that included plants styled with a vintage pot or vessel seemed more popular, so I started putting more together and selling those sets at local maker markets and events. Those events really helped build confidence in my business, and after seeing how much people appreciated what I have to offer, I started to think bigger.

In 2022 I quit my job and dove full time into market events almost every weekend for two years. Although financially unpredictable and physically tiresome, I consider this step crucial to my current success. I had two years to connect with the community, build a customer base, and learn the ins and outs of running a business before taking the leap into a brick and mortar location which has its own learning curves. I already had the vision, so I also spent this time collecting furnishings and displays for my shop as I’d find them at secondhand sales. As I carefully curated each piece, I just had to wait for the spot that felt right for my vision. The timing was perfect and the stars aligned when I secured a spot on “Pink Row” (a string of woman owned businesses) at 914 N. College Ave. Now that I’m here I’m most proud of overcoming my own fears and insecurities with each step I took towards this goal. It’s better than I ever could have imagined.

Pink Fern specializes in sustainable plant styling and curated decor. We provide a wide variety of plants for beginners and collectors alike, and we pride ourselves on quality and customer service. We also sell goods from local makers and artists, which are perfect for gifting! We want plant parenthood to feel approachable and overall aim to provide a unique shopping experience for the Northwest Arkansas area. Many customers refer to Pink Fern as their “happy place”, and that’s exactly what we’re going for.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Pursuing Pink Fern in and of itself was a life pivot, but since the start Pink Fern has evolved a few times into what it is today. One thing I had to heavily consider if I was going to do this full time was scalability. When I started selling vintage decor through instagram I knew the furthest I could probably go was a flea market booth or online shop. Then I started selling my styled sets and terrariums at local events, but knew that stocking a whole shop on what I make, grow, and find sustainably on my own would be a major feat. How could I run a shop if I spend all my time traveling and sourcing?

At that point I started looking into wholesale suppliers and thats when I felt that I could still do what I love and include the creative aspect of Pink Fern while supplementing with wholesale products. Currently, Pink Fern is the culmination of all my favorite things: plants, vintage, curated new and preloved home decor, and giftables. I wanted to make sure that my shop wasn’t too niche. I want to provide something for everyone, even if you’re not a plant person. And if you’re not, I believe you’ll find that its a really happy place to be regardless!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Spending a couple of years laying the groundwork at maker markets and events really helped build Pink Fern’s reputation prior to opening a brick and mortar. Through these events I was able to and grow a social media following, connect with people, and exchange plant knowledge. I love sharing the joys of plant parenthood, especially with new plant parents. Sometimes it can be intimidating or people think they have a “brown thumb” when really they just haven’t discovered the plant variety that suits their lifestyle. We put a lot of love into the plants we sell, and it shows through the quality as well as the enthusiasm we have for helping customers pick out whats right for them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pinkfernplantco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkfernplantco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinkfernplantco

Image Credits

Natalie Zeta