Meet Conrad Steinbrueck | Co-Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Conrad Steinbrueck and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Conrad, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
We’ve been working at building Modern Botanical for about 2 years now, with an official site launch on November 1st of 2020. And the inspiration for the business is a fun short story that I love to tell.

So Modern Botanical is a plant business. Specifically, we try to make plant care simple and beautiful by designing beautiful products to grow plants in soilless mediums. For now, that’s a fancy way of saying we make plant care accessible through growing plants in water.

And if you haven’t tried taking a houseplant cutting and sticking it in water to watch it grow, I’d encourage you to stop reading this article and go do that immediately.

That’s effectively what my story is.

My partner and I were out were out spending the day with a good friend, then ended up back at their house where a pothos was growing in a fish bowl with a beta fish. There were roots, there were new leaves. I had to ask, and she just gave us a cutting and told us to stick it in water.

More than 2 years later, that snow queen pothos is still hanging out on my plant wall, inspiring us to continue growing our business.

Of course, there is more to the full product and business conception. We really love the aesthetic of growing plants on the wall and wanted to create a beautiful way to do that. There wasn’t much on the market in the way of beautiful products to do this with – just a lot of less appealing products on Amazon – so we stepped up and filled that space with Modern Botanical.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
We’ve really just been having fun building things. Both literally and figuratively.

All our products are produced in our woodshop, here in San Diego. But also, building the business – that’s been a ton of fun too.

I tend to be on more public facing side of the business, growing our brand through marketing and social, and that’s really proving to be a ton of fun, simply because of the industry we’re in. Plants!

Interestingly, despite the widespread practice of hydroponics for agricultural production, information on growing houseplants in water is fairly sparse. And by that I mean there’s barely any information on the topic at all.

And yet nearly every houseplant we put in water – yes that is hyperbole but not by much – seems happy and content to live and grow in water. That’s left a huge window for us to begin gathering information and sharing on journey with our community.

It’s been fun and the plant world seems to appreciate it!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Okay, now we’re talking San Diego culture. I tend to have a ton of recommendations and will build out a strong itinerary when asked. So doing that for a full week is a bit much of an ask – but a few highlights to hit would be…

I think what makes San Diego special is how liveable it is. It’s an amazing lifestyle city, but in my eyes there isn’t much in the way of major attractions. With that, getting a good selection of beaches in is a must. Ocean Beach is an interesting vibe for something in San Diego proper. Sunset Cliffs for a sunset is amazing. And then a quick trip up north towards the beaches in Del Mar or Encinitas would be another thing not to miss.

In the world of food, again I don’t feel that SD has much in the way of amazing top-end restaurants, but there are some local gems that you’d be sorry to miss. First off is my reco first best fish taco in SD, and my current top spot is a truck in University Heights, La Reyna Del Sur Mariscos 2. Yeah, I had to look up the name but it’s always there without fail. Their fried fish tacos, amazing.

Other local things to hit – in Little Italy is a classic deli, Mona Lisa. Their Italian Subs are a hidden gem. So so good.

Mister A’s has the best view in the city for accessible fine dining. Food is good but not out of this world. Views and service though…. Across the street from that is an amazing Italian Restaurant with a great wine selection, Cucina Urbana.

If you’re looking for Sushi, Soichi on Adam’s Avenue is the spot so long as you book ahead.

Other than that, walk around, have fun, and take in the sun. That’s exactly what we locals do!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Okay – you can’t just narrow this down to a single shoutout. But I’ll give you my single answer and follow it up with a few more shoutouts who could easily take that main slot.

I really seriously can’t imagine trying to launch a business solo. There are so many horror stories of co-founder relationships that blow up and it makes sense that so often, that’s the outcome. I’m super blessed to have the working relationship that I do with my co-founder, Jonas Harris.

Launching a business is one of those things that you really can’t just walk into being fully prepared for. 99% of what you need to know to run a business, you learn along the way. No mentor, book, past job, can really fully equip you for all that you need.

Not being alone in the business-building journey has been amazing. Having another team member who’s equally committed to solving problems and pushing through walls with vigor makes it all possible.

All that said, I come from a supportive family with parents who are in small business and encouraged the leap into this venture. I also have a loving partner who keeps my world stable while I go through the ups and down of entrepreneurship.

Also, quick shoutout to Mesa Rim for their amazing climbing gyms and rout-setting which keep my life balanced.

Website: www.modernbotanical.shop

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernbotanicalshop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbotanicalshop