Ice skating &
Running &
Surfing &
Stand up paddle surfing &
Paddleboarding &
Prone paddleboarding &
Reading &
Gardening &
Metalsmithing &
Knitting &
Flute playing &
Horseback riding &
Pickleball &
Rug hooking &
Needle felting &
Drawing &
Watercoloring &
Floral Design &
Hiking &
Brunch &
Embroidery &
Cooking &
Harry Styles &
Cross-country skiing &
Traveling &
Collage &
Sewing &
Winona Ryder &
Recycled paper making &
Golf &
Writing &
Downhill skiing &
Symphony concerts &
Matchbox 20 &
Houseplants &
Viewfinding &
Cycling &
Plant propagation &
Old barns &
Wildflowers and/or spring ephemerals &
New York City &
Carnivorous plants.
^^ Katie’s hobbies and obsessions 1990*-2022.
*I was born in 1979, but I don’t count the tennis lessons or blueberry muffin baking classes. Neither stuck.
My interest in, say, metal smithing, has waxed and waned, but if you handed me a copper tube, a piece of scrap metal, a saw, a drill, and a hammer, I would put a rivet through that scrap in 10 minutes.
It’s been a while since I trotted a horse through a series of cavaletti jumps, but given the opportunity, I’ll stop and photograph and/or pet any horse I see. If I can’t stop, I’ll yell, “HORSES!” to my fellow passengers.
I last caught a wave on purpose in 2016, but I still like to paddle my surfboard around. It’s the best when you still feel the swell of the ocean sloshing your bloodstream as you drift off to sleep.
Sunday I took my paddleboard out for the first time in three years. It’s not quite like riding a bike, but it went pretty well.
After I put my board on my car, I remembered I had my sketching supplies with me, so I got out my folding chair and sketchbook and made a picture of the drawbridge.
I didn’t plan to do both things, but it was so fun that now I will!
In fact, I need to bring my mini sketch kit in a dry bag next time. Oh the THINGS I CAN SKETCH if I can paddle to them!
Yes, we’re still talking about this:
In fact, we’re talking about it here:
Look, I know it is spring and everyone is ready to sleep for 12 years. While you’re napping, let this percolate:
Stacking hobbies.
Gardeners are ALSO cooks.
Sketchers are ALSO gardeners.
Beer tasters also enjoy sitting out on their patios.
Musicians ALSO own houses.
Art enthusiasts ALSO have desks. (To put plants on.)
In this podcast episode, Dr. Behe says,
“I don’t think we can afford to look at customers in isolation as only gardeners or only plant purchasers or buyers. They have all these other interests. If we can get out there and collaborate and leverage our marketing with non horticultural kinds of businesses I think we have a really nice opportunity to bring in new business that isn’t a one time thing.”
Stacking hobbies.
It’s easier to build a stronger connection with someone when there are multiple points of contact involved.
My immediate previous newsletter detailed ways to fireproof your business.
Stacking hobbies is one way to do it.
“Look how delighted you were to have one of your favorite musicians on the cover of a gardening magazine!” Dr. Behe said.
Indeed.
Sure, I knew it was a marketing move by everyone involved, but I was no less tickled.
It’s the way I’m much more likely to sign on to a cycling trip if there’s brunch somewhere scenic halfway through, during which I can make a quick sketch.
This AND Thatting Your Business
There are many available layers of collaboration opportunities between businesses and ways to stack hobbies to push multiple buttons of delight at a time. (Um. GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, KATIE.)
Here are some ideas
- March madness tournament. Are you a grower in basketball country? Do a march madness themed instagram tourney with customer photos.
- Theme-a-hike. Do you forage/ have an interest in natives/ want people to plant gardens to save the planet? Hook up with local hiking/walking/bird watching/ kayaking groups and lead a guided tour from your perspective.
- Summer camp for adults. I miss summer camp. Squashed peanut butter sandwiches, bug bites, and lots of fun activities. There are infinite possibilities here. A HUGE opportunity to partner with local makers. Check out this workshop the Crafted Outpost is holding at our local Arboretum.
- Art-in-the-garden. Invite local artists to sketch, paint, sculpt, dance, play music at the garden center.
- Food truck rodeo. Thanksgiving Farms partners with Mad Science Brewery to welcome food trucks every weekend.
- Dance dance revolution. I am ALSO still talking about this music video from Midwest Groundcovers. EVERY.ONE. loves a great cover of an old favorite tune. Why? Because it makes us feel nostalgic. That video is my 5th grade ice skating party, my freshman plant propagation class, my 35 year old “just discovered the way Taylor Swift does marketing,” my 2009 GLEE watching self, and my 8 year old self putting on “shows” with my sister. Talk about hitting multiple pleasure buttons at once. I feel HIGH watching it. What pop culture phenomenon or meme can you make your own?
- Garden tour and chill. Running tours? Is there a way to integrate some down time at one of your spots? Preferably at a public park or location with multiple options for activities like – a guided tour, space to sit and draw, a bar for snacks and drinks, maybe a paddleboat rental?
- Book Club. There is ALWAYS room for more books. TONS of people love to read. Why not partner with a local bookstore to give your customers a little discount when they buy the book? Then invite everyone over for a discussion and some light bites or grazing boxes from one of your local restaurants/ caterers? Rockledge Gardens does this.
- Add a little levity to your email marketing. This one is suuuuuper simple, but another good way to inject a little lightheartedness into things. Open with a joke. Make your subject line a pun, bury some easter eggs for people to find. If people connect your emails with a little hit of fun, they’ll connect.
- Manis, Pedis & Manes. Anything, and I do mean ANYTHING nail art related is huge. Maybe there’s a mobile manicurist in your town? Perhaps hair designers will come do prom hair on site and incorporate flowers? For lots of aesthetic ideas and inspo., check out Love Beauty & Bloom. They are CRUSHING. IT. with the seemingly unrelated related.
How about a quickie?
If Bridget Behe’s podcast is called “Marketing Munchies” our Instagram account could be called “Sales Snacks.”
For a daily quick hit of easy, actionable marketing info, helpful links, and funnies, follow us @thegardenofwordsagency. See ya there!
3-D Talks Coming Soon!
- 4th Space Bootcamp: A Hands-On Workshop for Streamlining Your Digital Presence
Jul 18, 2022 9:30 am – 11:00 am @ C160A
- Subscription Services for IGC’s: Why and How to Develop Value-Added Recurring Revenue Streams
Jul 17, 2022 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm @ A210
- Growing Recurring Revenue Swap Shop
Jul 17, 2022 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm @ A210
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Couch To 5K New Customers: Collaborate & Create With Fellow Retailers
August 2, 2022 – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM
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Talks:
“B2B Ecommerce – What to know before you start”
“Hiring and Managing Tech Professionals – to get what you want the first time.”
Learn More Here
Technically this is 2-d. The virtual conference promises tons of great talks with actionable info! I’ll be joining a marketing panel with friends & colleagues.
Learn More Here
Links & Everything Else
What kind of changemaker are you?
I love this fun quiz from Rachael Kay Albers. I got “bridge builder,” which is spot on for me. Which one are you?
Trending: Carnivorous plants
I am OB.SESSED. with carnivorous plants. And everyone else is starting to be, too. They’re showing up in big box stores. Grow your own kits are at my local hip clothing/gift shop. These plants are extremely vulnerable to poaching in the wild. Source your retail supply from a reputable grower. Here’s one. Listen to more about these captivating miniflora here. Buy responsibly grown plants at retail here.
Trending: Resale
I’ve talked about the dried flower trend, and Dr. Behe and I have a podcast episode about that coming up. This trend is very likely related to the dried trend.
The YOUTHS are very into upcycling, recycling, reusing, etc. There’s a big secondhand market that’s only getting bigger. How might you participate in it? I’d start by looking at what used bookstores do and go from there.
Bookworm Corner
The saddest, best book I’ve read in ages.
Fun spy/time travel novel.
Useful Links
Real time meeting note transcription service.
Helpful word finder search engine
Peggy’s list of 70 seed companies
I just sent you 479 links. Which one was your favorite and why?
Need help getting your weekly or monthly emails out the door? Seriously considering a new website? Grab a call slot here.
