THE SUN BEAR DEN
A PLANT SHOP SPECIALIZING IN INDOOR, TROPICAL, HARD-TO-FIND HOUSEPLANTS
A HOBBY TURNED BUSINESS
I’ve always been a plant person, so it’s no surprise my collection got a little… out of hand. What started as a plant-stagram to document my jungle turned into an online shop fueled by too many cuttings and unexpected demand. Within a month, the shop became profitable — and it stayed that way. Over the next three years, I built a lean, self-sustaining retail business that consistently generated over $300K in annual revenue across both online and in-store channels. What began as a passion project grew into a thriving operation rooted in community, thoughtful design, and smart retail strategy.
A PLANT FOR EVERYONE
This business was never just about selling plants. It was about sharing something I genuinely loved with the community. From sourcing unique varieties to helping customers keep their plants happy, every part of the journey was hands-on and personal. There were challenges, of course: scaling up, managing inventory, and navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship... but I loved every bit of it. Even when I eventually stepped away, the experience shaped how I think about business, customer service, and what it means to build something with care and intention.
GETTING MY HANDS DIRTY
LOGISTICS
I managed sourcing for over 20 domestic and international suppliers, balancing lead times, freight costs, and import regulations to keep inventory flowing. Each shipment came with unique challenges, from weather delays to supplier reliability, all while handling the fragility of live plants. It was a constant effort to minimize loss, optimize transit, and keep the supply chain responsive and efficient.
Global plant hunting (minus the safari hat).
TEAM MANAGEMENT
As the business grew, I expanded from a solo operation to managing a team of five. That shift meant training, delegating, and building systems to keep things running smoothly — even when I wasn’t hands-on. I focused on balancing efficiency with a supportive work environment, where the team felt ownership in their roles and could keep up with the fast pace of retail operations.
From solo grower to team cultivator.
INVENTORY MANAGEMENT
Unlike traditional products, plants don’t just sit on a shelf — they grow, change, and sometimes die. Managing a live inventory of over 3,000 SKUs meant accounting for different care needs, life cycles, and timing for peak sellability. Add in sourcing challenges, limited storage space, and the unpredictability of nature, and inventory management became as much art as science.
Keeping plants — and stock levels — alive.
DEMAND FORECASTING
Predicting plant demand was anything but predictable. Trends could shift overnight: one day, everyone wanted rare variegated monstera, and the next, it was all about easy-care pothos. Balancing supply with demand meant analyzing sales patterns, tracking seasonality, and sometimes just trusting my gut. Too much stock meant wasted resources, too little meant missed opportunities. It was a constant game of adjusting, learning, and staying ahead of the curve.
Part science, part fortune-telling.
MARKETING STRATEGY
Convincing people that they have space for one more plant.
The plant world thrives on aesthetics and community, so social media became my strongest tool. From engaging content to live sales and customer education, marketing was all about building relationships rather than just pushing products. Word-of-mouth and user-generated content played a huge role, but staying relevant meant keeping up with trends, testing new strategies, and continuously refining the brand’s voice to connect with plant lovers of all experience levels.
