Meet Yasmeen Mauceri | Co-Founder

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

Hi Yasmeen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?My name is Yasmeen, my business partner is Liv, and together we are Green culture co.! We sell indoor plants as well as cacti, succulents, and carnivorous plants. Before starting this we were both college students going through the dilemma of deciding what we were going to do after graduation. Liv has been studying horticulture ever since I met her in freshman year of highschool and she is FNGLA certified. So she has always wanted to work with plants. I was studying business and was thinking about what 9-5 office job I would have to choose. We both felt as if we wanted more for ourselves. We kept talking about how we wished we could just work for ourselves and do our own thing. Then one day we figured, why not? We immediately started getting everything together and had our very first pop-up shop Valentines day weekend at Ohana surf shop on Hutchinson Island. It was so surreal to see everything we were working towards come to life. Watching people interact with us and fall in love with the plants was so rewarding. Even people who said they were not “plant people” are now some of our biggest customers. Giving the people the knowledge they need to be successful plant parents is really what we strive for. The name Green Culture Co. comes from the fact that there really is a culture around plants and the community they bring. Building up this community and getting to connect with so many people is the best part of our job.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Both Liv and I just started off as some college students with no direction. We have both worked typical retail and restaurant jobs and had no idea what was in store for starting a business. However, we have been able to take what we have learned from each of those jobs and apply it to our own. We have both learned a ton of tips and tricks from working at small businesses. It was definitely still difficult to figure out how to start. When we initially got our LLC we thought we were so official, only to learn about all the other paperwork that needed to be figured out. As far as normal operating activities, we are still learning everyday about what works and what needs to be done differently. We work really hard to make sure we are doing as much as we can. To us, there is always more we can do. It is never easy figuring things out, but it is always worth it to see the final product.

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.
Liv and I are from Stuart and Jupiter, which are the best parts of Florida (totally not biased). Besides hitting the beach there are a few essential places to go.

1. Ohana Surf Shop – best place to get a surfboard or just say hi to some friends! And make sure to pet Nugget, the shop dog.
2. The Lokomotive – eccentric coffee shop with local vendors inside.
3. Bagel Bistro – awesome breakfast place, but get there quick because they will sell out!
4. Food shack – they have a mouthwatering menu that never disappoints.
5. Downtown Stuart- A ton of cute shops with anything that you could need.
6. Hani Honey – Freshest boba I have ever had!

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?
Starting this business could have never been done without the help of our friends. There are so many to name so I will try to keep this short. Starting with the lovely Tara and Jordan of Ohana Surf Shop. They really believed in us and our vision. They were the ones who let us set up all of our plants outside their shop and test the idea out. We are so beyond grateful for them and the two awesome kids they have, that we get to call friends. We have known Curren and Jenna since high school and not only are they our biggest fans, but biggest helpers. Curren is a highly talented photographer who has been the main reason our social media has looked so amazing. Other local businesses that we have partnered with have also been a HUGE help in getting our name out there. Just to name a few incredible people we have worked with are Morning Magnolia, Hani Honey, Crafted Keg, Das Beer Garden, and Island Root Kava Bar. The support we have gotten from this local community has been overwhelmingly positive. Thank you to EVERYONE who has helped/encouraged/supported along the way!!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenculture_co/

Image Credits
Curren Shwartz Photography