"Filling city roofscapes with lush foliage and nature's beauty, Jon Carloftis has found an entrepreneurial niche — and a degree of celebrity — as a rooftop gardener in New York City. He has designed and planted gardens for actors Edward Norton, Julianne Moore, Josh Hartnett and Mike Myers, plus Jane Lauder (granddaughter of Esté Lauder), and Hollywood moguls Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer. All it has taken is a lot of talent, hard work and gracious manners. And about two decades.
A native of Rockcastle County, Carloftis earned a B.A. in communications from UK but realized it wasn't his thing. He had taken some horticulture classes and, having grown up with acres upon acres of raw Kentucky scenery as his back yard, knew gardening was his calling. In 1988, he moved to the Big Apple to start his own business.
"I laugh with some of my friends in New York that are very accomplished people," he said, "because we're not over-the-top and haughty." He's never wanted to don a cape and beret or snap his fingers for minions get their hands dirty. "I'm out there doing the work as much as I possibly can," he said.
Carloftis has never been afraid to try new things, including business ventures. "I'm certainly not afraid to fail," he said. When he moved to New York he had some business cards made and started handing them out to elevator doormen on the Upper East Side. Soon a couple called to give him his first chance at a rooftop garden. From there, it was word of mouth. "It didn't happen overnight," he said. New York and Kentucky are in the same plant hardiness zone, so there wasn't much of a learning curve there. "That was the good part," he said. "But when you learn what it takes to get approval from the board and physically getting the plants and containers up there, it really takes a persistent and tenacious person to make it work."
When his success hit the tipping point and he got a chance to be big and conglomerated, Carloftis "started not liking it because of the paperwork," and for the fact that he wasn't doing what he really loved. "Money is great, but at the end of the day, I want to enjoy the day and have a good time." He opened a gardening store outside of New York City, then started one up in Lexington, the Delaware River Trading Company, which his mother Lucille ran for four and a half years before moving it back to Livingston. Today the Rockcastle River Trading Company is part of the family's 50-acre homestead along the Rockcastle River.
"I'm able to make everything nice and beautiful for people who come there," he said. "It's a real addition to this state and we've become a thing people are very proud to show their family when they come in."
For Carloftis, a soft-spoken Southern gentlemen, success means trying to do the right thing, and it comes back. "I love doing this, because I do want to make it beautiful here," he said of his work in New York. "Gardening is one of those things you learn by doing," he said. "You learn every day; it's not a finite science." Then he laughed and added, "For someone who totally has ADD, it's perfect for me."
One thing Carloftis learned early on was that he didn't want a super aggressive person representing him. "I am my people," he said. He does his own PR and representation, and even takes two days each winter to go through every receipt before handing them off to a CPA. "I want to know where my money goes," he said. "I just like to be in charge of my life as much as possible." The only thing he lets somebody else do is book his speaking engagements.
Whether he's presenting to crowds of dozens or thousands, Carloftis doesn't just show up and leave. "I talk to people all day long," he said. "It's where you learn." He lectures on horticulture, advising people to keep their gardens simple. "The more you fool with it, it becomes a big ol' mess," he said. "Nature's really beautiful on its own." He has authored two books, First a Garden and Beyond the Windowsill, and is working on a third, The Hidden Gardens of Kentucky, which will showcase other people's work with public and private gardens across the Commonwealth.
In addition to perseverance and a strong work ethic, Carloftis credits networking as part of his success in business. "I'm great at networking because I enjoy talking to people," he said. "I try to be around positive people, not around negative ones."
For Carloftis, the secret to creativity is staying fresh. "The secret to being fresh is to stay around positive people and keep an open mind for everything," he said. "The minute you start closing up is the minute it starts going downhill." He also believes in honesty and being true to yourself.
"When you try to do the right thing, you can't go wrong," he advised. "And work hard. Work like a dog."
Learn more about Jon Carloftis' work at www.joncarloftis.com.
Kathie Stamps is the co-founder of www.ISBO.biz, an online directory of independent/small business owners.