2026 Women in the Green Industry Luncheon

Join us for a special Women in the Green Industry lunch on Monday, January 5, 2026, from 11:30 am - 12:20 pm and from 12:30 - 1:00 pm there will be an Optional WIGI Networking event Q & A with Sarah Polzin in Room 400 as part of the 2026 Utah Green Conference.

During the lunch, Sarah's presentation, "Rising by Lifting Others" will focus on how real success isn't achieved alone, but by actively helping others along your journey.  Based on the philosophy of "Lifting As You Climb," she gives you clear, simple ways to  spot the hidden talents in your employees and coworkers—often before they see it themselves.  You'll learn practical methods to encourage those talents and give them a place to grow, transforming them into strong assets for your team and your business.  For those in the garden center industry and beyond, this approach makes growing people while growing your business an especially rewarding prospect.  Sarah will guide you through identifying the potential in yourself and others, empowering you to become a better leader and build stronger teams, one person and one step at a time. 

SPEAKER BIO:  Sarah Polzin of Down to Earth Garden Center, located in small-town Wisconsin, has worked full time in her family business since 2019. Combining her passion for creating sustainable business systems and encouraging employee growth, resulting in a thriving small business community. Sarah has worked with her husband, Ben, creating a multi-million-dollar operation, actively living out the philosophy of lifting others as you climb.

Sarah graduated from University of Wisconsin Stout with a bachelor’s degree in business management and spent 15 years in the medical profession working for Mayo Clinic, St. Jude Medical, and Abbott Laboratories in the field of Electrphysiology. She left the medical field and went back to her small business roots to work alongside her husband in expanding their garden center and family of shops, going strong for 28 years and counting. As the Co-Owner and Retail Operations Vice President at Down to Earth, Sarah works diligently to create an environment that promotes both employee and business growth.