Today we’d like to introduce you to Breesa Everett.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started working at The Flower Shop in Encinitas when I was 18 or 19 years old after leaving art school. I thought it would be a great way to use what I had learned while passing time and giving me a chance to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I decided I wanted to be a teacher so I went back to school for Early Childhood Education. I went to school full time while keeping my job at The Flower Shop and also started working weekend events with Jennifer Cole Florals. I jumped around with majors in school, worked as a PreSchool teacher, and got married always working part-time with flowers in some capacity.
Eventually, my husband and I moved to New York City and I decided to work with children with special needs and pursue a new degree in Africana Studies to be a college professor. I basically fought being a full-fledged florist at all costs. One day I realized I just wasn’t finding what I thought I wanted on the “professor” path I had started. I decided to think really hard about who I was as a kid, who I thought I would end up as.
What I was doing as a kid was playing outside, sitting among the rose bushes, talking to trees, stringing flowers together – I wanted to be a florist!
I immediately found work managing a flower shop in Gramercy Park as well as working with a landscape architect assisting with courtyard design and traveling to France and Switzerland to tour historical gardens. I finally felt I was where I always wanted to be – amongst the roses. My husband and I decided it was time to move back to San Diego and start a family. At that point, I had the wise decision to also start a business while having a baby which was a little more than I bargained for but everything eventually settled. Four years later, I am so proud of my little business and have the best 3 1/2 year assistant I could ask for.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Having a young baby and young business at the same time made me feel like I was in over my head a lot. It was (an is) important to me to be with my daughter as much as possible. She is with me most days and when she was a baby I would just wear her constantly. She “assists” me in the studio now, counting candles and creating little arrangements of her own. She is actually really good at organizing my votives and bud vases! She still comes to a lot of client meetings and venue walkthroughs and, luckily, my clients are all very patient with her and understanding.
In the beginning, since I jumped into motherhood as I was jumping into owning a business, I never took the time to figure out marketing strategies, branding, PR, or any of the actual “business” of owning a business. It’s been a sink-or-swim experience and swimming has required a lot of sleepless nights and frustration but I’m getting the hang of it! Having my own business has been the greatest growth experience. I’ve learned so much about myself and found a confidence and security in who I am that I never had before. I’ve found such strong female friends in the wedding industry and feel honored that I get to be a small business owner along with such a great group of creatives.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about BLOOMS – what should we know?
BLOOMS offers full and partial service floral design. I am so grateful to be a part of such a special and HUGE event in peoples’ lives and take it really seriously. I work to be really receptive to my clients’ individual needs and easily accessible for any questions, worries, meetings, etc. The style I go for is always lush and abundant and I try to find a timelessness in whatever design I put together with a client.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
My family and friends. They’ve seen a lot of tears, listened to a lot of whining, given a lot of patience when I want to talk about the same things over and over again. They do a lot of the heavy lifting (literally) when I need a hand. At any given event set up someone assisting me is probably an in-law, sibling, my husband, or old friend I’ve bribed to help me.
My husband has supported me every time I felt like I wasn’t good enough or felt completely confused. My FLOWER FAMILY! The ladies of The Flower Shop over the past 15 years, Jennifer Cole (Jennifer Cole Florals), and Tam (and the whole crew) of Isari Flower Studio. I love love love them all.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bloomsbybreesalee.com
- Phone: 7603155495
- Email: breesa@bloomsbybreesalee.com
- Instagram: @bloomsbybreesalee
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bloomsbybreesalee
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/blooms-by-breesa-lee-carlsbad
Image Credit:
Rochelle Cheever, Design Francine Ribeau, Hair and Makeup Beauty by Stacey, Rentals Folklore, Paper Suite Lynn and Lou, Dress The Dress Theory
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