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Clockwise from top left:
Designer, Mimosa Floral; Photo, Ryon/Lockhart Photography ;
Designer, Mimosa Floral; Photo, Jaine Kershner;
Designer and Photo, Fleurelity
going to make it through. It was so touching,"
she notes.
e COVID quarantine also pared down
personal consumption habits and illuminated
the idea that less was, in fact, more. "I discovered
that I could live quite well without the high
business volume and with more personal time,"
Wright informs. "I figured out that my take-
home could actually stay about the same, with a
lot less risk and fewer headaches. I don't need to
run the rat race."
As morning dawns on post-pandemic optimism,
business owners are rethinking what they want
to walk back into. Will they return to business as
usual and hammer the productivity pedal down?
Or will they adopt the positive changes COVID
forced upon them?
According to these three florists, they are
reimagining their businesses to fit into their
lives, not the other way around.
SCALING BACK
e smaller weddings and events of 2020 allowed
florists to slow the hustle and reconnect with
bridal customers. "We used to serve more than 100
weddings a year, sometimes 30 to 40 in a month,"
Wright says. "But the more we did, the less I was
gelling with customers. I lost the one-on-one
connection with my clients, and I felt like I was just
managing people. Our product could have been any
widget, not the joy and beauty of flowers."
Gosar feels similarly. "Smaller events allow me
to provide more personalized service, with
more attention to detail," she assures. "It's a
difference that shines through in the quality of
my customers' experiences."
Florists weren't the only ones enjoying more
intimate events. "Many brides wanted smaller
weddings, but often their parents felt like they
needed to invite everyone. COVID gave them
permission to say no," Wright points out. "ese
