If you look at my business today, it might seem like I have it all together. But when my business first started (not that long ago,) I made plenty of mistakes. And they were whoppers.
Have you ever asked for a $100,000 loan?
I have. Not my favorite memory.
Read MoreThis photo will forever make me laugh and here’s why:
I received a phone call from Arkansas Life Magazine and they said they wanted to feature me as one of the seven Arkansans who are “just as good at getting dressed as running successful businesses” (their words not mine). They also said they’d like to photograph me in one of my favorite spaces, a place that makes me truly happy.
Read MoreWant to know a secret to getting dream clients? Treat the clients you currently have really well, be kind, and most important be honest with them. People respect honesty. People trust honest people. Word will spread that they love working with you.
Read MoreDo you really want a floral business? It’s okay to have a hobby and for it to be simply a hobby. My greatest passion is travel, but I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if every time I traveled, I also had to write a feature about it.
I think it’ really important to know that owning your own floral business doesn’t mean you are doing flowers all day. There is a reason only 5% of small businesses succeed. The business-side of it takes up the majority of your day.
Read MoreI don’t like to do things just because people tell me “that’s the way things are done.”
In my interview with Ivy Slater of Her Success Story Podcast, Ivy comments that women are amazing, because we’re not afraid to buck the norm, and I totally agree with her!
Read MoreEMERGENCY KIT:
floral tape - waterproof and boutonnière
scissors - regular and ribbon
snips
wire cutters
wire - varied sizes plus thin gold
fishing line
glass cleaner
paper towels
shwizzles (aka pipe cleaners)
pins
1. Don’t let other people dictate your work day.
I used to think checking my email first thing meant I was working hard. It meant I was being productive! I think most of us think this way. We have clients or coworkers or bosses who need to hear from us. Sound familiar?
You know the phrase, Ignorance is bliss - well it’s especially true when it comes to email! When I became ignorant to what was going on in my inbox - guess what happened? I actually had time to focus on my own to do list which led to productivity which led to profitability. I’m not denying the fact that, yes, it is important to check my email.
Read MoreYesterday, my assistant Emma said to me, "You're almost there!"
I said, "What do you mean?"
She responded, "I remember in January you said to me that your schedule is basically jam-packed from now until June 3rd. If you can just make it to June 3rd then you'll be good. Well, you're almost there. You have less than a month to go!"
Read MoreFour years ago, I wrote down where I wanted to be in five years. Here's a little snippet from the six page entry:
"I hope to be in a place where I am able to choose which clients I want to work with. I hope to be in a place where my clients trust me to execute their vision and give me creative freedom to do so. I hope to be in a place where I only have to do a handful of weddings a year and still exceed my sales goal. I hope to be in a place where I can blend my love of travel with my work."
Read MoreOrdering flowers was always my least favorite thing to do. I hated writing recipes and counting how many stems I needed. I would put off ordering until the last possible minute.
Having three small children, I really value my time, so anything that takes way longer than I think it should, I dread. Ordering flowers took me at the very least an entire work day (sometimes it took me two or three!) to complete. I
Read MoreMiami was an adventure. My flowers were scheduled to be waiting for me in my hotel room when I arrived, but because of inclement weather, they were stuck in Memphis. The Miami wholesaler was closed by the time I landed in Miami and I wasn't able to get my flowers until just hours before my client needed her bouquet. Thankfully everything worked out and she loved her bouquet and her portrait session was a huge success.
Read MoreAt the end of almost every single meeting I would say to Bailey and James,
"Y'all remind me of my husband and me...
Bailey is direct, knows what she wants, sarcastic, and amusing and James (who by the way wins best groom award for attending every meeting!) sits back, watches her, and laughs.
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