We recently connected with Jillian Wells and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jillian, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
The toughest part of overcoming imposter syndrome is feeling like you don’t have the experience or background to support your current role – but the solution is to forge ahead and always be learning. The more I learned and got myself hands-on work, the more I could call upon those learnings and experiences to remind myself I am not an imposter but a deserving, skilled entrepreneur. Getting started is the hardest part (and the anticipation usually is so much worse than the work). So just get going and constantly be curious and willing to learn and grow.
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?
I launched Paloverde Botanicals in June 2020 – curating unique gift boxes filled with plants and botanical gifts inspired by nature. Building this business in the beginning of the pandemic was challenging but rewarding–a time when loved ones could not be together but wanted to show their love through a physical gift.
My background is in event planning and talent management and I’ve been sourcing event attendee gifts for years. I’ve always been so disappointed by what options I found online–many gift box brands feature the same unexciting, mass-produced and cheaply made items that feel destined straight for the trash after gifting. I knew I wanted to create a gift box brand that would appeal to like-minded consumers who value high-quality gifts made by small businesses, and when gifting is done intentionally, items are loved, repurposed, and even regifted, extending the product lifecycle and reducing needless waste.
What makes Paloverde Botanicals a unique gift box brand is our connection to nature and plants. Nature has always been a major inspiration to me, and I believe plant gifts really do make the best gifts. Gardening and spending time in nature is proven to positively impact mental health and so many of my friendships and memories forged I can attribute to the great outdoors, which is why all of our boxes are curated around living plants and gifts that celebrate nature. These botanical gifts aim to encapsulate those positive memories into physical form. By providing completely customizable and personalized gift box options, our customers can continue to cherish loved ones and celebrate occasions with gifts that make the biggest impact but were easy and fun to personalize and support small business in the process.
Our love of nature extends to how we operate our business. We choose packaging materials that are meant to be reused, repurposed or provide minimal impact to the environment after use. We are proud to be certified as a California Green Business and since launching in June 2020, we have been donating to plant a tree via One Tree Planted for every gift box sold.
Last year we launched our own collections of decorative disco plant stakes and continue to focus on growing our wholesale presence – with our Disco Garden plant stakes sold in over 100 retail shops and counting!! More shapes, product styles and categories to come in 2024.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Flexibility, research, and patience have been three important qualities I’ve called upon since launching my business.
When launching any kind of business and spending investment on time, products, marketing, etc., research is absolutely key. It’s easy to get stuck in education mode and not DO, but I also feel its easy to jump into a new venture without doing research – whether its market research with potential audiences, social media listening and trends, heavy financial analysis and forecasting (yes, the boring stuff, but so incredibly important), build proof and plans for how you want to launch and how you want to present your brand and products or services.
Flexibilty is the next important area. Plans are just ideas until you put them into motion and really see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t get stuck on an idea, product, or method just because you were excited about it. Try to take an honest look and make decisions from a place of logic and observation and not emotion. Being flexible and adapting is a huge key to success.
And finally…patience. It’s easy to get imposter syndrome and see other successful brands out there that look like they cropped up overnight. It’s rarely that. It’s usually years of hard work, testing, pivoting, etc. Have patience and grit and keep going and if you believe in your business and put in the work…growth and success will come.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
I’m constantly looking for ideal corporate gifting clients. My ideal client is someone who has been tasked with gifting for their employees, clients, or prospective leads – whether its gifts for the holidays, anniversaries, celebrations, events or conferences. This client wants to support small businesses and isn’t looking for cheap, mass-produced gifts that are made oversees or can be found anywhere. This client recognizes the value in shopping with small businesses who create their own products and who sees the beauty of nature and how that beauty can be translated into messages of goodwill that support their mission – whether its cultivating relationships with new prospects, praising current employees in their milestones or supporting the experience of an in-person conference. They’re excited about integrating thoughtful custom-branded pieces and giving back through planting trees for every gift box sent.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.paloverdebotanicals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paloverdebotanicals/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilliantwells/
Image Credits
Maryvine Street
