Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back here in the Garden with Ron Wilson, and
I am so excited, not only because it is the
first day of the meteorological spring. Happy spring to everyone,
but it's also to have this young lady on our
show because it is so much fun when she's on here.
She is miss inspirational. Trust me, if you ever go
to her workshops or classes. She travels around the world
talking about the benefits of gardening and this green industry.
(00:21):
You walk away on Cloud nine and you just you know,
you can't wait to sign up and do something in
our industry. And that's what it's all about. As a
matter of fact, Seed Your Futures hosting its fifth Green
Career Week starting on Monday, runs next week. It's a
movement national moved to get students involved with green careers,
which it's hot right now. So who am I talking
about our guests this morning. Well, she is the second
(00:45):
generation owner of the Garden Media Group and their website
is Guardmediagroup dot com. Again, like I said, she travels
around the world talking about gardening, get everybody inspired about
the world of horticulture. She's a lot of fun. She's
a gardener herself, and what I understand he mixes a
mean cocktail out in the garden as well. Ladies and gentlemen.
She's the QVC Queen. Katie Dubao.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Good morning, Good morning, ron.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I am just blushing. If you could see my face,
it is entirely pink this morning. So thank you good morning.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Because you haven't watched yet, or because you're still in.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Bed, or.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You make me blush.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I envisioned it. I envision you still just laying in
bed doing us on, you know, with a cell phone.
And is that just the.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Way you are?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
That's the way you are. Yeah, Hey, by the way,
what's what's is it bickram yoga? What is that?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Bickram yoga is a practice that is in one hundred
and nine degrees. So you are.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh yeah, no, yeah, I don't know. I wouldn't give it.
So that's where you go into sweat sweat like crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And yeah, okay, all right, I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah obviously because you do that, and you you're do
all kinds of great things, are right, let's not waste
a lot of time. Green industry. You and I both
been in it. You grew up in it, your mom
was in it. Got brought you into it, you got
away from it, came back to it. I started in
high school in this industry and have been in there
ever since. Absolutely love it. And you know it's now
(02:20):
get out there and we're trying to encourage more and
more folks to get involved in the green industry.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yes, but Ron, that's a great segue starters. I would
love to hear what your story is because high school,
this organization that we're going to be talking about today
See your Future, actually wants to get kids interested in
plants in high school. So I would love to know
how you got interested in high school, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And what's funny is on my notes here I wrote
down you and me, meaning you, Katie and me talking
about us growing up in this industry and how you
got involved and where you've been and you know, I
we lived out in the country, lived on the farm.
I worked with a lot of farmers out all my
life as a kid, little whatever, bal and hay and
all that stuff, and we had cattle and horses and
all that. But it was time for me to start
(03:03):
doing something that, you know, working for Like, I wanted
to do something and I wanted to be outside because
I didn't want to work inside and a new garden center.
They've been in business forever, but they built a new
garden center about two miles to my parents' house, and
they were taking applications for folks to work there. And
I said, this is great, and I went and signed up.
And I was a freshman in high school and signed
(03:24):
up and started working there. And you know the and
I I was going to go to college. As a
matter of fact, I went to UK. My first two years,
I was in pre vet. So I was thinking I
wanted to be a veterinarian. Uh until I until I
figured out how much you had to study. Yeah, now,
but I you know, but my minor was horticulture. And
(03:46):
you know it's the old saying that once the MUD's
in the blood, it doesn't it doesn't go away. And
the next thing you knew I was I got out
of pre vet and I got into horticulture and landscape art.
Transferred up to Ohio State. Uh, got my degree and
landscape port a lot of landscape design. And I think
what's interesting about it is in this industry there are
(04:07):
so many things you can do as you have done.
So I, you know, I've been a part timer. I've
been a water a loader. I've been a designer, I've
been a sales manager, I've been a you know, and
the next thing, you know, I'm doing marketing and PR
right and radio and stuff like that and sharing my
you know what I love doing in horticulture. So it's
(04:29):
not just working in a greenhouse or planting trees and shrubs.
There's so many things available in this industry today. And
you know what I tell folks, and I know this
is your segment, not mine. I told you I was
gonna turn my mic off. And what you talk is
that this industry and I think you said it is hot.
