Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerbi Howat.
Hi Kerbi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My career goal after college was to merge entrepreneurship and social causes. I spent my 20’s traveling around the world and working with different non-profits. It was a dream come true, but I never felt like I “arrived” in my career. Ultimately, I ended up in a role where I felt stuck and totally off course. So, I quit my job and spent some time traveling with my husband. I desperately needed inspiration and for something to click. After we got back home, I started throwing proverbial darts and different ideas and possible paths, just trying to see if anything would stick. I met with a friend for coffee and she was in the same place as me- ready for a big change. Things just fell into place and we decided to start Flora together. We started selling plants as a pop-up shop, setting up our teardrop trailer outside of local businesses.
Fast forward five years, Flora now has two brick & mortar retail locations in the greater Nashville area. The business partnership dissolved in early 2018 (but the friendship remains) and I’ve been running the show solo ever since. It has always been my dream to grow Flora beyond the shops, and we now have two services arms: Plant Design and Plant Rentals.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur is a total rollercoaster. It’s exciting, inspiring, challenging, terrifying, crushing…
The challenges have been many and have evolved over time. When we signed our first lease, we worried about making rent each month. In retail, there are ebbs and flows, and you have to ride that wave. It makes you feel vulnerable, especially when you are growing and have staff. COVID obviously was something nobody anticipated and it affected small businesses significantly. Business leaders had to find ways to keep earning revenue while facing extended closures and reduced customer spending. We also felt responsible for our staff and customers, so it was a constant carousel of policies and pivots.
It has been hard on me, personally, staring down the challenges and feelings of insecurity. I also have grown my family by two children since I started Flora, and finding a balance between the two parts of my life is something I’m always working on. There are so many benefits to running your own business and being your own boss. I get to dream big every day and no one is telling me I can’t do something. We always worry about failure but I’m trying to get comfortable with the idea that it’s not the worst thing that could happen.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Flora?
Flora specializes in interior plants.
We have two plant shops located in Nashville and Franklin, TN. At our shops, we offer a wide selection of interior plants, planters, plant care products and home goods. We are full service, meaning we will repot plants on site, offer plant care education and troubleshooting. We also host workshops.
We also offer two services: Plant Design and Plant Rentals. Our plant design service is for both homes and commercial spaces that are looking to add greenery into their interior design. Our design expertise includes thoughtfully paired potted plants, living walls and hanging planter installation. Our plant rentals service is for short-term events like weddings, photoshoots, and corporate gatherings that need some added life without the cost of purchasing plants.
Flora is known for our expert plant knowledge and passion for design. We curate a beautiful selection of goods from brands and artists that we feel good about supporting. We also want our customers to be successful caretakers once they leave our stores. So we educate our customers on their purchases and leave our door open for questions.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@floraplantshop.com
- Website: floraplantshop.com
- Instagram: floraplantshop
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floraplantshop
Image Credits
All photos taken by Flora staff.
