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she was abruptly released, she found herself at a crossroads that led her to start a hands-on landscaping venture called GardenKeepers. Early on she gardened for connections she had made from years in the business, but soon the small endeavor began to flourish.
Today Taylor is the owner-operator of a full-service Landscape Design-Build company. She works for General Contractors primarily focused on residential, but also has a host of Pitt County homeowners she serves regularly. She has a small crew and a large investment in machinery to make work as efficient as possible. Landscaping is a man’s world, so Taylor knew from the onset she would need to expend extra effort to gain credibility.
“I think as a woman in the landscaping sector, credentials are a must have. I have my NC Landscape Contractors License and NC Irrigation Contractors License. In an effort to speed up some of our processes, I acquired my Backflow Prevention Certification from GUC as well as my Restricted Plumbing License. That eliminates waiting for others to test our irrigation installations and it also became a nice part-time job testing Backflow Preventers for others in Greenville and surrounding areas.
Those certifications, and her love for landscape design, make Taylor uniquely qualified, but over nearly two decades, she has reached the conclusion that the purpose for her entrepreneurial path was higher than landscaping. Fifteen years ago, her husband Cy left his job with FedEx to work with her at GardenKeepers Landscape & Design, Inc. As a result, he has flexibility to share his music ministry whenever or wherever he’s called. Taylor considers Cy’s music ministry as the big picture of the business they have been able to build.
TAMMY WRIGHT
Tammy Wright took home economics in school and hated it, and she had never used a sewing machine before she bought a huge monogramming machine with fifteen needles in 2005. She had hoped it would be something fun that would bring in a little extra income, but she was so intimidated by the complicated machine that she refused to turn it on for two months, until her husband Bert insisted that she give it a try.
From that rocky beginning, which led to a monogramming business out of her home and her first retail store three years later, Wright has built It’s Sew Wright, one of the most successful and unique companies in Greenville. In just four years, Wright
expanded her monogramming, home décor and jewelry venture to three different locations — from 900 square feet to 2,700 square feet to 4,000 square feet, anchoring a corner at Arlington Village. It’s been a whirlwind for Wright, who is amazed that the social media accounts run by her daughter Macie will prompt calls for orders from California because of a photo someone saw on Instagram.
Wright has had offers to expand It’s Sew Wright to other cities, but she doesn’t feel good about a store that bears her name if she isn’t on site. Instead, she will continue to focus on buying products that fit the store’s distinct niche, doing the monogramming and seeking to balance family and work while remaining grateful for an adventure she never expected.
“All I can tell you is you need to be careful what you pray for,” she said. “Every day I just pray for the strength to get through what He has blessed me with. It’s a lot, and it’s all great, but it keeps me on my knees a lot.”
Khristi Dixon, Realtor
Buying & Selling Agent
252-702-9540
Khristi.Realtor@gmail.com UptownAgentNC.com
Voted Best Realtor of 2018 by The Daily Reflector.
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