Amy Bales shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Amy, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Being able to respond quickly and rely on gut instinct is absolutely essential. While putting myself through school, working full time and then getting my business off the ground I was always revolving around such a chaotic and busy schedule that responding quickly to things was second nature. My days then were organized to the very minute so it was just easier to get items off my plate and deal with them quickly so they weren’t hanging over my head at the end of the day. However, as I’m getting older I see more benefit to not acting too fast. When people come to you with issues or problems, or you encounter situations that have many moving parts sometimes the best thing to do is just take a beat and see how things start to play out on their own. Situations reveal their true nature and fullness over time and often it’s not a reaction that’s needed but an assessment. The best part of taking a minute, or days, to contemplate whatever is pressing on you is that half of the time it sorts itself out!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi – I’m Amy Bales. Born and raised in Kansas, I’ve lived and gardened in Denver for over 25 years now.
I started Bales Custom Gardening Services a few years after moving to Denver. I come from an artistic family and one of my avenues of expression has been to use gardens as my canvas. For me, gardening and working with plants is a living and breathing art form. A garden will interact, it will force you to bend your will or alter your plans. Creating a true garden requires an in depth knowledge of plant material and being able to picture how things will grow together in 3-10 years time. But it’s also a great outlet for experimenting and trying new things. Our Winters here can last anywhere from 4-7 months. So, while the sun is shining we try to keep things lush, blooming and interesting.
My husband Clint is literally my right hand man in life and the business. We started out as a dynamic duo and now have a talented small staff that specializes in organic, pesticide free garden maintenance, native perennial plantings and food crops. In addition to providing a high level of personalized service we really strive to help our customers have the kind of outdoor space they have always dreamed of.
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 breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Well your past is what makes who you are in the present. I have a laundry list of things that have shaped who I am today, some great things and some real trials and hardships. I think, for some people, their biggest challenge lies in being able to let go of their past. Or accept their past. It can really get in the way of living in authenticity. The past is the past, we only have the present and what you do today shapes your tomorrow. Try to stay positive and make the most of it, it will be over before you’re ever ready to let go.
Assumptions and actions break bonds between people. Grace is what restores them. As Robert Frost said, ‘Good fences make good neighbors’. Some people will try to run over you, don’t be afraid to set boundaries. It’s your life and it’s too short to waste on bad energy.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Just be yourself because you’re awesome.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
honesty & truth
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you retired tomorrow, what would your customers miss most?
Our Denver market has been quickly shifting to primarily large service providers so I’d like to think they’d miss our smiling faces and the fact that we treat their properties like our own in the way that we take on, care about and address problems. You don’t get that kind of personal service from large companies and we take pride in being able to provide that. We’ve had some customers almost as long as our business has existed so in some ways they become like extended family… who can feel comfortable texting me, even in the middle of the night!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://balescustomgardening.wordpress.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/balescustomgardening/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com › company › bales-custom-gardening-services
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BalesGardening/
