Meet Monica Aragon | Executive Director of Plantiness

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

Hi Monica, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I worked at King Soopers for going on 16 years. I was comfortable. I never imagined I could own my own business. I had taken some risks in my personal life before, but nothing major in my career. I lost my dad to cancer in 2019 and plants had really helped in my healing journey. 2020 rolls around and the whole world is on fire and is nothing but chaos. With the Black Lives Matter movement, and the pandemic, people were scared, angry, panicked and really sad. I could not be complacent any more. I wanted to share with the world what was helping me, plants. I wanted to hug the entire world and say, it’s all going to be ok. I started giving away plants to anyone and everyone and I called it . ” spreading the plantiness”. I would invite friends over to make handmade cards and pass out plants. I had worked at the grocery store during the extreme height of the pandemic and panic shopping, and it was not pretty. In October of 2021 , I decided to take the biggest risk of my life and quit! I had no real plan, no income, insurance or any real idea how Plantiness was going to work.. I truly believe that Plantiness is a light this world needs, so I did not feel scared , I felt excited. To me, risk equals change, and we all need change. You cannot grow without change. Taking this risk has been the best decision of my life and I do not regret anything!!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Plantiness is the happiness plants give you! Plantiness is a fun and unique experience, At a Plantiness Party, you decorate a terracotta pot using the several arts and crafts supplies available. You pick two plants, one to keep and pot in your masterpiece and one to give away to anyone you want so that you can spread the plantiness! There is also a fun selfie booth, with lots of silly props to take those memorable pictures with!

What sets me apart from the other is that for every one person that attends a party, two people are positively impacted. The first is the person being creative and playing with plants. Creativity is good for the soul and mind. Also, gifting a living thing to someone feels amazing. The second is the person receiving the plant. You never know what people are going through in their life and a little free plant could change their entire day, week, month for the better!

I got to where I am professionally by not being afraid to put myself out there. I believe it’s all about connecting with others and you can’t do that if you don’t try. I am very passionate about my mission so I feel that it comes naturally to me.

Along the way, I have learned to be patient. Things do not happen over night as much as I want them to. I have learned to plant the seed and it takes time to grow. This little seed I have planted, will one day grow into a redwood.

I want people to know that my entire mission is to spread light and love into the world through plants. Plants should be accessible to everyone. I want to create a massive ripple effect of kindness. I want anyone who receives a free plant from me to look at it five, ten, twenty years from now and remember the kind person who gave it to them. I want them to smile and feel joy every time they look at, water, take care of that plant, and I want the to spread kindness and love in their own way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Solarium for sure! It is a giant indoor jungle in the middle of town with three, two story tall trees and lots of lush, tropical plants. I would take them for a drive to Horsetooth, there are so many trails ! Definitely to Odell Brewing Co , the beer is delicious and is one of my favorites! The outdoor space is awesome, they have live music and food trucks regularly. Horse and Dragon Brewing Company is another favorite! Yummy beer, and the people, staff and patrons are fantastic! Old town, Fort Collins is super cute, has tons of options for dining, live music, art and community. The Lyric has movies, food, drinks, and is covered in local artists, there is an outdoor theater! Their outdoor space is quirky! I would take them for a bike ride along the Poudre trail, miles and miles of trails and river. The food truck rally in City Park! Tons of food trucks, showcasing several local favorites! Totally 80’s pizza is decorated floor to ceiling in 80’s memorabilia. There is an arcade with old school games, and they play 80s music videos.

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?
This is an exciting question, I have tons of people I want to give a shout out to! There are so many people that have been so supportive , it’s hard to list everyone, My mom! She is extremely supportive and be-leafs in my mission!
My bestie Sophia Chiachiere, she is my right hand woman and the only member on the Plantiness board! Sophia volunteers her time whenever she possibly can! Elly Raisi is the owner of the Solarium, a giant magical indoor jungle , she was the very first person to give me a chance and that has partnered with me. I am able to host Plantiness Parties in the Solarium because she be-leafs in me as a person, my passion for plants and my mission to Spread the Plantiness!

Odell Brewing Company was the first big company to let me spread the Plantiness! I potted up 75 plants in their beer cans and gave away for free. They are always supportive and I have held many events there. That was the single event that gave me the courage to fully pursue my dream. Horse and Dragon Brewing Brewing Company is amazing. They feel like home. They are all encouraging and so wonderful.

My close friends, Andy Bright and Julia Kerr. They were there when Plantiness was born and have always been cheering me on. My close friend Kate Fayad has been there from the beginning and always someone to share my successes or not so much success with. Mikaela Barnes is my personal geek squad and helps with anything technical if I need it.

The ladies from Garden of Oz for helping me through the process of becoming a non-profit!

All of my other friends and family that have donated time, plants, materials, sharing post etc. I am truly grateful to be part of this awesome community.

Instagram: @planti.ness

Facebook: Plantiness Parties

Image Credits
Ralena Gordon, House of Ra Photography