When Nathalie Valdes’ parents arrived in the United States from Cuba as teenagers, they came with nothing but determination. They learned English, worked their way through school, built professional careers, and created a foundation that would enable their daughter to dream bigger.
Today, Valdes is the CEO and owner of Creations by Nathalie, a terrarium kit business that grew sales 150 percent in its first two years and ships to all 50 states.
The idea for Creations by Nathalie started when Valdes was a stressed mom of three children looking for 30 minutes of peace. With an interest in terrariums, she started working with the orchids in her backyard, then discovered succulents.
“Terrariums are very therapeutic,” she explained. “It allows you to create something of your own and really get one-on-one with nature and it helps quiet your mind.”
Her personal therapy evolved into a business after encouragement from friends and family, especially her husband, Ricky. In 2019, she launched a website and listed her products on Amazon. Mother’s Day that year brought a breakthrough.
“We got so many orders that we said, we have something here, there’s something special with this product,” Valdes remembered.
Then during COVID, when everyone was home looking for activities, Creations by Nathalie took off even further. The entire family mobilized, turning Valdes’ family home into a mini fulfillment center. She got help from her mother, brother, and brother-in-law. Even the kids were recruited to put “FRAGILE” stickers on boxes.
“Partnering up with Amazon allowed us to have more exposure to other areas of the country where the price point is something that’s interesting to them and doable,” Valdes explained.
The strategic use of Amazon’s tools transformed their operations. For kits without live plants, they use Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which provides the storage, picking, packing, fulfillment, and customer service for sellers. FBA allows them to prep products during slower summer months and send large pallets to Amazon fulfillment centers, ensuring inventory is ready for peak seasons like Mother’s Day. It also freed them from expensive Miami warehouse costs.
“Before using Fulfillment by Amazon, we would be working around the clock during the holiday season,” Valdes recalled. “Now we are able to prep during our down months so that when the holidays come around, we have more time to be with our family.”
For kits with succulents, they use Fulfillment by Merchant (FBM), an Amazon fulfillment method where sellers manage their own inventory and order fulfillment. This option works well for kits containing live succulents, ensuring that they don’t die in warehouses before shipping.
Valdes also uses the Seller Central dashboard to monitor inventory levels and track stock to prevent running out during critical selling periods. She uses customer feedback tools, including the chat feature for direct communication, and product reviews to gather insights and perfect their products.
This feedback loop was instrumental while they sold through Amazon Handmade, where they tested 20+ customization options to understand what customers wanted. Customer feedback helped them identify which succulents travel best, determine popular color combinations, and even improve their packaging by switching from peanuts to more environmentally conscious shipping methods.
As the business has grown, they’ve expanded their footprint. Two years ago, they moved operations from their home to a dedicated office space serving as both warehouse and fulfillment center.
They’ve also expanded beyond direct-to-consumer sales into corporate team building and wellness events.
Creations by Nathalie has also become a multi-generational business as Valdes recruited more family members to help, including her brother Luis, who had warehouse experience, and took on all fulfillment and inventory control. Valdes’ husband, Ricky, manages IT, Amazon listings, and marketing. Her mother pops in during peak seasons. The business has even inspired Valdes’ daughter, who has started her own ventures at school.
“She says that she’ll never lose money because she’s going to always have an entrepreneur’s job or a business to fund her lifestyle,” Valdes shared with pride.
For Nathalie, the business represents more than financial success—it’s the culmination of three generations of progress.
“I’m living the American dream because I have the freedom and capability of building something of my own and nurturing it and growing it.”