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

Megan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

Believe it or not, I’m pretty risk-averse so starting a business wasn’t at the top of my bucket list. In fact, it wasn’t really on my radar at all, until I became a remote worker in the pandemic. I became more aware of the legacy I was building for my daughters, and it occurred to me that the example I was setting for what a “successful” professional woman looked like didn’t meet the standard I had hoped for. On one of my daily walks with my husband — which tend to be my rambling vent sessions — I expressed how unfulfilling my job had become. It meant, and means, a lot to me to be the example I hope to set for my girls. I don’t want it to be an example of “do as I say, not as I do” but that’s exactly what it had become. I do my best to instill in them the sense of limitless possibilities, never sell yourself short, seize the opportunity, live your dreams, but I was “playing it safe” and settling on my own career and professional dreams. Don’t get me wrong, corporate life and W2s are great and perfect for most, I miss many of the perks, opportunities, and friendships! But I had a passion, a vision, and a legacy to build that wasn’t aligned with that job and if I didn’t pursue it, I might regret it forever. When we asked our kids about all the jobs and work dad had done and does, they had stories of creations, adventures, and excitement because he had woven his passions into his work so well. When we asked about mine it was far less interesting, “well she’s on the computer all day, I think she’s in a lot of meetings and she has friends at work, but she’s also frustrated a lot.” They knew where I worked, some of the things I did, and that it was mostly fine and a lot to be thankful for. When we talked more about each of our passions, they had a lot more to say about me and most of those passions and skills weren’t aligned with my work.
My professional journey was a little less “traditional” and because of that I like to challenge my kids to think about their path in a less traditional sense. Life after high school doesn’t have to mean college but if it does, great! Life after college doesn’t have to mean a fancy title at a corporate level but if it does, great! As long as they don’t lose sight of their passions and are in constant pursuit of living their dreams, I’ll be supportive and happy for them. So that’s exactly what I’ve recommitted myself to.
Since opening my shop I’ve also had a part-time job that assists other aspiring entrepreneurs in the pursuit of their dreams. I’ve founded a local CreativeMornings chapter (only the second rural chapter approved by the organization) to bring people together in the spirit of creativity and to support our local community. I’ve started an annual city-wide women’s event in honor of women’s history month to amplify the voices of women and celebrate their impact on our local economy. I’ve hosted countless events, taught workshops, and formed lifelong friendships. I’m busy. Busier than I’ve probably ever been. I’m stressed and I’m tired, but I’m also fulfilled. I’m stretching myself further than I had imagined possible from behind my screen, at my desk, in my basement 4 years ago. I hope the legacy I leave is that of passion, love, connection, and lifelong learning through experiences.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

