Conversations with Pien Steffes

Today we’d like to introduce you to Pien Steffes

Hi Pien, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Love for plants and landscape design is something that happened a little late in life. Finishing college with a masters degree in architecture history and city planning. I had no idea what I wanted to do. Always choosing to write about green spaces should have been a tell tale sign, but I worked an array of jobs. In my thirties, after a stay at home mom hiatus, I entered the green industry and that was it. I was fortunate enough to make it to perennial grower and when we moved from the D.C. area to Tennessee in 2018 I had to start all over.

As cashier in a local nursery, I answered a lot of calls about services that were not typically provided in our landscape industry. As the eternal volunteer I went to nursing homes or clients yards in my own time to move heavy pots, repot plants or weed a beloved flower garden. That is where the idea of a small landscape business came from. I took a couple of classes and started my part time business in 2022. For over a year I worked full time as a landscape manager for a big resort in our area and evenings and weekends for my beloved plantbulance clients.

My lovely family suggested to take it to where it can go and maybe spend some time with them, so now I am so very proudly my own boss. It is a roller coaster and a 24/7 full throttle. I am learning so much so fast and forget so much of what I have learned so quickly. I climb in my big truck every morning with a big smile and come home sweaty and dirty with an even bigger one. I feel so lucky to have friends to help me with particularly difficult designs and others to help me with particularly heavy jobs.

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?
Overall work is steady and I feel really lucky to not have to advertise. The mouth to mouth is wonderful and I try to maintain high standards for all my clients. But as a small business it is your job to make more jobs and that perfect first hire is daunting.

Another big one and you may laugh about this. As a 6 foot Dutch woman (born and raised), it is almost impossible to find landscaping clothing outside the mans department. Surely in this day and age, there should be an outdoor clothing line for us ladies that is not bright pink or a size 4.

This is maybe also a little too personal, but i find it really hard to sit down and concentrate on the creative side of my work. I absolutely love to design and think about fun plant combinations, but i find it hard to tap into the creative juices when your head is still on that one invoice you have to do, or that one client that really needs a little more time for chatting.

The hardest challenge i think so far was the sudden death of a client. I was heart broken and offered to maintain her yard for a while longer until her family could sell the house. That was hard, seeing all the plants we carefully selected, always shopping with her on speed dial and knowing the new owner will rip it all out.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For me, the most joyful thing in the world is to make a person happy with your efforts. Sometimes it is getting groceries, sometimes just to sit with a person and have a conversation and hear their history with a particular plant or what they envision. I think in my business people forget to take the time to actually listen to a customer and adjust to their needs. This is both the hardest and the most fun.

I think that is also what sets me apart, I genuinely care about my customers.

What made me proud was being asked to help ninja plant in our downtown area. There were some neglected planters and we were able to replant them on a hot Friday evening with the help of recent graduates of the local highschool football team . I was proud to be asked and proud to be able to help. It is extremely cool to do something so rewarding. The true credit of course goes to the original ninja planter and the muscles of these fine young men and the City of Maryville, gracefully taking up the watering duties after being ambushed by us ninja’s.

That might be another point. It is all about relationships, relationships with clients, fellow landscapers, vendors and as a community. I strongly believe in making the world better, starting with your own neighborhood. Whatever you can do to help your community, do it.

How do you define success?
I define success as the moment your arm shoots up in the air and you can not help but say a loud and proud ‘yes!’ It takes hard work and dedication to get to that point and when you can end that particular journey with a cheer, how cool is that. It gives you the energy to go on the next obstacle course.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.plantbulance.com
• Other: [email protected]