Meet the Founder of Houseplant Hippie
Hey, I'm Kay!
I was born into a family who has made their living for three generations selling plants and teaching people how to garden. Growing up, plants were always around me- a part of my life and the foundation of the business that provided for us. Like many things though, we often miss the beauty and significance of the things that are familiar to us.
I had other passions and interests that I pursued as I grew up, and never really thought I would end up “doing plants” for a living. But, the thing about a seed is that once it’s been planted...it takes root. Even when no one is watching, it’s growing under the surface. The “seed” of plant love was there...waiting on my soil to be ready for it to grow.
Rise
Dancing was my passion. I spent most of my childhood and adolescent years creating art and devoting my time to forging that path. I left home to pursue a degree in dance and eventually went on to New York City to see what opportunities I would find there. But no matter where I went, or what I did, I always found myself coming back to plants. I found myself picking up small gardening jobs and eventually went on to work at a garden center in Brooklyn. It always felt like coming home. The smell of the clean air and earthy goodness. The dirt underneath my fingernails.
And I found myself, finding myself again...spending time with plants. Deep down, I knew that the passion I embraced for dance did not surpass the innate pull I had towards plants. So I turned my face toward the sun and allowed that seed to break through the soil where it had been waiting. And as I said yes, one small step at a time, the seed grew up...rising with new possibilities… and confidence - knowing I’m deeply rooted in something good.
Grow
Allowing the return to my roots I have found strength and ease as I’ve embraced the flow of what life has to offer me. The journey has led me here, and manifested in creating a multi-faceted plant and wellness business that I can share with our community. I'm excited to continue the family legacy of plants incorporating peace, well being, and growth as my pillars. Like a plant, you can’t predict the exact way it will grow...where new life will peak out next...where the next bud will appear.
That’s the beauty and the mystery of it - sowing seeds in different places to have something to look forward to, something to work towards, and something to grow from. A lesson I’m learning along the way every day. The key to growth is being willing to nurture life one day at a time, even one breath at a time, knowing that the reward is not in some end product - but in the lessons as you grow along the way.
Cheers,
Kelly Schupp
Co-Owner + Curator
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