Today we’d like to introduce you to Rande Witbeck.
Rande, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My story with entrepreneurship has its roots in my love of the outdoors and being creative, but my journey began after my introduction to succulents. I grew up gardening in Minnesota and have always felt a special connection to the earth and life itself through digging and planting and nurturing, and then often feasting on the fruits of my labor. Living in Southern California the past seven years my relationship with succulents has continued to evolve, and after a chance to volunteer for famed succulent garden designer Laura Eubanks and being hired on the spot, I began my schooling in landscaping with succulents. I soon realized that I could totally make a life out of this work and began studying business and entrepreneurship and applying what I learned to build Sea Green Scapes. My 20 years of experience in the service industry instilled a deep value of customer satisfaction and the ability to predict my client’s needs and listen and help them get to the bottom of what they want out of their garden space. San Diego is the honeypot for this type of niche landscaping because people are realizing more and more that lawns are not sustainable and they are switching over to vibrant drought friendly gardens like the ones I create. I don’t see myself running out of work anytime soon!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Is it ever a smooth road? Ha! My biggest challenges so far other than a broken pipe recently and finding a reliable crew have mostly been my own lack of knowledge about business in general and having to spend a lot of time educating myself. Being a woman in the landscape industry comes with unique challenges, I’ve learned not to work for people who need me to prove myself or bend over backward because they don’t see my value as a woman. My self-limiting beliefs were loud in the beginning, especially the first year, but I’ve worked through a lot of that and learned how to manage my mind and dealing with all the responsibilities of entrepreneurship. My favorite podcast for this work is “Unf*ck Your Brain”, really good stuff!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Sea Green Scapes is a female owned and operated landscaping business that designs and installs Vibrant Drought Friendly Succulent gardens in San Diego. I’m known for my use of succulents, cacti, bromeliads, and rock to create colorful and tough gardens ranging in style from tropical and lush to modern desert. I’m proud of the gardens I’ve built so far and it excites me knowing that every project is designed to save the homeowner money and save our planet’s precious water supply. As a surfer and water sign, I am very connected to the element and it’s important to me to protect our planet and her water as much as I can with my business. I use subterranean drip irrigation which is the best you can get for efficiency and the way we install it you will never see a drip line or sprinkler head sticking up! Eliminating runoff and the need for fertilizing is a huge part of the positive impact Sea Green Scapes has on the environment. I only need to maintain my gardens once or twice/ year so my clients save money on maintenance as well.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My mom! She’s been the ear on the other end of the phone countless times when I’m working through things. She also taught me impeccable organization skills growing up! My number one teacher in this industry has been Laura Eubanks, not only did she share her priceless knowledge about succulents and design, she encouraged me to get out here on my own and figure it out as I go. She believed in me and that means a lot when you’re first starting out. Her and Greg (her husband) gave me a solid foundation and I’m forever grateful for their influence. The stars truly aligned when they came into my life! Debra Lee Baldwin has also been an influence, her fantastic books about succulents and design are always within reach and she even features landscapers on a special page on her website which has sent work my way. She is generous with her infinite knowledge and is a cherished resource. Besides my crew, I rely on my network of fearless girlfriends, many of whom are on similar entrepreneurial paths. Words can’t describe how lucky I feel to know all these women and be supported!
Contact Info:
- Website: seagreenscapes.com
- Phone: 858-945-3300
- Email: randewitbeck@gmail.com
- Instagram: @seagreenscapes
- Facebook: Sea Green Scapes
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