Meet Tray Fitzpatrick | Local Green Thumb

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

Hi Tray, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The one thing I wanted most out of having my own business was to love doing it. I’ve always had a passion for growing plants and as early as 10, I can remember helping my grandma water her houseplants. Yet, never in a million years did I think it would lead me to having a business centered solely around them. My first real attempt at starting a business was photography, and in the past had always been a primary source of income for me. It wasn’t until my neighbors started noticing my plant collection from the large windows facing the street and begin taking pictures. They started with questions such as specific plant types and care tips which turned into offering to pay me to repot plants for them. That slowly took over of the time I had for photography and ultimately led to the creation of “The Pot Docs”, a small studio nursery located in downtown Hollywood, Fl. We offer an array of exotic plants, repotting services, and 100% organic micro microgreens which you can have delivered right to your front door, locally that is lol. As you’ll notice in my branding, my fellow friend and partner in care is named Chibi. I created Chibi out of my love for anime, and for the simple fact that nothing is more adorable than a 4 inch chubby panda roaming the streets of South Florida in a vintage Volkswagen Bus.

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.
The first thing that sets us apart is our products and services. For most people, taking care of plants can be a daunting task. The thought of killing a plant you just purchased or was just gifted is nerve reckoning. Chibi and I say no problem, let us do it for you! We’ll take care of your root bound and overgrown plants by giving them a haircut and fresh soil. If you’d like consistent care for your plants, routine maintenance by The Pot Docs will make sure your plants are getting what they need. From watering, fertilizing, wiping leaves down and pruning, The Pot Docs Studio keeps your plants happy all year long.

Next, we offer an array of house plants, much healthier than those you’d find in retail stores. From calatheas, philodendrons, Alocasia’s and more, we hand select and clean all our plants prior to sale. But our crown jewel, the one i’m probably excited about most is our latest product, microgreens. You may be asking yourself, what are microgreens? Microgreens are simply young seedlings of edible vegetables and herbs. Yet despite their small stature, microgreens boast a more intense flavor than larger vegetables and herbs. Microgreens have been found to have more health benefits and can be up to 40 times more potent in phytochemicals. I’ve personally grown microgreens for 2 years now, but only recently added it as a product. Several of my clients noticed the few batches growing in the storefront window and begin purchasing a few ounces of sunflower and broccoli sprouts when picking up or dropping off their plants. Once again, it eventually got to the point to where I had to reorder seeds regularly. I ended up having to purchase a bigger grow rack and the rest is history. Microgreens has become a major part in the growth of our company and I see it becoming the main line if this growth continues. We offer six of the more common microgreens on the market. Sunflower, broccoli, wheatgrass, peas, radish, and a spicy salad mix. All of our products are grown to order and delivered weekly to homes, workplaces, juice bars, health food stores, restaurants, fitness centers and more.

As for how did I get to where I am today and was it easy? I don’t look at myself as having arrived anywhere. I’m honestly still early on in this business, and we all know the odds of small businesses being successful are slim to none. I’d like to think of it as being given an opportunity by the community to offer a service and product that suggests a solution to a problem. Whether that problem is keeping your plants alive and healthy, or finding a local reputable microgreens farmer in South Florida lol. This journey has not and at times is not easy hahaha. As a small business owner, I don’t have tons of employees to assign certain tasks too. The majority of the tasks are done by myself, so finding ways to manage your time along with each task is important if you want to be successful. I also regularly search opportunities that teach ways to better my business such as small business workshops held locally here in South Florida. I’ve learned that networking is very important. Social media networking is important, but nothing, AND I MEAN NOTHING, beats face to face networking.

What do I want the world to know about my brand and story?? Our mission is simple, to encourage everyone to have fun and think about mother earth while doing so.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in South Florida, most of my family and friends think that I spend most of my time in South Beach. Contrary to their beliefs, it’s the complete opposite for myself and most people whom actually reside in or near Miami. Though the nightlife is fantastic there, the traffic and crowds can be a bit much at times so i’ve found the perfect spots for those who think like myself. Anytime I have friends or guests that come into town to visit, I always begin with the following: Food – Awash Ethiopian Restaurant, Dukunoo Jamaican Kitchen in Wynwood, Immunity Juice Bar, Tropix Lounge, Smitty’s Wings Sistrunk and Tipsy Boar. As for night life, I’m not much of a clubber so I stick to the smaller more laid back venues here. Some of my favorites are The Social Room Hollywood, Lagniappe Miami, and Dukunoo Kitchen.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Well first and foremost, I’d like to give a big shout out and thank you to my clients as I like to call them. They’re so much more than customers to me. Anyone that took the time to look through my social media/website, find a service or product that intrigued them, purchase it, and continue to support and shop with us has my sincere gratitude and appreciation. Secondly, I’d like to thank the many family and friends whom helped me along this journey, financially, physically, and mentally. My ace TyFlame, T.A., T.Will., Lauren, Rae, Tasha and the many more whom I can’t list due to character limits in this article haha. Lastly, I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my late Step Father whom past away in October. Though we were not connected by blood, our relationship could not have been any closer. You were a hard working man, a proud man, and I promise to cherish the lessons you’ve taught me and keep your memories abound. Love you Pops.

Website: https://www.potdocsstudio.com

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

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepotdocs