WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.320 --> 00:00:07.200 It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBS Boston's radio. 2 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:10.839 I've been doing the show for nearly eighteen years, and 3 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:14.560 a few weeks ago, a great mutual friend of ours 4 00:00:16.120 --> 00:00:19.679 us being at Jan Goodman, the owner, the founder and 5 00:00:19.719 --> 00:00:23.879 owner of city Scapes Boston, was telling me my friend, 6 00:00:23.960 --> 00:00:27.039 our friend Walter, that I have to have Jan Goodman 7 00:00:27.120 --> 00:00:32.240 on as a guest, and we finally set this up. 8 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:37.759 I am thrilled to introduce to my audience Jan Goodman, 9 00:00:37.840 --> 00:00:41.359 the owner and founder of city Scapes. She talks about 10 00:00:41.399 --> 00:00:46.000 the power of plants as being transformational. She has been 11 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.479 doing this for three decades and we're going to learn 12 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:51.000 a lot about plants in the next couple of hours 13 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.600 and how they're actually very good for us and also 14 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:58.560 something called biophilic Bill Phillick design biophilic design. So, first 15 00:00:58.560 --> 00:01:02.000 of all, without any further ado, Jed Goodman, welcome to Nightside. 16 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:02.840 How are you this evening? 17 00:01:04.040 --> 00:01:06.560 I'm very good Dan, it's thank you so much for 18 00:01:06.560 --> 00:01:08.959 having me on. This is exciting, Well it was. 19 00:01:09.120 --> 00:01:11.799 It was all Walter's idea, and he's a great friend 20 00:01:11.799 --> 00:01:14.519 of yours, and I know he's a great friend of mine, 21 00:01:14.519 --> 00:01:16.719 and I just wanted to a little tip of the 22 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:21.239 hat to to our friend tonight and talk about this. Look, 23 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:25.280 I am not the most learned person when it comes 24 00:01:25.319 --> 00:01:28.760 to plants, but I've learned a lot in the last 25 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:33.079 day or so just going over the variety of things 26 00:01:33.079 --> 00:01:38.040 that your company does. You know, obviously, exterior landscapes, We've 27 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:43.799 walked by many of them in Boston. Interior landscapes, that's 28 00:01:43.799 --> 00:01:48.359 that's understandable. But then things like living walls, which are beautiful. 29 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:56.560 Other other moss walls, living fur not sure, a little 30 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:57.040 play in the. 31 00:01:56.959 --> 00:02:01.400 World for nature, for nature, nature for nature. 32 00:02:01.879 --> 00:02:04.079 I'm there, all right, we got it. I like that 33 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:09.240 holiday decor. We've got so much to cover, as well 34 00:02:09.280 --> 00:02:15.159 as transplanted, which is which is a great a great cause. 35 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:19.439 And I just like to start at the beginning. When 36 00:02:19.479 --> 00:02:21.479 did you fall in love with flowers? When did you 37 00:02:21.560 --> 00:02:23.560 fall in love with plants? 38 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:29.759 When I was very young, my dad was an organic 39 00:02:29.800 --> 00:02:35.439 gardener before the term was even famous cos coined. I 40 00:02:35.479 --> 00:02:37.919 don't think organic was even I don't know in the 41 00:02:38.039 --> 00:02:41.680 sixties seventies. So he had a very large garden and 42 00:02:42.599 --> 00:02:46.039 in everything was you know, no pesticides. He had a 43 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:48.960 huge compost pile which was very smelly in the backyard, 44 00:02:49.120 --> 00:02:52.719 but very He taught us a lot about growing six 45 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.840 with tomato plants, and we used to can hundreds of 46 00:02:56.439 --> 00:03:00.319 like cans of tomatoes and pickles and you name it. 47 00:03:00.520 --> 00:03:01.520 Always loved the garden. 48 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.240 Did he do that, you know, professionally or was it 49 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:05.599 an for him an avocation. 