We had the good fortune of connecting with Patrick Jero Miguel Castillo and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patrick Jero Miguel, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Culture tends to praise someone who is ” after their bag” and who is “all about the hustle” but these types of dispositions tend to dilute themselves into making someone believe that your interactions with others have to be substantiated by “what this person can do for me” or “how can this connection further me in my career” when in reality, kindness STILL goes a long way. Shaking hands and getting to know the people in your community can help you become successful in getting your business off the ground. Kindness and common courtesy has afforded me people that I can trust and a like-minded community that nurtures me and my craft. You have to value the connections that you make along the way and humbly accept that you are standing on the shoulders of those who were kind enough to lend their time and space to you. Playwright, Wilson Mizner, once said “be kind to everyone on (your) way up (because) you’ll meet the same people on the way down.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Floral Artistry to me is much like making a live sculpture that exists within the constraints of time. Since I started working with flowers, I learned that it is more than just creating beautiful arrangements for people – these art pieces that I am able to create have become vessels for comfort with memorial arrangements, colorful accompaniments that serve as timestamps on life-changing events such as weddings and ultimately a reminder even for me, of how impactful our creativity can be if powered with purpose.

Professionally, I am at a place in my career where I am seasoned enough to have the strategies and ample agility that it takes to take on bigger challenges, but still novice enough to be malleable and learn new techniques and methods of creating floral art. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned thus far in my journey as a small business owner and as a creative, is that there is more value in the journey than there is in the destination. Your biggest challenge now is nothing but a small hump in the larger scope of your life, so there is no need to get caught up in getting disappointed in what you haven’t accomplished, but rather be tenacious enough in seeking what is next to come!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I grew up in Los Angeles and have stayed within its vicinity my whole life and though I have travelled far and wide, nothing beats the beauty and culture that is encapsulated by this city. If I were to take my best friend on a tour, I’d first take her to the Original Los Angeles Flower Market! It is imperative that you get here bright and early to get to take your time scouting for the best blooms imported from all over the world. Then, we will dig our feet in the sand and have breakfast at a beach side diner like Back on the Beach Cafe in the Palisades where you can enjoy a tall serving of parfait and breakfast potatoes right on the beach.

LA also offers really amazing hiking trails like the Beachwood Canyon that takes you to a small cave and even right behind the famous Hollywood sign! Nothing makes a SoCal tour without going to the beach and while I have my hidden gems tucked away in Malibu, my favorite beach spot is in Laguna Beach called Crescent Bay Cove!

Lastly, one special activity I reserve for special occasions is being immersed in the most exceptional dining experience I’ve ever had and it is at Le Petit Chef atop the Ritz Carlton in Downtown Los Angeles – it is a 4D culinary experience that everyone should experience at least once in their lives!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
So much of my tenacity and braveness comes from my mom. She even once told me that she was the same age as I am when I started my business as when she first dedicated herself to the idea of migrating her and her children to the United States. I marvel at her boldness and grit in making this decision for herself and us, and I’d like to believe that it is with the same boldness and grit that I am able to dedicate myself now to my own business. She is definitely my blueprint when it comes to putting skin in the game and not being afraid of taking on the Goliaths of life.

As far as my floral journey goes, HUGE shout out to my mentors – Mallory Browne of Mallory With the Flowers and Courtney Walden of Walden Florals – who trusted me when I was still finding my way into the industry. Shout out also to my contemporaries who have started the same brave steps with me in taking that leap of faith and starting their own small businesses – Verenis Carachure of Como La Flor, Silvia Luna of Sunny Sil Florals and Mae & Mark Macatula of M3LT Designs. It takes a certain DNA to do something as crazy as what we have gotten ourselves into! Thank you for being my community.

Website: www.OnceUponAFlorist.com

Instagram: @OnceUponAFloristLA

Image Credits
Christine Flower Photography Akiko Liu Photography Pauline Andan Stone – PStone Photography

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