And if you if you come out of a vocational school,
high school, college, whatever it may be, and you want
(04:51):
to get into this green industry, if you're good and
you're willing to work, and you are upbeat and you
love what you're doing, I'm telling you you're going to
make some bucks in this industry because that's what we're
looking for.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think that people don't understand there are
so many available careers in this industry, not just you know,
having to break your back working in a greenhouse, which
some people love too, you know, working outside people. There
are so many different careers. I mean, we use a
graphic designer, we do a ton of social media. You know,
(05:23):
you can do something that you love, but also plants.
Because I'm sure you've talked to a number of people
ron and maybe some of your listeners too, had a
long career of doing something that they thought was the
right path for them, you know, because their parents chose
it for them, or because it's what they saw their
peers doing. But then later in life they actually realized
(05:46):
that gardening was their passion and they turned it into
their career. So we also have a bunch of people
in our industry who have come to this as a
career late in life because you just realize, you know,
when you get to be the wise age that we are,
that you should do something you love, find something you love,
and that can be your career. So that's what sees
(06:06):
your future is trying to do, is inspire people to
discover gardening, because I think once people discover plants, which
they did over the pandemic, you know, we had so
many young people discover gardening, and people of all ages
really like discover gardening was their joy. Then you I
love whence some mud is in your blood. I have
never heard that before, because then you can see that
(06:29):
this is not only a fun hobby a rewarding hobby
because you can grow flowers or food, but it is
something you can turn into a career.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Oh absolutely. And again, if you want to check this out,
the website to seed Yourfuture dot org. You can go
to that and check out what they're doing, learn more
about the Green Career Week. It's seed your Future dot org.
And you can have that mud in your blood if
you want to use that one.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
That's okay, I love it, thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
But it's true. We just had our job fair at
our nursery this past week and you look at them,
and you look at the folks that came in and
we and we had a bazillion folks that an applications
in and we had just a smash of people, which
was great. But if you look at the the age group,
it was a lot of high schoolers looking for that
first time job, and we had a lot of folks
(07:17):
that were fifty sixty ish looking for that late late
in the life career change. Literally, I want to get
out of what I'm doing right now, and I work
for a bank, I do whatever, but I shop here.
You guys are always having fun. It seems like I
love working with plants. I'm looking for a career change.
And those were the two levels that mostly that we
(07:39):
saw at that job fair. And it's you know, it's
it's it's it's something I tell you. And I'm serious
when I say that, And I think you'll agree with me.
With this industry, with the way it's going right now,
and it is a you know, it is hot that
if you're good, you know, if you like what you're doing,
you're going to make some money because you know, everybody
out there is looking for good people and absolutely and
(08:01):
we need you, whether it's you know, out of college, student,
out of vacationial school, high school, whatever it may be,
or changing your career. And you know, you can learn
this industry working in the industry. Yeah, so if you
changed the career, I mean, there are so many great
classes and workshops and today you can go on your web,
you know, on your computer and do all the webinars.
You can learn so much plus your personal experience, plus
(08:23):
I'll train you where you are. It's it's an easy
switch to go into the green industry. I think anyway,
I think so too.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And I think the other thing is it's not just
if you want to change, but I think it's talking
to young people. If you're listening and you're talking to
young people. So many people ask my kids, who's ten.
I have a ten and eight year old, like what
do you want to be when you grow up? And
it's like she's ten, how does she even know? But
you know, as you're talking to young people, explain to
(08:52):
them that this is a viable career that you can
make it. If you see young people who are out there,
you know, doing landscaping, and there's there's some young people
in my community who are in high school who post
on our local community Facebook group that they can do
some landscaping jobs on the weekends. And I love to
see that kind of passion. Well, then they go off
to school and they want to be, you know, accountant
(09:13):
or something. We need accountants. But we're here to talk
about green careers, and so I think it's important, you know,
to nurture and explain to young people. And for parents.