50 00:03:07.199 --> 00:03:10.439 It was for our family of six basically, so it 51 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:14.960 fed a lot. We had a lot of produce. And 52 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:18.680 I you know, he always is like, you know, get 53 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:21.400 out in my garden or the garden. It wasn't always fun, 54 00:03:21.479 --> 00:03:25.039 but he used to always say, you know, you have 55 00:03:25.120 --> 00:03:28.360 such little fingers. You know, you can plant the carrot seed. 56 00:03:28.560 --> 00:03:30.840 So it always made me feel good that I was 57 00:03:30.840 --> 00:03:34.000 the carrot planter, the seed planter. But it was kind 58 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:38.319 of just the growing and the feeling of the soil 59 00:03:38.439 --> 00:03:41.639 that brought me to the houseplant world when I was 60 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.439 probably I don't know, it's old enough that I could 61 00:03:45.439 --> 00:03:48.000 get on the bus in Manchester, New Hampshire, and I'd 62 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.000 take my allowance. We all, you know, back in the 63 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:53.120 day of allowance, and we get it on Saturday mornings. 64 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:57.199 So I'd take the bus downtown to this little flower 65 00:03:57.560 --> 00:03:59.960 shop called slur Lye and I'd buy little house plants 66 00:04:00.240 --> 00:04:02.319 and then I'd take him home, so much of a 67 00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:06.000 plankeek I am. I bring them home, put them in 68 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:08.039 my bedroom and have like little name tags, and I 69 00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:10.919 name them like they were my pets, Charlie and Harry. 70 00:04:11.039 --> 00:04:15.039 And I'd have these little house plants that I thought, 71 00:04:15.080 --> 00:04:17.480 you know, love to take care of. So it goes 72 00:04:17.600 --> 00:04:24.519 way back. I was like ten years old or so, and. 73 00:04:22.160 --> 00:04:29.959 He ignited in you what became your vocation. But you, you, 74 00:04:30.680 --> 00:04:34.199 it wasn't as if you inherited. Some people these days, 75 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:37.920 they they inherit a company that their grandparents or their 76 00:04:37.959 --> 00:04:45.319 parents had founded. You didn't. You started off with working 77 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:48.319 in your own boss for some time. But it was 78 00:04:48.360 --> 00:04:49.120 not always that. 79 00:04:49.040 --> 00:04:54.680 Way right now. I went to you and h University 80 00:04:54.720 --> 00:04:58.240 of New Hampshire and I got, uh yeah, I loved it. 81 00:04:58.319 --> 00:05:02.839 Went for horticultural technolology and landscape design, you know. I 82 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:05.000 went for the four year school to get a bachelor's 83 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:09.240 but it was all too much like genetics and all 84 00:05:09.319 --> 00:05:11.079 that stuff the first year. So I was like, oh, 85 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:13.600 I just want to get my hands dirty. I didn't 86 00:05:13.639 --> 00:05:16.360 really want to get into the pathology and all that stuff, 87 00:05:16.360 --> 00:05:18.319 which I learned quite a bit, so I switched to 88 00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:21.079 the Thompson School the second year and I got the 89 00:05:21.120 --> 00:05:23.680 more applied school, so a lot, you know, a lot 90 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:29.399 of learning about you know, landscape design and just a 91 00:05:29.439 --> 00:05:32.680 lot about plants, basically ecology and all that fun stuff. 92 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:36.319 So I graduated from there and then I started working 93 00:05:36.360 --> 00:05:39.839 for a company called City Gardens and it was great 94 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:42.279 because I'll never forget the ad. In fact, the City 95 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:45.480 Scapes uses that ad sometimes. So it said in the 96 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:49.000 Union Leader in Manchester it says, you know, love plants, 97 00:05:49.079 --> 00:05:53.120 question Mark, love people, question Mark. And I'm like, yes, yes, 98 00:05:53.240 --> 00:05:56.680 and this is the job for you. And it was 99 00:05:56.759 --> 00:06:00.439 because you know, I love talking to people, love love plants. 