Meet Lindsey Beatrice | Flower Farmer, Native Garden Designer, Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lindsey Beatrice and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lindsey, what are you inspired by?
Nature and her beauty. That’s why I started my small, sustainable flower farm and why I help people beautify their yards with native plants. For far too long we’ve used the resources of the Earth without replenishing them, and we’ve destroyed ecosystems and replaced them with parking lots and lawns. Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest climate issues. Simply by planting native flowers that attract pollinators and songbirds, you can help replenish the Earth.

I also remind myself often that nature is abundant and (with care) is always willing to give freely, which helps me shift my own perspective to one of abundance rather than scarcity.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business, Meant to Bea, has two sides: sustainable flower farming and native plant garden design/coaching. With garden design, I love helping people create a beautiful outdoor space that brings them joy and benefits our native pollinators and wildlife and helps restore ecosystem balance. So many people want to garden and to take meaningful climate action but they don’t know where to start. It is such an honor to help people do just that! Especially here in Colorado, people are also concerned about water use. Native plants are adapted to our climate conditions, and are low-water! That saves people money, and benefits the Earth! (But not all low-water plants are native, so do research before planting or ask me for guidance!)

I also love getting my hands in the soil and growing cut flowers on my little backyard farm–many of which are native. This brings me so much joy, and helps me reach more of the community to talk about why sustainability in agriculture and protecting pollinators matters. As I scale, my vision is to cultivate mainly perennials and natives because of the ecological benefits.

I’ve been doing this for ~2.5 years, and bootstrapped everything. For a year I was just self-employed, but my business was so young and wasn’t financially stable. It was incredibly challenging, both from a personal lens and professional one. I could barely support myself and didn’t have money left over to invest in the growth of my business. So now I have part time work that gives me stability so that I can re-invest revenue in my businesses and uplevel them. And because of this, growth is happening MUCH faster!

I would recommend to anyone who wants to start a business to save up at least 3-6 months of living expenses, and wait to go full time in your business until the amount you can comfortably pay yourself surpasses whatever you’re making at your current job. The startup life can be really tough without a solid financial base – there are often surprise expenses, delayed payments, and circumstances that may cause you to pivot and in some cases, start over. Make sure you have the ability to take care of your own needs if that happens!

Throughout this entrepreneurial journey, I also have done a lot of self-work with To Be Magnetic and my therapist. This work has helped me uncover subconscious blocks that I have about what I’m capable of, and has helped me tap into my authentic expression and desires for my life and career. All of that impacts why and how I do what I do!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’ve got to go to the mountains, that’s for sure! For the first couple days we’d hang around Denver and the Front Range, getting a taste for the local life. We’d get coffee at Pinwheel and Steam Espresso Bar, take a Power Vinyasa class at Yogabox, hit up a dispensary then chill and catch up at a park. We’d also do a quick, relatively easy hike to Lake Isabelle at the Brainard Lake Recreation area! It has the most incredible views with only a couple hundred feet of elevation gain, a great option for visitors who aren’t acclimated to the altitude yet.

For the rest of the week we’d get out in nature and explore. I love helping people connect with the beauty of our Earth while also exploring cute mountain towns. We’d go camping in Buena Vista or Crested Butte and do some hiking, swim in the snowmelt creeks, get dinner in town, and stargaze! Plus, no Colorado vacation is complete without a day of relaxation at the hot springs in Glenwood Springs. And if it’s peach season we would absolutely be hitting up the Palisade peach stands!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my incredible partner and friends who have supported me in so many ways throughout this entrepreneurial journey, and just in the process of me stepping more boldly into my own authenticity.

Website: https://meanttobea.com

Instagram: @lindsey747 and @meanttobeaflorals

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/lindseybeatrice

Image Credits
Photo of me cutting flowers at my farm is credited to Lauren Dunteman, all other photos credited to myself