Meet Brandy Hall | Founder & Managing Director

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandy Hall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandy, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Shades of Green has found success by remaining aligned and accountable to our core values of honesty, mutual respect, consideration, humor, and integrity. By building a company culture that is a microcosm of the culture we hope to seed, we have been able to find success. Our mission is driven by the belief that harmony between the natural world and the human built environment is life-giving. To achieve such harmony, not only does our work on the ground and with our clients center our values, but so does our company culture. Part of that is fostering collaboration within the Shades of Green team, working with others for a better end result, just like an ecosystem. We encourage each other to lean into learning edges, maintain a willingness to grow and learn from mistakes, and remain students of our craft while also being experts. Every step of our process is a learning opportunity, from lead call and consult to design, build and caretaking. We even have a program to reimburse clients for their labor on installs. A few other approaches we take in our work that has led to success include:

-Balance: We challenge ourselves to leave room for intuition, balancing protracted, strategic planning with instinct and adjustment.
-Flexibility: We meet clients exactly where they are, treating every person as a holistic system and working around their needs.
-Resource rich: We offer guidance and value every step of the way, including sharing our network, vendors, partners, and educational resources to provide our tools for success to our clients.

What should our readers know about your business?
More than a typical landscaping service, Shades of Green is a permaculture landscape design, build and education firm producing regenerative, ecologically-sound, and sustainable outdoor spaces. Our designs contribute to protecting biodiversity, growing food, medicine, and pollinator habitat, building soil, and restoring the water cycle. Biodiversity is a key to a happier, more sustainable planet. At Shades of Green, we believe harmony between the human built environment and the natural world promotes biodiversity, which is ultimately achieved through our core values of honesty, mutual respect, consideration, humor, and integrity. I’m also so proud of the amazing people I get to work with every day. When we put our heads together, we can solve any challenge that comes our way. I’m really excited about the course we’re launching this winter titled “The Regenerative Backyard Blueprint: A step-by-step guide to transform your yard into an eco-friendly paradise.” The course is perfect for anyone with a residential urban or suburban outdoor space looking to gain practical skills that incorporate permaculture, resilience, nature connection, and ecology. I’m excited about the accessibility of the course, reaching more people and empowering them with the tools to address climate change in their own yards, from building soil fertility organically to choosing the right useful and native plants to managing water in a sustainable way.

Resilience has got me here! Trial and error is always an invaluable learning experience for any entrepreneur, which has certainly been true for me. I have also sought guidance, asked for help and listened to others while also listening to and trusting my gut. I’ve had to be my own number one champion, refusing to be told it isn’t possible to build a values-driven, ethical permaculture company that is also profitable. Resilience is a necessity. Was it easy? At times, sure, when things went smoothly… but largely NO WAY! Building my business has been a constant effort filled with tears, sweat and stress, which is why resilience is so important. I’ve overcome challenges by staying focused on the vision of my company. I’ve learned to check in with myself and the energy I’m putting out in the world. Physical, mental, emotional–as long as my energy has been directed toward the vision of my company, it has been worth it. I believe so strongly in shaping the world we want to see, and every day is an opportunity to show up and keep trying. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way:

-It’s ok to say no to things, and you have to in order to grow.
-Your voice has value. As a woman in a man’s industry, I’ve had to find my voice and believe that what I have to say is valuable.
-Plan, plan, plan! Having a roadmap keeps you focused on the vision… but always adjust as needed.
-Build a system to contain the things that take up your mental space. Once it’s automated, you can move on!

At Shades of Green, we do everything in house–consulting, design, installation and construction, ongoing training and support–which allows us to uphold the client’s vision from day one. Our relationships with our clients grow and deepen over time. And we are an eff-ing pleasure to work with!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We’d head out early on our bikes and weave through some great neighborhoods along the Path. Making our way over to the beltline, we’d stop for a game of pick-up frisbee in Piedmont Park. Then we’d eat breakfast at Rising Son in Avondale, so they can get some amazing gravy and biscuits–as good as my grandma’s, and that’s saying something. Definitely grab some oysters at Kimball house! And of course, spend lots of evenings gathered around the fire with friends, playing music.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have absolutely been inspired through my work and studies with the Small Giants Community and their rich network of mentors. They believe that the best way to do business is to prioritize people and purpose, which really resonated with me. I’ve been able to step into leadership in an authentic way, in large part thanks to the Small Giants Community. Additionally, Shades of Green clients that put their trust in our vision and execution have allowed us the space to forge an industry. They’ve enabled us to explore the boundaries of permaculture, try new methods, and take new risks, from which we’ve learned immensely! Ultimately, our work gets better because of them.

Website: https://shadesofgreenpermaculture.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shades_of_green_permaculture/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shadesofgreenpermaculture/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjdAxCFV-vBUlCxpfD1eQ2A

Image Credits
-Photo by Virginie Drujon
-Kippelen
-Courtesy of Shades of Green (Waldorf School and Design Images)