100 00:06:00.519 --> 00:06:03.040 And it was basically I started with a water bucket 101 00:06:03.079 --> 00:06:05.399 in my hand and I watered plants for a company 102 00:06:05.399 --> 00:06:07.639 out of Boston, but I was still in New Hampshire 103 00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:12.319 in Manchester, and I watered plants at different banks, like 104 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:14.680 the Bank of New Hampshire back in the day. Sounds 105 00:06:14.680 --> 00:06:15.319 so old on it. 106 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:22.079 And building I used to reporting met. The first time 107 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.399 I interviewed Jimmy Carter was on that. 108 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:28.240 Place way absolutely, yeah, the Dempshire Plaza. 109 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:33.759 August of seventy six, Uh yeah, he was the Democratic 110 00:06:33.800 --> 00:06:37.319 nominee and I had I had interviewed him previously and 111 00:06:37.680 --> 00:06:39.920 that was the first time I interviewed him as the nominee. 112 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:43.120 So I know that well, I know Manchester, New Hampshire. 113 00:06:43.160 --> 00:06:46.279 Over the years, Uh, every four years we spend a 114 00:06:46.279 --> 00:06:47.920 couple of weeks up there. We used to spend a 115 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.040 couple of weeks up there. It's great. It's great city, 116 00:06:50.079 --> 00:06:54.279 particularly when it's when it's really bumping with politics on 117 00:06:55.079 --> 00:06:59.519 p Yeah. So you conquered. 118 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:02.639 Yeah, yeah, so I was. I grew up in the Anchester. 119 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:06.000 So I was watering plants all first a company out 120 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:08.439 of Boston, but they had they had accounts in New 121 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:12.240 Hampshire and Maine, and I was watering plants. I'd go 122 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.399 into the Amascig Bank, I'd go into the Hampshire Plaza. 123 00:07:15.399 --> 00:07:18.800 I'd go into all these different accounts manpower, you know, 124 00:07:18.839 --> 00:07:22.399 and I had water their plants. And then after a 125 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:26.120 year or two there was never really anybody selling up 126 00:07:26.160 --> 00:07:30.120 there and or designing and adding on to the portfolio. 127 00:07:30.439 --> 00:07:33.839 So I went to the sales manager at the time, 128 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:37.800 I but my Roger Schiever, and I was like, I 129 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:39.879 can do you know, I could sell plants. I can 130 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:44.439 do this, you know, And the first time he's Nope, Nope, 131 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:46.639 I didn't get the job. So I continue to water 132 00:07:46.680 --> 00:07:48.040 plants and I'm like, all right, I'm not going to 133 00:07:48.040 --> 00:07:51.240 give up. So I had another salesperson. She didn't work out. 134 00:07:51.639 --> 00:07:54.560 So then the territory came up again and I was like, 135 00:07:54.639 --> 00:07:56.560 I can do this, Roger. I'm telling you, I can 136 00:07:56.600 --> 00:07:59.920 do it, and it's like, Nope, didn't get it to 137 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.879 second time. You know, I was young. I was young, 138 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:06.439 but that's okay. So I was like, I'm telling you, 139 00:08:06.560 --> 00:08:08.759 So I didn't get it, they hired somebody else. They 140 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:11.000 failed because it's hard because you work for a Boston 141 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:13.759 company more expensive. You're up in New Hampshire and Maine 142 00:08:13.800 --> 00:08:16.360 and whatever. You're trying to sell a Boston company to 143 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:19.959 you know, New Hampshire people that are like, that's just 144 00:08:20.040 --> 00:08:31.079 too expensive. So yeah, so the third time I tried, yeah, yep, 145 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.960 I did. I walked in with these landscape plants I 146 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:36.559 had from college. I laid him on his desk to 147 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:38.960 prove that I could do the drawings and things like that, 148 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:41.600 and I could. You know, my clients loved me at 149 00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.639 the time. It was it was it was great. I 150 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:46.440 loved taking care of plants because, like I said, people 151 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:49.399 and plants. So I did it. I got the job. 152 00:08:49.480 --> 00:08:52.240 So I started selling in New Hampshire and Vermont and 153 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:55.639 everywhere