Meet Eileen Yanez | Teacher and florist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eileen Yanez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eileen, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Starting my own business really came from a place of needing another creative outlet outside of teaching.

As much as I love being a teacher, pouring into students every single day requires so much heart, energy, and structure. I needed another avenue of inspiration something that felt softer, more creative, and deeply personal. Teaching feeds my purpose, but I wanted something that also fed my spirit.

Around that time, my grandmother was weighing heavy on my mind. She raised her children as a single parent and somehow managed to sustain them with strength, grace, and resilience. She loved flowers they brought her joy, even during the hardest seasons. When I think of her, I think of beauty blooming despite struggle.

Her love for flowers and her resilience are what led to Agustina’s Flower Bar.

It became more than a business. It became a tribute to her strength, to softness in the midst of responsibility, and to creating beauty with intention. It’s my way of honoring where I come from while building something of my own. 🌸

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I didn’t get to where I am today professionally by accident and it definitely wasn’t easy.

I became a teacher because I believe in building people. As a Mexican educator, I’ve always felt a deep responsibility to create spaces where our students especially our community feel safe, seen, and capable. Education changed the trajectory of my life, and I knew I wanted to be part of that change for others. That meant not just teaching standards, but building confidence, identity, and opportunity in classrooms that feel culturally affirming and emotionally safe.

Earning my Master’s in Education strengthened my skill set but the real growth came from the hard days. The exhaustion. The doubt. The moments where I questioned if I was doing enough. Teaching requires resilience, leadership, and heart every single day.

At the same time, I was building Agustina’s Flower Bar.

That came from a different but connected place in my heart. My grandmother, who raised her children as a single mother, carried so much resilience. She loved flowers. Even when money was tight, beauty mattered. Watching her sustain her family with strength and grace shaped how I see work, sacrifice, and love.

As a Mexican woman, I carry that legacy with me. We are taught to provide, to build, to sacrifice but also to nurture. I wanted to create spaces where our people can gather, celebrate, and feel joy. Flowers are my way of showing love publicly and intentionally. They soften spaces. They bring people together. They honor milestones. They say, you matter.

Balancing education and entrepreneurship hasn’t been easy. There were financial risks, long nights, self-doubt, and moments of imposter syndrome in both fields. But I overcame those challenges the same way I was raised to through discipline, reflection, faith, and community.

The biggest lessons I’ve learned:

• You can hold multiple identities educator, entrepreneur, cultural storyteller.
• Providing safe educational spaces is revolutionary work.
• Representation matters in leadership and business.
• Pricing and boundaries reflect self-worth.
• Resilience does not have to be loud to be powerful.

What I want the world to know about me and my brand is this:

I build spaces.

In classrooms, I build spaces where students especially students who look like me can pursue education safely and confidently.

Through Agustina’s Flower Bar, I build spaces where our community can experience beauty, softness, and celebration.

Both are rooted in love.
Both are rooted in legacy.
Both are rooted in resilience.

And everything I create whether it’s a lesson plan or a bouquet carries the same message:
We deserve education.
We deserve opportunity.
We deserve beauty.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area I would start their day at a coffee shop for a good iced coffee or matcha. Then we would go vintage shopping (whether that’s the swapmeet in San Fernando or studio city). We would eat some good tacos at Rigo’s tacos and proceed are way to Shadow Grove to end our night with some good local beer.

I would want to highlight the San Fernando valley the way I know it best.

I would also send her home with an arrangement from my flower bar.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out my family, my friends, and the Makers Hive Market for giving me the tools and courage needed to launch my business. I would not be here without them.

Instagram: @agustinasflowerbar

Image Credits
Photos by Asha Moné HRDWRKER