Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Parenica.
Lindsey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Modernly Planted was born out of my desire to share unique pots and plant accessories with fellow plant lovers. In May 2019, I started my Instagram page @fancyplantschic dedicated to sharing photographs of my plants after following many well-known plant accounts from my personal account and me not wanting to inundate my non-plant loving friends with my nerdy plant photos. I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into and how the plant community was something I never knew I needed.
I also did not realize there were so many others who shared the same interest. The plant community has been such an inspiration for me. In addition to collecting plants, I started collecting unique pots and plant décor and had the idea of starting my own online shop as a side gig. I started sourcing pots and plant accessories and opened my online shop in October 2020. After about six months into my business, I wasn’t finding any products that really spoke to me and that I was willing to sell to others. I tried sourcing custom pots and kept hitting a wall because so many vendors wanted you to order thousands of pots to even get started.
As a one-woman show and no brick and mortar to store that large number of pots, I just couldn’t do that. Eventually, a lightbulb went off and I was determined to make my own pots. I started researching different ways of making pots and came across hand-poured concrete pots. Working with concrete and turning it into a beautiful, unique piece of décor really intrigued me so I set out to learn everything I could about the process.
I’ve really enjoyed experimenting with different techniques to handcraft my own custom pots. It’s been such a fun process and everything I create is truly one of a kind, which has been my goal from the beginning.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Owning a small business is anything but smooth, but I love the opportunities that it has given me to learn about business and myself. First and foremost, small business owners usually wear all of the hats when they first start out… we are our own website developers, accountants, marketing team, sales associates, daily operations, customer service, photographers, and so forth. And usually, you don’t know how to do all of these things, so there is quite the learning curve and most often you are constantly researching and trying to figure it all out on your own.
My biggest struggle right now is finding the time to focus on my small business – I have a family and a full-time job that consume most of my time, so squeezing in the time to work on my passion means chunks of time here and there and things don’t get done as quickly as I would like. Or it means sacrificing time with my family on the weekends which isn’t an option that I prefer.
Lastly, there are those internal struggles such as self-doubt that like to creep in every so often. I think it’s important to acknowledge that these types of mental struggles exist. Owning a small business is HARD, but if you are willing to put in the work, it can be very rewarding.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I make small batches, hand-poured concrete pots, and home décor. I pride myself on being self-taught and always willing to try new things, such as new color combos and offering new shapes and textures.
My work is very much mood-based versus having certain collections like many others in the craft seem to lean towards. Also, I love pops of color and my goal is to create a unique statement piece that you can incorporate into your existing décor.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I have so many favorite childhood memories it’s hard to choose just one! I was fortunate to grow up in a loving, supportive environment and one of my favorite childhood memories was witnessing how active my parents always were with their respective hobbies. They were always doing something. My dad loved to take apart old cars and rebuild their engines and my mom was super crafty.
She loved to bake, weave baskets, and would always be pulling my dad into a DIY project, such as making a piece of furniture that she would design and finish. As an adult, I have always said that I don’t have a creative bone in my body and unfortunately, I put myself in that box for too long. It wasn’t until I became active in the plant community that my creativity started to blossom, from styling my plants to designing and making my own pots.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.modernlyplanted.com
- Instagram: @modernlyplanted
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/modernlyplanted
Image Credits
Brittany Nicole Photography