all over you know above not in Massachusetts. But 154 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:59.919 so I started creating a territory up there, which is 155 00:09:00.000 --> 00:09:03.039 funny because I ended up being a competitor, a competitor 156 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:06.600 of a woman who came to my one of my 157 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:10.720 classes at un huh. She her name was Nincy Carlisle, 158 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:15.240 wonderful businesswoman, had a great business up and conquered, and 159 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:17.639 she came to our class at un h to talk 160 00:09:17.679 --> 00:09:21.000 about interior landscaping. So I was feversually taking notes and 161 00:09:21.039 --> 00:09:23.559 I'm like, oh, I want to be Nancy someday. And 162 00:09:23.600 --> 00:09:25.960 fast forward a few years later, I'm competing against her. 163 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:27.879 I'm taking some of her clients, and I was a 164 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.759 best to her. But you know, we respected each other. 165 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:33.320 I didn't do anything, you know, it was just it 166 00:09:33.399 --> 00:09:37.279 was funny because when I, you know, I sold in 167 00:09:37.320 --> 00:09:40.679 New Hampshire. After a few years doing really well, there 168 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:43.840 was a Boston territory that came out and it was 169 00:09:43.879 --> 00:09:46.039 the best territory. So I went from the lowest kind 170 00:09:46.039 --> 00:09:49.759 of salesperson the least revenue to the highest. I ended 171 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.480 up moving to Boston and taking this. 172 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:55.200 That's what we called a big break. But you make 173 00:09:55.279 --> 00:09:57.559 your own yess here, and you were and you were 174 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:59.559 ready for it. We're going to pause there for a second. 175 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:01.600 I'm going to take a couple of commercial messages here. 176 00:10:01.639 --> 00:10:04.960 But I've characterized you as the Queen of Plants. I 177 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:07.320 don't know if you accept that title, or the Princess 178 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:09.519 of plants, whichever you would like. That's a little bit 179 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:10.320 more alterative. 180 00:10:10.799 --> 00:10:13.360 Fairy godmother they called me on chronicle one time. 181 00:10:13.600 --> 00:10:17.600 Okay, all right, well I think the Princess of plants. Again, 182 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:20.799 that's alliterative, so I always think alliteration. Anyway, we'll get 183 00:10:20.840 --> 00:10:26.480 back jan Goodman as our guests. From where she came 184 00:10:26.919 --> 00:10:30.039 and what she has built is what's extraordinary. And along 185 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:33.279 the way we're going to learn a lot about plants 186 00:10:33.799 --> 00:10:36.480 tonight on Nightside. If you have any question, if you've 187 00:10:36.519 --> 00:10:38.360 had trouble, look, one of the things here in New 188 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:41.000 England that all of us should remember is we're not 189 00:10:41.240 --> 00:10:44.799 a growing season. I mean, we have winter. Winter comes 190 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:48.840 in sometime in late August and doesn't leave until early June. 191 00:10:49.320 --> 00:10:53.000 I'm being a little sarcastic when I say that, but 192 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:55.519 we have a long winter here and that is not 193 00:10:56.799 --> 00:11:01.279 that's not great for plants. We're not Florida. But Jan 194 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:04.120 Goodman has been able to conquer that. We'll talk about 195 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:05.960 that and how she came in and really has conquered 196 00:11:05.960 --> 00:11:09.759 Boston and some of the great, great projects that she 197 00:11:09.919 --> 00:11:14.799 is that she is involved in, including Transplanted Transplanted Sprout, 198 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:18.120 which provides charity money. We've got a lot to talk about. 199 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:19.799 If you have a question or common if you had 200 00:11:19.799 --> 00:11:23.720 trouble blowing growing a plant, this is the this is 201 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:25.759 the option you have right now. The numbers are six 202 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:27.919 one seven, two, five, four, ten thirty or six one 203 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.240 seven nine thirty. We're coming right back on Night Side 204 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:34.799 with Boston's Princess of Plants, Jan Goodman. 