Marta Maria Garcia: From Marketing Bacardi to Leading Plant Product Management

Welcome to I Dig Your Story, a podcast where we unearth the personal stories behind the plants, people, gardens, and green spaces that shape our lives. I’m your host, Ellen Wells, and today’s guest is someone I’ve known for nearly 18 years—Marta Maria Garcia, Head of Product Management and Marketing for Dümmen Orange in North America. Marta Maria and I have been friends and industry colleagues for a long time, but even after all these years, I realized I didn’t really know how she first found her way into the plant world. In this episode, Marta Maria shares the surprising path that led her from marketing Bacardi in Puerto Rico to building a career in the plant industry in South Florida. We talk about how her background in marketing shaped her approach, the twists and turns of her career, and what drew her to horticulture in the first place. Stick around to find out: What “legacy plant” is growing in her backyard Her favorite flavor from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream And what she plans to do when she wins that massive Powerball jackpot (and yes, I’m definitely going with her) This one is full of stories, good laughs, and a reminder that everyone in this industry has a unique path worth digging into.