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

Hi Melissa, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting my own business was a culmination of things: I needed a way to be creative and do what I love while also being a stay at home mom. I needed to create my own hours. My daughter is old enough that she doesn’t need me to do everything for her anymore and I needed to feel a sense of accomplishment while she’s at school and extracurricular activities. But many people don’t really want to hire a woman with an 11 year employment gap. So I fell back on what I love and what I had been doing anyway in my free time. I’ve been a certified florist for over 15 years and have worked in other shops. But when I had my daughter, I just designed for myself because it’s what I’m good at and it’s what I love. I don’t know why it took me so long to start my own business, but everything happens for a reason. Over the past few years this pandemic has taught me that life is short and I wanted to make a living doing what I was passionate about. I also want to show my daughter that success comes in many different forms. Success can be creating something and making money doing it. All of those things combined really gave me that lightbulb moment and helped give me the confidence to start something of my own that I love and am proud of.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My floral business is in its infancy stage right now, but I have seen continual growth from month to month.  I’m a classically trained and certified florist but I like to use the seasons and certain music to influence my arrangements. For me, floral design is like art, no one piece looks exactly like the next. I’ve yet to have a customer come to me to do a replica of something they’ve seen, the vast majority of them trust my creative process and they know I’ll provide them something beautiful, fresh, and in season. I’m currently working on becoming as sustainable as possible, I don’t work with traditional floral foam due to its negative impact on the environment, so I use other mechanics or a product called AgraWool (a foam alternative made from compostable material). I love working with local floral growers as well!

I’m so grateful that I’m able to do what I love! When I started my business I knew that I could succeed because I don’t measure success in regards to how much money I’m making (although that’s a nice perk). Success to me is measured in learning, progressing, the joy of creating, and making my customers happy. What really drives me is seeing people light up when they get a floral delivery, or that message I get from a customer thanking me for bringing them or their recipient so much cheer. It’s all about making those personal connections. That’s the easy part. The hard part is everything else that comes from starting a business: taxes, inventory, bookkeeping, etc. But I take things day by day and thankfully I’ve started my business in a time where there is so much information that is accessible, so many knowledgeable people ready and willing to connect and help out. My love for what I do and the connections I’ve made through social media has really made a huge difference.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I feel so incredibly grateful to live in one of the most diverse and exciting places in the country. There is so much to do and see here and so much culture to experience. As an art lover I’d insist on a museum day at the Getty (eating lunch at the restaurant there), or LACMA. The weather here is amazing, so getting outside is a must. I love a nice leisurely day at a botanical garden, while I love Descanso or Huntington, I feel like South Coast Botanical Gardens is less touristy but still beautiful and there’s a great deli nearby called Kelly’s Korner. No trip is complete without a visit to an amusement park so one day would definitely be Universal Studios. And who can resist a beach day in Malibu where we’d take a little drive to the funky Malibu Cafe for lunch and dinner at Neptunes Net. I live in Long Beach so that’s definitely where I feel most comfortable. I love to start a nice day off with breakfast at my favorite cafe Ubuntu and then cruise the Naples canals on a Duffy boat and eat a vegan meal at Hungry Angelinas. I do think visitors would enjoy a Sunday morning at the Hollywood Farmers Market (shoutout to Jam at Avocado Toast) and then taking in a show at the Pantages theatre to end a busy week.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow! I don’t have just one. When you’re a new small business, everyone who supports you by buying from you, recommending you, or sharing your business on social media deserves a shoutout of some kind! So many people have inspired me and/or helped me get started. My husband has always been incredibly encouraging and supportive (he works full time but his side hustle is being my bookkeeper). My daughter is my ultimate hype man! My mom, my sisters, and my friends are always there to support me either through encouraging words or recommending my designs. My best friend Erin @farmhouse.glass has kept me sane, it’s amazing to have another creator to bounce ideas off of. And of course, the many many talented florists in the floral community who are all so open, inspiring, and willing to teach their tips, tricks, successes, and failures to help make another florist successful.

Website: www.flowersbymelis.com

Instagram: @flowersbymelis

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-erker-7047ba70

Facebook: FlowersbyMelis

Yelp: Flowers by Melis

Image Credits
Myself, Tracy Rinehart, Michele Conradi

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