Today we’d like to introduce you to Toni Anderson.
Toni, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always felt connected to plants and all things nature. They have served as a therapeutic outlet for me throughout my life. My Grandma was the plant buyer for the local nursery she used to work at; so as a little girl, I got to go with her on plant buying excursions. I remember being completely fascinated with the rows and rows of beautiful green, lush foliage staring down and beckoning me as if they were waving at me. It was such a magical experience for me and it has stuck with me throughout the years. To this day, every time I go into a plant nursery and breathe in the familiar smell of damp soil and fresh oxygen, I get that same giddy feeling I used to feel as a kid. I firmly believe that surrounding yourself with the living energy of plants and nature can do wonders for your mental and physical health. I have a passion for getting people connected back to nature and sharing the joy and healing that it has shown me through my life.
As I grew up, I followed the path of the plant world. From San Diego, I moved to Santa Cruz to study Landscape Design & Horticulture at Cabrillo College. From there I moved on to San Francisco to study Floristry/Floral Design at CCSF. I worked as a floral designer and did small intermittent landscape projects for about 10 years before I decided I wanted to merge those two passions and to focus on sustainable floral and living plant design. Working in the floral industry opened my eyes to some not so pretty things that go on. Seeing the amount of water waste, packaging, and ecological footprint that some parts of the industry had on the environment started to take a toll on me mentally. So, I set out to find a better way to bring the joy and beauty of nature into people’s lives in a way that has less environmental impact. Thus the idea of The Potted Poppy was born and officially established in 2014.
The Potted Poppy started with the idea of using locally sourced plants to create beautiful gift arrangements and centerpieces for weddings & events that can last a really long time and that can be replanted and repurposed without having to waste water and other resources. It has since grown to include other services.
The Potted Poppy originally started in San Francisco, CA. I sold plants, eco-pots, locally made pottery by various artists and custom plant designs mostly at outdoor pop-ups. (In the windy cold fog! Serious brrrrrr-ness!) I realized I needed better shelter in those conditions but I had a very limited budget. It forced me to think outside of the box. There was this cute gift shop in my neighborhood that had a huge backyard that wasn’t being used. So one day, I just approached the owner and asked her if I could build a small retail shed in the back. Lo and behold she said yes! Shortly after that, I had some crafty, rad friends design and build me an 8’x10′ plant shed. It was so cute! During the year that I was there, I had many repeat customers and was able to do a lot of custom plant designs. I also sold bouquets and wreaths that I had made from local flower farms. If you’d like to see what the cutest plant shed ever looked like, you can go to the very depths of my Instagram page.
After about a year in the plant shed and the continuous fog, I came to a point where I just couldn’t take it anymore! I longed for the warm sunny days, warm nights, and actually being able to swim in the ocean as I did in my youth growing up in San Diego. I was feeling a calling back down here that is hard to describe. I envisioned The Potted Poppy thriving in the warmer, sunnier environment. So, luckily, my guy was on board to make the drastic move down south with me. So, after about nine years of our lives together in SF, we up and bounced to the sunny days of San Diego!
Since moving down here, I decided to take a different approach to how I would operate The Potted Poppy. Instead of it being retail-based with a shop front, I changed the focus to being more of a service-based company. In which I can deliver and install the beauty of nature into client’s homes, offices, and restaurants. In addition, I’m focusing on doing affordable, educational plant-based workshops and plant parties. All with an emphasis on minimal waste using low maintenance and drought-tolerant plants.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the obstacles along the way?
Haha! Smooth is not the word I would choose… I’d say it’s been more of a janky wooden rollercoaster of passion, failures, and wins!
I left my stable job as a Floral Buyer and Designer in 2016 to pursue The Potted Poppy full time. I pretty much dove in blindly with the exception of having retail, customer service, management, and design experience. I had no idea of what owning a business would entail. And I definitely should have had a lot more money in savings. But I was at this point in my life where I was questioning what my purpose was and how I could make a positive difference in myself and in the world. I knew in my heart I wasn’t meant to keep plugging away in a job working for other people. The first several months of being on my own without any bosses around was really surreal and it took me a minute to come to the realization that I was all alone and there wasn’t going to be anyone to hold me accountable for anything. It was a feeling of exhilaration mixed with shock. But I was determined to be my own boss and to figure things out as I went.
