Tags: Custom Pots Francis Escuadro Gardening Hobby Business Keisha Pulido Kia Ledesma Marquez Meg Hernandez Meghann Hernandez Metro Mom Planting Potheads Davao Potted Plants
Dazzle up your garden with custom painted planters by the Potheads.
Turning passion into profit is something a lot of us aspire to do. After all, starting a hobby business is a productive way to spend idle time. You can immerse yourself in something you enjoy while earning extra income. If your hobby involves artistic endeavors, there are many ways you can turn your creativity into a lucrative side hustle or full-time vocation.
In the case of Karina Angelica “Kia” Ledesma-Marquez, her sister, Keisha Gabrielle Pulido, and their friend, Francis Cabrera Escuadro, the necessary breakaway from old routines opened the door for a breakthrough collaboration. All three work full-time in various industries, but share the same love for arts and design. Outside their regular jobs, they didn’t think they could monetize anything handmade until they found their pot of gold amidst a growing fascination with ornamental plants and urban greening.
Keisha Pulido, Francis Escuadro and Kia Marquez
A NOVEL IDEA
Kia, herself, resorted to indoor gardening to keep her occupied at home. The artist in her wanted to spruce up her plant display. She decided to add color and life to her pots with her own illustration and painting. This little project sparked a business idea which Kia immediately pitched to her sister and Francis. The thought of painting on pots (instead of the usual canvas), as well as earning on the side, excited them all. They immediately drew up a plan to paint and curate cement planters for sale—the collection that will launch their hobby business called Potheads.
The first set they created featured lines and geometric patterns. They later took inspiration from pop culture, music and story books, as well as the works of Klimt, Van Gogh, Banksy and other notable artists. The trio gave one another free hand to showcase their personal style and character preferences.
“The first set I made had characters from Friends, my all-time favorite TV sitcom,” beams Francis.
“In the beginning, we just worked around our imagination and interests,” Kia adds. “We got overwhelming response with our second collection, which featured more complex designs. From then on, orders came pouring in and our following online grew as more people took notice of our work.”
MADE TO ORDER
Business started to pick up and they eventually accepted custom orders from friends and clients.
“I do all the cartoon designs, while Francis does most of our modern art themes. All portraits are made by Kia,” explains Keisha.
Production time varies depending on the design and pot size. Some may take half an hour to finish, while others can take hours and days.
Kia points out that passion projects such as this need dedication and commitment.
“We usually paint at night and on the weekends, when we’re off-duty. Time management is very important, and it helps that get to divide the tasks among ourselves. We do our best to follow through and accommodate as much orders as we can—even requests for canvas and digital art. We are very grateful for this opportunity to bring ideas and concepts to life.”
Find @potheads_dvo on Instagram and Potheads Davao on Facebook, to place your orders or see more product photos and designs.
Story published on my Metro Mom column in Edge Davao newspaper. Photos courtesy of Kia Marquez, Keisha Pulido, and Francis Escuadro.
