My Small Business & Me

#52 - Flower Farmer Fiona Haser Bizony from the Electric Daisy Flower Farm shares her small business journey. Having originally worked as a ceramicist, then as an Artistic Director at an Arts Centre, she now runs her flower growing business in Somerset and a flower shop in London. 

From an early age, Fiona was keen to take charge of her own destiny. As a teenager, she managed to sort out a work experience placement at a local art college, instead of working in a bank. After A Levels, she did a degree in Three Dimensional Design at Brighton and majored in Ceramics. 

In the 1990s, she moved to London and in her studio, created ceramic garden pots. On spending time in Spain, she met her German husband-to-be, a painter. They moved to Germany, started a family and got married. Back then, they were already eco-conscious and interested in sustainability. 

Missing England, she moved back with her children before deciding to travel around the world for a year. On returning to the UK,  she set up a gallery and artist studios. Then aged 40, she started working as an Artistic Director at an arts centre. 

Gardening leave then followed and she felt that she should do something calming. Having always been interested in growing, she decided to do an RHS Horticulture Course. Then she began researching flower growing and also went on several flower growing and floristry courses. 

She decided to set up a flower farm, initially starting by renting a walled garden from a local farmer. Three years later, she found her current patch. She began creating floral designs for weddings and events. And was also asked to be an RHS Floral Artist in Residence. With her arts background, she realised that she needed to do something to stand out in the floristry world. And she made calendars featuring flower crowns she'd created every month. 

A couple of years ago, she was approached to open a shop in Highgate, London. It opened in February 2020. Then the pandemic took hold. Fiona talks about the impact of COVID-19 on her business. She shares her 2022 plans including holding workshops, documenting the flower farm on video and creating another calendar, before sharing her three tips. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Fiona is about British flowers, flower growing and sustainability. I'm sure you'll find the interview hugely inspiring!

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode52

Flower Photography (iPhone Version) Online Course: https://learn.flowerona.com/flower-photography-iphone-version

#51 - Mother and daughter team, Caroline Beck and Roisin Taylor from Verde Flower Co share their small business journey. Having worked as a garden writer for many years, Caroline started to grow flowers and during the pandemic, Roisin joined the business part-time. 

Growing up Caroline remembers flowers picked from the hedgerow by her grandmother being displayed around her home. After initially working as a BBC news journalist, on having her first daughter Roisin, Caroline became a garden writer. 

Aged 50, in 2015 she made an impromptu decision to start growing flowers. From having an allotment for many years, she had experience growing. Plus she gained gardening knowledge from all the people she'd interviewed such as garden designers, plants people and head gardeners. 

Verde started to offer wedding flowers after Caroline's best friend asked her if she'd like to do the flowers for her son's wedding. And weddings now take up a large share of their revenue. In December 2019, Caroline moved the business from a farm to a Victorian walled garden, growing wildflowers in a cultivated way.  For example, Larkspur, Ammi visnaga and Dill.

Following her Masters degree, Roisin worked in the Conservation/NGO Sector, followed by Climate Change Control. She continues to work in this area. When she was furloughed during the first lockdown, she spent several months working in the garden. And realised that she wanted to spend more time outside, connecting with her family and nature. 

The ladies discuss the impact of the pandemic on their business and the silver linings which appeared including offering workshops. Plus they share their social media plans for 2022, which include branching out into TikTok and YouTube. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Caroline and Roisin are about flower growing, sustainable floristry and the special relationships that they have with their wedding couples. I'm sure you'll find the interview hugely inspiring!

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode51

Flower Photography (iPhone Version) Online Course: https://learn.flowerona.com/flower-photography-iphone-version

#50 - Owner of Botanique Workshop, Alice Howard shares her small business journey. Initially setting up a shop focused on upcycling, later adding plants and then flowers to her offering led to the creation of her current florist and artisan gift store based in London.

After studying Business Management at university, she did a ski season as a ski host before training to be a professional sailor. Aged 24, she realised that she wanted to set up a business making things. Her first shop 'In With The Old' was born. She upcycled vintage bits and bobs. And as well as stocking her own products, also stocked items from other makers. 

As her interests changed, the shop evolved. She started to stock plants, initially because she was selling hand-thrown Victorian pots. She began selling more and more plants. And then started selling flowers. 

In October 2016, a shop nearby became vacant and she decided to do a pop-up. She created a moodboard for the premises and this was the foundation of Botanique Workshop. A friend of a friend was an experienced florist and she joined Alice, later becoming her business partner. 

When the pop-up was ending, she decided to close 'In With The Old' and continue with Botanique. She now stocks cut flowers, dried flowers, houseplants, candles, stationery, pressed flower art, handmade ceramics and jewellery. 

