With the creation of Botanical Gypsy, Marah Frank realized her dream of owning a mobile business. And in the process, her flower cart created a fun and unique way to design floral arrangements in and around our city. In this episode, Marah shares some incredible insights for aspiring young entrepreneurs. And her advice to continually practice your craft is wisdom that anyone seeking mastery should take to heart.

Aja Maria Bencsics didn’t intend to start a business when she created a preserved floral wreath out of her bridal bouquet. But after friends and family saw her beautiful and unconventional creation, they started asking for one too. Aja has always been a resourceful person. She put herself through college, and she had previous experiences of earning income from hobbies and interests. So, it didn’t take her long to see the opportunity to build a business around her passion for flowers. Today, Aja runs one of the leading flower preservation businesses in our region.

Lauren Work Phillips always knew that she wanted to run her own business. She just needed to figure out what it was going to be. After working with flowers in New York City, she decided to move back to Western Pennsylvania and get started. Her passion, strong work ethic from growing up on a family farm, and her willingness to never give up have served her well in creating one of the most celebrated and beloved flower shops and floral event businesses in Pittsburgh.

Victoria Smith came to Pittsburgh to work in speech language pathology, but she fell in love with flowers. Her passion and vision became Pittsburgh’s first mobile flower shop, and she’s been dashing around Pittsburgh in her green mini-truck ever since. In this episode, Victoria talks about her humble beginnings, the importance of following your dreams, and her goal of bringing joy and creativity to Pittsburgh’s many neighborhoods.

Fellow Pittsburghers and friends of the show, I hope this episode finds you and your families well. Please enjoy this wonderful season that was recorded before the pandemic. It features four incredible small business owners in the floral design space. Now, we’ve all had to make changes lately, and this podcast is no exception. Following this season, I will also be changing the format of the show in order to adapt to our current realities. All interviews will be done virtually, and discussions will be focused on navigating through this challenging time. I believe that this podcast can continue to serve as way for us to stay connected to each other and to our small businesses, which are the heartbeat of our local economy.

It all started with a family dog named Reggie, a love for coffee, and a dream to start a business. Today, Reginald’s Coffee is a vibrant café and small batch roastery located in a historic schoolhouse in Bethel Park. In this episode, owners Julie and Matt Koczko talk about the origins of their business, the importance of building trust with their team, and their goal of bringing unique and flavorful coffee to Pittsburgh’s south suburbs.

Even after nearly twenty years in the business, TJ Fairchild, owner of Commonplace Coffee, still gets a twinkle in his eye when talking about the role that coffeehouses play in our society. In this episode, he talks about the importance of coffee culture and the evolution of his company with a level of humility and candor that’s refreshing and inspiring. And if there’s one thing that TJ makes perfectly clear, it’s that relationships and human interaction are at the center of everything that he does.

After his first year of business, Matt Parmelee, owner of Redstart Roasters, temporarily stopped production because he wasn’t totally satisfied with the taste of the coffee coming from his new roasting machine. He reopened several months later only after it met his exacting standards. That’s all you need to know about Matt to know how seriously he takes his coffee and his business. Today, Redstart Roasters stands for the highest quality coffee that’s also grown and harvested in a sustainable and responsible way.

In 2017, Matt and Vanessa Marietti brought their dream to life. Atelier de Fer, which is French for iron workshop, is a combination of the things they love – delicious food, custom-crafted drinks, good friends, and a lively and inviting space. We in Pittsburgh are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of the hard work and dedication that the Mariettis and their team have put into this burgeoning, local institution.

Season 3 is almost here! Get ready to break out your mug and brew up some of your favorite coffee, because I’m going to take you on a special tour of the Pittsburgh coffee scene.