Good Earth Plant Company blog readers know our mission is to enrich peoples’ lives with plants. Those lives include our clients, guests, employees, suppliers, and everyone who interacts with them. What does “enrich” mean, exactly?

The formal definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “to make rich or richer, especially by the addition or increase of some desirable quality, attribute, or ingredient.”

Money is the first thing that comes to your mind when talking about being “rich.” Who wouldn’t find life a lot easier if you had a lot of money? We didn’t win the Powerball this week, so we can’t help you there. We tried!

We all learned an important lesson thanks in part to the recent pandemic, something your grandparents might have said to you. “If you haven’t got your health, you haven’t got anything.” It was even in The Princess Diaries!

No one appreciates this more than our longtime client Fix Medical Group. Good Earth Plant Company has provided plants and other biophilic design elements like moss walls for the Fix team for more than two decades.

We’re turning the blog over to clinic director Dr. Patrick Cucarola to discuss the value of prioritizing health and wellness, and how biophilic design contributes to our well-being.

‘We can do our part to be that change’

“Our purpose is to get people back to doing the things they love, regardless of injury or limiting condition,” says Dr. Cucarola. “We believe that healthcare needs to make a drastic change. We are failing in the US. You look around, and people just aren’t healthy. Even though we’re spending more money than ever before, we take more medications than ever before. We’re getting sicker, we’re more unhealthy and more overweight. Something has to change. That’s where we truly believe that we can do our part to be that change.”

Fix Medical Group approaches healthcare as a coach for their patients with an individualized approach.

“Our lifestyles in today’s age aren’t healthy,” explains Dr. Cucarola. We really work with our patients. Getting (them) outdoors, finding time to change their overall lifestyle, whether it be through nutrition, fitness, or just mental health. Getting outside to get that Vitamin A and Vitamin D, overall improves your health. You’re going to feel better, you’re going to look better, and you’re going to live a lot longer and a lot healthier. We really strive for that.”

Dr. Cucarola explains it starts with the experience of each Fix Medical Group patient when he or she first walks through the clinic door.

“One of the best ways that we’ve loved working with Jim and Good Earth (Plant Company), is when you walk into our clinic, the first thing you’re going to notice is these big, beautiful plants. We get so many compliments. I joke sometimes I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m a green thumb.’ Eventually, I say, ‘No, I don’t touch them. Because I would mess them up!’

“It even goes down to our logo. When you walk into our clinic, you can see this beautiful sign that says ‘Fix’ on it. There’s this moss Good Earth wrapped around it, and we get so many compliments. We work really hard for our patients –  and now they’re complimenting the decor of the plants and our office more than the hard services that we do,” joked Dr. Cucarola.

“it really livens up the entire office. It does just add so much to the ambiance. It leads to an overall better experience for the patients when they’re coming through. Walk into the building, you’re going to feel alive. It feels fresh, and it feels good. And that’s what I truly love about Good Earth Plant Company.” Dr. Cucarola said it led to working with Good Earth Plant Company at its two clinics in San Diego.

“What Good Earth does is create this welcoming, clean, professional environment. It does give you a little bit of that outdoor feeling when you are stuck underneath these fluorescent lights. It really adds to the overall experience for our patients, as well as selfishly, our staff. I feel better coming into this office. I know it’s going to be beautiful. I know the plants are taken care of. I don’t have to touch a thing. And I enjoy that and this busy, busy life. I spend more time here than I do at my home,” said Dr. Cucarola.

“One of my favorite stories is that in 2018, our office in Hillcrest had a fire. Jim, of course was scared to death about his plants. I was worried about the office burning down, but we each have our own priorities.

“We moved into this temporary warehouse next to a CrossFit gym. It was not a pretty sight. It was functional in terms of what we could do in treatments. But the moment Good Earth Plant Company was finally able to bring in plants, it was a completely different setup. It felt like home again and it really blew my mind away. Here we are in this warehouse. Once the plants come in and the flowers, it was like, ‘oh, wow, this looks professional. This is somewhere I want to send my family or friends to.’ I’m very proud of this. That really opened my eyes, and I’ll never forget it.

‘It will change how you are perceived in the world’

“It’s a no-brainer. The customer experience is the most important aspect of sales. You can be the best salesperson, but you need to make sure that customer has the greatest experience.  Live plants placed in the right way liven up your office or home, whatever it may be. It will change how you are perceived in the world and how you feel in this world – 100%, and I could talk and talk and talk about how amazing it is.”

It’s been our privilege to work with Dr. Cucarola and his entire team to create an environment where his team can do their best work, and where Fix Medical Group patients feel welcomed and in a comfortable environment. We find the right plants for the space and growing conditions, all while taking the client’s preferences into consideration. We even work around medical equipment to make sure all spaces are functional as well as beautiful.

Dr. Cucarola tells us the unique moss wall with the Fix Medical Group logo is a highlight. “It’s a light-up sign, and it changes color. And we can change the colors. (Good Earth) changed the color of the orchid that’s at the front desk to match that sign. If that’s not customer service, I don’t know what is!”

Dr. Cucarola says the environment reflects the Fix Medical Group approach to healthcare as a lifelong effort with multiple benefits.

“People tend to just wait till it’s too late or thinks it’s (their health) just going to be there. If you can catch something early and you can do it when you’re – even if you’re a little bit younger, it’s a lot easier to take care of,” said Dr. Cucarola.

“You have that blinking car light that says, ‘Check Engine.’ You don’t just put a piece of duct tape over it and ignore it and keep driving until your engine blows up, right? You want to get that checked out. A lot of us do that with our health, whether it be blood pressure going up, or you’re having some brain fog or low energy.

“Know that there are answers out there. We’re educating and consulting to help people have the answers that they need. People are lost, and they just kind of just give up. We work with the client individually; we treat everyone as a unique human being. We’re identifying that root cause, and designing a plan specific to that patient. They’re going to be able to run with that, and they’re going to see results. They’re going to see the results for the rest of their life. I’m extremely, extremely blessed to be in this field.”

We couldn’t agree more with Dr. Cucarola and his entire Fix Medical Group team. We share their philosophy at Good Earth Plant Company, and they share ours – they enrich lives as well. Well-being is what our mission is all about. Can you use a little more wellness where you work and where you live? We’re just a call or email away. Contact us to enrich YOUR life with plants!