A passion for plants, a love for creativity, and a dedication to empowering women, is the birth story of Burrow & Vine, a retail plant shop unlike any other. My mission was to create something truly special—an oasis where art, wellness, and community were at the heart of everything we did. Nestled in the quaint historic district of Staunton, Virginia, I’ve built a sanctuary and safe place for people to learn how to sketch and paint by local artists, how to care for plants and confidently build their own plant sanctuary, how to macrame their own custom plant hangers, how to recommit to a wellness routine and how to build memories and connections that will last a lifetime.
My product line and class schedule change constantly to grow with the demands and interests of my local community as well as the many tourists we see throughout the year. My physical footprint is small, so it allows me to be nimble and creative with the layout and use of space which my visitors and I both enjoy!
Entrepreneurial life wasn’t exactly where I felt the most safety and security. I know my professional and personal strengths and am keenly aware of my weaknesses, which is why building a community support system was so important to me. I knew I’d benefit from the guidance and wisdom of more seasoned entrepreneurs, and I offered my own strengths and expertise in return. I attended countless networking events and business workshops. I shopped and dined locally and built my network. It helped to extend my brand to the community while building trust and respect in the process.
In my past job I had enjoyed the connections I made outside of the organization and team I worked with daily by attending monthly CreativeMornings events. I knew that our Shenandoah Valley needed it or something similar. It was one of those big lofty goals that I wrote into my business plan (along with a city-wide Women’s event, we’ll get to that) but I was never sure I’d be able to pull it off. Everything starts with a dream, an ambition, a goal so I left it in my top priorities. As it turns out the community was ready for it far earlier than I ever dreamed possible. At an entrepreneurship summit in the fall of 2022, 4 months after opening my doors, I met Anika Horn (my, now, co-host of CM-SVA). Our first conversation began with “have you heard of CreativeMornings? Want to start a local chapter?” We never looked back and by that December we hosted an interest meeting with the community where we promptly built a volunteer team of strangers with a shared interest to build the community amongst creatives in the Shenandoah Valley. We put our heads down and worked tirelessly on kicking off our events while simultaneously pitching ourselves to a global organization that, at that time, had only just approved their first rural chapter. Jump to today, February 2024, and we’ve celebrated our first year as the second rural CreativeMornings chapter. We’ve hosted 12 events that welcomed hundreds and connected businesses, hobbyists, artists, tinkers, and everything in between from miles apart. This isn’t Burrow & Vine but without Burrow & Vine this might not have ever existed. With that momentum I knew the women’s event could also be possible earlier than my initial 5-year plan. I launched the first annual (Staunton) city-wide women’s event in recognition of women’s history month in March of 2023 and am looking forward to the bigger reincarnated event March 8-9 which has grown to include our neighboring city, Waynesboro.
Entrepreneurship can be lonely and incredibly hard, but it has also been more rewarding than I ever dreamed possible and it’s only as lonely as I allow it to be – which isn’t very. As I reflect on my earlier business planning and preparation days I can see why “past Megan” was so scared and uncertain. Why she was hesitant and filled with self-doubt. But what I’d love to tell her now is that her dreams have come true, and her fears were also valid and sometimes reality, but the outcome is so much bigger than her imagination ever believed possible. While my story is one of brick-and-mortar entrepreneurship it’s still a story of growth, believing in yourself and working hard to make your dreams come true and that is really the root of my business mission.

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

From the moment I decided to open my shop I knew my leading value proposition would be authenticity and community building. You can find these woven into my business plan. I authentically show up in service to my community at every chance possible. It has never been a retail shop founded solely on transactions because without those connections, conversations, and inspirational moments there would be no transactions. It’s hard to find balance in my schedule as a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, and entrepreneur – I won’t lie to you and say I’ve mastered it, because I haven’t – but having awareness of it has certainly helped. My family knows that community building and networking events are as important to my business as running the shop from open to close and vice versa. My customers show up to support me when I’ve had to close for family reasons. It’s that authenticity through transparency and communication that’s critical to maintaining trust and respect in any relationship but especially in business.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

If I’m being completely honest, I haven’t spent significant time building out a robust strategic plan to grow my clientele – I’m still figuring it out myself. I have a marketing calendar, I post on social media channels, I pay attention to what’s selling or which classes are most successful, and I take the time to get to know my customers. That’s the strategy, genuine human connection. Word of mouth marketing is still alive and well. My people show up for me and spread the word to others the same way I do for them and my fellow business neighbors. A pair of sisters visiting our area to scope it out for relocation asked me where to eat. I recommended a variety of local cuisines and allergen friendly options. That led to recommendations for nail salons, yoga, outdoor activities, community groups, realtors, etc. to which they exclaimed, “you might as well put a sign out front that says the Shenandoah Valley welcome center!” Another woman visiting the area for her final relocation planning attended one of my macrame classes, met a new friend, we all exchanged numbers, they shared a meal, she joined us later for a local book event. It’s all those little moments of kindness, support and genuine interest that build my brand in the community and beyond.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://burrowandvine.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burrowandvine/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BURROWANDVINE
• Other: https://creativemornings.com/cities/SVA https://www.whsv.com/2023/03/01/queen-city-womens-day-event-coming-staunton-march-11/ https://www.newsleader.com/story/news/local/2023/02/21/staunton-queen-city-womens-day-event-womens-history-month-international-womens-day/69927249007/

Image Credits
Sera Petras Photography Millpond Photography Christy McKee Photography