We’re looking forward to introducing you to Vicky Popat. Check out our conversation below.
Vicky, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are about setting intention. I start with a moment of gratitude, then a strong cup of coffee which feels even more special now that we grow coffee plants through PlantOGram. I review my top priorities for the day and map out what needs my focus most.
Family time is built in too. I love being present with my kids in the morning, whether it’s helping them get ready or sharing breakfast together. Those conversations are grounding, and they remind me why I do what I do.
By the time I transition into work mode, I’ve centered myself around gratitude, clarity, and connection. It gives me the energy and purpose I need to lead the business with focus.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Vicky Popat, and I’m the Co-Founder of PlantOGram, a company my husband Mickey and I built from the ground up with one simple idea: that the most meaningful gifts grow. What started as a small family passion has grown into a nationally recognized brand that’s been featured on Oprah’s Favorite Things, Real Simple, and Town & Country.
At PlantOGram, we create luxury gifting experiences built around fruiting plants from olive trees to coffee plants each wrapped beautifully and ready to surprise someone in a way that lasts far beyond the holidays. What makes us unique is that our gifts literally grow with you. They’re living, they’re sustainable, and they carry a story that unfolds for years.
Right now, we’re focused on expanding that vision making green gifting more accessible, creating new ways for families to connect through nature, and helping people see plants not just as décor, but as experiences, memories, and legacies.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
When we first started PlantOGram, it was just Mickey and me going door-to-door with fruit trees in the back of our car. We believed in the idea that plants could be more than décor they could be gifts with meaning but convincing others wasn’t always easy. There were plenty of slammed doors, polite no’s, and moments when it would’ve been easier to quit.
But the day someone lit up with joy after receiving a tree we delivered ourselves, I knew we were onto something bigger than us. That moment shaped how I see the world: people crave connection, and when you give them something alive something that grows with them it’s not just a product, it’s an experience. That lesson has guided every step of building PlantOGram into the brand it is today.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
For me the defining wounds were never a single moment of drama, but a series of small, bruising losses that add up: the financial stress of building a business in an unforgiving industry, watching plans fall apart when you thought you’d finally reached solid ground, and the quiet toll that uncertainty takes on your family. Those years taught me that success and heartache often live side by side.
Healing for me has been practical and daily. First, I reclaimed my sense of control by returning to the basics: routine, work that matters, and small rituals that center me. Morning gratitude, a real conversation at the breakfast table with my kids, and the simple act of tending to plants reminded me that growth is gradual and steady.
Second, I allowed myself to be vulnerable with the people around me. Asking for help, leaning on family, and building a community of partners and friends turned isolation into support. That network became both a safety net and a sounding board for better ideas.
Finally, I turned pain into purpose. The losses we endured made PlantOGram more than a business. It became a way to offer others continuity, joy, and a gift that literally grows. When you take something hard and make it meaningful for other people, it changes the wound into a kind of fuel.
I still have hard days, of course. But healing isn’t a finish line. It’s the work you return to again and again with patience, honesty, and the willingness to plant another seed.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. What you see on screen is what you get in person. I show up the same way for TV, interviews, and meetings as I do at home and at work direct, warm, and purposeful. I care about honesty, I move quickly, and I value follow through. I laugh the same laugh, I get excited about the same ideas, and I hold the same standards whether the camera is rolling or not.
That doesn’t mean I am unfiltered at every moment. I choose my words because they matter. But there is no persona. The resilience, curiosity, and family-first values you hear about are real, and they guide how I run the business and how I show up for people. If you meet me after a segment, you will meet the same person who was on screen.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I want people to say I showed up for the things that mattered. That I built something real with my hands and my heart a business that celebrated growth, family, and generosity. That PlantOGram wasn’t just a product company but a way to help people connect, to give gifts that kept giving, and to lift up the farmers and families behind the trees.
I want to be remembered as someone who worked hard, told the truth, and made space for others to succeed. That I cared more about legacy than headlines; more about people than praise. And that when life got hard, I planted another seed and invited others to grow with me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://plantogram.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantograms/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plantogram
Image Credits
Alara Messa
Anona Media Group
