Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Whitney Root. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Whitney, thanks for joining us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?
My parents raised me on 15+ acres in backwoods Tennessee. They valued living close to the land, with a few trustworthy friends, and a bible in hand.
Growing up, I was taught how to garden.
Once I turned 18, I wanted to do things on my own, of course. It only took me 10 years to realize the simple life is where it’s AT!
So, I picked up gardening again – but it’s so much different now. I don’t have 15+ acres. I started in an apartment. I had to learn how to be a plant lady by starting small.
Being in a rental home, I needed to find temporary solutions. So, I started with some raised beds.
Needless to say, the rest is history. I realized I could literally help other people do this!!
My parents are incredibly proud of me. They see how much I’m helping others simplify their technology, city-ridden lives with connection to nature.
So, my parents definitely raised me right – with strong memories of simplicity that I went back to once life got crazy hard.
Whitney, 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?
I work with aspiring gardeners or beginner gardeners to build the garden of their dreams! I’m currently offering 2025 installs in middle tennessee! This is the most exciting part of the year for me because I get to witness people saying YES to simplifying their life, clean food, a healthy hobby, and maybe even a conduit for quality time with their family.
Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a deep connection with nature. Growing up in East Tennessee, I spent countless hours in my family’s garden, learning the art of planting, nurturing, and harvesting from my grandparents and parents.
I used to beg to run across the field to the garden to pick fresh onions for our dinner. This love for the garden and the peace it holds not only had a part in shaping my values as an adult and my free-spirited personality, but led me to create Whitney Root Gardens, where I blend my love for gardening with my desire to bring this hobby, lifestyle, “free therapy” (lol) to as many people as possible!!
We’re on a mission to prove that everyone has a green thumb with the right support, knowledge, and materials – and gardening can be a gorgeous addition to your home’s aesthetic, not take value away from it!
How did you build your audience on social media?
My social media isn’t the picture perfect case study, but I feel it’s important to keep at it. A website is very down to business, but social media helps people get comfortable with you, see your personality, start to understand your likes/dislikes – and it’s a place to educate them on the product before hand. I truly believe it turns a cold lead into warm if you do it right.
I’m really loving YouTube. I feel like our generation gravitates toward IG, which is also great, but I have found a newfound love for sharing long-form vlogs about gardening on YouTube.
My advice? Consistency, let it be awkward, keep going, track your stats so your emotions don’t tell you “its not working” so you can actually point to numbers, and stop using your story as a way to share what you’re eating for lunch lol. Stories are for selling + showing the lifestyle you’re trying to sell.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
It’s really important to me that i’m not a “set-and-forget” company. Meaning, I don’t want to install a clients garden and then ghost them forever. I offer a membership where people can get continued education from me, I can check on their garden if they’d like, and even go as far as doing maintenance on their garden if they’re falling behind at work one week or something.
I send drips of education to my clients, I ask their feedback, I find out what they like growing/what they dont so that next year can be a bit more honed in for them. I also encourage my clients to expand into new levels of growing.
For example, if a beginner can successfully tend to lettuce, I’m ready to move them to carrots! Baby steps, because I’m a literal gardening coach!:)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whitneyrootgardens.com
- Instagram: @whitneyrootgardens
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WhitneyRootGardens
Image Credits
i own the rights