Surprising Marketing Secrets from an Amazing Family Garden
Hi, I’m Elliott, and as the Marketing & Communications Executive for Todays Dental, I spend a lot of time thinking about how we connect people to purpose – through messaging, design, service, and experience. But one of my most insightful lessons this year didn’t come from a strategy meeting or campaign review. It came from the back garden.
Our family garden had a tired, 20-year-old decking. The multi-level layout was awkward and inefficient, shade made it hard to enjoy summer evenings, and the flow from house to garden was clumsy at best. We’d enjoyed it for years, but eventually, it became clear: this isn’t working anymore.
And that’s where the lessons began.
The Vision: Start With Purpose
We didn’t start by ripping up boards. We started with questions. What did we want from this space? How should it feel? What were our constraints – budget, time, weather, workforce – and where could we create value?
That same thinking applies in practice marketing. Whether you’re planning a patient journey redesign, launching a campaign, or updating your branding, don’t start with “what should we do?” Start with “what are we trying to change?” Purpose leads and people follow.
Budgeting: Invest With Intention
As a family of avid DIYers, we knew we could stretch our budget by investing time and effort ourselves. That meant we could afford better materials – like UV-resistant, anti-slip porcelain tiles – and create a bespoke design with curved edges and smart drainage. We balanced labour and material, always asking: is this the best option for us? Or to put it another way, ‘is it adding value’?
In practice terms, that ROI isn’t just financial. It’s cultural. By getting your team involved in marketing or transformation projects – whether brainstorming campaigns, painting a waiting room, or planning a community event – you build ownership. Your team isn’t just delivering the work. They’re shaping the vision.
That’s buy-in. And it pays dividends in creativity, cohesion, and daily operations.
Planning: Let People Shine
Coordinating the build meant navigating holidays, weather, and weekend availability. But it also meant playing to strengths: who’s best with structural planning? Who’s confident tiling? Who can problem-solve on the fly?
In your practice, planning a project should include aligning team skills with roles. Have a receptionist who loves Instagram? Let them help shape social media posts. A nurse with an eye for design? Get their input on signage. When people feel seen, they show up fully.
Great planning isn’t about rigid schedules – it’s about flexible collaboration.
Presentation: Sell the Story
A big part of getting everyone behind the garden redesign was showing the potential. Not just saying “it’ll be one level,” but painting the picture: meals in the sun, no more tripping hazards, a smooth path for the mower.
I even sketched out the layout so everyone could see the change. It wasn’t a technical drawing – it was a story. A promise.
Marketing works the same way. You don’t sell a product – you show the transformation. A straighter smile, a better experience, a clearer message. Want more engagement? Make it real. Use before-and-after photos, patient testimonials, or visual mock-ups to bring your ideas to life.
Progress Over Perfection
There were setbacks. Delayed tiles, rain & snow, and unforeseen obstacles. But we kept moving forward by focusing on an aspect that we could make progress – planning, ordering materials, dry laying tiles or preparing another area – because waiting for the perfect weather or conditions would’ve meant no progress at all.
That’s a marketing truth too. Don’t hold back a message because it’s not perfect. A warm, real message now beats a flawless one that never launches. Your patients, and your team, connect with honesty.
Experience is 50% of the Product
Repainting your waiting room? That’s marketing. Sharing a patient’s story on social media? That’s marketing. Adding signs to make your space easier to navigate? Still marketing. Because your patient’s experience is the brand, and without it, the other 50% (an expertly performed treatment) will never happen as the patient will have already gone elsewhere.
Experience is built through detail, care, and consistency. Invite your local community in. Collaborate with nearby schools or artists. Let the improvement be a shared celebration, not just a functional upgrade.
The Takeaway: From Decking to Direction
This garden taught me more than how to kerf timber or create structurally-sound framework. It reminded me that marketing isn’t a department – it’s a mindset. One rooted in purpose, shaped by people, expressed through planning, and brought to life through thoughtful presentation.
Want to build something that lasts? In your practice, your brand, your culture? Start where you are. Use what you have, involve your team, and share the story. And most importantly, keep moving forward.
Growth doesn’t always look like a campaign. Sometimes, it looks like a curved edge built with care, a slope that finally makes life easier, and a space that brings people together.
That’s good marketing. And a great garden.
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