Community Highlights: Meet Tory Erpenbeck of Native Yardening

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tory Erpenbeck. 

Hi Tory, 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?
After getting my undergraduate degree in illustration, I spent a few years fumbling around trying to make a career as an artist. I ended up with a job in marketing at a really dysfunctional and toxic workplace. I spent about a year there until my father unexpectedly experienced a brain aneurysm and a stroke. This event turned my life completely upside down. My job at the time was not accommodating to the situation, so I ended up quitting. 

After a couple of months, I decided to go back to school and make a career change. The intensity of the situation with my dad made me want to be a part of something bigger than myself. So, I got my master’s degree in sustainable design. 

Trying to enter a new career during the pandemic was a major challenge. I applied to hundreds of jobs before deciding to pursue what had always been my goal – owning and operating my own business. 

I’ve found being an entrepreneur to be incredibly empowering in countless ways. It allows me to serve others in the best way possible because I have sovereignty over how I conduct my work. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any major endeavor is an entirely smooth road. There are always ups and downs. For instance, I utilized a free resource in the city for startup entrepreneurs where I was given business advice. The team advising me was entirely older, white, retired and wealthy men. They were completely out of touch with my ideas and my reality. It was discouraging at first, but I was able to find a mentor who much more closely aligns with my values and my business because I posted on social media about the bad experience and was referred to them. 

We’ve been impressed with Native Yardening, 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?
Native Yardening is a regenerative landscape consulting business. We aim to educate and empower individuals and other businesses on how to combat the climate crisis through regenerative practices in the garden, yard, or other landscapes. 

Soil health has a direct relationship to climate change and to human health, but there is a general lack of awareness around the natural processes and systems that make the world work. 

We offer individual coaching and consulting for gardeners (beginners or experienced!) and landscapers that focuses on improving soil, planting the right species, conserving wildlife, and working with nature instead of against it. We will visit and assess your property for folks in the Greater Cincinnati area or consult virtually with anyone around the world. 

Even in the horticulture and master gardening world, there is a huge lack of education surrounding the importance of planting native species, the ecological harm done by pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, and how soil actually works on a biological level. These are enormous issues that need to be solved if we want our planet to remain habitable by humans. 

Regenerative gardening is not rocket science! It’s actually quite easy for the average person to practice, even if you think you don’t have a “green thumb.” It’s also, in my professional opinion, the simplest way for an individual to combat climate change. 

Native Yardening also offers online workshops and downloadable content through our website. And we’re currently growing our plant nursery to sell native plants that are difficult to find at the average garden center. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Your business isn’t (and shouldn’t be) for everyone. There will be people who don’t get what you’re doing or who just aren’t interested, and that is totally fine. Find your community, figure out how to serve them specifically, and do things that bring you joy. 

Pricing:

• Individual Coaching Sessions: $150/hr
• Consultations for Landscape/Garden Businesses: $180/hr
• Garden Maintenance Services: $40/hr
• E-books: $10

Contact Info:

• Email: info@nativeyardening.com
• Website: www.nativeyardening.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/native.yards
• Facebook: facebook.com/native.yardening