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Jamie Shrum, an emerging entrepreneur, and a client of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, began her entrepreneurial journey in 2022. With a deep love for nature, decades of private sector work experience and roots in Southern California, she successfully launched her cherished venture, SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts.

Shrum's passion for plants began in 2013 while working for a construction and engineering firm, where she volunteered in their community garden. It was there she discovered her love for nurturing plants and the many benefits they provide. This newfound passion not only brought her joy but also significantly improved her mental health.

Shrum began working with the SBDC and director Jo Ann Di Maggio May in 2023 while looking for local expert guidance and support for her business. The SBDC has played a crucial role in Shrum's business success. With their help, she developed a business plan and was provided with target market analysis and multiple community resources. Di Maggio May connected her with various financial institutions and guided her through the business registration process as well as government documents necessary for onboarding employees.

“The support from the SBDC was invaluable,” Shrum says. “Jo Ann and her team provided me with the resources and start up tools I needed to ensure a solid launch pad.”

“It is wonderful to see the blooming success of SoCal and how hard Shrum has worked to achieve her dreams of becoming a business owner,” says Di Maggio May. “The SBDC and I are here to assist as needed. We look forward to SoCal’s bright future.”

SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts was established with the mission of using plants as a therapeutic component in people's lives. After working in the high stress corporate sector, Shrum realized how gardening and plants had become a source of therapy and calm for her. She recognized the importance of these benefits for other women as well. Certain plant varieties can purify the air, and plants in general improve mental health, lower blood pressure, and reduce stress. They are proven to improve concentration in education settings and encourage increased recovery times for those in hospitals and rehabilitation centers.  Shrum wanted to bring these benefits to the community through her business.

In the early stages of her business, Shrum operated a pop-up store at The Land of Goshen Market in Edwardsville every Saturday and various other markets in the Metro-East area. By March 2024, she successfully opened her storefront in Edwardsville, offering a wide variety of houseplants for homes and businesses.

SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts not only sells houseplants but also provides instructions on how to care for them. Customers can bring in plants that are not thriving and receive guidance on how to revive them.

Looking to the future, Shrum envisions expanding her business to multiple locations with larger facilities to host even more events, workshops, and gardens creating a greater sense of community.

“I want to create spaces where people can connect, relax, learn and have fun while using houseplants, cacti and succulents as a launching point to engage with the community,” Shrum expressed.

SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts also hosts hands-on workshops, in-store repotting and plant care services and private parties.

SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts is located at 301 N. Main St. Edwardsville, IL 62025. Find them on socials on Instagram @socalsoulplants and Facebook facebook.com/SoCalSoulPlants as well as online SoCal-Soul.com and via email Hello@SoCal-Soul.com.

Shrum's journey with SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts is a testament to the therapeutic power of plants and the support of the Small Business Development Center in helping entrepreneurs succeed.

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists entrepreneurs like SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts as well as existing business owners operating in the nine-county Metro East region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. SBDC enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. 

SBDC offices in Illinois are funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement among the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as a service to the community. To learn how these no-cost services may help your business venture, contact the Metro East SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.

PHOTO:  Jamie Shrum, founder SoCal Soul Plants & Gifts