Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Bowker.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Hm… where to begin. I am from Los Angeles, California and moved to Ocean Beach in June 2017, which has honestly been one of the best decisions I have ever made. I struggle with a general anxiety disorder and moving out of LA to the beach has done wonders for me – that and a great therapist ;). It also helps that my passion, my career can be done anywhere as long as I have access to beautiful flowers and foliage, a space to design, and of course wonderful clients who I can bring their visions to life through beautiful arrangements.
My journey in floral design started a little over four years but has honestly been a love of mine since I was a kid. My passion for flowers started after my dad would bring home bouquets for my mom, my sister and I every year on Valentine’s Day. I remember counting down the days until my dad would walk through the door holding three beautiful bouquets that were picked out especially for us. From that day forward, I decided I wanted to make people as happy and excited as I was that day.
Fast forward to 2019 (almost 2020!) and it has been a long, fun process. I had the opportunity of starting in a boutique flower shop in Sherman Oaks, CA (Mulberry Row) and the wonderful ladies there took me under their wing and taught me SO much. I knew very, very little before starting there. After moving to OB, I got a job working at Thistle (on Santa Monica) and continued learning and growing in my design skills. I have felt very fortunate to have worked with and learned a great deal from women who have been in this industry for quite some time! It has been a privilege and has pushed me into pursuing starting my own floral design business.
Today, I am currently freelancing with a very talented florist (With Flourish) and am working on the process of getting my business up and running. I love having the ability to make my own personal designs for friends and individuals who have reached out. I just turned 30 and am looking forward to growing my business further and seeing what it is to come. Cheers to the future!
Great, 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?
I can honestly say it has not been a smooth road in regards to getting out of LA and ending up in OB. It took a string of negative life events to finally get me to step out of my comfort zone and do something for my personal and mental health.
When I first moved to OB (Ocean Beach), I only knew one person, my roommate. I have always struggled with being alone and have never lived in a place that I have not known anyone. After moving here, I learned a lot about myself and what it means to be alone and be comfortable with it. I would take a lot of walks on the pier, sit on the beach and listen to podcasts, etc. I even went to dinner by myself for the first time in my entire life. It was very eye-opening and extremely challenging. I was very lonely and almost considered moving back to LA even though I knew it would be the worst thing I could do for myself. I am thankful for the people I have met that really helped me through a lot of these challenging moments (you know who you are) and I’m proud of myself for sticking through it. I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I believe moving here and being in that extremely uncomfortable place has allowed me to finally be able to pursue my business and start to be comfortable with putting myself and my work out there for people to see. I’ve learned that once you get out of your comfort zone, that’s where the magic happens.
My advice to anyone who is scared to take a step for whatever reason – whether it is moving to a new place, starting a business, quitting a job you hate, etc. – do it. It might not be right away, it might take some convincing but trust me, it’s worth it. It took me three years to get up and get out but I finally did it. I used to make excuses for every little reason as to why I couldn’t move (even though they were all BS and I knew it). I’ve also been talking about starting a business for 4+ years and now, I am finally taking the appropriate steps to do just that. Trust me though, I’m scared as hell but that’s a good thing… right?
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
If you haven’t already caught on (haha)! I’m a floral designer and I absolutely love it! Contrary to popular belief it is actually a very challenging job – both physically and mentally – but at the end of the day extremely rewarding.
One of my favorite things about being a floral designer is the creativity aspect. While this might seem obvious, I never really understood how much creativity goes into it until I started working in the industry. It’s not just about putting something pretty together and hoping the client likes it, it’s about figuring out textures, colors, and how to make the impossible come true.
To me, being a florist is really cool because it’s not really something that can be taught. You can take classes to learn the basic rules of design, but it’s one of those things that just comes naturally to people. I love meeting other florists and learning from them. Everyone has their own unique style and it’s really interesting to see how people do things differently.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I believe women have to work a lot harder to gain respect from their colleagues – whether it’s other women or men. While the floral industry is usually considered a “female” profession, I believe there are still barriers that we need to overcome to be respected. I wouldn’t call myself someone who is a “leadership type” but I believe that stems from my lack of confidence in myself. I think this is something that holds a lot of women back from being in leadership positions. Over the years, I have met a lot of really kickass women who have inspired me to work hard and have helped me gain confidence in myself and my work.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (818) 294-0633
- Email: miss.bowker12@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.christinedesigns/
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