Jennifer “Swigert” Lendon is a 1990 alumnus of Newcomerstown Significant School and a 1994 graduate of Malone College, now Malone College, with a bachelor’s diploma in business administration.
Through her high university years, she was used at Thompson’s I.G.A. (now Riesbeck’s) and continued there as a result of summer season breaks from college. She enjoyed the smaller city grocery store vibe, and has quite a few wonderful recollections from all those times.
She then married spouse, George, who was in graduate university at Kent Point out University. She labored for a quick time in Hudson right until they moved to Bethesda, Ohio, in 1998 when she started her favorite position as a keep-at-household mom for 13 years.
Then in 2012, the family purchased Ponzani Florist and Back garden Middle, 46540 Nationwide Highway West, St. Clairsville, and renamed the small business as Lendon Floral & Back garden.
When the Lendon household has downtime they like to participate in card game titles, in particular Hearts and Slap9 observe videos in the winter months and delight in their yard fire pit with a good cup of espresso throughout the rest of the yr.
Satisfy the Zufelts:They opened an clothing corporation in Newcomerstown
Convey to us a little little bit about your present career and the flower store. What led you to starting up this enterprise?
My partner, George, was seeking for a transform in careers as was my brother, Matt Swigert.
As a result of a great deal prayer and seeking God’s will, we were being blessed to have the chance to purchase Ponzani’s in 2012. With George and I in the floral shop, and Matt operating the Gardens, we jumped into a existence as compact company house owners.
Matt was in a position to remain with us until he took his current posture as groundskeeper and bus driver for Newcomerstown Faculties (a a lot shorter commute).
As the field has transformed, we have also changed our business enterprise product. We now function with several wonderful nurseries in the point out of Ohio, who mature our greens, annuals, perennials, trees, etcetera. In the final three several years, we have turned our attention to applying our greenhouses and property for developing flowers to help our floral store.
These final handful of many years have demonstrated us that the stock and floral offer chains we count on are fragile. I appreciate that I can pick a flower in the Gardens in the early morning, and it will go into a vase for a customer that afternoon. That flower’s vase existence, with good care, is substantially for a longer time.
There’s a gratification of being aware of you’re developing anything that will enable your client to categorical their inner thoughts such as sympathy, adore, friendship, and “just because” in these kinds of a attractive way.
In the last two decades, our two oldest daughters have graduated college or university and appear to work with us. Sadie is 1 of our whole-time floral designers, and she also operates our web page and social media accounts. In addition, she also does all our arranging for the holiday seasons and seasonal improvements.
Bea graduated with a setting up preservation diploma from Belmont University and has used the capabilities that she has realized to set up a stained glass studio at the floral store. She also oversees our planting for the bouquets we mature for the floral store and will work complete time at the Gardens when they are open up.
Our youngest daughter Millie is a senior this year at East Richland Christian Educational institutions and is arranging to attend a massage therapy university in the drop, so who is aware of, in the foreseeable future we may have to put in a therapeutic massage treatment studio as properly.
What do you delight in about this enterprise vs. previous profession paths?
I cherished my occupation as a remain-at-dwelling mom the freedoms that came with it ended up these types of a blessing.
I loved paying out time with my girls and watching them increase and delight in existence as region ladies. Giving that up to work complete time was definitely tough, but I have uncovered my religion has developed exponentially. God has provided for us so quite a few moments around these last 11 1/2 many years.
Being a florist, we are living on a roller coaster of hectic and slow seasons. We have times of peaceful and times of, “drinking from a fireplace hose”, as my sister-in-law Sarah as soon as stated through Valentine’s Day.
I take pleasure in the assortment in the seasons that we celebrate as a florist. I also adore acquiring to use my abilities to enable a person categorical a emotion or emotion in a gorgeous way. Our globe is entire of the negatives and wrongs, but to watch someone light up and their total countenance adjust for the reason that of something you have created is this kind of a superb thing.
For some enjoyment, what is a thing folks would be astonished to know about you?
Folks could be surprised to know that for my 50th birthday, my oldest daughter and I acquired tattoos. Mine options a few modest sparrows and an olive department stem with 17 leaves to symbolize Colossians 3:17 … “Whatever I do whether in word or speech, I do it all for the glory of God supplying many thanks by means of Jesus Christ.”
It is my way of reminding myself every single working day as I do my work, it is to his glory.
What was it like developing up in Newcomerstown?
I loved escalating up in Newcomerstown, and I have several fond recollections of that time.
I usually considered I would get married and increase our family members there, but God experienced other strategies. On the other hand, our ladies used a lot of time in the summer season with my mother and father, Wayne and Louise Swigert. They professional quite a few of my favorite childhood pastimes like enjoying in the stream by my parent’s household, enjoying with cousins, heading to the library for publications, and baking with my mother.
What would you like to spotlight for us?
For the reason that of social media, I have been blessed to retain up with lots of of my classmates who I graduated with in 1990. I enjoy obtaining to see their lives and families as they develop and change.
I would motivate anyone thinking of a work change and/or setting up your individual small business, there is no time like the existing. Just be all set to commit extensive hours at it in the beginning. It’s truly worth it on so numerous stages if you put in the time.
