Meet Becky Paxton from Garden Media Group

Photo courtesy of Becky Paxton

Greenhouse Management: How did you get started in horticulture?

Becky Paxton: I come from a few generations of professional musicians — my mom, my dad and my grandparents were professional musicians. All my aunts and uncles do that professionally, and my sister had a record deal at 15 years old. So, how do you rebel when your parents have this rock star lifestyle, and you’re in a family that’s always out late at concerts?

For me, when I was 13 years old, I went to the Cheekwood Estate & Gardens (in Nashville), and I thought this is what I want to spend my life doing. My parents were stunned because it was a real departure from what the rest of my family did, and I just knew in my soul, at 13 years old, this is how I was going to spend my life. I volunteered cleaning, teaching little kids and helping at their summer camp. Then that became my first job when I was 15 years old. I have basically worked in gardens ever since. When I was in college, my dad told me, ‘When you’re ready to get serious, I’ll send you a guitar.’ And he really meant that. So, it’s really funny; this has been a wild teenage rebellion turned lifestyle for me.

One tie-in to my family that I think has really motivated me is that I grew up in Nashville, and I’ve lived in Nashville my whole life. I’ve been surrounded by people who have taken a passion career and been able to make a living out of it. I view horticulture very much through the same lens. I am not a tender of the earth; I am not a gardener by trade. I’m an administrator, and a part of that passion for me has always been that I’ve been really fueled by this question: How can I help people who are passionate about what they do make a living and make it sustainable? That’s really what guides me, and I view horticulture as one of the creative arts. I think there’s so much beauty and artistry that goes into it, so my calling has always been how can I make sure people who make our world more beautiful are able to do so.

GM: What is your favorite part of the job as an account executive at Garden Media Group?

BP: For me, it’s the perfect creative job. I was really taken aback by how creative we are able to be in this job. I love being a storyteller. I love getting people excited. I’m the ultimate hype man. Like if somebody is graduating, I’m going to be in the front with their name on the sash, and I get to do that professionally, which is really fun. Everything is purposeful; it is to create a shared understanding of what is so wonderful about the plants that we’re celebrating.

GM: Why is good branding and marketing so important?

BP: I think good branding and good marketing matters whether you are B2B or B2C. Sometimes people have been doing what they do at such a high level, and they understand the quality of what they have, that marketing almost feels like the next frontier — something new that they must do and have to add on top of their already incredibly busy place. They’re already so busy excelling and meeting needs that marketing almost feels like this burden.

So, to me, marketing is actually just an extension of who you are and what you do. … Frequently, you have businesses that do something very well and they have a culture in place; your marketing is just an extension of that culture. You don’t have to be burdened by the thought that this is something new that you’re doing. What you’re actually doing is just pulling this wonderful culture and this important work that you do into the spotlight, and when you begin to view it through that lens, everything else just becomes tools, tips and hacks from there.

Katie McDaniel is associate editor of sister publication Nursery Management. Contact her at kmcdaniel@gie.net.