Alice talks about the origins of her business name, her own brand product range and the impact of the pandemic on her business. Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate she is about being creative and making her own products, together with working with her wonderful team. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode50

Flower Photography (iPhone Version) Online Course: https://learn.flowerona.com/flower-photography-iphone-version

#49 - Botanical dyer Sian Cornish shares her small business journey. After many years working in manufacturing and the construction industry, the recession led to her setting up Lancaster & Cornish, creating beautiful hand-dyed silk products. 

After studying a Geology degree at Oxford University, she went on to study a Masters in Environmental Science in London. As part of her Masters, she wrote a dissertation on Glacial Retreat in the Himalayas. And whilst visiting India she fell in love with colour. 

Her first job role was in the manufacturing industry, after which she took a year out and travelled with her husband, back to India, and also to Mexico and Australia. On returning to the UK, she started working in the construction industry as an environmental consultant. This position offered her the opportunity of working freelance. So she and her family moved from London to Cornwall. 

When the credit crunch struck, she lost all her freelance work. And she realised that she needed to reinvent herself. After much thought, she set up Lancaster & Cornish, initially buying and selling organic fabric. 

Around 2013, one of her friends who is a florist asked her if she could make some ribbons for her. It was a lightbulb moment for Sian. And it was the start of her journey with natural dyes. Working from her kitchen table, she began dyeing silk and bamboo silk. 

She shares the natural dyeing process from the original material through to creating the dyed product, the impact of the pandemic on her company and her plans for 2022.  Plus she talks about how her dyed materials have appeared in the 2020 film Emma!

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Sian is about textiles and colour.  Funnily enough, it was only after she's started her business that she discovered that her ancestors were also involved in the textile industry.  A full circle...

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode49

#48 - Farmer florist Sarah Whiting shares her small business journey. After working for many years in the NHS, she took redundancy. And having always been a keen gardener, spent time in her garden. Then seven years ago, she decided to set up Nettlewood Flowers.

Born in Australia, Sarah spent over 20 years in senior management in the NHS in the UK. On taking redundancy, she set up a consultancy business, but found it soul-less. So she decided to take some time off and having always grown flowers, set out a cutting garden. 

When she had surplus flowers, she began giving them to neighbours, asking for a donation for charity in exchange. Then having grown even more flowers, she sold them from her garden gate in Teddington, London. 

One day, she mentioned to her husband the possibility of turning her flower growing into a business. After having put together a business plan, she did some floristry courses and secured a work experience placement at The Real Flower Company. She then went on to work there part-time for two years, before leaving to concentrate solely on her business, Nettlewood Flowers.

She talks about her move from London to East Sussex in December 2019, her why, the impact of the pandemic on her business, together with her plans for 2022. You'll also discover her practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Sarah is about her relationships with her clients in the floristry world and seeing how they use her flowers, which often have been featured in magazines. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode48

#47 - Farmer florist Tammy Hall shares her small business journey. On moving from Australia to London to work as an architect, she met her partner and went to live on his farm in the Shropshire countryside. And ten years ago, she decided to set up Wild Bunch Flowers.

Born in East Africa and growing up in Australia, Tammy spent a lot of time in her childhood outside. She studied architecture in Melbourne and when she finished her degree, she moved to London to work as an architect. 

It was a very exciting time for her, but she always craved the landscape. In her free time, she often took the train into the countryside and she met her partner James whilst paragliding! She moved to Shropshire to James' farm and continued working as an architect.

However, there was always a pull to spend time outside and she had the idea of starting to grow flowers and sell her designs. So, on her train journeys to and from work, she did a lot of research and discovered Susanne Hatwood from The Blue Carrot, Sarah Raven and Gill Hodgson from Flowers from the Farm. 

James was a little sceptical about her idea. So she decided to enter a competition at the Garden Museum in London to try and convince him. Shortly afterwards, she set up Wild Bunch Flowers. 

She started as a wedding florist and her selling point was that she grew her own flowers. She gained clients via the Natural Wedding Company and Flowers from the Farm. Now as well as being a wedding florist, she also grows cut flowers for local florists and local bouquet deliveries. And in the future, she'd like to sell small arrangements in vessels. 

Tammy shares the impact of the pandemic on her business, together with her plans for 2022. Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate she is about being outside in the landscape, growing flowers and capturing them in beautiful images. At the end of the podcast, you'll discover her practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode47

#46 - Founder of Hikarui, Chikae Howland shares her small business journey. After working as a florist, she created her concept of Lightweight Living, Hikarui, which was born out of her own need to find ways to improve her lifestyle and overall well-being.

As a child, she was always creative and knew that she wanted to run her own business. In 2012, after graduating from university, she did a floristry course and set up a floristry business called Okishima & Simmonds (O&S), with her friend Jessica Simmonds. 

