Plant friends, this has been in the works for almost two years and I am so excited to finally be able to share it with you! Two YEARS of quietly working on a very special project with our guest, and not being able to talk about it! We will dive more into this project in the second half of this episode, but more importantly, we get to know Samantha Leung. Samantha, the founder of the well-known plant brand Hemleva, is the real deal. She's so freaking smart, she's kind, she's generous, she's honest, and she’s built her business with such integrity and hustle and grown a thriving business that creates botanically inspired products. In this episode, we are so lucky to be joined by Samantha to learn how she got to where she is now, and I’ve been lucky enough to have gotten to know her offline over the last year because we’ve been working on a very special project! Find out what it is in the ep!

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In this episode we learn:

• [01:27] What to expect from this episode
• [04:26] How one woman’s jewelry collection was used to make diplomatic history
• [05:41] What was Samantha’s first-ever product?
• [06:28] How Samantha got started with pins
• [08:44] Why are plants important to Samantha?
• [10:28] How plants carry our memories with them
• [12:26] Where did Hemleva get its name from and what does it mean?
• [15:10] What was Hemleva’s first year in business like?
• [17:50] How did Samantha go about Hemleva’s logistics and business requirements?
• [20:04] What other crafts has Samantha tried building a business for?
• [23:02] Maria shares some of the challenges as a woman entrepreneur
• [26:15] How does Samantha handle her entrepreneur days?
• [27:42] Where to get the high-quality vegetable plants this season
• [29:17] The best indoor and outdoor gardening products for you and your pets
• [31:47] How does Samantha ideate, develop, and execute a product?
• [33:56] What tools does Samantha use to create a product?
• [35:27] How does Samantha source people and businesses she works with?
• [37:49] What does the process or ordering samples look like for Hemleva?
• [39:36] How does Samantha decide her inventory?
• [41:00] How profit margins differ in different business categories
• [44:19] In what ways is Hemleva structured to give back to different organizations?
• [45:57] What does One Percent for the Planet do?
• [47:56] What does work-life balance look like for Samantha?
• [50:47] How to figure out your own workflow and work schedule
• [52:37] How baking helps Samantha with her focus
• [54:24] Maria and Samantha’s very special collaboration!
• [56:26] Asking Samantha to illustrate the book cover
• [01:00:20] Samantha shares her experience illustrating her first book
• [01:03:32] Growing Joy merch collection with Hemleva!
• [01:04:44] Your official invitation to the Growing Joy launch celebration
• [01:06:09] How to join the Growing Joy giveaway for a free book!
• [01:07:54] Samantha shares a juicy sneak peek of Growing Joy
• [01:10:56] Sisterhood of The Traveling Plants
• [01:11:58] How Samantha inspires Maria
• [01:13:29] Maria’s reflections on writing a book and running a podcast

Mentioned in our conversation:

• PRE-ORDER LINK: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung
• Folia Collective
• BAGR Episode: How to Start a Plant Shop with Folia Collective
• Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewelry Box, book by Madeleine Albright
• You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life, book by Jen Sincero
• Charity Navigator
• Chinese for Affirmative Action
• 1% for the Planet

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Territorial Seed Company

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Espoma Organic

Espoma Organic is dedicated to making safe indoor and outdoor gardening products for people, pets, and the planet. They have an amazing variety of high-quality, organic potting mixes, garden soil, fertilizers, and pest control products that are organic and eco-friendly. To learn more about their pet safe indoor and outdoor gardening products, visit espoma.com to find your local Espoma dealer or check my Amazon storefront.

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