The magnolia is a paradox: delicate yet unshakable, blooming like silk but surviving like stone. It’s the quintessential Southern emblem of strength in disguise.
“Life is about shifting,” says Natasha Buckholtz, owner of Pink Magnolia Marketplace. “The path you’re on today may not be the path you’re following in five years. But you have to flex with life and shift as it rolls.”
Natasha’s life has demanded nothing less.
Storms and Survival
Born and raised in Louisiana, she earned degrees in marketing, public relations, and digital design at Tulane, later adding a real estate license.
“I’m kind of a nerd for learning,” she admits. “Another certificate, another course—it all means I can serve my customers better.”
But when her first son was born with profound medical needs, the carefully mapped path shifted. Doctors told her he wouldn’t live to see his first birthday.
“They said he wouldn’t make it to a year old,” she recalls. “He’s nineteen now.”
That was only the first storm.
Unexpected Blossoms
After her son’s health stabilized, Natasha returned to her studies, only to be surprised by twin daughters, born after she was told more children would be impossible.
With daycare for twins out of reach, she pivoted again, launching Southern Soapery in 2019, a bath-and-body wholesale brand that blossomed across five Gulf states.
Success felt like springtime until cancer arrived, shadowing her victories. Two weeks after signing eleven new wholesale accounts, she sold her business and underwent surgery.
A Garden of Entrepreneurs
Instead of retreating, Natasha opened Pink Magnolia Marketplace in 2024. Her vision was radical in its generosity: a space where small entrepreneurs could bloom without being crushed by overhead.
“There are so many people who want to start a business but can’t afford the risk,” she explains. “I wanted to create a place where they could have a storefront without all the weight on their shoulders.”
At its height, the marketplace housed nearly thirty vendors. When economic frost thinned their numbers, Natasha adapted once more, immersing herself in markets and trends, adding new petals of knowledge around her vision.
“I never wanted to be a boutique buyer,” she says, “but customers were asking, so I learned.”
Shopping as Connection
What makes Pink Magnolia different?
“I buy with specific people in mind,” Natasha says. “I saw a dress at market and thought, ‘This is Risa!’ When she came in, I showed it to her, and she lit up. That’s what makes this worth it.”
“We style our customers head-to-toe,” she explains. “One woman told me, ‘I never would have thought to put that together.’ She asked if she could just spend the day with me so I could style her.”
The name itself is a declaration.
“Pink for femininity and power,” Natasha says, “and Magnolia for Southern strength. It’s comfortable, cozy, home. But it’s also confident. We order clothes for every size and shape.”
Her husband, a retired Navy veteran, now serves as CFO, handling the books while Natasha curates the beauty. Their daughters shadow her at markets, learning early lessons about responsibility and style.
“I believe in setting an example for my children,” she says. “Giving up is not an option.”
More Than a Marketplace
Pink Magnolia’s rewards program gifts earrings, bracelets, and handbags; its pricing respects the economy rather than exploiting it.
“People come in needing more than clothes,” Natasha says. “They vent, they talk, and we’re here to listen. When people leave, I want them to feel like they belong here. Everyone has a place.”
Her lessons land like mantras:
Compete only with your own yesterday.
Never quit mid-season.
Never assume tomorrow is promised.
Step inside Pink Magnolia Marketplace, and you’ll find the perfect Christmas gift for every person on your list. The shelves shimmer with curated finds, from cozy textures to luminous accents, inviting you to linger, explore, and discover.
You’ll also find a business that continues to bloom, season after season.
And more than that, you’ll meet a woman who, like the magnolia, shows us that beauty, resilience, and generosity are always in season.
To learn more about Pink Magnolia Marketplace, or to connect with Natasha, call (985-778-0089), email (pinkmagnoliamarketplace@gmail.com), or stop by 1200 West Causeway Approach, Suite 12, Mandeville, LA 70471. Remember to ask about the Rewards System—because true style always comes with perks!