I think parents sometimes see these jobs as not necessarily
worthy of their children, and I think it's really important
for us to help them understand they're not you know,
(09:34):
going to be out there all day just blow and leave,
or mowing lawns. I mean, you know, sure that that
could be part of it, but that this is a viable,
lucrative career where many people own their own businesses. So
I think for all ages where And that's really the
point of Green Career Week RON is to help people
understand that that horticulture is a path for many people
(09:59):
to have a really successful future. And not just for people,
but for our planet. I mean, I don't want to
get to woo woo here on us, but you know,
we need more people to come in this industry to
help us grow more food, to help us grow more flowers,
to help us discover more flowers, and to help get
those plants to people and sell those plants to people,
(10:20):
put those plants in people's ground so then that the
local wildlife can benefit from them. And you know, those
are the things that really are We are making a
difference in this industry, and it feels really good to
be a part of it, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Absolutely? And I've got goosebumps, Katie Dubao, and I knew
you'd do that too. I mean I got tears of eyes,
I got goosebumps and I have to take a break.
We're gonna take a quick break. We come back more
with the inspirational Katie Deboo. Next week it's Green Career Week.
Check out the website seed Yourfuture dot org learn more
about it. But we'll talk more about it after the break.
Katie Dubao Here in the garden with Ron.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Wilson landscaping ladies. Here with your personal yard boy. He's
in the gardens. He's Ron Wilson.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
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Speaker 1 (12:20):
Welcome back here in the Garden with Ron Wilson. Our
special guests this morning, the ever lovely and most inspirational
Katie Dubao. Of course, to Katie, we usually have Katie on.
She's from the Garden Media Group. They do trend forecasting,
and of course they do such a great job letting
us know what the trends are going to be in
the next year to come. I've been doing this for
(12:40):
quite some time and typically right on target. But today
we're talking about looking into the future the green career industry.
Have you ever talked about maybe making that a career change?
Or getting if you're a student in high school or
whatever looking at that as your career, and well, we
just both think that you got to check it out.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yes we do. I think the Mud. Once the Mud
is in your blood, you can't get out practice working
on that one.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, you know what. You know what's funny is, uh,
every now and then and at our retail or whatever,
well have folks that have come in are my age
or young, you know, forties, fifty sixties, whatever, so and
they'll come in and say, you know, I U I
used to I did this in high school. I worked
here and back in high school or I worked on
you know, and I had so much fun, and I
enjoyed so much, and I learned so much. And they
(13:31):
may have gone into another career, but they always reflect
back how much fun they had. Rob Portman and I
don't know if that name rings a bell whether or not.
On the and we went on the hill one time
with the O in LA and Rob Portman. Uh was
he a congressman or senator? I know either one, but
anyway it was I had to go talk to Rob.
(13:51):
And Rob at one time worked for our nursery when
he was in high school and college.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, and then went on to serve the public. And
so I went, and he's the one that introduced the
bill where you can't accept gifts from people all that
kind of stuff. And I went and gave him a
hat to give my hat from our company and a
T shirt. I said, just for old times. He says,
you know, I can't take this, and I said, I know.
I said, I'm just going to put it on the desk.
Rob just and he laughed, but he said, you know,
(14:20):
and he said the same thing, he said, you know what,
of all the things I've done and all my life,
that was probably one of the most enjoyable times that
I had was working on He worked in the nursery
and I think on the landscape cruise for a little while,
and you know, just great experiences doing that as well.
But you know, again that's to me. I look at
the at the you know, whether you're working at a
(14:41):
garden center or a florists or whatever, and you're in
high school, it's a great part time job. They you know,
they work around your your school schedule, and it does
give you an opportunity to take a look at it
and say, maybe this is something I did not consider
as a career that actually can be kind of fun.
And then look at the other things that are within.
You know, if you like Mark, I mean look at you.
(15:01):
You know, you grew up in the garden. Your mom
was a gardener, and of course what she did, and
then you learned about that and you went a way
to do marketing, right I did.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, And you know it's interesting because she wasn't. You know,
her career was not in gardening either, and it was
the knockout Rose, which did you know celebrate twenty five
years to hear round?
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Can you believe that?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, it feels like yesterday when she started working with them.
But once she hit this industry, she said, it was
like coming out of the dark, you know, to the light.