205 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:39.000 You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w b Z, 206 00:11:39.399 --> 00:11:40.600 Boston's news radio. 207 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:45.039 We're delighted to be talking with Jan Goodman. Jan is 208 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:48.519 the owner of City Scapes Boston. So, uh, you start 209 00:11:48.600 --> 00:11:51.279 off as an employee, and you're still an employee, but 210 00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.159 then at some point you decided, hey, I can do this, 211 00:11:54.480 --> 00:11:59.919 and you set up your own flower shop called flirtatious, uh, 212 00:12:00.440 --> 00:12:04.200 which I was in Copley Place Mall for a number 213 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:09.440 of years. So now you are a business woman at 214 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:13.840 this point, still dealing with the subject that you know 215 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:15.200 best and that you love the most. 216 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:19.360 Plants tell us about it, right, So for ten years 217 00:12:19.440 --> 00:12:22.159 I worked for my previous you know, city gardens, and 218 00:12:22.320 --> 00:12:25.679 they were great. I would stayed there forever, Like even 219 00:12:25.679 --> 00:12:27.559 though it was the largest, one of the largest in 220 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.919 the nation. I loved it because they took good care 221 00:12:29.960 --> 00:12:31.480 of us. But then they got bought out by a 222 00:12:31.600 --> 00:12:35.799 huge company from across the pond, and it just was different. 223 00:12:35.879 --> 00:12:39.080 So I decided, well, I'm going to leave. I don't 224 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:41.399 care if I work in the nursery or whatever from 225 00:12:41.399 --> 00:12:43.200 minimum wage. Again, I was going from the top of 226 00:12:43.240 --> 00:12:46.159 the food chain of the you know, high sales person 227 00:12:46.279 --> 00:12:48.720 selling in the back bay and hospital district to like 228 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:50.840 I didn't care because it wasn't about money for me. 229 00:12:51.159 --> 00:12:53.279 It was more about I loved what I did. So 230 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:57.759 one of my clients was Copley Placed, so I knew 231 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:00.360 the landlords there. I knew them well, and they had 232 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:04.879 the scar shop, that wash that had closed, you know, 233 00:13:04.960 --> 00:13:07.440 the legal seafoods and sex four so you're like, why 234 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:09.879 don't you move in? So I was kind of at 235 00:13:09.919 --> 00:13:11.840 the time. Knew a lot about Bond's eyes and things 236 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:15.120 like that, and I honored the non compete that I 237 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:17.279 had signed where I wouldn't go after any of my 238 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:20.519 accounts because integrity, to me is pretty important because a 239 00:13:20.559 --> 00:13:22.039 lot of people were leaving at the time and they 240 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:25.879 were stealing accounts and quietless and I just didn't do that. 241 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:28.679 I said, nope. So that's why I didn't do interior 242 00:13:28.759 --> 00:13:32.200 landscaping right away. For a couple of years, I started 243 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:37.720 this little flower shop Bonzeie dried flowers called Flirtatious at 244 00:13:37.759 --> 00:13:38.799 coffee place. 245 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:43.600 And Nice, a nice little double Entendra. 