Tell us about your business and how it started?
Emmylou Wildflowers started as one big happy accident. In June 2019, I thought it would be a satisfying weekend hobby to work in a florist. I had no experience and thought starting an Instagram account filled with flowers would one day be enough of a ‘resume' to ask the local florist for a job.
I filled my tiny garden shed with flowers that I had foraged from friends and posted a photo of the shed. The photo created an illusion that I had a little boutique garden shop! People started asking to buy flowers that I didn't actually have.
A soon-to-be wedded couple asked me to create their wedding flowers and after hearing that I was not a florist with any more than a couple of foraged flowers, they were still interested.
To be completely honest, the term “fake it until you make” it has never been more real. I took the leap of faith and gave the people what they wanted - a “garden shed flower shop”.
Whilst working full time as a support worker, I made flower arrangements in every spare second of my time. As time progressed, I was approached by a local entrepreneur who proposed that I should open a flower shop within her high end fashion store. I took the opportunity of a lifetime, I went full time florist within the store and I have never looked back .
What is your biggest achievement in business?
It is quite simple ~ personal growth. Owning a business has taught me to show up with the greatest of intentions. Starting a business from scratch can be risky and it can take a lot of self management and reflection to believe that you are worthy and capable enough to make it out on your own. I'm constantly being challenged in my business and learning to trust myself and the process of success and failure in order to achieve a goal is a big achievement in my business.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of owning your own business?
The most rewarding aspect of owning your own business is having creative control of your own life “movie”. You are the creative director, the set designer, the CEO. You call the shots on the sky being the limit and how amazing your business can be. When your hard work pays off it is very rewarding to have a flexible career that you are extremely passionate about.
What do you love about your product?
I love that flowers are the universal love and celebration language. Everything can be said so simply with flowers. I love that flowers can change a space into something magical and I love that I get to bring people together with the joy of flowers each and every day.
Who or what inspires you and your creative process?
I am constantly inspired by the movement and the colour of Mother Nature; the way she moves so freely with such radiant light inspires my relaxed creative process. My flower arrangements are often quite wild and unconventional.
What does success mean to you?
Success to me is definitely not about possessions or careers that are deemed to be “successful”, it is about being happy. Being happy within yourself, the people you surround yourself with and making the conscious decision to create a balanced life you are happy with. I think the most successful people I know are the ones who challenge themselves everyday to do something that makes them happy.
How can women support other women?
It is simple - collaboration over competition. Like the wise words of Zen Shin, “A flower does not think of competing with the flowers next it, it just blooms”.
I think the key to supporting other women is being confident in your individual strengths that you don't see another woman's success as a threat.
Build up other women in the same way you want to be. Be proud of women's mark on the world. Make the effort to celebrate their successes and support them through their challenges.
And remember the Shine Theory - When we help another woman rise, we all shine!
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Emma White is the flower queen behind Emmylou Wildflowers located at 95 Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
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