Because the people in the industry were so willing to
help her. They spent hour, I mean, the editor of
Better Home than Gardens magazine spent hour on the phone
with her talking to her about how the industry works
(15:43):
from you know, breeder Grower, garden Center and she didn't
know any of that. And it's you know, one thing
to have a rewarding career, as we were talking about,
and doing something for yourself and being healthy and for
the planet. But it's also a career where you are
actually in with people who are really good people. You know,
we are all My mom used to just say, this
(16:03):
is an industry of ladies and gentlemen, like we are
good people who are also wanting to give back to
the environment, and we care about plants. And most people
who care about plants also love animals. So you know,
it's just really a really good group of people.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, it is, and that's what makes it a lot
of fun. You learn a lot. I still remember again,
I wanted to share your and my experiences as we've
come up through this industry and all the different things
that you can do in this industry, not just planting plants,
but all the different things. Mister Natorp, the second generation Atorp,
advised me all through cost kept saying, you know, don't
worry about all the plant classes. Take the business classes
(16:40):
and take the and learn the marketing and that. So
when you come back to do this, you can also
look at the marketing and advertising and do other things
within you know, our industry, and you know, so you know,
you can go all those different directions and still be
in this industry. It's just to me. It offers so
much today in careers. It's it's crazy. You can do
(17:00):
as much as if I don't want to. I don't
want to deal with people. I want to just grow plants. Great,
then you can work in the nursery. You can work
in a greenhouse, you can work in the floors. If
you like working with people, then you can be a
landscape designer and work with people. If you like working
with people, you can work in the retail and you know,
do that and then not you know, not just be
a salesperson, but become a manager or a general manager
(17:20):
or the marketing manager or whatever.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
You know.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
It just again can take you so many different places.
It's crazy, and I am I am so thankful that
I got into this industry because I love it.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Yeah, I am too. You know, I think back of
what my mom created, and I'm very lucky that I
got to take over this business that she created. But I,
you know, thank goodness that we are in this industry.
I was just reading something about how other industries are
really You're seeing all these stores closing, and I'm so
sad for them, but it's like, I am just really
thrilled that we get to be in this industry and
(17:55):
we get to give back. When I when I did
leave home, I was in the jewelry and I was
working in New York in jewelry, and I constantly tell
people when I came back it was like a breath
of fresh air because I just kept that idea of
bye bye bye. You know that day, yesterday, February twenty eighth,
was supposed to be like a blackout, buy them buying day.
(18:16):
Did you read this? And so you know they didn't
want it, only wanted to just shop small, shop local,
shop small. And that's kind of the rat wheel that
I felt like I was on when I was doing
marketing for this large jewelry company and now really promoting plants,
do you feel like you're you're telling people to get outside,
create something of their own that they can go then
(18:36):
go return to and sit outside and enjoy. And it
really is a breath of fresh air, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
So how can folks learn more about this?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
So Green Career Week is kicking off, as you said
March third, and to go to seed your Future's website.
It sees your future dot org and you know you
can find free resources. One of the big things that
they really pride themselves on and that they fundraised for.
It's a nonprofit is giving free resources. So there are
(19:06):
you know, if you're a teacher, you can still participate
in Green Career Week. You can find local companies there
that are participating. You can find career guides to pass
out to your students, which makes it really easy. I
also encourage people if they are listening and they want
to sign up like Natorp's visit Seed Yourfuture dot org
backslash Green Career Week where you can say this is
(19:28):
what I'm doing because Seed your Future is tracking it
and they you going, oh okay, I heard that great music.
And they can also help you with planning an event
like yours. So I really hope people get involved again.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Fired seed your Future dot org. Be sure and check
it out. Look, if I hadn't been in this industry,
I would never met her mom, Susie McCoy. He's just
an outstanding person and of course you as well. Yes,
ditto two benefits right there, just right to the top
of the list, Katie Dubao. Always pleasure you do with
such a great job, such an inspiration. Thanks for spending
(20:03):
time with us this morning.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Thank you, Ron, It was great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
All right. Take care Katie DeBow again. Garden Media Group
is the name of her company. But we want to
this week to go to seed your Future dot org.
Think about the green industry. You might like that career.
I think you will. Eight hundred eight two three eight
two five five. That's our number. Here in the Garden
with Ron Wilson.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Good gardening questions. Ron has the answers and one eight
hundred eight two three talk.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
You're in the Garden with Ron Wilson.
Welcome back here in the Garden with Ron Wilson, and
I am so excited, not only because it is the
first day of the meteorological spring. Happy spring to everyone,
but it's also to have this young lady on our
show because it is so much fun when she's on here.
