We were lucky to catch up with Megan Jewell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Megan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Our mission is to provide affordable houseplants to help alleviate the stress of a new plant parent or that plant you’ve always wanted, but weren’t sure you could handle the care just yet. Plants are supposed to be fun & be a stress reliever. By providing plants at an affordable cost I believe it helps take some of the potential pressure off. When I first started the houseplant hobby the price of houseplants were drastically lower & have steadily risen since it’s popularity during the height of COVID-19. With that I heard more & more people telling me they really wanted their wish list plant, but were too nervous to buy it because of the cost & the pressure it would put on them in hopes it would thrive. By being able to provide plants at a lower cost than most places can we have been able to help those people get ahold of their wishlist plants without so much stress. I think your plants can feel your stress & therefore they will grow differently. I believe the less stress you put off, the better your plants will react. By being able to provide plants at a lower cost, we hope your plants will thrive & the customer will be able to relax & just admire their plants beauty & growth!

Megan, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My names Megan Jewell & I own The Plant Trolley. We’re a mobile tropical houseplant shop based in Knoxville. We travel just about anywhere the wind blows, from schools, churches, grand openings, markers, festivals, private events, apartments – you name it! During the beginning of 2020 I quit my job in healthcare & set up a table in my front yard of succulents for sale. Think adult lemonade stand, but with plants. That day the community showed so much support from people just driving by. I decided to do it again the next day & eventually it became my full-time gig. I started going to markets with a tent & a table & eventually found a handmade trolley online. We converted it into what it is today & now it’s our mobile plant shop traveling around Knoxville & the surrounding areas. We provide tropical houseplants, succulents, some rare plants, & seasonal outdoor plants such as fruit trees & elephant ears. Our prices range from $1-$50. We are available on Facebook, Instagram, & email for any questions or concerns you may have with your plants. I try to reply as quickly as I can which is typically within the day. What sets us apart from our competition is that we provide plants at an affordable price & we’re available to be reached via social media for plant questions anytime. We’re really proud of the success we’ve had over the past 2 years. We’ve grown so much & built so many great relationships & friendships over the years through plants. I’m proud of the sense of community we’ve created, the smiles & joy we create through plants, & my staff. I wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of my staff & the support of the community. We hope you get to visit the trolley if you haven’t already!

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

We’re all human. One thing I really despised about corporate America is that your boss doesn’t care about you & neither do the big-wigs in fancy offices you’ll never meet. I was easily replaceable & they let that be known. I was taken advantage of & told “we were a family” so we had to sacrifice our time coming in to clean & not being allowed to clock in for it. As a manager now, I try to be the boss I would want to work for. I pay a living wage – one that I would expect to be paid in order for it to be worth my time. I buy my employees lunch, coffee, gas occasionally for long trips, & provide breaks whenever they need. I care about the people that work for me & they become good friends. I understand that life happens & as humans we make mistakes & have room to grow. I strive to always create a positive atmosphere of understanding & support.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I had no help when I first began & still don’t. I had to learn everything on my own & ask the “stupid questions” in order to figure out how things work. People didn’t think my business was going to take off the way it did & had little faith in seeing my vision. I started off by taking what money I had left in the bank & buying as many succulents as I could & setting up in the front yard with a sign that read “Plants for Sale.” I used that money & bought more succulents & related the process until I had enough to buy my licensing, The Plant Trolley, my first plant delivery, marketing, & everything else that goes along with starting a business. I started my business out of pocket & on a gamble that this would work & I’m glad it did. If I look back on it, I think I started this business on about $200.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @theplanttrolley
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePlantTrolleyKnoxville/
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits
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