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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — When Molly Barrett was first approached about running the long-established flower shop at 18th and Poplar Streets in Terre Haute, she wasn’t completely sold.
“I’m not a green thumb,” Barrett said with a laugh.
But Barrett is a business-savvy woman who said she and her husband, Greg, always wanted to own their own business.
“We talked about it, we developed a business plan, we looked at buildings, we’ve done all of those things before,” Barrett said. “But we could never pull the trigger on our own.”
After much encouragement and some number crunching, it was decided to take over the flower shop for at least two years.
“When I found out I needed to go back in two years, I said, ‘Okay, then I’m not going to sell my suit and I’m going to go back to the corporate world.’ I got rid of that stuff in case I ever needed it.” I didn’t.’ Again,” Barrett said. “I gave it all away because I didn’t need it anymore.”
That’s because the seeds of entrepreneurship planted at what is now Maggie and Moe’s Poplar Flowers and Decor, named after Molly’s two daughters, blossomed into a city-wide operation.
The Barretts now own the original flower shop, as well as Maggie & Moe’s Coffee Shop at the community hospital and the coffee shop at Sycamore Farm, on the same property as the Red Barn.
“We always said, ‘Somebody fix up that barn, because it would be a great thing,'” said Barrett, whose family moved back to Terre Haute after living in other areas for several years. He spoke while referring to a conversation he had with the president. “So as we attended events over the years, our love for the property continued to grow.”
Barrett said she wanted to do her part because of her love for the land and its use as a place for important moments in her life.
“Whether it’s providing flowers for a wedding or other life plans, from the funeral work we can do for them to actually hosting those events, we help people make the journey. I just want to help them do that,” Barrett said. .
Molly’s own journey has also been filled with both joy and sadness. In 2016, she lost her son Patrick to cancer at the age of 19. It was her second fight for him.
The Barretts quickly turned their grief into philanthropy, starting the PS We Love You Fund to support Riley Hospital for Children. Barrett said that while Patrick is a private citizen, she knows he will support the chosen cause.
“He (Patrick) wanted to be an oncologist,” Barrett said. “After overcoming his initial battle with Ewing’s sarcoma, he really decided that this was the path he wanted to take and thought he could help children by telling his story. So if we can keep that dream alive for him, that’s why we wanted to do it.”
PS We Love You’s annual Fight Against Childhood Cancer campaign has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Riley. Barrett said the movement her family launched in Patrick’s honor and her business venture could not have been accomplished without the support of her loved ones.
“It’s great to have not only a family network here, but also a network of friends here to support us throughout our journey,” Barrett said.
For more information about PS We Love You, please visit the organization’s website here.
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