From the very start, they invested in beautiful branding and photo-shoots. They specialised in Floral Creative Styling and created designs for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and London Fashion Week. Several years later,  Chikae decided to take a three month road trip to Japan and America. She attended workshops with Beth Kirby from Local Milk, Sarah Winward, Sinclair & Moore and Ginny Au. On her return to the UK, a decision was made to no longer continue O&S.

Chikae's passion for photography grew, not only digital but also film. After spending time in Japan in 2017, she started to create the concept of Hikarui and developed it further when she returned to the UK. Then during the lockdown in 2020, she taught herself how to code and created her own website, including a concept store. 

Chikae shares a typical day in her life, including her morning routine, weekly routine and tools she uses. She talks about being highly sensitive and her why, before discussing her plans for the future. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Chikae is about well-being and self-care. At the end of the podcast, you'll discover her practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode46

#45 - Texas-based floristry blogger and podcaster Amy McGee shares her small business journey. After working as a dental hygenist, she now runs the blog Botanical Brouhaha and Bloom Trust Co, plus hosts the Botanical Brouhaha podcast. 

Her interest in flowers and plants was awakened when she and her husband bought their first house around 2000. The previous owners had been avid gardeners but in the last few years had been unable to look after the large garden. So it had become overgrown. Each season, unexpected flowers popped up, which Amy really enjoyed and looked forward to. 

At the time, she was a part-time dental hygenist. However, she became interested in gardening, started a cutting garden, and began to sell her flowers. A local upscale B&B asked her if she could make and deliver flower arrangements. So she learnt how to arrange her homegrown blooms. 

Someone asked Amy to create their wedding flowers. One thing led to another. And she moved into a private studio space and provided floral designs for weddings and events, services she offered for around 8 years. 

She arrived at a crossroads in her career and decided to close the studio. Then on her birthday in 2009, she started her blog Botanical Brouhaha. She retired from dental hygiene after working in the industry for 25 years. And in 2017, she started her podcast. She also began working with florist Holly Chapple, helping her with the Chapel Designers network. 

Amy worked with Holly for almost five years. Then at the beginning of 2020, she decided to go out on her own, just as COVID hit.  At the end of that year, she set up Bloom Trust Co. She talks about how the membership site came about and how it functions. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Amy is about the floral design industry and helping people.  At the end of the podcast, you'll discover her practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode45

#044 - Cake designer Krishanthi Armitt shares her small business journey. Starting in investment banking, she'd always loved baking. When she started a family, she decided to do a Sugar Flowers & Piped Royal Icing Decoration course. Now she specialises in luxury wedding cakes adorned with exquisite hand-crafted sugar flowers. 

Having moved to Germany after her A levels, she met her husband and studied a degree in Sociology & Politics. On returning to the UK, she went straight into investment banking where she worked for five years.

Always being interested in baking, when she started a family she attended a part-time cake decorating course. Then after the birth of her second child, in 2010 she made the decision to set up her business Cakes by Krishanthi, and specialise in wedding cakes. 

She shares the different strategies she uses to market her business and how she differentiates herself in the industry. You'll hear about her passion for flowers and creating sugar flowers, together with the types of courses she runs to teach others how to make these intricate designs. 

Krishanthi shares the impact of the pandemic on her business and how she used the time for reflection.  She's now diversifying into creating cold porcelain flowers and is long-term considering offering flower therapy.

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Krishanthi is about cake making and capturing the beauty of flowers in her sugar creations. I'm sure you'll get so much value from this podcast episode!

Show notes and more are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode44

#43 - Florists Athena Duncan and Mairead Curtin from Rebel Rebel share their small business journey. Starting in 2020, they've grown their small floral events company into a thriving business with a shop in Mare Street Market in East London, a weddings and events team, a workshop near Broadway Market and Rebel Italia in Tuscany. 

After becoming friends whilst working in the television industry, they decided to set up Rebel Rebel after Mairead received a bouquet of flowers. With the financial safety net of Athena's redundancy payment,  they started creating event flowers in a space in Stockwell. And their business grew very quickly through word of mouth. 

One of their main clients no longer buying flowers was the trigger for them to decide to open up a shop in Broadway Market in Hackney. They share how their floristry style has developed over the years and how their distinctive branding came about. 

Creating eye-catching floral displays in their shop window using flowers they'd brought back from events was one of the marketing tactics which they used to attract clients. And as well as event and photoshoot work, they started to get asked to create wedding flowers. 

Athena and Mairead discuss how opening Rebel Rebel in Italy came about, the types of workshops they run there and the clientele they attract.  They also talk about the importance of both British flowers and foliage for their designs, together with details of some of the amazing floral installations they've created. 

Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Athena and Mairead are about flowers and the floristry industry. At the end of the podcast, you'll discover their practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. 

Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode43