What inspired you to start Plant Daddies of Atlanta? What is your mission?
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Steven and Tyler Crafton-Karnes bought a Monstera Swiss Cheese plant from an antique market, determined to watch it thrive.
Alec Batchelder began his love of plants just before the pandemic hit. Being indoors so much in those early days grew this love into an obsession. When all of us met in the summer of 2021, we discovered our shared obsessions and began thinking of a way to monetize this love of plants.
At Plant Daddies of Atlanta, we strive to provide our customers with the finest unique selection of tropical plants while creating an oasis that transports you to your favorite vacation destination. We aim to educate and inspire our customers on the benefits of tropical plants and how they can enhance their lives. Our goals are to promote sustainability by ethically sourcing plants and reducing our environmental impact and to create a welcoming and unforgettable experience that leaves our customers feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.
What are some valuable things you’ve learned on your journey?
A few key lessons that we have learned since starting Plant Daddies:
- Aim high, many of the things that had on our vision board we thought to be pipe dreams have all manifested.
- Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Your business is only as big as you let it.
- Pivot. If something isn’t working, stop pushing and pivot.
What does community mean to you?
Houseplants are a great uniter. Our plants transcend age, race, religion, and politics. It’s amazing seeing our fan base grow with the most diverse groups of amazing people.
What does your day-to-day look like?
At Plant Daddies we are road warriors. We travel the country sharing our love for plants at markets. In the past year and a half, we have been to 12 states and we have many more on the schedule. We are also TikTok plant influencers. We host live plant sales from our greenhouse that attract customers from across the globe. While traveling and expanding our reach, we don’t neglect our local community. We participate in and host local plant swaps, host wine/plant make-and-takes and much more.
Do you have any exciting plans for the rest of the year?
We will be opening a brick-and-mortar location in downtown Canton in June. We are excited to begin the renovation process, creating a tropical haven that our neighbors can enjoy. The new space will feature our retail boutique, classroom/hangout space, and our entire growth operation. We are also the headline sponsor for the Southeast Plant Show at the end of June. We have fans from across the country coming to participate and meet the Plant Daddies in person.
You can find The Plant Daddies of Atlanta at plantdaddiesatl.com and @plantdaddiesofatl on Instagram