In this episode of The Guy Shrink Podcast, host Bill Roman interviews 26-year-old Devin Shaw, owner of Soul Patch, a thriving greenhouse and plant farm on his grandparents' former property in Swanton, Ohio. Devin shares how he traded a potential career in classical violin for horticulture after high school, earning a two-year degree in greenhouse management at Ohio State's Agricultural Technical Institute. Right after graduation in 2019, he built his first greenhouse on the family land, driven by a deep connection to his late grandparents and a desire to work with his hands instead of punching a clock. What began as a small hobby selling succulents at the Toledo Farmers Market has grown into a full-season operation with four greenhouses, thousands of mums, and a wide variety of flowers and container plants. Devin explains that the work is both physically demanding and creatively satisfying—he starts most plants from tiny cuttings shipped from around the world, roots them under careful misting, and spends long hours in 100-degree greenhouses while listening to Jimmy Buffett.

Devin is candid about what keeps him up at night: disappointing a customer, financial pressures during the off-season, and the trial-and-error reality of growing and selling new varieties. He credits his persistence to the freedom of self-employment, a desire to honor his grandparents' legacy, and the simple joy of creating beauty that lights up customers' faces. Discipline shows up in tight financial management, daily 10–12-hour labor, meticulous record-keeping, and learning from failures (unsold plants often end up on the compost pile). When asked what advice he'd give a young man who wants to follow the same path, Devin's answer is blunt: "Go work in a greenhouse for one full season first—see if you can handle the heat, the sweat, and the daily demands." The conversation circles back to the podcast's core theme: becoming a good man through clarity, agency, and integrity—qualities Devin embodies by turning dirt, family roots, and personal passion into a meaningful life and livelihood.

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