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

Hi Carolina, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
My children- this was the main reason that made me leave a job, which I truly loved. Besides that, when you get to a certain age, you start to rethink many things and to also plan the second half of your life….the idea was to be more independent, earn more money, save for the future and after-all, be free to do whatever I want!

What should our readers know about your business?
After 15 years working with Enzo Enea, I left to start my own practice. As the director of Enea, I didn’t get to spend too much time designing, which is what I really enjoy doing. I was mostly doing administrative work, dealing with clients, accounting, meetings, etc. But now, being a business owner you have to do it all in the beginning and you are ultimately responsible for all the design work that leaves the office, which naturally translates into a very close relationship with each individual client. They feel it, they feel the care, they love to be treated as if they were the only ones. I think what sets me apart from other firms, is the fact that I have this special care towards my clients and their gardens.

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Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
When I have friends and family coming to visit us in Miami, we try to show them a little bit of everything: beaches, parks, restaurants, museums, the city, the up and coming neighborhoods, etc. Miami is perfect because it has it all! We would take them to the Miami Beach, to the Everglades, to the Fairchild Gardens, to Perez Art Museum, to Wynwood, to Downtown, Key Biscayne. As far as restaurants, our favorites are Sugarcane, Thatch, Lung Yai Thai Tapas (amazing!!), Joe’s Stone Crab, Zak the Baker, Cindy Lou’s Cookies, Cielito Pops

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?
For sure, my one and only employer for many many years, Enzo Enea. He is an incredible man, a person that deserves all the credits for what he has built. Passionate, talented, full of energy, fast thinking. He was the one who convinced me to leave my architecture career and move into landscape architecture…and he gave me 1 week to decide. His gardens are a true inspiration not only for myself, but to any person that is passionate about gardens

Website: www.clad-landscape.com
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