246 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:51.320 Yeah, so I waited. So I didn't really have any 247 00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:54.279 formal training in flower arranging, which is crazy, but I 248 00:13:54.480 --> 00:13:57.039 feel that either have you don't, Like I definitely had 249 00:13:57.120 --> 00:13:59.679 the green thumb that was from my dad or just 250 00:13:59.759 --> 00:14:02.600 every thing that I you know, sometimes you have it 251 00:14:02.639 --> 00:14:05.720 or you don't. With that too, you can learn, but 252 00:14:05.919 --> 00:14:09.879 with design, I feel it's hard to really force that 253 00:14:09.960 --> 00:14:12.639 if you don't have that eye. So I just started 254 00:14:13.360 --> 00:14:16.240 buying flowers. I didn't even have a floor schooler, and 255 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.519 I'd go to the market, and a little by little 256 00:14:18.559 --> 00:14:21.600 I'd buy flowers and more flowers, and then all of 257 00:14:21.639 --> 00:14:26.240 a sudden, as the you know my company, you know, 258 00:14:26.279 --> 00:14:29.200 I'd have one employee and then maybe then then then another, 259 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:33.559 and then we'd start doing flower arrangements for like the 260 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:39.159 Marriott and the Fairmont Copley Plaza. I don't know how, Yeah, 261 00:14:39.279 --> 00:14:43.960 it's crazy. My husband now, he worked at the Flower Exchange. 262 00:14:44.360 --> 00:14:49.039 I met him there and his grandmother, Betty, was one 263 00:14:49.080 --> 00:14:53.519 of the original woman owned floors businesses in the United States. Ever, 264 00:14:53.759 --> 00:14:56.600 Like she was in Hingham called Levels, and so she 265 00:14:56.720 --> 00:14:59.840 taught me so much about how to make a boot 266 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:02.360 and and all that stuff. Because ended up I did 267 00:15:02.440 --> 00:15:07.279 weddings at the Fairmont, like and I did Tiffany's flowers, 268 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:10.159 you know, the Tiffany and Company. And we would be 269 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:13.960 doing like big, huge flower arrangements and they're thirty thousand 270 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:15.679 dollars base and I was like, I don't want to 271 00:15:15.720 --> 00:15:17.240 pick that thing up. I don't want to drop it. 272 00:15:18.440 --> 00:15:23.159 So it just progressed, and after my two year noncompete, 273 00:15:23.480 --> 00:15:26.759 all my clients, my older clients started to come to me, 274 00:15:28.360 --> 00:15:31.240 like Christian Science Center was one of my big first 275 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:35.600 new accounts, and ended up getting like the John Hancock portfolio, 276 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:39.559 which was huge, and I just started kind of mimicking 277 00:15:39.639 --> 00:15:42.399 what I had learned about. Well, I knew how to 278 00:15:42.440 --> 00:15:44.879 take care of plants, but about the structure of how 279 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.399 you have people going out watering them and if they 280 00:15:48.519 --> 00:15:51.919 die you replace them for free, so you price it 281 00:15:52.039 --> 00:15:53.320 with a guarantee involved. 282 00:15:54.360 --> 00:15:56.799 Well, again, that's just good business. I mean, that's you 283 00:15:56.919 --> 00:16:04.200 know that application can food business, plant businesses, whatever. If 284 00:16:04.240 --> 00:16:06.559 you if you're selling snow tires and they're blowing out 285 00:16:06.600 --> 00:16:08.759 at fifty miles, you better be able to replace them. 286 00:16:08.840 --> 00:16:14.080 So things grow, things grow, and just as Chauncey Gardner 287 00:16:14.159 --> 00:16:18.840 said in the movies, you know it, water it and 288 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:23.440 it will grow. And you watered your business and it grew. 289 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:30.000 But when did you get to interior and exterior landscape, 290 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:32.080 because that has to be the next big step I 291 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:33.919 assume after Yeah. 292 00:16:34.159 --> 00:16:39.200 So right, So I had flirtation and this is when 293 00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:43.039 Walter actually that you know worked for me a million 294 00:16:43.120 --> 00:16:46.759 years ago. He would help he would help me in 295 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:48.919 the in the shop and deliver some stuff for me. 296 00:16:49.039 --> 00:16:51.679 He drove the flirtatious van. But you know it as 297 00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:55.279 an epiphany, ended up marrying the flower guy at the 298 00:16:55.320 --> 00:17:01.720 flower market, and when we started having kids, had flirtatious 299 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:04.599 still doing the flower arrangements in the shop. But then 300 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.599 I decided after a few years, when you know, it's 301 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:10.839 very hard. Everybody thinks I'm gonna have a flower shop 302 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:13.000 and it's so easy and fun playing with flowers. It 303 00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:16.400 is grueling. It's seven days a week, forget about Valentine's 304 00:17:16.440 --> 00:17:19.640 Day and every holiday. It's a hard business. It's fabulous, 305 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:24.279 but it's not what everybody thinks it is. And so 306 00:17:24.640 --> 00:17:27.359 one day I just remember, you know, you did maybe 307 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:29.480 five hundred dollars in a day. That's a busy day 308 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:32.039 in the flower shop, like you just bust in out right. 