5 Minutes With … Callie Zamzow
Callie Zamzow is co-CEO of Zamzow’s, her family’s 93-year-old, fourth-generation chain of 12 nursery and pet retail stores in southern Idaho.
What brought you into garden retail?
Family. I grew up in a world where plants were part of everyday life. My great-grandmother, a founder of our 93-year-old chain of retail nurseries, had a beautiful garden that she tended by herself well into her 90s. Her son (my grandfather) had a garden that fed his neighborhood for decades. The garden in my own backyard as a kid was the place where I developed creativity, resilience, problem-solving skills and more. That family influence shaped everything I do today.
What’s the best part about your job?
I love connecting with people and learning about their passions. We have wonderful customers, employees and community members whose stories are compelling and delightful! I love this part of the job so much that we launched a podcast where we share stories from our community through local leaders and business owners. Our family garden stores are a catalyst for so much more than beautiful backyards, and I love being part of that.
What has surprised you about running your business?
It surprises me that our business is much more about people than plants. I thought I’d spend my days surrounded by greenery, but I’ve realized what really matters are the relationships. Customers come in for plants, but they stay for connection, advice and encouragement. We recently had a customer write a note thanking us for being a place where she gets good advice, people remember the name of her dog and she feels like a rock star. That human element is what makes this work so meaningful.
If your career had gone a different direction, what do you think you would have done?
It would have been fun to be on Broadway! Performing has always been fun for me. I love the energy, the creativity of the lyrics and the way storytelling and music can move people. I have suggested to our home office team that we have a Broadway day at work — a day of everyone singing to one another, playing different characters and dancing through the halls! However, every time I suggest this, my team says they want a heads-up so they can call out sick that day. Apparently, some dreams have no place in the office.
What’s something few people know about you?
I had a short career working at a large, fancy wealth management company before stepping into the nursery business. It taught me a lot about business and finance, but more importantly, it helped me home in on my life’s purpose. I realized I wanted to build something that felt personal and joyful. I don’t regret the experience. In fact, I appreciate the unique skills I acquired that ultimately helped shape my position in the family business.
Favorite plant to grow? Why?
Flowers. My grandfather was the primary gardener, but my grandmother had one rule: He had to leave a third of the garden for her flowers. She always had a fresh bouquet on the kitchen table, and that memory stuck with me. I recently asserted (without any objection from my family) that I would be converting half of our existing vegetable garden into flowers. For me, cut flowers aren’t just beautiful, they’re a tradition of bringing nature indoors and making everyday life feel special. Plus, everyone in my family grows vegetables, so I know where to turn if my flower idea is a bust.
Photo courtesy of Callie Zamzow.
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