Throughout 2026, host Bill Calkins has been catching up with different people in the professional horticulture space and find out a little bit about their careers, passions, journeys in the world of plants and much more. He sent each potential guest a list of 12 questions and they picked four to answer and discuss.
This episode, Bill is joined by his friend Jose Sanchez, a Sales and Business Manager with Ball Seed Company in the Pacific region. It’s a fun episode that starts with major league baseball (Jose is a die-hard Dodgers fan) and then gets into a really cool career in horticulture that captures some industry history and evolution and really shows how someone’s trajectory can change as it’s influenced by mentors, curiosity and good old fashioned hard work and dedication. Jose shares a lot of wisdom in this one and you’ll want to listen all the way to the end, because it wraps up with ways to avoid burnout.
Here are the four questions Jose chose to answer:
Q: What was your first exposure to “horticulture” and how did you feel, react, respond?
Q: If you had a free hour, what would we find you doing?
Q: What advice would you give to a young person considering pursuit of a career in horticulture?
Q: What advice would you give to an industry veteran currently dealing with “burnout”?
This episode is sponsored by Prospiant—leaders in greenhouse design, manufacture and build. Learn more and connect with the expert team at prospiant.com.
