Story of Daisy Peach featured in The Tennessean

Recently, The Tennessean published a story on my family that I'd like to share with y'all. 

How a stage 4 cancer diagnosis led to Nashville's new Daisy Peach Boutique

by Sherah Ndjongo

Daisy Peach Boutique is unapologetically Tennessee.

The small, local business features gift boxes from businesses and artisans based in the southern region. Its first eight gift boxes are Tennessee-themed, with names like Authentically TN, Let’s Get Cookin’ TN, Tennessee Charcuterie, Taste of Loveless Café and Tennessee Tristar Y’all, to name a few. All of the boxes are filled with items from brands that were established and are still operating in Tennessee. Selections include metal signs, dish towels, books, soaps, playing cards and food mixes.

An origin rooted in courage, determination

Daisy Peach Boutique got its start in June 2022, two years after Founder and Owner Nancy Greene's husband Rob was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. The couple was married for 20 years before the diagnosis. Greene calls Rob her soulmate. They first met when she was 19, and, together, they have a 13-year-old daughter, named Emma.

Before his cancer diagnosis at the age of 43, Rob Greene worked as a mechanic in the Nashville-area, where the family also lives.

A call from the doctor turned their world upside down, Greene said, and Rob immediately began undergoing cancer treatments at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. To date, he's been through 51 rounds of chemotherapy, five rounds of radiation and one major surgery. The chemotherapy regimen caused permanent neuropathy, Greene said, noting that her husband can't feel anything from the knees down and it's starting to affect his hands, too. He hasn't been able to return to work.

"We knew that the treatments would be pretty grueling," Nancy Greene said. "We needed something to be there for us for the long haul."

And that's how Daisy Peach was born.

Rob Greene's sister, who lives in Atlanta, and his mom, who lives in Myrtle Beach, didn't hesitate when it came to supporting the family. Together with Nancy Greene, they teamed up to create the boutique as an extra source of income.

The concept for the shop goes all the way back to Nancy Greene's childhood. She was born and raised in Tennessee and lived with her family in South Carolina for 10 years.

"I love the tradition, the food, the culture, the grandmothers passing things down from year to year," Nancy Greene said, noting that she's always had a passion for creating gift boxes. She recalled how she would make them for her friends, starting at about age 12 or 13.

Uplifting local companies

As they worked to create a business model, Nancy Greene kept thinking about how she could incorporate something that everyone loved. The result was Daisy Peach Boutique's artisan boxes. They focus on uplifting companies based in Tennessee, such as The Loveless Cafe and Lodge Cast Iron, Greene said.

"Our niche is started here, stayed here, still here," she said. "Everything comes from a company, a business or an artisan that is truly in Tennessee. It's what represents Tennessee, and what also would be a good gift for people."

To keep up with its mission of giving, the Daisy Peach website hosts a blog, highlighting southern recipes, history and fun facts about the state.

"It’s a destination within itself," Nancy Greene explained.

Running the whole operation is a family affair. Everyone uses their individual skills and experience. Emma Greene is the designated director of social media. Rob Greene's sister, a lifelong business owner, helps with the day-to-day. His aunt is an accountant, and his mother is a newspaper editor, who loves to cook. Nancy Greene has a public relations and marketing background.

"Marrying into this family has been the biggest blessing of my life," Nancy Greene said. "It has brought everybody together, and even other family members, who aren’t directly involved, will share on Facebook."

'A reason to get up and have a purpose'

Perhaps the biggest impact the company has had is the impact on Rob Greene. For almost three years, he's been working toward healing, his wife said. He's been assisting with the business on good days, when he feels better, and his family has put him in charge of the warehouse in their garage.

"It’s given him a reason to get up and have a purpose, and all we want him to do is have a purpose and get cured. He is the strongest, most positive person I’ve ever met," Nancy Greene said. She said Daisy Peach has become more than a financial lift for her family.

"I’ve found support in ways that I didn’t expect. We’ve gone through worse. We can get through this," she said.

The team wants to keep expanding with boxes. South Carolina boxes launched in September, and now they're focusing on several new holiday boxes, to help celebrate the season. Eventually, Nancy Greene said she'd like to sell gift boxes from all the Southern states, as well as boxes with regional themes.

"The possibilities are endless," she said. "We want to keep growing and growing. We want to build something that’s successful, that we could pass down to our daughter and through generations. I’m excited and happy that we’re able to do this."

My husband is an amazing man, and I'm glad everyone rallied together to make this happen. He’s a fighter, and we’re going to beat it. Everything we go through, we beat it. With everyone’s support, I know we can."

Daisy Peach Boutique gift boxes start at $31.77. For more information, visit https://daisypeachboutique.com/.

Click here to view the original article published on The Tennessean.