Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorth Bello.
Hi Dorth, 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?
After many years of exploring cultures and the variety of beauty in the way the floral designs and industries worked, I felt there was a need to provide value and added additions to enhance the floral arrangements. My grandparents and mom did own a flower shop and doing business in Italy. They did emphasize hard work, innovation, and friendly service. As the owners, they also did not hesitate to personally deliver flowers to a client. Likewise, I decided to follow my family’s tradition and experience in flowers. I want to give the customer the sense that we are not just going to fill a vase or bowl with inexpensive flowers, we are here to make the simplest arrangement creative, with an unusual twist, We are are here to touch your senses and for you to remember us when you need that special floral piece. We are looking forward to bring a new touch of beauty to the floral industry. My dream is to pass the shop to next generation and keeping this way the family legacy on making people happy and feeling special
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Me and husband purchased the business 9 years ago. In our passion for excellence and desire for innovation we decided to change the business operation from a 98% wire service to a boutique style with European touch design. It was very challenging and elaborate work given we had to start a brand new website with our authentic designs made from our vision of unique pieces that would bring a smile to those who appreciate the sophisticated and elegant European style of design. Creating a brand new philosophy yet carrying the already established unique name of the store La Jolla Florist came with many challenges and responsibilities. We had to cater to a high-end group of people with high expectations so the pressure was on. So we created a boutique style shop with an unusual way of refusing to use cheap flowers with outstanding quality but mostly we did focus on customer service. Following our family’s tradition many times hand delivered flowers to their customers themselves and also European hospitality by paying attention to every little detail.
We felt it was a huge opportunity to bring to La Jolla something unique in flower design and service. Our customer reviews online describe perfectly our hard work and dedication. It was not easy to let go of wire services and become a fully independent business operation. Also many people in La Jolla didn’t know about the existence of the shop so it took some time for them to get to hear about us and experience our work. When we started to receive phone calls from customers of how much they loved flowers we delivered and also many of them would stop by the shop and tell us that we understood we were off to a great start so we kept moving forward. It was nights of very little sleep and lots of brainstorming. Endless hours of work and design ideas. Besides European vision also being inspired by even architecture and some clothing fashion designs and colors we finally created our vision for our website. And so we started the new adventure.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Our main focus is to treat our customers as our own family. So they feel being taken care off and appreciated. We are rooted in the principle that flowers should be designed with timeless appeal. Our signature designs are inspired by the heritage of traditional European floristry. We are passionate about crafting unique floral arrangements.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
I grew up around my grandparents’ flower shop and would visit them every summer. All year I was dreaming of the summer vacation which could not come soon enough for me to be there with them. We shared so many wonderful memories with family and cousins. Our moms would cook our traditional meals and we would gather together around the table after a full day spent at the flower shop. To me personally being around flowers was my life. I felt in my own place and I felt I belonged there. Nothing made me happier than being around flowers. Years went by. I had to go to college where I got my degree in Dentistry and I did study in Romania so I was far away from home. That time I got disconnected from the flowers and left an emptiness in my heart. The studies were very time consuming and I had to be focused so I had no choice but to disconnect from my happy place for a while. I did work in the dental field here in the states for many years but after I retired from dentistry my husband left his job and so we decided to purchase our own family business and what could be better than a flower shop. So we did. It made me feel young again and back to my family roots. Both our kids grew up around the shop and so it became a family affair one more time. My dream came true. To be around beauty and magic once again became a full circle dream.
Pricing:
- Varies depending on type of flowers and design.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lajollaflorist.com/about-us/
- Instagram: lajollaflorist
- Yelp: La Jolla Florist
Image Credits
La Jolla Florist
