"I would tell readers how that no matter what obstacle comes their way, if they work hard and stay consistent, they can thrive."
Jackie Sons began an online plant nursery in 2014 and built it from the ground up. Her woman-owned business is one of the most prestigious nurseries offering plants direct to consumers.
Expanding her business, she has also founded Perennial Nursery Co and the newest addition to the portfolio Nance Plants.
Native Wildflowers Nursery is an online plant nursery specializing in native plants. They offer perennial flowers and fern plants for landscapers and gardeners alike, and ship to all 50 states.
Woman-owned and operated, their business has grown exponentially in the last ten years and has established a nationwide clientele
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Table of Contents
In the past year, what is the greatest business achievement you’d like to celebrate with your team? Please share the details of that success.
Jackie Sons: Our company’s greatest achievement of the year was being featured in Pioneer Woman Magazine Holiday Edition. During the holidays we sell Mistletoe as a novelty item for Christmas decorations and events, and the magazine listed us as the place to buy Mistletoe.
“Ree’s favorite holiday plants” This was one of the biggest opportunities for our small business in getting publicity and notice.
What advice do you wish you received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Jackie Sons: Always work on marketing. Marketing is a lifetime job for a business. When I first started, this was a job I only did from time to time when I felt like it. I have learned over the years that marketing has to be done.
Whether business is booming or not, the show must go on. In the next quarter, I am working diligently to keep improving marketing and dedicating a certain amount of hours per week to this task.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Jackie Sons: Our business has always been online direct to consumers, so the tidal wave of exclusive online shopping/work has exponentially increased our revenue and outreach of our audience. I plan to continue to engage those shoppers and convert them as much as possible.
Christopher Hitchens, an American journalist, is quoted as saying that “everyone has a book in them” Have you written a book? If so, please share with us details about it. If you haven’t, what book would you like to write and how would you like it to benefit the readers?
Jackie Sons: I have not written a book, but if I did, I would like it to be a very personal one about overcoming drug addiction. The motivation to grow my business was from a drive to succeed when there was no other option.
My husband suffered from a 15-year addiction to drugs. Once this vicious cycle began, it turned our lives upside down. I was a young mother of 3. I had no way to provide financially for my family. As a stay at home, I did not have any experience in the workplace. My husband was always the breadwinner.
So, I built and began to try to optimize and market my online business. I had to make it work. Failing was not an option. It is a rags-to-riches type of story. “Drugs to Deliverance” I had to raise 3 kids, build my business so that I could pay all our bills, and try to live with a full-blown drug addict.
I would tell readers how that no matter what obstacle comes their way, if they work hard and stay consistent, they can thrive. I would also tell them how we did make it out on the other side.
My husband has now been clean for almost 2 years. No drug addiction is too far that it cannot be beaten. And being the spouse of an addict is no walk in the park, but if I can survive it and succeed, anyone can do it.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Jackie Sons: Employees. When you’re a people person like I am, it is difficult to keep work separate from your personal life. I always underestimated this in other business owners.
In business, it has to stay professional. Your employees are human; they have families that have to provide for just like I do. That is difficult water to navigate. I am still learning in this area.
What does “success” in the year to come mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Jackie Sons: Success in 2023 to me would be to have more job opportunities in my business. Even though we are online, it takes local people from my community to keep the operation running.
The more positions that my business has available means the more families that are provided for. Our small town is at the poverty level, so providing more local jobs, I would call that a successful year.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jackie Sons for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Jackie Sons or her company, you can do it through her – Facebook Page
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