309 00:17:32.599 --> 00:17:35.160 But I'll never forget. Somebody came in and they bought 310 00:17:35.279 --> 00:17:38.359 one six foot like palm tree, you know, bamboo palm 311 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:40.799 in a brass pot, and that was like six hundred 312 00:17:40.839 --> 00:17:42.920 dollars just one plant in a pot or whatever it was. 313 00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:45.799 And I had it delivered by Walter I think probably 314 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:49.440 took it, who knows. And I was like, that was 315 00:17:49.559 --> 00:17:51.440 so easy. I think I'm going to go back to 316 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:56.960 the interior landscaping and again, so then I started cityscapes. 317 00:17:57.000 --> 00:17:59.440 That's when I incorporated, and I had two businesses for 318 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:01.920 a little while well, but after I started having kids, 319 00:18:02.599 --> 00:18:06.000 I was like, something's got to go, so I let 320 00:18:06.119 --> 00:18:08.400 the flower shop. I sold the flower shop business off 321 00:18:08.440 --> 00:18:10.319 because I ended up having quite a few clients that 322 00:18:10.440 --> 00:18:14.039 we did weekly flower arrangements, and I decided to be 323 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:17.240 have more of a normal life Monday through Friday, not always, 324 00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:21.359 but to start a corporate landscaping business, and that's where 325 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.720 city Scape started. I incorporated that in so I started 326 00:18:24.759 --> 00:18:27.839 for Lictatious in nineteen ninety two, and in two thousand 327 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:31.440 and I incorporated city Scapes. And it was just like 328 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:36.359 one account, then another account, then another, and another and another. 329 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:42.599 Grew the metaphor the metaphor, look, I got to take 330 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:43.079 a break out. 331 00:18:43.279 --> 00:18:47.319 So I started. Yeah, I started interior, but then my clients, 332 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:49.920 like say the Maria Long Wharf, who I still have 333 00:18:50.359 --> 00:18:54.880 thirty two years later, they have exterior landscaping. So I 334 00:18:54.960 --> 00:18:56.559 was like, oh, I can do their pots outside. Then 335 00:18:56.599 --> 00:18:59.400 I started doing exterior, which is a lot harder in 336 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:02.000 the city because, like you were saying, in the winter 337 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:05.960 and the wind and the salt and you know, from 338 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:09.839 the road salts and the building. 339 00:19:10.200 --> 00:19:13.279 I'm sure, I'm sure you you'll learn to everything. Yeah, 340 00:19:13.279 --> 00:19:14.519 I got to take a break for the news at 341 00:19:14.519 --> 00:19:16.720 the bottom of the hour. And again we invite folks 342 00:19:16.759 --> 00:19:20.119 if they have any questions about anything we're talking about. 343 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:23.079 This is not the normal coin of the realm here 344 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:25.680 on nights Side. But I like to do things differently 345 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:27.799 and I like to mix things up. And I appreciate 346 00:19:28.519 --> 00:19:31.160 Jan taking her time on a Friday night, not for 347 00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:33.599 me a Friday night, because tomorrow I'm off on Thursday 348 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:36.599 night and we'll we'll get some phone calls at six 349 00:19:36.680 --> 00:19:39.440 one seven, two, five four ten thirty or six one seven, 350 00:19:39.559 --> 00:19:42.200 nine three one ten thirty. And I also want to 351 00:19:42.279 --> 00:19:46.880 talk about Transplanted Boston and Transplanted Sprout and all the 352 