I sold my first flower bouquets
Early in June, my friend asked if I could make her a bouquet for her daughter to gift her teacher at the end of semester happening on Jun 22. I got so excited because that was my first official flower order.
My first flower bouquet order - I asked my client (a friend) to ask her daughter to name a few colors when thinking about her teacher.
I envisioned a big, lush bouquet to impress my friend but she, being a very good client, gave me a clear and specific instruction that it must be small for her little daughter to carry in a school bus. But of course I had already purchased bunches of flowers, so I ended up having a ton left. Having too many flowers, I made two bouquets for the order so that my friend keep one for herself. It was a special gift for my first ever flower order.
The next day, I decided to challenge myself to something that scares me—selling the left-over flowers to strangers.
My kind landlord allowed me to put the bouquets out next to the stoop.
It was nerve-breaking because I had never done this before. Looking back, I was only able to do this because I have a friend who grew and sold her flowers as a hobby (@nikisflowerhaven) in Chicago, who guided me with her experience running a self-service flower stand. Steve was so encouraging as well.
Not long after I put them outside, I went downstairs to check on the flowers and saw one gone. I immediately thought it was stolen but voila! there was the email from Venmo that someone paid $15. The emotion was pure joy.
Forever grateful for Alias Coffee of Troy, NY for letting me put flowers inside the coffee shop.
Because I put out the flower stand late in the afternoon, I had to bring them back in after selling two bouquets. The next day, it rained non-stop. Again, “do the thing that scares you.” I went to a coffee shop down the street first thing in the morning to ask if I can put the flowers inside the coffee shop. I brought one of the bouquets as a sample, and when I was waiting in line to order coffee and pop the question, a customer after customer complimented the flowers and asked where I got them. Eventually, I got the barista’s attention as well even before asking the question and I shared my story. One of the customers bought the sample bouquet on the spot. It was such an encouragement for me. The kind barista let me put the bouquet box at the counter. I sold out in 2 hours.
Flower bouquets seen through the coffee shop window
It was my friend’s 40th birthday a few days later. Ha! Another excuse to make a bouquet and buy too many flowers.
Blue, white and green palette in my gardening bag
They looked so clean and dainty against my white soft duvet.
I never found Alstroemerias appealing to me until it did, and I think I will want to work a lot more with them. They are like lilies but much smaller - so economical too. Anyways, having left with, again, too many flowers after making that small bouquet, I decided to create a centerpiece to gift Alias Coffee for their kindness few days ago.
My “thank you” gift for the shop a few days later
And then again, a family of three (Rosa and Ryan and their baby son <3) who were already in the coffee shop complimented the centerpiece I was holding. Rosa asked I am a florist! Wow. Rosa was so kind to offer to introduce me to her wedding florist friend for when she needs a freelancer florist to help on wedding weekends. I felt so lucky and happy to rewarded forgetting out of my comfort zone. Crazy! Btw, Ryan and Rosa have a podcast talking about life, real estate and personal financing. Days like this make me feel more attached to Troy - so many cool, encouraging and kind people who themselves lead an interesting life.
I loved what I named “the valley of purples” in the middle
Challenging myself to sell bouquets to strangers for the first time was incredibly rewarding. It validated that my flower arrangements are appealing and taught me the joy of meeting new people and making friends through flowers. (I made so many new friends in that 2 hour window at the coffee shop, every single one so lovely.) It was just 8 bouquets but a huge milestone for me, another force to step forward in the direction I set for myself.
+ I donated the $120 profit to Capital Roots, the organization that allotted me a plot in their community gardens to grow my own flowers. Ha, what a life.
