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Retired stylist turns hobby into Bonsai Brothers booth; vendors emphasize education
Summary
Earl Balintovic turned bonsai-making from a hobby into a business called Bonsai Brothers; the vendor has maintained a booth for about six years and says staff provide hands-on instruction to customers.
When Earl Balintovic retired from careers as a musician and hairstylist, he turned his hobby of creating bonsai trees into a business called Bonsai Brothers, reporter Sheryl Conn said. Before long his brother, Carl Balintovic, joined him and the two opened the stand now known as Bonsai Brothers.
Bonsai Brothers operates a booth at a public event and has been on-site for about six years. A vendor representing Bonsai Brothers said, "We have our Bonsai booth here. We've been here about 6 years." The vendor described the work as meticulous and slow: "Getting Bonsai trees into shape and keeping them that way is meticulous work that can't be rushed, and they cherish every minute of it."
The vendor emphasized the calming, hands-on nature of bonsai care. "It almost forces you into relaxation because you can't be very uptight when you're working on a beautiful piece of nature," the vendor said. The business also stressed customer education. A vendor said customers often do not know proper care and that several staffers — "4 or 5 people around here," in the vendor's words — talk with and teach interested attendees. In the broadcast narration, the reporter added that Earl said they will not leave customers "floundering."
The brief television segment closed with the reporter identifying herself: "This is Sheryl Conn reporting for WPB TV."
