Today we’d like to introduce you to Steve Pulliam.
Hi Steve, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The love for transforming the mundane into something beautiful and extraordinary has always held tremendous excitement for me. Seeing the big possibilities and the potential where there is seemingly little to work with sings like a symphony on a blank page waiting to be born. And so the promise of delivering something wonderful to our clients excites and energizes me. I have always been a Renaissance man at heart. My love for learning and creating has led me down a diverse and adventurous path. Always a self-starter, entrepreneurship became a way to express my dreams and creativity. When I formed HomeScape Carolina, it was the natural outflow of more than 25 years of combined experience in business and marketing, teaching and consulting, publishing and writing, as well as my knowledge of landscaping.
My first career was that of an Illustrator and Commercial Artist. Always loving the great outdoors, my interests were particularly captivated by the beauty of landscape painting and wildlife illustrations. My love for art and my interest in trees and design eventually became a short step into the landscaping industry. The HomeScape Journal blog on our website was originally a published print magazine that eventually transmigrated into a digital format on the web and in our current digital monthly newsletter. The goal of the publication was – and still is – to educate and inspire do-it-yourself landscape gardeners while promoting beauty and preservation in our communities. The ultimate inspiration that animates what I do is my Christian faith and my family – both of which help keep me centered and provide the frame of reference that brings incredible joy to what I do. Additionally, I have a wonderful team of employees who help to lead by example in their professionalism and dedication to excellence.
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 started HomeScape Carolina when I was 59 years old. As a small company, I wore every proverbial hat imaginable – from sales and marketing to operations and the many interminably long days working in the famous Carolina summer heat. My physical health was challenged regularly. Long hours and frequent visits to the chiropractor – with lots of Ibuprofen -were the norm initially. The work flooded in, but good and reliable employees were a major challenge to find. There were days of great discouragement and disappointment, but my faith, family, and vision became the mainstay that held me on course. About eighteen months into the new business, circumstances began to improve as I found a handful of talented and reliable employees who could assume important roles that made life and business a lot easier. The hard work up front was worth it all! Three and a half years later, a thriving business is growing and impacting our communities.
Thanks for sharing that. So, could you tell us a bit more about your business.
From the beginning, I wanted to create an exceptional business model that provided landscape services as unique as our clients. From consulting and design to installation and preservation, my goal has been to provide care and service far exceeding the typical landscape service model. Even more, I wanted our company to bring a unique perspective emphasizing preservation. Observing that so many trees (and shrubs) in the Carolinas were dying and being removed prematurely each year because of pests and disease, poor growing environments, or poor maintenance practices (most of which could have been prevented), I decided to create a company that had preservation as one of its main pillars. From that perspective, we offer a variety of plant care and soil care programs designed to promote the long-term health and vigor of trees, shrubs, and turf. My passion and my pledge is to weave creative artistry and science together in a way that fosters the health and beauty in the landscape.
What do you think about happiness?
I received a call the other day from a client who wanted to thank me. She had a lawn that had been seriously declining due to poor maintenance practices and nutrient-deficient soil. We were able to step in at the right time and make some changes to her soil profile. The result was truly significant – and the client was ecstatic as she explained how happy she was with the transformation. These kinds of calls are always wonderfully encouraging and tremendously rewarding. Such appreciation for our work helps us know the value of what we bring to our communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://homescapecarolina.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homescapecarolina/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homescapecarolina/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-pulliam-55677936/
