Meet Cari Sanders | Business Owner, Community Activist

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

Hi Cari, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I love a risk! I’ve not always taken the smartest risks, but I think they have played a major role in where I have gotten today. I like to say a well formulated risk is at least as good as a mediocre plan. I was raised in a super small town in Central Louisiana, and I lived 20 minutes away from civilization in the middle of the pine woods. I’d only seen the ocean once before I came down to visit Daniel in February 2019. I was quite settled in my life and had no intention on uprooting it. As soon as I stepped foot on these islands, it was like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I was moved here full time in April of that year. When Daniel came home in early 2020 and said that the sign shop was going up for sale and the owners wanted to give him first chance, we had already seen the news about the potential virus and it spreading to the US. I thought back to the day I went home and quit my job (Serendipitously too, because I got a call that following Monday after I left that they had laid off half of the company-I likely wouldn’t have had a job if I had stayed!) I told him why not-at worst the bank could say no or the world could end. We should probably have something to focus on instead of that anyway so I googled how to write a business plan and the rest is history. Risks have given me the opportunity to fall and rebuild but also to explore and grow. They have played an integral part in my story, and I plan on continuing to take them any chance I get!

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.
I walked into Vital Signs with Daniel having no clue which program to open to even start. I had no formal training- no more than a basic art class so I really had no clue what was going on in the graphic design and sign world. I signed up for SkillShare and watched every Youtube video I could find. I have struggled a lot with imposter syndrome. I work in not only a male dominated field, but I have no degree to back it up either. What I do have is a strong will, thick skin, and a great work ethic. I came from the world of nonprofit, and that is where my heart was and still is. One of the conditions I made with Daniel during the purchasing process was that I wanted free reign to be able to serve our community and give back. That is what truly makes me happy. I was happy to help him live out his dream, but I want to be able to as well. So I jumped in! I started volunteering every opportunity I had and that allowed me to make so many connections in the community and form a family here. Through those connections, I was able to build our business while giving back. I am a firm believer in looking at the banners hanging on the ball fields and in the school pick up line. Those are the ones invested in our future. Since we have grown our business, I have been able to branch out and start a nonprofit that directly serves our islands, and that has been something I am extremely excited about. What sets anyone apart from anyone else is accountability. Accountability to be honest, do a good job, and serve others. Show up. There’s no easier or cheaper marketing plan than yourself. I would want the world to know that anything truly is possible. You can leave everything you’ve ever known with your belongings in the back of a Jeep and start over somewhere. If it doesn’t work out, something else will. You wake up everyday you have two options of mentality: you “get to” or “have to”. I hope more days than not, you feel like you “get to.”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Funny you should ask this. I have a nine page itinerary listed geographically north to south for the Keys. If you know me, you know I LOVE to play tour guide. We would 100% start in Key Largo for a couple days… We would stay at Bay Harbor & Coconut Bay. Peg’s property is an absolute gem! It is one of the last family owned and operated resorts down here. She (or myself-yes I passion bake at a resort too) make fresh homemade scones every morning. That will be our appetizer because we absolutely can’t miss crab cake benedicts at High Tide or the hash omelet at Doc’s! We will for sure be going to the Wild Bird Sanctuary, Pennekamp, and spend an afternoon with Reef Quest Tours in Islamorada! Lunch options for a couple days will include a taco salad from Keys Bites and a fresh sandwich from Cafe Moka in Tavernier! Dinner at The Catch can’t be beat and a night at Pinfish is so much fun- food and entertainment for all ages! We will catch all of our sunsets via Peg’s kayaks or paddle boards! Heading south we will be sure to stop in the art district of Islamorada, Morada Way, to check out all of the great Keys artists! Be sure to walk down the streets to find all of the amazing art studios. Porky’s is on the menu for lunch or dinner in Marathon! We will also stop at Aquarium Encounters and the Turtle Hospital! You can’t miss Sweet Savannah’s for a decadent treat (or two)! Once we get into Key West, we will have to spend one day doing the Conch Train and enjoy the entire island from Mallory Square to East Fort Martello with unlimited stops at all! I’m not one to drink often, but I have done the Duval Crawl a couple of times and it is SO fun! Be sure to wave at your family via live feeds when passing Sloppy Joes and The Southern most Point! If you visit Key West without stopping at Kermit’s to enjoy the zen garden, a piece of pie, and the best views of Jimmy Buffet’s recording studio, did you really do Key West?!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Mom- you have always been my safe place to land and for that I have never been afraid of spreading my wings. Thank you for your unwavering support of me and all of my dreams. Daniel- thank you for loving me everyday and always saying yes when I ask you to help me with my community projects. Your patience and dedication is admirable and without you I wouldn’t have the opportunity to live this life. To all of the conchs, official and honorary, thank you for giving these small town kids a shot here in the Florida Keys. Thank you for welcoming us with open arms and making it feel like we have been a part of this community our whole lives. Your love and passion is contagious and I am grateful everyday I get to serve along side each of you to make these islands and this world a better place.

Website: https://www.vitalsignskeylargo.net/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeyLargoVitalSigns

Other: Unapologetically plugging my non-profit’s Facebook too just in case. LOL

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61568321232567