She is miss inspirational. Trust me, if you ever go
to her workshops or classes. She travels around the world
talking about the benefits of gardening and this green industry.
(00:21):
You walk away on Cloud nine and you just you know,
you can't wait to sign up and do something in
our industry. And that's what it's all about. As a
matter of fact, Seed Your Futures hosting its fifth Green
Career Week starting on Monday, runs next week. It's a
movement national moved to get students involved with green careers,
which it's hot right now. So who am I talking
about our guests this morning. Well, she is the second
(00:45):
generation owner of the Garden Media Group and their website
is Guardmediagroup dot com. Again, like I said, she travels
around the world talking about gardening, get everybody inspired about
the world of horticulture. She's a lot of fun. She's
a gardener herself, and what I understand he mixes a
mean cocktail out in the garden as well. Ladies and gentlemen.
She's the QVC Queen. Katie Dubao.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Good morning, Good morning, ron.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
I am just blushing. If you could see my face,
it is entirely pink this morning. So thank you good morning.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Because you haven't watched yet, or because you're still in.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Bed, or.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You make me blush.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
I envisioned it. I envision you still just laying in
bed doing us on, you know, with a cell phone.
And is that just the.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Way you are?
Speaker 1 (01:31):
That's the way you are. Yeah, Hey, by the way,
what's what's is it bickram yoga? What is that?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
Bickram yoga is a practice that is in one hundred
and nine degrees. So you are.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
Oh yeah, no, yeah, I don't know. I wouldn't give it.
So that's where you go into sweat sweat like crazy.
Speaker 3 (01:53):
And yeah, okay, all right, I love it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
Yeah obviously because you do that, and you you're do
all kinds of great things, are right, let's not waste
a lot of time. Green industry. You and I both
been in it. You grew up in it, your mom
was in it. Got brought you into it, you got
away from it, came back to it. I started in
high school in this industry and have been in there
ever since. Absolutely love it. And you know it's now
(02:20):
get out there and we're trying to encourage more and
more folks to get involved in the green industry.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yes, but Ron, that's a great segue starters. I would
love to hear what your story is because high school,
this organization that we're going to be talking about today
See your Future, actually wants to get kids interested in
plants in high school. So I would love to know
how you got interested in high school, you know.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And what's funny is on my notes here I wrote
down you and me, meaning you, Katie and me talking
about us growing up in this industry and how you
got involved and where you've been and you know, I
we lived out in the country, lived on the farm.
I worked with a lot of farmers out all my
life as a kid, little whatever, bal and hay and
all that stuff, and we had cattle and horses and
all that. But it was time for me to start
(03:03):
doing something that, you know, working for Like, I wanted
to do something and I wanted to be outside because
I didn't want to work inside and a new garden center.
They've been in business forever, but they built a new
garden center about two miles to my parents' house, and
they were taking applications for folks to work there. And
I said, this is great, and I went and signed up.
And I was a freshman in high school and signed
(03:24):
up and started working there. And you know the and
I I was going to go to college. As a
matter of fact, I went to UK. My first two years,
I was in pre vet. So I was thinking I
wanted to be a veterinarian. Uh until I until I
figured out how much you had to study. Yeah, now,
but I you know, but my minor was horticulture. And
(03:46):
you know it's the old saying that once the MUD's
in the blood, it doesn't it doesn't go away. And
the next thing you knew I was I got out
of pre vet and I got into horticulture and landscape art.
Transferred up to Ohio State. Uh, got my degree and
landscape port a lot of landscape design. And I think
what's interesting about it is in this industry there are
(04:07):
so many things you can do as you have done.
So I, you know, I've been a part timer. I've
been a water a loader. I've been a designer, I've
been a sales manager, I've been a you know, and
the next thing, you know, I'm doing marketing and PR
right and radio and stuff like that and sharing my
you know what I love doing in horticulture. So it's
(04:29):
not just working in a greenhouse or planting trees and shrubs.
There's so many things available in this industry today. And
you know what I tell folks, and I know this
is your segment, not mine. I told you I was
gonna turn my mic off. And what you talk is
that this industry and I think you said it is hot.
