Lately I’ve been kind of obsessed with figuring out “what I
want to be when I grow up” and with the idea of whether or not everyone just
hates their jobs and does them anyways. Do some of you wake up in the morning
excited to go to work? Is that a thing? Mike and I sit and talk over and over
again trying to figure out what path to place ourselves on for the future. And
it’s hard. Is money more important or happiness? Is there a way to find a
creative job where you won’t be completely stifled at every step? Does anyone
actually like their job?!
I tell you, I’ve been obsessed with these thoughts. So I
decided to talk to some ladies I know that actually do seem to like their jobs;
a lot of whom branched out on their own and started their own businesses. Maybe
they’ll inspire me to figure the eff out what I’m doing with my life. Or maybe
they’ll hire me? Wink wink
Our first “Cool Chick with a Cool Job” is Shannon from
Flourish who did the flowers at my
wedding. She’s been in the flower business for over 23 years and has been
widely successful…for good reason…the lady rocks and is super nice to boot. On
top of her flourishing (get it hehe) floral business, Shannon also recently
started a web site called Fancy Pants Weddings that is filled with
amazing wedding inspiration. I sat down with Shannon (well, not really we did
it via e-mail, but they always say that in interviews so I’m going with it) and
asked her some questions about how she ended up in a job she loves.
V: What is your
education/employment background?
S: When I was in
college I was hired at a florist shop to help them with accounting and to keep
the books. Literally, keep the books. I had to enter charges on cards using a
typewriter and write out the ledgers. Even in the late 80's that was an
old-school way to do the accounting. When I was done pounding on the typewriter
and I had used up all the White Out, I would work in the front of the shop
helping with the flowers. Once I realized I wanted to be a florist I kind of
left college behind and started down the path of learning as much as I could
about floral design.
V: Is being a florist
something you’ve always wanted to do?
S: When I was a kid
my aunt was a florist. I was fascinated with her job. Then in my teen years I
read a book about a girl how worked at a florist and it stuck with me. So when
I got the job at the flower shop in later years it just all clicked into place
and I knew floral design was what I wanted to do.
V: How did you get
into this field?
S: I opened my first
shop with a business partner in 1994. The shop was a gallery that featured
local artists/flower shop specializing in artistic designs. I was soooo green
(see what I did there?)! It really was a case of trail by fire. I just kind of
jumped in and figured things out. I had no idea, beyond some basic design
skills, what I was doing. But I learned! When I had the boys, I sold the
business and stepped away from flowers for a few years. When I got back into
working with flowers I knew I wanted to focus on weddings and events and I
opened Flourish.
V: What made you
decide to finally go for it and start your own business?
S: Looking back on
it, I don't really think I gave it a lot of thought. When the opportunity
presented itself to open the flower shop, I just went for it. When I started
the business I was young enough that I had never gotten used to a fat corporate
paycheck. So starting the business didn't hurt too much in the way of a pay
cut. A new business can be a major time suck too. But I didn't have children at
the time and my husband was, and always has been, supportive of my endeavors. I
guess I was so young and inexperienced I didn't really know I was taking a huge
risk. Maybe I was really brave. That's it. I was brave!
V: What is your
favorite part of your job?
S: Meeting with a
bride for the first time and knowing that I am clicking with them and totally
get their vision. I love when I can be creative and my client is excited about
the ideas that I present to them. It makes the whole process a more about a
creative partnership.
V: What’s the hardest
part of your job?
S: Working with
unrealistic budgets. It is awful when a bride wants the moon and doesn't
understand why I can't give it to them and then treats me like I am gouging her
and I am the bad guy. I am always happy to work with a budget but the bride has
to be willing to meet me half way. I am not a miracle worker and I am not
running a non-profit business. Respect my time and talent and I will work my hardest
to make your wedding as pretty as your budget will allow.
{Side Note from V: I had a pretty measly flower budget and
Shannon was amazing about it. She worked with me and my flowers were exactly
what I wanted!}
V: What does a
typical day for you look like?
S: One of the coolest
thing about my job is it is ever changing. During the wedding season (mid-April
through mid-November) the flowers come in on Wednesday we process them and make
sure we have everything we need to make the event happen. Thursday and Friday
are the designing days and delivery on Saturday. I also meet with brides, order
flowers, organize rental décor, and a million other things during the
week. During the "off" season
I spend a lot of time blogging, marketing, networking, and all the things I do
not have time for when we are in the middle of production. I also develop craft
projects for the spray paint company, Design Master. It is really fun to be
creative in a way that does not involve flowers.
V: Tell me more about Fancy Pants Weddings!
S: I started the blog Fancy Pants Weddings as a way for me to share some of the things I have learned over the years about weddings. Offering advice, DIY crafts, and featuring real weddings has been a lot of fun. We are in the middle of a complete overhaul and re-brand that is slated to reveal mid-January. I am really looking forward to all the new projects and information we are about to share with our readers.
S: What advice do you
have for someone who wants to get into your field?
V: Learn what you can
where ever you can. If you are lucky, find a special event floral designer that
will hire you to process flowers and deliver weddings. Then soak up everything
that happens before and during the events and LEARN! Look into the Floral
Design Institute in Portland and Seattle. They have a solid program for someone
just starting to learn floral design. Once you have practiced and learned the
basics see if you can find a family member or friend that will let you do their
wedding flowers. Close your eyes, hold your breath, and JUMP.
Thank you so much Shannon for letting me interview you and
for your amazing advice. And, well, for
just being awesome! Check out Flourish
here , Fancy Pants Weddings here , and enjoy some beautiful pictures of
Shannon’s work below!
Photo via True Love Photo
And of course I had to include some from my wedding!
