Reinvention, Resilience, and Blooming Where You’re Planted
Next up in our Moms We ❤️ series, we connected with Cara Simon. A former ad tech executive, this single-mom-by-choice and thriving entrepreneur is the founder of Concierge Bloom, a plantscaping and landscape design business rooted in creativity, nature, and connection.
What started as a series of unexpected life pivots became something entirely new: a business built around passion, flexibility, and purpose. Powered by reinvention, learning to lean into your instincts, and adapt when things don’t go as planned, Concierge Bloom is a testament to Cara’s resiliency, vision, and unwavering creativity and commitment.
When Everything Changes at Once
On paper, Cara’s life was on track. With an already-successful ad tech career, Cara launched her own business, Concierge Movement, an on-demand fitness platform that was gaining serious momentum.
Then COVID hit.
The business she had worked so hard to build came to a halt, and like so many others, she was forced to pivot. With a six-month-old at home and life on hold during COVID, Cara decided to head south for some warmer weather and sunshine during the cold New York winter. But what started as a temporary move became something more permanent.
“Long story short, I never left!” Cara says.
A Season of Uncertainty
Eventually, Cara stepped back into the corporate world. She found herself navigating motherhood while balancing the demands of a senior-level corporate role that required frequent travel. At the same time, her son was diagnosed with autism, adding a new layer of responsibility and care that made the frequent travel and late nights unsustainable. Eventually, something had to give. Then, she was laid off from her corporate job.
“Getting let go from corporate was harsh, but understandable,” she says. “I needed to be with my son more, and I needed to be more present for him.”
Suddenly, Cara was at a crossroads: try her hand again at entrepreneurship or try to find a corporate job that didn’t require travel. That decision was made for her when, on January 1, 2024, a pulmonary embolism forced her to stop, physically and professionally.
“I was forced to go back into creating my own business because I had no options,” Cara says. “Anything in ad tech, anything in sales would require travel. Not only could I physically not travel for months, I didn’t want to leave my son. And I asked myself, ‘OK, what do I love?’ And I thought, ‘I love gardening.’”
Even in New York City, Cara had turned her apartment into a full-blown plant sanctuary. When she moved to Florida, that passion grew (literally!) into vegetable gardens, butterfly gardens, and small, nature-first projects.
At first, she tried to turn her passion into a vegetable gardening business. But, quickly, she realized something important: people liked the idea of gardening and growing their own food – but they didn’t necessarily want to do the work. So she listened. And when clients started asking, “Can you do this? What about landscaping? What about plantscaping?” her answer was simple: yes, I can! And she figured it out as she went.
What started as small jobs quickly turned into something bigger. Cara found the right partners, leaned into her creative instincts, and began designing curated green spaces for clients, bringing plants, texture, and life into homes in a way that felt both elevated and personal.
Today, Concierge Bloom has grown into a full-service business spanning plantscaping, landscape design, and sourcing for high-end projects.
And those early “yes” moments? They led to projects she once couldn’t have imagined.
“Raising my son and creating something for myself where I can support us and his future was, and always will be, my #1 priority.”
Designing a Life That Works
For Cara, the biggest shift wasn’t just professional, it was personal. After years of building a career that required constant travel, she’s now created a business that supports her life, not the other way around. She picks her son up from school every day. She’s present for his routines, his therapies, and his progress. She’s built a life that allows her to show up where it matters most. And that, more than anything, defines success now.
All of this said, starting over in a new place isn’t easy, Cara acknowledges, but the right people can change everything. Throughout her journey, Cara found support in unexpected places, from early clients who trusted her to mentors and connectors who helped guide her through moments of uncertainty.
One of those people was Suburban Jungle Florida Strategist Melissa Schneider, who became a steady source of support along the way. Whether Cara was navigating a tough decision or just needed reassurance, Melissa was always a phone call away, offering perspective, encouragement, and a reminder to keep going. Those relationships became the foundation for both her business and her confidence to build something new.
Reinvention Isn’t Easy, But It’s Worth It
Looking back, Cara is the first to admit this path hasn’t been easy. There were moments she wanted to quit, when the business wasn’t making enough, or when the uncertainty felt overwhelming. But through it all, she kept going, because she had a clear “why” and because she believed there was something better on the other side.
“I could have thrown in the towel 6 times!” she says. But instead, she continued pushing ahead. “When you have a passion, you see the vision, you see the future, you see what you want. I think it’s just having faith in yourself. Everyone has the ability to make a change. You just have to commit to it.”
Full Circle Moments
Today, Cara is building something that reflects both her passions and her priorities.
Her son is thriving. Their shared connection to nature has become a meaningful part of their daily life. And her work, once just an idea, is now a growing, successful business. She’s even self-published a children’s book, Big Feelings in the Garden, inspired by her journey with her son, turning their story into something that can help others.
Why We ❤️ Cara
Cara Simon reminds us that even the most unexpected detours can lead to something meaningful:
Remember why you wanted to make the change in the first place.
Sometimes reinvention isn’t a choice, it’s a necessity.
What you build from there can be even better than what you planned.
That’s exactly why she’s a mom we ❤️.
For more client stories, visit Suburban Jungle’s blog page on our website.
Thinking about making a change of your own? Book a free strategy call with Suburban Jungle and take the first step toward finding a place and a lifestyle that truly works for you.