And if you if you come out of a vocational school,
high school, college, whatever it may be, and you want
(04:51):
to get into this green industry, if you're good and
you're willing to work, and you are upbeat and you
love what you're doing, I'm telling you you're going to
make some bucks in this industry because that's what we're
looking for.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Yeah. Absolutely, I think that people don't understand there are
so many available careers in this industry, not just you know,
having to break your back working in a greenhouse, which
some people love too, you know, working outside people. There
are so many different careers. I mean, we use a
graphic designer, we do a ton of social media. You know,
(05:23):
you can do something that you love, but also plants.
Because I'm sure you've talked to a number of people
ron and maybe some of your listeners too, had a
long career of doing something that they thought was the
right path for them, you know, because their parents chose
it for them, or because it's what they saw their
peers doing. But then later in life they actually realized
(05:46):
that gardening was their passion and they turned it into
their career. So we also have a bunch of people
in our industry who have come to this as a
career late in life because you just realize, you know,
when you get to be the wise age that we are,
that you should do something you love, find something you love,
and that can be your career. So that's what sees
(06:06):
your future is trying to do, is inspire people to
discover gardening, because I think once people discover plants, which
they did over the pandemic, you know, we had so
many young people discover gardening, and people of all ages
really like discover gardening was their joy. Then you I
love whence some mud is in your blood. I have
never heard that before, because then you can see that
(06:29):
this is not only a fun hobby a rewarding hobby
because you can grow flowers or food, but it is
something you can turn into a career.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
Oh absolutely. And again, if you want to check this out,
the website to seed Yourfuture dot org. You can go
to that and check out what they're doing, learn more
about the Green Career Week. It's seed your Future dot org.
And you can have that mud in your blood if
you want to use that one.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
That's okay, I love it, thank you.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
But it's true. We just had our job fair at
our nursery this past week and you look at them,
and you look at the folks that came in and
we and we had a bazillion folks that an applications
in and we had just a smash of people, which
was great. But if you look at the the age group,
it was a lot of high schoolers looking for that
first time job, and we had a lot of folks
(07:17):
that were fifty sixty ish looking for that late late
in the life career change. Literally, I want to get
out of what I'm doing right now, and I work
for a bank, I do whatever, but I shop here.
You guys are always having fun. It seems like I
love working with plants. I'm looking for a career change.
And those were the two levels that mostly that we
(07:39):
saw at that job fair. And it's you know, it's
it's it's it's something I tell you. And I'm serious
when I say that, And I think you'll agree with me.
With this industry, with the way it's going right now,
and it is a you know, it is hot that
if you're good, you know, if you like what you're doing,
you're going to make some money because you know, everybody
out there is looking for good people and absolutely and
(08:01):
we need you, whether it's you know, out of college, student,
out of vacationial school, high school, whatever it may be,
or changing your career. And you know, you can learn
this industry working in the industry. Yeah, so if you
changed the career, I mean, there are so many great
classes and workshops and today you can go on your web,
you know, on your computer and do all the webinars.
You can learn so much plus your personal experience, plus
(08:23):
I'll train you where you are. It's it's an easy
switch to go into the green industry. I think anyway,
I think so too.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And I think the other thing is it's not just
if you want to change, but I think it's talking
to young people. If you're listening and you're talking to
young people. So many people ask my kids, who's ten.
I have a ten and eight year old, like what
do you want to be when you grow up? And
it's like she's ten, how does she even know? But
you know, as you're talking to young people, explain to
(08:52):
them that this is a viable career that you can
make it. If you see young people who are out there,
you know, doing landscaping, and there's there's some young people
in my community who are in high school who post
on our local community Facebook group that they can do
some landscaping jobs on the weekends. And I love to
see that kind of passion. Well, then they go off
to school and they want to be, you know, accountant
(09:13):
or something. We need accountants. But we're here to talk
about green careers, and so I think it's important, you know,
to nurture and explain to young people. And for parents.
