Daily Inspiration: Meet Marcie Mahoney

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcie Mahoney.

Marcie, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started Plant Bustique back in May of 2022 with a tremendous amount of support from family and friends. I got linked up with Mountain Bizworks in Boone, NC, and took an introduction to business course to get a general idea of what I was about to get into. 

The main inspiration for starting the business was my passion for plants and wanting to share that passion with our community. 

The idea started much different from what it ended up turning into. I originally wanted to start with a traditional brick-and-mortar store but had been toying around with the idea of doing a mobile business. Going mobile was definitely a more affordable option and the idea started to grow on me, so we started planning outfitting a box truck until I saw someone doing a tiny home conversion on a short bus. That was it for me, mainly because it had windows, which was a significant expense for outfitting on the box truck. 

I currently spend most of my time driving the bus around to festivals and local markets. In addition to the mobile business, I have recently introduced services like plant styling for homes and offices and plant sitting. Styling interiors has been really exciting for me, and I can’t wait to see where this little business goes! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I decided to start a tropical plant business in the Mountains of North Carolina; it definitely hasn’t been easy. When I first opened, I was keeping all inventory in my home, so that was a little hectic. I quickly realized I would need a greenhouse, that changed my life. 

Because of our location, we are a seasonal business which is a little scary but has been a huge motivator for me to incorporate other revenue streams. That’s where the services come in. Having projects to work on year-round has been crucial, 

The road has definitely been bumpy, but I try very hard to accept the challenges as opportunities for growth. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Plant Bustique is a mobile houseplant boutique, school bus turned plant shop. I specialize in tropical houseplants and styling. The business is known for providing our customers with happy, healthy houseplants in a fun and unique way, and I pride myself on providing customers with the information they need to keep them thriving. 

I’m very proud of the work put into the bus to make it feel like a cozy little jungle when you walk on. The renovation process was trialing, but things really came together in a magical way. 

One of my favorite events that we did this year was a wedding for an amazing couple in West Jefferson, North Carolina. We provided plants as wedding favors, and guests were able to come into the bus and pick out their favor. It was a huge success. 

I am also very proud that we are still going strong after our second year and continue to grow each day. 

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I am always looking for individuals and businesses to link up with, whether you are interested in having the bus pop up at your event or if you’re interested in our styling or plant sitting/care services. You can find all of my contact information on the website. 

Contact Info:

• Website: plantbustique.com
• Instagram: @plantbustique
• Facebook: @plantbustique