Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Gladnick.
Hi Emily, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
With a professional background in event planning and a life-long love for hosting, I had always toyed with the idea of starting my own floral design business. In 2008 I quit my job to be home with my two daughters, When my youngest was 6 months old and I had been home for 2.5 years changing diapers and arranging toddler playdates, I knew it was time to do something for myself and soon Urban Garden was born.
Having been out of work for a couple of years, I didn’t have a lot of seed money, so getting the business of the ground was a true grass-roots effort. I knew I wanted to focus on weddings, so in order to get photos for my website, I put together a mock-wedding, photo shoot, collaborating with other wedding professionals who volunteered their time and skills in exchange for credit on the shoot. During the first couple of years in business, I took any opportunity to get my name out there…I offered to be the floral sponsor for industry events, I advertised on various wedding industry websites and in magazines and once I started booking real weddings, I submitted photos to similar publications in hopes of being featured. Through building these connections and collaborating with others in the industry, my customer base began to grow.
Now, in my 11th year of business, I create floral designs for over 50 weddings per year and have been so lucky to work with the coolest, most down-to-earth couples throughout San Diego County.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
During the first few years, business increased fairly steadily, but those years were not entirely without challenge. There were a couple of periods where inquiries slowed, and I wondered if business ownership was the right call or if I should consider going back to working for a larger company. I have always believed that things work out the way they are meant to, and I found that if I trusted in that belief and kept a positive attitude, soon enough another break would come along, which is exactly what happened.
Our biggest challenge, however, came with the pandemic. 2020 was a scary and trying year for most wedding professionals. Covid-related closures and lock-downs left many of us without our livelihoods. Weddings were being cancelled and postponed and we didn’t have any idea when we would be able to work again. Through obtaining small business assistance, producing smaller-scale weddings when restrictions eased and booking future weddings, we were able to weather the storm.
2021 presented a new challenge. After barely working for a year, we found ourselves facing the almost-doubled workload of producing all of the 2020 postponements, along with the weddings already booked for 2021. 2021 was a BUSY year!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I LOVE what I do! Getting to work with beautiful, colorful, fresh flowers every day is a very happy thing. It is an immersive experience. I get into a creative flow when designing and feel inspired when I try new ways of arranging or work with new floral varietals. Once I get a design just right and get to repeat the look, centerpiece after centerpiece….that is my Zen.
My specialty is listening to my clients and really understanding their wedding visions. It is not about what I want to create. It is crucial that I see this one, ever-important, high-expectation day, through their eyes, so I can deliver the desired result.
I’m most proud when I receive a note from a couple after their wedding, telling me that their flowers were even more beautiful than they had imagined. That, to me, is true success.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I don’t know how much I believe in random luck. I believe we create our experiences through positive expectation, appreciating what we have and getting excited about what’s to come. Maybe luck, to me, is more of a feeling because I feel lucky every day.
Contact Info:
- Email: emily@urbangardenfloral.com
- Website: urbangardenfloral.com
- Instagram: @urbangardenfloral
