We recently connected with Michelle Robinson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michelle , thanks for joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe started with a sketch, 2o ft storage container and a dream! After 29 years as a healthcare marketing & pr executive, I took a big leap and opened my own business in April 2019.

My inspiration started while visiting roadside flower markets while on vacation in Long Island. I even bought a metal sign from one of my favorite flower markets that says “Smile,” with my plan to hang it proudly in my own business.

By combining my love of gardening and marketing, I created a business that was unique in our community. And it’s become a gardening destination each spring (April – July) and fall (October – November) season.

With the tremendous help from my family and friends, we literally built a flower market nestled in our Acworth, Georgia neighborhood. It took a month to build a structure off of the storage container and many long days of painting and staining. Over the past four years, we have expanded the structure to increase our flower inventory.

I was fortunate to have several gardening mentors that provided business advice and vendor recommendations. They shared the keys to their success and the pros/cons to owning a flower market.

I no longer manage 50+ team members as I did in my corporate days, so I had to learn every facet of a business. Developing solid working relationships with vendors is definitely one of the most important factors.

Four years later, Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe continues to grow thanks to the overwhelming support of our community. In addition to an array of flowers, hanging baskets and houseplants, we carry whimsical metal yard art and locally made garden decor. I love supporting our local artists and offering their unique items.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

When you go from sitting in corporate meetings all day to playing in the dirt for a living, there are adjustments to make, but the lessons learned are applicable to all businesses. After decades of branding a healthcare system, it was exciting to start branding an entirely different entity.

I was often approached in large garden centers and asked questions about flowers while shopping for my own garden. I guess my straw hat made me look like an official gardener!
I inherited my green thumb from my Mom, and I wanted to share everything she taught me with our neighbors.

Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe was created to be a community destination for gardening. We offer flowers and plants that are easy to maintain and can handle Georgia’s sizzling heat. I’m proud when our Flower Shoppe friends, as I call them, come back in the fall and say that their spring hanging baskets are still thriving!

With big box stores surrounding our flower market, we had to be different. Customer service is key. When you visit Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe, we help you find flowers that work for your environment. And we teach you how to plant and take care of your flowers and plants.

Our hanging baskets are bursting with color and are the most popular item. When you purchase a hanging basket during spring season, you can bring the basket back the next season and we’ll replant it for you. Recycling is important to us.

And so are our talented, local artists. We have beautiful garden decor handcrafted by our neighbors. This has become one of the keys to our success.

When our Flower Shoppe friends show us pictures of their garden masterpieces, we know we’ve been successful. When you’re happy, we’re happy!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is critical to my business, and I really learned this lesson when my Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe Facebook and Instagram accounts were hacked in May 2022. I lost four years of content, reviews and followers. I was devastated, and the lack of a social media presence impacted sales.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of our Flower Shoppe friends, I started rebuilding our social media accounts. Before I opened new accounts and started from scratch, I would send friends pictures and content to share on their accounts and the grassroots marketing began!

I’ve also learned how critical videos are to your business. As a former pr spokesperson in the corporate world, I was used to being on camera in stressful media crisises.

Now, I’m learning a different side of being in front of a camera by making TikTok videos with my awesome team. Behind the scenes and educational videos really help drive business.

I post daily on Facebook and Instagram and have a weekly content plan ranging from sharing customer testimonials and personal stories to new products and flower care tips. I want people to know me as well as my business. This has been key to my branding success.

I highly recommend paid Facebook ads too. Every few weeks, I’ll run a $50-$100 ad with targeted demographics, which has greatly increased sales.

And when customers are making a purchase, I have a QR code for them to scan immediately to follow our social media accounts. I always ask during the checkout process – Do you follow Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe on Facebook, Instagram & TikTok? And then I hand the customer a business card and say please do and like me!

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

When I opened Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe four years ago, I knew I had to create a WOW factor to attract customers into our open air flower market. And it’s worked!

When customers walk thru our structure, they often say they are overwhelmed. We fill every shelf, ceiling hook and floor space with gorgeous flowers, plants and whimsical metal yard art. And our space is completely transformed for fall season with pumpkins, cornstalks, Mums and holiday decor.

We treat our customers like VIPs and ask about their specific garden environment and help them shop for flowers that will work in their setting.

It’s critical to engage the customer before they leave and ask them to follow our social media accounts. This has been the key factor for customer retention.

And Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe is active in our community by sponsoring local events, creating flower arrangements for local business entrances, speaking at civic group meetings and many more grassroots efforts,

Contact Info:

• Website: pumpkinvinegardens.com
• Instagram: @pumpkinvinegardensflowershoppe
• Facebook: Pumpkinvine Gardens Flower Shoppe
• Other: TikTok: Pumpkinvine Gardens