I chose to interview my sister, Allie. She is an entrepreneur in the wedding-floral business. She started about two years ago doing about one wedding a month, and now she is booked about every weekend of the year, sometimes even double booked. She works in the Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin areas. Her business is named Flowers & Moore, and she is very passionate about it.

Why did you go into the wedding-floral industry?
“I got into the industry kind of by accident. I was helping a friend with her centerpieces. It was pure madness, but I knew I loved it and wanted to keep doing it.”

What is your favorite part of it?
“My favorite part is seeing brides on their wedding day. It is the happiest day of their lives, and I get to share a little piece of their day with them. I love seeing their expression for the first time when they see their bridal bouquet.”

What’s your favorite wedding to date?
“It was actually the one I most recently did. The venue was beautiful and the bride had thought about every detail of the day. It is a huge honor to do a wedding for someone in the wedding industry.”

What are your favorite flowers?
“My favorite flowers are Peonies and King Proteas. I love their presence in bouquets because they command or rule the whole bouquet.”

What separates you from other people in the industry?
“I think I have a unique style that blends traditional, modern, and different. No two bouquets or arrangements I make look alike. Also, a lot of florists right now create these huge bouquets that can touch the ground and are just excessively big. That’s not really my taste. Mine is simple yet beautiful.”

Where did your confidence come from for your startup?
“People just kept encouraging me to do it, telling me I had a gift for it. It just took that one friend to believe in me and ask me to do her bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, and centerpieces. Also, I just kept booking brides, so I figured I might as well make a business out of this.”

What do you imagine for your floral company in 10 years?
“In the next ten years I could see myself owning a shop, having some employees, and still helping brides make their wedding day come to life.”

How do you advertise?
“I get my name out through word of mouth and social media. The best advertisement is through the bride posting about her flowers and saying how special her day was.”

How did you learn how to run a business?
“I did not really learn how to run a business formally, but I learned through personal and others experiences. I took a single business/entrepreneur class at Dallas Baptist University because my major was Christian Studies.”

Did you ever imagine to be in the wedding-floral business?
“No, I originally wanted to go into church ministry, but I love this industry and how I can express myself. I love making bouquets because it brings me peace.”

My sister, Allie, has a great passion and love for what she does. Many people go through life without doing what they are passionate for. She has taught me to follow my dreams and believe in myself, even if I could never imagine it. She has taught me anything is possible, even if people do or do not believe in me. The confidence that I have in myself is the only part that matters. She hopes to continue and grow her business into a full-time job.