Growing a pineapple requires intentionality and longevity of a process. The process of cultivating a pineapple is long, intentional, and requires grit. First, you have to sever the crown from a fully grown pineapple and let it heal from the separation from the fruit for 1-2 days. Taking the time to properly prepare the crown is the most important step for a healthy new fruit to grow. After the crown has dried, you must decide to either plant the crown in a pot or directly in the ground. As with most decisions about growth, there are pros + cons to both. If you choose to plan in a pot, you will have to replant in a larger environment later on, risking the health of the roots. However, if you choose to plant directly in the ground, you risk the environmental factors (frost, rainfall, weeds, and soil quality) being out of your control. After choosing the environment for growth, you must cultivate the soil your pineapple will grow in.
The recommended soil is sandy, well aerated, free of drainage, and non-compacted. You can then place the dry crown about one inch deep, watering about once per week. Before the fruit grows roots, the plant will exclusively receive nutrients from the leaves of the crown, so be sure to pay close attention to the hydration of the leaves. It takes approximately two months for roots to grow and about 24 months for a new pineapple to be fully grown. As your plant grows, small plantlets (pups) will begin to grow between the leaves. These should be plucked and planted to continue the discipline of cultivating new pineapples.
The similarities between growing a pineapple and growing a leader are uncanny. This complex process mirrors the long game that becoming a worthwhile leader requires. This is why we chose the ‘pineapple’ in the PRPL Pineapple brand. Becoming a leader doesn’t happen over night. It doesn’t happen in just any environment with just any resources. In order to grow, you initiate the severance from the a previous version of oneself and create new roots to bare new fruit. It takes years of intentionality and cultivation, the right amount of nutrients and growing others alongside you. Once the fruit of your labor is ripe for the picking, the process begins over again to grow something new.
Now what does leadership development have to do with a Fractional Marketing Officer partnership? Working with prpl pineapple is about more than just putting out engaging content and growing your bottom line. Our desire is to create a rich and intentional experience for leaders that allow them to explore what is next for their growth and equips them to make meaningful decisions for the organizations they work with. Working with prpl pineapple is for leaders (and teams of leaders) that desire to put intentionality behind their work and make meaningful impact in the world. If you interested in exploring a partnership with us, you should know what is important to us. We care about intentionality, continuous learning, harmonious relationships, and making an impact in the world around us. If this aligns with what you care about, contact us.