What We’ve Been Up To (Because a LOT Has Happened)

I feel like every time I blink, something new is happening with Franklin Plant Co.

First of all… we became Star Sellers on Etsy this month. What??? That's super cool. We’ve only been selling for about 3–5 months, so hitting that milestone  feels nice. Since earning that badge, our order volume has noticeably increased. It’s exciting. It’s also slightly nerve racking in the best way. We went from carefully packing a few orders a week… to suddenly needing systems. 

And speaking of “suddenly needing systems” - we’re officially on TikTok now. Which feels very “lol what are we doing” but we're going with the flow. We’re planning to set up TikTok Shop soon, and at the same time we’re preparing for our first live sale on Palmstreet on March 13.

March 13. 

That date feels both far away and way too close.

We still have to convert my home office into a live sale studio. Lights, shelving, backdrop, camera setup - the whole thing. Time has been flying by and we’ve both been low-key stressed about getting everything ready in time. But honestly? Anything for the plants am i rite? Forreal tho - Palmstreet hasn't been that lucrative, but we're gonna try any way.

On top of that, I created a Lemon8 account today. I have absolutely no idea what to expect from that platform, but at this point we are just experimenting everywhere and seeing what sticks. We’re learning that growth right now means being willing to try things without guarantees.

We’re also experimenting with our first preorder listing: Black Pap x Carla Pap Anthurium seedlings.

We truly have no idea how it’s going to go. Maybe people love the idea of securing seedlings early. Maybe they don’t. But we’re in a season of testing ideas and trusting our community to guide us. We’re learning that business isn’t just about what works - it’s about being brave enough to try.

And because apparently we don’t know how to do anything halfway, I’m planning to start a YouTube channel too.

This one makes us both nervous.

We are not naturally “on camera” people. We feel awkward. We overthink. We rewatch clips and cringe. We are also currently teaching ourselves how to film, cut, and edit videos in real time. It’s chaotic. It’s humbling. It’s kind of like let me just go hide under a rock for the rest of my life after publishing this reel.

But we keep reminding ourselves that we started selling plants 3–5 months ago. That’s it. Everything happening right now is happening fast because we said yes to opportunities quickly. And instead of waiting until we feel fully ready (which would probably be never), we’re choosing to grow in public.

It’s overwhelming. It’s exciting.

It’s forcing us to build systems and confidence at the same time.

And most of all we feel incredibly blessed.

If you’re here supporting us, ordering from us, sharing our posts, or even just watching quietly from the sidelines… thank you. You’re part of this growth season whether you realize it or not.

We don’t have it all figured out. We’re building the plane while flying it. But we’re so grateful to be flying at all.

Gloria