5 REASONS TO START A BUSINESS WHEN YOU'RE QUESTIONING YOUR GENDER

I really thought coming out of the closet once was going to be it - but here we are. I’m genderfluid. I’m sure some of you may have guessed since I spend more time on my makeup when I’m embracing androgyny, or that I like to cosplay David Bowie every single chance I get. If you had no idea or feel any sort of way that I never brought it up, don’t. It’s complicated and I promise it wasn’t personal.

I’ve known I was genderfluid for most of my adult life, but since I’m always read (perceived) as my pronouns, I never felt the need to announce it. My pronouns are she/her and they/them interchangeably. Honestly, anything but he/him. I walk through this world with white privilege, and I’ve experienced male privilege while dressed masculine in dark bars and clubs, and it's not for me. The rest doesn’t really matter to me at this point.

Recently starting a business has drastically helped with my dysphoria. I am a fierce woman, but I can't be contained in that box. My gender is so much more than that, and it changes and adapts. The whole reason I started Pott'd was so I could follow my vision - to bring people comfort and joy through plants. I began to look inward to see what that meant for me. Here are 5 reasons why I recommend starting a business if you want to understand your gender better:

Pott'd started as a houseplant company but is rapidly evolving into something much larger. Short-term I'll have an inclusive gathering space with plants for purchase. Long-term I want to change the way the whole system works by providing the girls, gays and theys with the resources needed to become successful entrepreneurs.

When planning your vision look at the big picture. Think of a successful day and who's there with you.

My gender struggles come up periodically, but it really hit me when I started thinking about the future of my company. I’m looking to run a company where my beliefs and ethics are apparent in every aspect. I was considering getting certified as a women-owned business. This would open the doors to a lot of resources, including funding. But it just didn’t feel right at all and I needed to be true to myself even if it costs me some opportunities. My vision is to provide comfort and joy through plants, and also to provide a space that is inclusive and where voices are heard. That includes my own voice and being honest with my journey.

Note: this is only helpful if you're looking for clarity. There are a lot of the dreaded check boxes when starting a business. Male? Female? Prefer not to answer? Good news is most have a nonbinary option.

Recently I added a professional signature to my email. My logo and contact info and, you guessed it, my pronouns. As I was setting it up, I began with she/her as a solidarity move. Normalizing pronouns in email signatures is important as we move forward in this world. But she/her wasn't all of it, so I added they/them. It was a great way to test the waters. People have noticed, and been more conscious about gender matters around me. I feel the most myself that I have in a long time.

When I was planning my opening announcement, I hired a photographer to take some photos. Due to the pandemic, we planned it outside. I brought some plants out and planned an outfit change. Even though I hadn't felt comfortable in a dress for years I decided I wanted to wear one for this. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

Imagery by G. Arnold

I can only speak to my own experience here, but the support I received so far has been enough to give me the courage to organize my thoughts and write this. I overthink everything, and was panicking that I would get a lot of hate, or that people would suspect my timing. In order to be successful in my business I need to be successful in myself. The most frequent questions are about a loss of womanhood. Some of my biggest joys and pains come from being a woman and I’ll never forget that or give that up. I’m still a woman, just a little more fluid now. Gender is a spectrum and it can be confusing; hopefully it won’t matter in the next generations. I'm not different than I was before, now it has a name.

I was discussing with a friend today and the analogy came up that I was always at the party, just playing with the cat, and now I’m on the dance floor.