Starting the business in San Francisco and moving down to San Diego at the end of 2017 definitely posed some of the most difficult challenges for me and the business. But at the same time, it was a great shakeup because it allowed me time to refocus my goals and to figure out which direction I wanted to take The Potted Poppy. I realized I no longer wanted to have a storefront because I love being on the move and I like to have freedom and flexibility in my schedule.
Changing the business from a different county in CA was basically like starting the business all over again. Which was super challenging. All the paperwork, the dreaded phone holds and the minuscule things that you forget about that come with operating a legit business were at times hair pulling. But it’s just one of those things, where you gotta stick with it, take it step by step, breath by breath and day by day. Eventually, it all gets done and you can move on to the more exciting and creative aspects of owning your own business!
Once all that technical stuff was out of the way, the next step for me was to basically regain an entirely new clientele. Starting from zero again was rough but by taking some time to figure out my demographic, and how I wanted to operate The Potted Poppy, it gave way to exciting new opportunities.
Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
The best advice I can give to women that are looking to start their own business is to just START! There’s never going to be a perfect time. And we all know that we never get passed time back. The time is NOW. Even if it’s just making tiny baby steps towards your dream of owning your own business while working your other job. With every baby step comes a milestone and before you know it, you will be on your way to living the life that you daydream about. With that being said, I would highly recommend having at least 6 months of living expenses saved up. And know that you will face many challenges but they will only make you stronger and wiser in the end! You will also have many wins to balance the challenges. Keep your passions and determination alive and you will soar, I promise! Also, PODCASTS! There are so many good entrepreneurial and motivational podcasts out there. Search around to see which ones resonate with you. They have been invaluable to me on my business journey.
what should we know about The Potted Poppy? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Potted Poppy installs the beauty of nature and stimulates your spaces with the living energy of plants. We specialize in custom plant designs for homes, offices, restaurants, and events. We are known for our clean, modern designs and excellent, personable customer service.
We take the time to get to know our clients and what their needs, wants and aesthetic are. For us, it’s not just about putting a plant in a pot in a room. It’s about getting the client connected to nature while providing them with a peaceful environment in which they can form a bond with their plants. In turn, they can enjoy the many beneficial aspects of having that positive energy in their space.
In addition to custom plant designs, we offer plant care services and educational mobile plant parties. We really emphasize the importance of proper care techniques with our clients and help them to understand that proper placements of plants in regards to lighting and other variables is just as important as the aesthetic they’d like to achieve. We believe plants are an investment for your well being and should be planted for longevity. As an eco-conscious company, we source locally and seek out beautiful drought-tolerant plant varieties to minimize water waste and carbon emissions.
What I am most proud of as a service provider is that I get to see first hand how adding the beauty of nature into people’s spaces affects their moods in a positive way. The excitement and enthusiasm that people exude after we complete a job for them is absolutely priceless. It reaffirms to me that I am on the right path to making the world a better place, one plant at a time.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
Networking has been vital in growing my business. It can be really awkward at times to put yourself out there to people you don’t know, but it’s totally worth the effort. There’s always somebody who knows somebody out there that might just be the magical unicorn you’ve been looking for to help you facilitate things in your business that you may be struggling with. Trust me, you won’t go far in business staying closed up like a scaredy little clam. I learned that real quick. You’ve gotta get used to putting yourself in uncomfortable situations. It will only help you grow. Remember, most people are in the same boat of being uncomfortable and vulnerable in those settings. Tell a silly joke or give a nice compliment to random people to break the ice. You never know where the conversation will lead.
I’ve found that co-working spaces are a great way to find new people to network with and to find potential mentors. Also, Instagram has been an excellent tool to use for networking. Never hesitate to reach out to people that are interesting to you or that may be a potential collaborative partner. DM or go to their profile and shoot them an email and introduce yourself to get a conversation flowing. It’s as simple as that. Always keep in mind that people may be busy or may not respond. Don’t take it personally, just keep pushing ahead and eventually, the right connections will unfold organically.
Contact Info:
- Website: thepottedpoppy.com
- Phone: 619-215-1390
- Email: thepottedpoppy@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepottedpoppy (@thepottedpoppy)
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepottedpoppy
Image Credit:
Nate Chavez
Suggest a story: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
