Meet Whitney Poitevint

We recently connected with Whitney Poitevint and have shared our conversation below.

Whitney, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

Initially, the purpose of a business came from needing our farm to pay for itself! But then it grew into something so much bigger. My husband and I, and the whole family on the land, wanted to enable a place where childlike wonder and delight could thrive. Where hustle culture takes a pause, and where parents are able to recharge and enjoy their children. Raising children is quite a marathon – and our modern American culture is against enjoying the journey. As a mom of four awesome people, I desperately wanted to enable others the space to connect and build community with other families, AND a place for them to really see more of their children. I would not be the mama I am today without the people who facilitated those things for me. So I just wanted to do the same for other families!

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Shipshape Farm is a farm in Upstate SC focused primarily on Agritourism. We offer classes, field trips, and summer camps, are available for birthday parties and events, and are constantly looking for ways to enable engagement with people and the natural world. We do some strange things here –
1) We don’t hustle at all. We go slow!
2) We think everyday moments are opportunities for memories and magic
3) We encourage generations to interact and learn from one another.

What do we *do* at Shipshape Farm? Nothing spectacular. But it is all special. Because we delight in our people and treasure the gift of being a part of their lives. We just make everyday things something memorable.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I love people. I didn’t want to serve everyone – because I don’t “get” everyone. So I basically thought back to what I would have loved when my kids were a specific age, and I created that. I think the biggest thing is just to go with what you know. You can’t make everyone happy – and you can’t serve every market well. So know your ideal customer and hone your services to make them die hard fans.

I was a pretty early adopter of social media, so I’ve spent 20 years learning the tools and getting comfortable with my voice on various platforms. It has been super helpful to our business to have an easily researched business. People could see what they were getting long before they step foot on the land.

A helpful area of knowledge was knowing what I’m wretched at! Seeking help and finding resources and people to cover the areas that would have been gaps in the business if left up to me. Biggest help in launching a business? Asking people who love me enough to be honest, what my blind spots and weaknesses are. Then I could work in reality and not delusion.

Finally, flexibility! When we first launched, I thought birthday parties would take off like crazy, and farm classes would be a small thing. Boy was I wrong! It was actually the opposite! When the market tells you what they want – listen.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

The Working Genius by Patrick M. Lencioni. This book and it’s accompanying assessment have been extremely helpful in how we hire and how I focus my energy. We all have areas that don’t deplete us in work – and we should work hard to be in those areas most of the time. (This book was especially helpful as we three generations work together and seek to love one another well)

I’ve read a lot of business and personal development books over the years. The Working Genius has been a phenomenal tool for both personal and professional development.

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Image Credits

Dani Lacey Photography
Phil Meissner Photography

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