Inspiring Conversations with Savannah Toal of Plant Savvy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Savannah Toal.

Hi Savannah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My story starts with the pandemic! I was working from home and needed an outlet…so I decided to start a plant blog.

I wanted to share my knowledge and experiences with houseplants because I felt like (and still do) the industry is oversaturated with people saying you need to spend all this money and buy this gadget and have this trending plant. I have been growing plants for over 7 years and I never needed all the “special doohickeys” to be a plant parent. So I wanted to share that with people on the internet.

A friend talked me into getting a TikTok. I was hesitant at first, but I ended up starting one anyway. Shortly after posting, a couple of my videos went viral and the rest was history. I decided that I loved this. I loved doing what I was doing and wanted to try to make it my full time gig.

That’s when the idea of being a plant consultant/stylist came into fruition. So I got to work and started researching and finding out what little I could about this side of the industry. No surprise here, but there is not a lot of info out on how to start a business like this.

In May of 2021, I launched the official brand that is Plant Savvy! At first, I was working with friends and their homes to get some work under my belt, but soon I moved on to getting my first maintenance client, my first commercial installation, and even commercial maintenance work and it just snowballed from there. It’s crazy to look back on where I started and where I am now and where I am going. The journey isn’t over, but it’s really fun to look at where I came from. This all came from a time of being stuck at home and wanting to talk about something I’m passionate about.

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?
Oh lord, it hasn’t been the smoothest road in the world lol. This is such a niche industry so even starting this was kind of difficult because there isn’t a “right” way of doing this. There aren’t specific business articles out there that outline how to start something like this. It took me months to kind of get an idea of how to do this. Then came the part of actually implementing it and sharing it and launching everything. I remember many crying sessions with my partner over me trying to figure out how to do this and explain what it was I was doing.. It can feel lonely starting and running a small business by yourself.

I am also a one woman show. I am the marketing manager, the graphic designer, the accountant, saleswoman, stylist, CEO, etc. So it’s not always easy. I sometimes feel like I’m not doing enough and I have to remind myself of where I started and where I am now to get to where I will be in the future. I also have to remember to trust my gut and my own experience and knowledge.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Plant Savvy?
Plant Savvy started to make plant life easier and more attainable. We believe that every home or business should feel the life that houseplants bring to us. Through personalized consultations, full houseplant installs, regular maintenance, and more Plant Savvy aims to do just that.

We specialize in houseplant styling as well as maintenance. We match our clients up with houseplants that work for their space, lighting, and aesthetic. Along the way, we aim to educate as much as the client wants. Plant Savvy is here to bring your plant dreams to life. We also take care of plants whether that be watering, trimming, pest control or plant sitting while your on vacation.

We also know that shopping for plants can sometimes be overwhelming. Plant Savvy will assess your space and go with you to our local plant stores to find the plants that work best for your space and aesthetic. Plus we have special relationships with a lot of our local plant shops so we can give you the best experience for the best cost.

I am proud to say that Plant Savvy takes care of the plants over at the Greenhouse Bar. We also have been lucky enough to travel across state lines to fulfill our clients’ plant dreams.

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Take Notes. Take notes of everything and actually write it out. This creates a dated log where you can go back and look at where you were when you first started while also keeping track of everything you have every thought ever when it comes to the business.

Also make sure you are getting out in the community and meeting the people that are doing what we do and the people growing/selling your plants or making the planters and pots you use. The plant community here is so small it’s important to get to know each other and build each other up.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.plantsavvy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantsavvyco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plantsavvy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@plantsavvyco

Image Credits
Dave Rosica
Daniel Chaney