When the isolation of the pandemic left Michael Odulana of Union City, New Jersey, feeling disconnected, he turned to nature: specifically, plants — lots of plants. Odulana’s apartment is now lined with nearly 200 varieties, from Marimo moss balls and pitcher plants to variegated Monstera Peru and a golden pothos he grew from a clipping he received from his father. Adding the greenery, he says, made an immediate impact: His home became a “charging station,” with the living décor giving him energy whenever he returned to it.
“I felt way more balanced,” Odulana says. “And I wanted other people to feel that way.”
That desire sparked Odulana’s two small businesses: Plant Dad, which sells unique plant artwork and home decor, and Moobience, an interior design company whose moniker is a combination of the words “mood” and “ambience.” Both entrepreneurial ventures center wellness in interior design by using live plants and natural elements to create truly restorative spaces — something uniquely important to Odulana.
A lifelong love of nature
Odulana’s love of plants began in childhood, inspired by his parents’ passion for botany. Today, that passion shines through on his Plant Dad social media account, where he shares tips on reviving ailing plants and building terrariums — all with a focus on mental health and well-being.
“As people of color, young professionals, people in high-stress situations, cognitively [or] physically diverse people,” he says, “we have to think about the physical and mental aspects of the places we inhabit.”
Turning passion into profit
As a solopreneur, balancing a full-time job as a business analyst for a Fortune 500 company, Odulana knew he would need to “level up” his skill set to make his ideas come to fruition. “I didn’t know how to get started, and I definitely wasn’t aware of how to run a service-based organization, let alone an interior design organization,” he says. “So, I started looking for free resources to get me started.”
In 2021, Odulana signed up for the Verizon Small Business Digital Ready program to gain access to free resources such as courses, networking, and small business grants. He was already proficient in topics like SEO, thanks to his background in technology, but the program elevated his knowledge of developing website content, building relationships with new clients, advertising, and other essential skills. The courses also helped him refine his Plant Dad product line, focusing on low-maintenance terrariums and heirloom plants.
Odulana says the resources also helped him optimize cash flow and pricing, and improve cost effectiveness to maximize revenue. He learned how to increase business prospects and leads after connecting with other businesses in the Digital Ready community. He also learned how to secure designer trade partnerships during a Digital Ready live event. These partnerships allow him to order items from major retailers at a discount.
Additionally, Odulana gained confidence in his social media presence. One of his key milestones? A viral video where he demonstrated how to paint an accent wall, garnered over 21 million views and nearly 742,000 likes and cemented his online presence.
“I was able to skyrocket my brand very early on and successfully hit targets while actively gaining the skills, tools, and resources I needed for brand building,” he says.
Scaling up through pop-up shops
By 2023, Odulana began hosting pop-up shops to promote his businesses and sell his products at festivals and markets. These temporary shops serve multiple purposes: They increase brand awareness, promote online sales, provide immediate cash flow to fund supplies for interior design projects, and offer a valuable platform for market research. Odulana also uses the pop-up shops to test which products resonate with customers and refine his sales pitch. Each event creates fresh content for his social media accounts, too, extending his brand’s impact beyond the physical space.
Odulana has even taught a course for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready about how small businesses can use pop-up shops. The course covered vendor preparation, customer engagement, market research, and translating offline success to online platforms.
“I see my companies becoming an essential sustainable pioneer in shifting [and] cultivating the interior design and wellness industries,” he says. “So far, I’m very proud of what I have been able to accomplish with my brand.”
Verizon Small Business Digital Ready is part of Verizon’s goal to support 1 million small businesses by 2030 with the resources to thrive in the digital economy. Visit CitizenVerizon.com to learn more about the company’s responsible business efforts. To sign up for Verizon Small Business Digital Ready, visit digitalready.verizonwireless.com. An individual user's experience may vary and results are not guaranteed.