Today we’d like to introduce you to Leslie Thomas.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
In the summer of 2016, I bought my first succulent. And then several more when I didn’t kill the first one. I quickly became obsessed with succulents.
At the time I was a high school marine science teacher in Satellite Beach and did not have a lot of time for gardening. So, I would forget to water my succulents yet they continue to thrive! So, I started buying all of the succulents I could find and creating fun projects with them like making wreaths and several different types of arrangements. And then I discovered that there was a woman in California teaching succulent workshops and I thought “I could do that! I’m already a teacher, why not teach other people how to grow these awesome plants that I’m loving?” So, I contacted a local garden center that I knew hosted various creative workshops and offered to teach a succulent workshop. They loved the idea and in January 2017, my business was born.
I continued to offer public & private workshops on the weekends and taught high school during the week for about a year and a half. They were very popular and would sell out whenever we offered them. I was very humbled. And then in October 2018, my mom died after a long battle with cancer. I quit doing my workshops while I went through the grieving process. I just wasn’t up for it. Finally, in early 2019 I decided I was ready and we scheduled another workshop. When I arrived at the greenhouse to pick up the succulents, I walked inside and was flooded with happiness. I realized this is my happy place. Teaching had become extremely stressful, with active shooter drills and locked classroom doors. I actually had a panic attack on the first day teachers went back to school that year while discussing the shooter drills. It was just too much stress. It was that moment when I walked into the greenhouse that I decided I would quit my teaching job at the end of that school year and take my business full-time because it is the thing that brought me so much joy. When I told my husband, he was nervous but fully supported my decision.
So, in May 2019 I quit my full-time teaching job & didn’t look back! It was so exciting! I spent my time sharing my love of succulents with wonderful people, designing custom arrangements, and thinking of new and creative things to do with succulents. I also started to learn more about lower-maintenance house plants as well. Which was a good thing. When the world shut down in March 2020, every single one of my workshops canceled in the span of a week. I had a two-day pity party during which time I came across a Facebook post by Jenna Kutcher who was encouraging women business owners to figure out how to pivot their businesses given the pandemic situation. I realized I could keep sitting on my rear feeling sorry for myself or I could do something different. So, I decided to offer my workshop materials as DIY kits and sell those online. In a matter of two weeks, I had a website with e-commerce up and running. I offered my DIY kits as well as some low-maintenance house plants and quickly learned how to safely ship plants through the mail! As luck would have it, people started buying plants online to make them feel better while they spent so much time at home. I think it gave them something to care for, a sense of well-being, and brought some of the outsides in when we weren’t able to go outside as much!
So, my sales did well enough during the pandemic that my husband cut back his hours as a vet tech to help me with the business and I feel so grateful. We have now started opening up a few workshops again because people are ready to get out and be social again in a safe fashion.
This fall we are excited to be opening a small retail shop in Cocoa Village and will continue to do local festivals, custom arrangements, and workshops and I’m so excited to see what the future holds!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Fairly smooth, yes, I was able to build my business part-time on the weekends while I worked full time so when I decided to quit my full-time job, I already had income flowing so the jump wasn’t as scary.
Covid was tough at first. Like so many small businesses, I had to pivot and change my strategy to be almost 100% online versus 100% in person but I did it and learned a ton in the process!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I specialize in low-maintenance plants, primarily succulents. I create beautiful succulent arrangements that need little care and teach others how to do the same. I am most proud of the relationships I have built with the women in our community. I care about getting people plants that will work for their space and lifestyle. I don’t just want to sell a plant or arrangement and leave people in the dust. I reply to questions, check on people and their plants, I consider my customers’ new plant friends!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
It was pretty risky to quit a full-time stable teaching job (stable as in my job will always be around but definitely not stable as in my mental health suffered because of it). I left a steady paycheck behind for the entrepreneur life aka not a steady paycheck. But I had a good following of people who attended my workshops already and a steady stream of custom orders so I felt confident I could grow that when I took it full time. Luckily my instincts were good on that! I also figured I can always get another regular job if things didn’t work out, so why not try?
Contact Info:
- Email: leslie@theseasidesucculent.com
- Website: www.theseasidesucculent.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/theseasidesucculent
- Facebook: Facebook.com/theseasidesucculent
Image Credits
Liz Cowie Photography
