Meet Tishana Richards | Entrepreneur and Owner of Coco and Seed

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tishana Richards and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tishana, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
It’s taken a long time and experience to understand the fine line between work and life outside of work. For many of us that are entrepreneurs work can take over your identity. There is no clocking in and out when you can do work in some form from anywhere. So it’s easy to have a typical 8 hour day turn into a 12, 14, 16 hour day if you let it. Then burnout can happen and sometimes it feels unavoidable but it can be prevented. I’m still learning to really set boundaries, like no emails after 6, or knowing the main goals for the day. If it looks like what I want to do will take longer that’s when reaching out for help is vital. Balance isn’t about how much you can do on your own, but rather understanding that you don’t and shouldn’t do it alone. Knowing your limits but also knowing that even if you can do it yourself that managing your efforts is part of that balance to enjoying life more.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve dedicated most of my professional life to learning and sharing what I know and being scrappy. In the case of my business, Coco and Seed, that experience has been with my struggle with gardening. I crafted a DIY hydroponic garden kit in 2013 that helps those interested in growing food indoors an easy and fun way to get started. That caught the attention of the Today Show and O Magazine in 2020 that opened up the experience to more growers which was very exciting! Using all the tools in my tool belt has gotten me to this point. Doing everything from package design to product testing, creating graphics and writing copy, to shipping and customer service. I think believing in yourself and truly enjoying what you do is what keeps me pushing forward. Knowing that people have wonderful experiences and get to be excited about being a plant parent, knowing that they have the support and enjoy sharing their love of it with others is my act of service to the community. Doing this type of work is never easy but the reward is far greater than any struggle.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My first love is Flagstaff. I would take them up north and go on a little walk around downtown to see the shops. They also have plenty of nice trails to spot wildlife and the beautiful San Fransicso peaks. For dinner, it’s either Pato Thai or Dara Thai for some soul-warming dishes and Thai iced tea. We would definitely have to check out Zane Grey for some bloody mary’s and overlooking the square. On the way back home it’s West Fork Trail in Sedona to go exploring and be one with nature. Before calling it an end it’s The Ostrich Bar in downtown Chandler for some amazing specialty cocktails. Anything with gin and lemon and I’m in!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out my lovely parents, Celeste and Derrick Richards. I don’t give them enough credit for all of their support and sacrifice and they deserve so much recognition than I can express. My original cheerleaders and pillars of support for all of my crazy dreams and antics. Even when they don’t fully understand what I’m getting myself into they are there for me.

Website: https://www.cocoandseed.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ietishana

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ieTishana