Meet Amy Vine

We recently connected with Amy Vine and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

My parents adopted two children with special needs when I was young. My biological sisters and that I were blessed to help with the caregiving in our home. I’m the oldest of five and felt an immediate connection with my brother and sister with special needs that has lasted a lifetime. Being connected to them, knowing their friends and walking through life with them has helped me have an understanding of their needs, desires, and personalities. This has helped to shape my business so that I was able to develop a business model that truly meets the employment requirements of adults with special needs in a safe and adaptable way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Urban Vine began as an all-natural product company that provides safe and adaptable employment for adults with special needs. We formulate small batch tea with health and wellness in mind. My name is Amy Vine and I am an herbalist. I began formulating teas, soaps, and salve in my kitchen with my adpoted, special needs brother, and his friends as a way to create a positive community of friends who all had unique abilities and passions. I believe we were ALL created with a passion, deep inside us, that is unique to us as an individual. This passion, when recognized and developed will give us a purpose in life that will lead to fulfillment and everyday joy. This is what I wanted my brother and his friends to find – their passion, and pupose. By creating products that they made from “the ground up” it produced a pride of ownership and a desire to create more unique products.
In 2020 I started a farm in Michigan with my mom and adopted special needs sister with the intention of honoring my dad who had passed away from complications due to Agent Orange Exposure. My dad was the glue that held our family together and when he passed away, I knew that was not the end of our story as a family. Together, we have created a safe space for individuals on the autism spectrum, and others with developmental difficulties to find safe, and adaptable employment. We grow herbs that are used in our products, keep sheep, and chickens which create jobs and a purpose for these amazing individuals.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think there are actually two qualities that have most impacted me on journey, they are tenacity and the ability/willingness to pivot,.
If you are early in your journey, set your mind to NEVER GIVE UP. There were MANY times that I thought I would need to close the doors on Urban Vine because I was not making the money I needed for my employees. We had to pivot many times but tenacity is 99% of a successful business.
Find your niche. Your small business idea is probably being “done” somewhere by a multi billion dollar conglomerate. You are not going to compete – BUT I will wager that there is a niche group within your community, or a nationwide community that will be THRILLED to support you and buy your product. Never be rigid or afraid of pivoting. It may be the difference between failure and success.
After seven years of vendor shows, farmers markets, holiday events, odds and ends part-time employment, I was invited to Frankenmuth, MI by the National Women’s Farm and Garden Association to be a vendor at their 1st annual “Books in Bloom” event featuring the key note speaker, author Wade Rouse (pen name Viola Shipman). I read his beautiful book “The Heirloom Garden”, developed a “companion” tea for the book and asked him to visit my table when the event had ended. Only a few months later, Wade and his husband Gary Edwards asked Urban Vine to begin developing merchandise for the “Viola” brand.
Two and a half years later, we have not only created an extensive “Viola & Vine” merchandise line, but we are also collaborating on an amazing project called Viola SHIPMANts. Themed book boxes that are curated by Urban Vine, that are based around a novella written by Wade Rouse.
These bi-monthy boxes are being shipped all over the U.S. and Canada providing hours of employment for our incredibly talented employees. The moral of my story is DO NOT GIVE UP.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

We are very proud of our small-batch, all-natural teas and have collaborated with MANY different organizations by hosting high-tea, informal tea gathering with DIYs, themed book clubs, and we can supply you with tea packages for your corporate gift baskets. Our website is a perfect place to see our product line and connect with me directly. If you dont see what you are looking for, just shoot me an email, and we will make your vision a reality.
We ship our products anywhere and I can help you host a beautiful tea party in your space.
Our next event is a beautiful farm to table tea party at a gorgeous Michigan farm. You can purchase tickets on our website at www.urban-vine.com
During the event in July, guests will enjoy high-tea, and an afternoon tea. There will be a farm tour, live music, DIY tea making, a special reading from our favorite novel, The Heirloom Garden, and many photo opportunities.
For Questions or comments, you can email at: urbanvine6@gmail.com

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.urban-vine.com
• Instagram: @urbanvine6
• Facebook: urban vine
• Other: Email
  urbanvine6@gmail.com