I think parents sometimes see these jobs as not necessarily
worthy of their children, and I think it's really important
for us to help them understand they're not you know,
(09:34):
going to be out there all day just blow and leave,
or mowing lawns. I mean, you know, sure that that
could be part of it, but that this is a viable,
lucrative career where many people own their own businesses. So
I think for all ages where And that's really the
point of Green Career Week RON is to help people
understand that that horticulture is a path for many people
(09:59):
to have a really successful future. And not just for people,
but for our planet. I mean, I don't want to
get to woo woo here on us, but you know,
we need more people to come in this industry to
help us grow more food, to help us grow more flowers,
to help us discover more flowers, and to help get
those plants to people and sell those plants to people,
(10:20):
put those plants in people's ground so then that the
local wildlife can benefit from them. And you know, those
are the things that really are We are making a
difference in this industry, and it feels really good to
be a part of it, doesn't it.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
Absolutely? And I've got goosebumps, Katie Dubao, and I knew
you'd do that too. I mean I got tears of eyes,
I got goosebumps and I have to take a break.
We're gonna take a quick break. We come back more
with the inspirational Katie Deboo. Next week it's Green Career Week.
Check out the website seed Yourfuture dot org learn more
about it. But we'll talk more about it after the break.
Katie Dubao Here in the garden with Ron.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Wilson landscaping ladies. Here with your personal yard boy. He's
in the gardens. He's Ron Wilson.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
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I have one. I love it.
Speaker 5 (12:15):
Check it out for yourself. It's easybreed dot com.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Welcome back here in the Garden with Ron Wilson. Our
special guests this morning, the ever lovely and most inspirational
Katie Dubao. Of course, to Katie, we usually have Katie on.
She's from the Garden Media Group. They do trend forecasting,
and of course they do such a great job letting
us know what the trends are going to be in
the next year to come. I've been doing this for
(12:40):
quite some time and typically right on target. But today
we're talking about looking into the future the green career industry.
Have you ever talked about maybe making that a career change?
Or getting if you're a student in high school or
whatever looking at that as your career, and well, we
just both think that you got to check it out.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yes we do. I think the Mud. Once the Mud
is in your blood, you can't get out practice working
on that one.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Yeah, you know what. You know what's funny is, uh,
every now and then and at our retail or whatever,
well have folks that have come in are my age
or young, you know, forties, fifty sixties, whatever, so and
they'll come in and say, you know, I U I
used to I did this in high school. I worked
here and back in high school or I worked on
you know, and I had so much fun, and I
enjoyed so much, and I learned so much. And they
(13:31):
may have gone into another career, but they always reflect
back how much fun they had. Rob Portman and I
don't know if that name rings a bell whether or not.
On the and we went on the hill one time
with the O in LA and Rob Portman. Uh was
he a congressman or senator? I know either one, but
anyway it was I had to go talk to Rob.
(13:51):
And Rob at one time worked for our nursery when
he was in high school and college.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Yeah, and then went on to serve the public. And
so I went, and he's the one that introduced the
bill where you can't accept gifts from people all that
kind of stuff. And I went and gave him a
hat to give my hat from our company and a
T shirt. I said, just for old times. He says,
you know, I can't take this, and I said, I know.
I said, I'm just going to put it on the desk.
Rob just and he laughed, but he said, you know,
(14:20):
and he said the same thing, he said, you know what,
of all the things I've done and all my life,
that was probably one of the most enjoyable times that
I had was working on He worked in the nursery
and I think on the landscape cruise for a little while,
and you know, just great experiences doing that as well.
But you know, again that's to me. I look at
the at the you know, whether you're working at a
(14:41):
garden center or a florists or whatever, and you're in
high school, it's a great part time job. They you know,
they work around your your school schedule, and it does
give you an opportunity to take a look at it
and say, maybe this is something I did not consider
as a career that actually can be kind of fun.
And then look at the other things that are within.
You know, if you like Mark, I mean look at you.
(15:01):
You know, you grew up in the garden. Your mom
was a gardener, and of course what she did, and
then you learned about that and you went a way
to do marketing, right I did.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, And you know it's interesting because she wasn't. You know,
her career was not in gardening either, and it was
the knockout Rose, which did you know celebrate twenty five
years to hear round?
Speaker 1 (15:20):
Can you believe that?
Speaker 3 (15:22):
Yeah, it feels like yesterday when she started working with them.
But once she hit this industry, she said, it was
like coming out of the dark, you know, to the light.
