Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Rader
Hi Hannah, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
In 2017, we lived in an entirely different world that feels like it was forever ago. At that time, I was a stay-at-home mother living in the middle of nowhere, with the closest store over half an hour away. Although my greatest accomplishment in life will always be my family, that version of me was sitting there, folding laundry and daydreaming about pursuing my own ambitions. That year, we moved back to my hometown with another baby on the way. We spent that first summer in pure bliss, gardening, growing, and adventuring as a family of three for the last time.
During that summer, my husband and I desired to work for ourselves, create a legacy for our family, and build something we could be proud of. In the quiet moments, so much was revealed to us. We envisioned a place where people could gather and where we could extend open arms. We wanted to build a space where everyone had a seat at the table. We loved our garden and thought we might share it with the world. Although we had no idea how a garden would generate a living, that’s where the idea began.
Over the next three years, we received confirmations through quiet days of prayer. We had the location placed on our hearts and knew the price we would pay for it three years before we actually bought it. My journey—and our journey—was a spiritual walk with the Lord throughout that time, and it still is. During those three years, we added another baby to the mix, grew vegetables, flowers, and mums, and started a delivery service in our community. Yet, we still didn’t have a business.
In January 2020, I felt a strong urge to make a move, and my husband agreed. He contacted a realtor and the bank, and the process began. We laughed, noting that we didn’t even have a business plan or a dime to put down on the property. In 2020, while the world seemed to be falling apart, things in our small-town America continued to move forward, perhaps not normally, but still moving forward. That lot, which had been laid on our hearts, was purchased in April 2020. It felt like a divine move, even though we had no funds for the building and faced credit challenges.
The special thing about building in your hometown is that people trust you. The loan was approved by a board, based solely on our vision, dream, and passion. We set up a fresh vegetable and flower stand on our corner lot during the summer. As summer came to an end, my husband and I dreamed of a small coffee shop to help offset income during the winter when vegetables weren’t growing. We converted the back of the building on our lot into a house and transformed the front into a coffee shop, living there to keep expenses down.
In November 2020, we opened the coffee shop, and to our surprise, the town embraced it warmly. We ran with it, even though we had little idea of what we were doing; we just knew we were on the right track. The Garden Exchange, as it is called, wears many hats: it’s a local coffee shop, a place to pick fresh flowers in all seasons, a full-time floral studio, a spot to buy Christmas trees, and a venue for our many community-wide events.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s the bumpiest ride I have ever taken. It is nowhere near smooth. I would never change a thing about what we do because we truly feel like we are fulfilling a calling on our lives. My heart lives and breathes this space, building, and dream. But it is not easy. The amount of stress, balancing, and aching I feel daily is not a healthy place to always be. The downs are tough, but the ups are incredibly sweet.
Our biggest struggle has been ourselves—growing to handle such a responsibility. We need to nurture it, grow when it needs to grow, and find time to rest when the business is at rest. Managing employees and setting boundaries, especially when living on-site, has also been challenging.
If I had it all figured out, I would explain the problem and the solution. All I can say is that each day presents several challenges, and our hope is to make the right choices for the future of ourselves and the business. Often, we don’t know if we’ve made the right decision until we look back down the road. We are still cleaning up from early decisions that were irresponsible and immature—something many young business owners experience. But my heart is still in this, and until that changes, I wake up alongside all the other small business owners in the world, and make a choice to fight for something that’s worth fighting for.
We’ve been impressed with The Garden Exchange, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Garden Exchange has been established for four years this year. Over these four years, we have branded ourselves in different ways, but what we’ve realized this year is that coffee and flowers have always been our constants. Our shop is both a coffee and flower shop—what could be a better combination? We specialize in creating affordable delivery, gift options, and pick-me-ups with coffee and flowers. Our coffee is known for its cold foam; my secret recipe is the best thing I have ever made, and I honestly think we should bottle it and sell it.
What sets us apart is the experience at The Garden Exchange. Not only can you order flowers, but depending on the season, you can also walk out to our flower beds and hand-pick an arrangement for yourself while enjoying a crafted cup of coffee. Most Saturdays, we host other small businesses, so there’s always something fun going on.
I am most proud of the fact that we don’t follow any norms. Everything here is original to the shop, from our coffee recipes to our floral styles—everything has an artistic flair. Check out all we offer online and stay tuned on social media for new things we are always creating.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I think I might be too good at taking risks. I’m pretty sure my yearbook quote says “Go big or go home.” Although that was a trendy saying in the 2000s, I took it to heart all too well. Every day, we wake up and take risks. The Garden Exchange was a risk—we had no money down. Since then, we’ve opened several more businesses and found success with The Floral Exchange, a sister business to The Garden Exchange that focuses solely on event and wedding florals.
We’ve also ventured into real estate, buying commercial properties, which is a huge risk. Commercial real estate is a different game compared to residential. We are actively investing in our downtown area, which needs desperate realization, because we want to see it come back to life. When nothing is happening down here, we’re spending our money revitalizing and rescuing these old buildings. It is a double whammy to be taking that on.
I don’t think you make any significant moves without taking risks. You have to be on the edge of your nerves to achieve something great. We’ve also taken risks that haven’t worked out. It’s not fun at all; it’s incredibly discouraging. But anyone who has succeeded has also made mistakes. That’s how you learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/thegardenexchangeauroramo
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.garden.exchange/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RadersFarm/
Image Credits
Jillian Curtis Photography
Jasmine Lee Photography