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:51.119 great work that you have done for charitable work. So 353 00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:56.400 so not only have you done good, but by doing well, 354 00:19:57.079 --> 00:19:59.559 but that is the key. Not only have you have 355 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:03.680 you seen succeeded and have you literally you know, flowered 356 00:20:04.079 --> 00:20:07.359 as a business, but you've reached out and helped other people, 357 00:20:07.519 --> 00:20:10.799 which is I think what is most most important for 358 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:13.440 any business. We'll take a quick break back with Jan 359 00:20:13.519 --> 00:20:17.279 Goodman and calls and more conversation here on Nightside. 360 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:23.359 You're on Night Side with Dan Ray Boston's News Radio. 361 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:27.960 My guess is Jan Goodman. She is the older founder 362 00:20:28.119 --> 00:20:34.839 of City Scapes Boston. Jan, you you've had an incredible career. 363 00:20:35.640 --> 00:20:39.240 You've you've done it with help of people along the way, 364 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:44.359 no question, but you also have given back a great deal. 365 00:20:45.559 --> 00:20:48.960 You were impacted, I believe by a trip that you 366 00:20:49.079 --> 00:20:53.920 took to Peru. We we know a little bit more 367 00:20:53.920 --> 00:20:56.039 about Peru because we just had a pope elected, and 368 00:20:56.079 --> 00:20:57.880 the American pope who spent a lot of time in 369 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:00.759 Peru never ran across Pope Leo when you and Peru, 370 00:21:00.839 --> 00:21:04.319 I assume, right, right, Okay. 371 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:09.400 Yeah, So I went on a few service trips there, 372 00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:13.519 some mission trips with my church and my sixteen year 373 00:21:13.559 --> 00:21:18.200 old daughter at the time, my oldest Samantha, and it 374 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:22.240 changed my life pretty much. We went three times, but 375 00:21:23.160 --> 00:21:29.160 and really saw some i awakening, you know, poverty, obviously joy, 376 00:21:29.319 --> 00:21:31.519 a lot of joy too. It wasn't like, you know, 377 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:34.160 we think we're there when you're on a mission trip 378 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:37.200 or service project to do good for them, but you're 379 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:40.599 they're actually you're bringing back the fruit of what you 380 00:21:40.720 --> 00:21:42.680 learn and what you see. So what happened when I 381 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:46.000 came back, I felt like, yes, the business was successful. 382 00:21:46.039 --> 00:21:49.240 This was like in twenty nineteen, and we had been 383 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:51.319 doing a lot of charity work here and there with 384 00:21:51.640 --> 00:21:55.319 you know, Hope and Bloom and all these different places. 385 00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:57.480 But I just knew that there was more impact that 386 00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.720 we could have on the on the city and the 387 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:04.480 the world basically by doing something else. So when I 388 00:22:04.640 --> 00:22:06.799 came back from Peru, I said, you know, what can 389 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:10.480 we do to do a more more of an effort 390 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:14.759 to do more charitable work for our own town in Boston? 391 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:15.079 Right? 392 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:17.920 And so I saw, I don't know, an ad, I 393 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:20.319 saw this picture of a plant truck in New York 394 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:23.000 and I was like, oh, I do a plant shock. 395 00:22:23.440 --> 00:22:26.039 That's pretty cool. And I said, but let's do it 396 00:22:26.079 --> 00:22:30.759 for charity. So I designed a truck that it was 397 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:33.279 all custom designed with a glass top. It's called the 398 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:36.799 Roaming Greenhouse Sprout right, And so it's like a little 399 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.480 plant shop on it, like it's like, yeah, it's a 400 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:42.079 food truck, but it's a plant shop, you know. 401 00:22:42.200 --> 00:22:42.440