June 25, 2023 / By mobanmarket
JOLIET, IL — Even before she chose to plant her business smack dab in the middle of Joliet’s downtown corridor, Michele Arana sensed she would be in good hands.
Arana, who opened Internode Greenery and Home in 2021 in Crest Hill, wanted to be surrounded by supportive merchants who, like herself, wanted to see the local business community thrive — not just for the sake of individual shop owners like herself, but for Joliet’s overall landscape.
Even before she opened up her new Joliet space, Arana began hearing from her soon-to-be neighbors, expressing how happy they were that she was adding to Joliet’s downtown district But even Arana has been surprised by the warm reception her business — which offers plants and artisan housewares in one space — has received since she set up shop on North Chicago Street across from the Rialto Square Theater late last month.
Although she says she felt support from her fellow shop owners before Internode opened its doors, Arana says that the welcome she has gotten in less than a month has changed the way she goes about her daily business on a daily basis.
She calls moving into the new space in Joliet has been an eye-opening experience, while also allowing her to become part of a business-minded community where everyone wants the best for one another.
“It’s been a game-changer not only for my business but for my mindset,” Arana told Patch on Friday. “It makes me excited to open my doors every day not just because I’m going to learn from my customers, but I’m going to learn from the other business owners. They’re so eager to share their knowledge and so it’s really been a game-changer.
“This downtown community has been absolutely amazing and so welcoming.”
Internode does about 60 percent of its business in plant sales, specializing in easy-to-care-for house plants that appeal to plant lovers who don’t necessarily have the time to devote large amounts of time to caring for plants. The shop also carries rare species of plants along with artisan goods and home decorations that are created by local artists and creators.
Supporting local artisans is a key component of the business, Arana said and is only a small part of how she throws support to 16 other small business owners who, like herself, depend on local consumers to keep their shops’ doors open. The sharing of her space allows businesses that may not have their own brick-and-mortar spaces to be displayed prominently in downtown Joliet.
For Arana, providing that exposure to other local businesses is simply her way of being a good neighbor in a place where she has experienced the same kind of love and support.
“I feel that we should all be supporting each other because we’re all trying to get the word out about our business,” she said. “What better way to do that than to connect with someone else who is doing the same thing and then share what you’ve learned and then share what you’re creating.”
While Arana does devote space to other businesses, she also shares her love of plants with her customers in her own way. By providing a variety of house plants and even some rare finds to customers, Arana provides customers with a chance to bring new life into their homes, which helps to put a personal touch on one’s surroundings.
Many of the plants offered at Internode don’t require tons of attention, Arana says, which highlights the space they live in without much effort. Too many times, she said, plants die because they are given too much love and attention by their owners when, in reality, many plants only need to be watered about once a week or even two weeks.
In addition to bringing a space to life, plants can also provide mental health benefits by cutting down the stress of one’s living environment. In addition to specializing in home plants, Internode has a cut flower bar that allows customers to create their own bouquets and also provides interiorscaping design services for both homes and businesses in which shop professionals provide advice on what kind of plants are suited for specific spaces.
No matter the space they live in, a plant’s value, is often overlooked, Arana says. Studies have shown that plants can improve concentration along with other upsides that people often are not aware of.
“When you walk in and see green around, your stress levels just drop a little bit,” she said. “(Plants) just highlight your space and they just clean the air which you don’t even realize is happening, but it helps you breathe a little bit better.”
She added: “When you walk in and it’s full of plants, then you notice when a place doesn’t have them.”
Internode Greenery And Home is open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday and from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday. In addition to its website, more information about the space is available on the business’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
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