Staying Open To Your Curiosity | Maryann Gibbons of Plants and Ponytails

Today I have the pleasure of releasing a chat that’s been a long time in the making. Last year, I connected with Maryann Gibbons of Plants and Ponytails right when she was getting ready to launch the very first iteration of her business. She was selling at a farmer’s market in her hometown of Kingston, Ma as a way to research and prep for opening the brick and mortar space of her dreams later on. We stayed in touch and a month ago we finally got to talk shop.

Maryann shares the story of starting her plants business and it’s a whole lot deeper than just setting up a stall at the farmers market. In fact, the farmer’s market didn’t even exist until Maryann and a group of community members started it. And as you’ll hear, it’s been a wild ride for Plants and Ponytails ever since. From pop-ups to temporary leases, from buildings being sold to tons of leftover Lululemon bags in her space, Maryann has ridden the waves of business ownership in ways many of us, simply put, have not. And she still really, really, really loves it. I verbally marvel at Maryann’s tenacity and her ability to go with the flow throughout her changing business. Truly, this is something that I don’t know if I could do and Maryann’s grit and comfort with the uncomfortable is something to aspire to. She's got a longterm plan and she’s willing to work for it…and to wait for it.

Additionally, we chat about leaving a job that’s stable but that’s sucking you dry, fighting very real burnout and why being flexible with your buying can make you a lot more money. We talk about plants; they are Maryann’s love and her stress relief. She shares her mission to make them commonplace in people’s homes and spaces through gentle education. She talks about the ups and downs of raising young children alongside a business and why reaching out to her community (and to her Instagram community) is what keeps her from giving up. Enjoy the show.

Find more from Maryann: Plants and PonytailsInstagram: @plantsandponytails

Thank you again for listening. I’m getting ready to start planning the 2019 Keeping Shop Retreat and I’d love to gauge early interest. The retreat will be in early November again, right before all the holiday festivities start. It’ll be a time to settle our souls, to connect with each other and to rejuvenate around our businesses. If you’d like to hear more at this early stage, email me at [email protected] with any questions. Thank you again for listening.