Because the people in the industry were so willing to
help her. They spent hour, I mean, the editor of
Better Home than Gardens magazine spent hour on the phone
with her talking to her about how the industry works
(15:43):
from you know, breeder Grower, garden Center and she didn't
know any of that. And it's you know, one thing
to have a rewarding career, as we were talking about,
and doing something for yourself and being healthy and for
the planet. But it's also a career where you are
actually in with people who are really good people. You know,
we are all My mom used to just say, this
(16:03):
is an industry of ladies and gentlemen, like we are
good people who are also wanting to give back to
the environment, and we care about plants. And most people
who care about plants also love animals. So you know,
it's just really a really good group of people.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Yeah, it is, and that's what makes it a lot
of fun. You learn a lot. I still remember again,
I wanted to share your and my experiences as we've
come up through this industry and all the different things
that you can do in this industry, not just planting plants,
but all the different things. Mister Natorp, the second generation Atorp,
advised me all through cost kept saying, you know, don't
worry about all the plant classes. Take the business classes
(16:40):
and take the and learn the marketing and that. So
when you come back to do this, you can also
look at the marketing and advertising and do other things
within you know, our industry, and you know, so you know,
you can go all those different directions and still be
in this industry. It's just to me. It offers so
much today in careers. It's it's crazy. You can do
(17:00):
as much as if I don't want to. I don't
want to deal with people. I want to just grow plants. Great,
then you can work in the nursery. You can work
in a greenhouse, you can work in the floors. If
you like working with people, then you can be a
landscape designer and work with people. If you like working
with people, you can work in the retail and you know,
do that and then not you know, not just be
a salesperson, but become a manager or a general manager
(17:20):
or the marketing manager or whatever.
Speaker 4 (17:22):
You know.
Speaker 1 (17:23):
It just again can take you so many different places.
It's crazy, and I am I am so thankful that
I got into this industry because I love it.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Yeah, I am too. You know, I think back of
what my mom created, and I'm very lucky that I
got to take over this business that she created. But I,
you know, thank goodness that we are in this industry.
I was just reading something about how other industries are
really You're seeing all these stores closing, and I'm so
sad for them, but it's like, I am just really
thrilled that we get to be in this industry and
(17:55):
we get to give back. When I when I did
leave home, I was in the jewelry and I was
working in New York in jewelry, and I constantly tell
people when I came back it was like a breath
of fresh air because I just kept that idea of
bye bye bye. You know that day, yesterday, February twenty eighth,
was supposed to be like a blackout, buy them buying day.
(18:16):
Did you read this? And so you know they didn't
want it, only wanted to just shop small, shop local,
shop small. And that's kind of the rat wheel that
I felt like I was on when I was doing
marketing for this large jewelry company and now really promoting plants,
do you feel like you're you're telling people to get outside,
create something of their own that they can go then
(18:36):
go return to and sit outside and enjoy. And it
really is a breath of fresh air, no doubt about it.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
So how can folks learn more about this?
Speaker 3 (18:45):
So Green Career Week is kicking off, as you said
March third, and to go to seed your Future's website.
It sees your future dot org and you know you
can find free resources. One of the big things that
they really pride themselves on and that they fundraised for.
It's a nonprofit is giving free resources. So there are
(19:06):
you know, if you're a teacher, you can still participate
in Green Career Week. You can find local companies there
that are participating. You can find career guides to pass
out to your students, which makes it really easy. I
also encourage people if they are listening and they want
to sign up like Natorp's visit Seed Yourfuture dot org
backslash Green Career Week where you can say this is
(19:28):
what I'm doing because Seed your Future is tracking it
and they you going, oh okay, I heard that great music.
And they can also help you with planning an event
like yours. So I really hope people get involved again.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Fired seed your Future dot org. Be sure and check
it out. Look, if I hadn't been in this industry,
I would never met her mom, Susie McCoy. He's just
an outstanding person and of course you as well. Yes,
ditto two benefits right there, just right to the top
of the list, Katie Dubao. Always pleasure you do with
such a great job, such an inspiration. Thanks for spending
(20:03):
time with us this morning.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Thank you, Ron, It was great talking to you.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
All right. Take care Katie DeBow again. Garden Media Group
is the name of her company. But we want to
this week to go to seed your Future dot org.
Think about the green industry. You might like that career.
I think you will. Eight hundred eight two three eight
two five five. That's our number. Here in the Garden
with Ron Wilson.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Good gardening questions. Ron has the answers and one eight
hundred eight two three talk.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
You're in the Garden with Ron Wilson.
In The Garden with Ron Wilson News
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