Hi- I'm Kelly! - PART 1
Hi I'm Kelly...Kelly Jo....whatever you call me, just don't call me late for dinner!
As I've gotten older, I sound more and more like my Dad. ( which isn't a bad thing by any means. I just have an immense love for Dad jokes and when the opportunity fits, well, they just shoot out)
I decided to start out this year's Blog experience with a reintroduction to who I am. 10 YEARS!! A Floral Affair has been a business for 10 years! That is so many Brides and so many opportunities I have been given that I am so thankful for!!
Every year, I work on a blog and hey, thank you for the 2 people that read it!! I decided this year to start out with a little bit about me, the Creative Floral Director of A Floral Affair, the driving force, the email editor, the Momma with dogs and kiddos in the background of almost every Phone Consultation.
Backstory
People can't believe it when I say I have been in the floral industry since 2003. I started Floriculture classes in High School where I competed for FFA. I ended up winning the State Competition and traveled to Nationals to compete.
I attended The Floral Design Institute in Portland, Oregon and took floral classes after graduating to create some sort of path for myself.
Success! My first real job after High School was working at a Flower Shop where I delivered and designed. We would work 90 hour weeks during the holidays and were told not to complain. I suppose this would be the best grooming for the hours of work I would put in years ahead.
I moved to Reno to attend UNR and focused on my studies instead of working. I had a blowout fight with my boyfriend one night and created a Resume at 2AM. He couldn't handle the pressure of paying for an apartment, while supporting his gambling habits. By 7AM the same day I had a call back for a job interview. Again, it was going to be a temporary thing while I figured my life out.
In 2012 I moved back to Gardnerville, Nevada, to help my parents take care of my Grandmother's estate. She had been given 6-12 months to live and needed 24/7 in-home care. My parents would take that role on. I learned how to do her nighttime routine, so my parents could eat dinner together and have some normalcy.
I moved into her house and prepared it for sale. I was working for a Florist in Sparks and driving over an hour each way passing numerous flowers shops along the way. Although I loved designing Wedding Flowers, I decided to quit and start new at another. Family was more important than a job.
Cleaning mold out of buckets 5 days a week became lackluster and I didn't believe in the product I was selling. I got written up for throwing away a 22 day old Hydrangea blossom because I was told it had 24 hours of life still in it. That was not my kind of Flower shop! I got fired after the holidays and didn't know what to do with my life.
I decided to start my own business as a side hustle while I figured that out. I worked at a Rental Company as the Receptionist, which turned into so much more than answering just the phone. We parted and I went full time with my "little" business. (I love when people call it a "little business". Everyone has their own definition of success, that's all I'll say.) I've been encouraged to not do it anymore. I've had attempted arson on my public space.
This little business has kept me busy and provided a place for me to work while my daughter grows; has allowed me to afford to stay in my Grandmother's house after a Divorce. It has provided me a place to grow and heal. This "little unsuccessful" business has done more for me than words on a blog could ever describe.
Now - this is where it gets good!
All those steps brought me to now. Here we are 10 Seasons later, still figuring my life out, at a new chapter of life, ( I GOT MARRIED in 2021)and still doing flowers. Flowers and the people are what keep me coming back year to year. I am so grateful to be doing something I love!
Photo Credit: 1. & 3. Someplace Images
2., 6. & 7. Harmony Hilderbrand Photography
5. AB Photo
