Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Velez.
Laura, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
To be totally honest, Flor Vida began by mere happenstance for me. My passion for creativity has long been a part of me. As a teenager, I loved painting, ceramics and dancing. In the years prior to starting my business, I had been searching for careers in creative fields like display work, staging and so on. I had dabbled in real estate for a time, obtaining my license but working mostly in assistant positions. I realized the industry was not a good fit for my personality or conducive to my long-term goals. This led me to work at a high-end retail store that at the time, operated with emphasis on unique retail displays. After years of waiting for a visual position to open up, I eventually left and decided to focus on pursuing my own creative career. During this time, my husband and I were planning our intimate beach wedding. In the planning process, I quickly realized that I was most excited about our flowers. Granted, our wedding was not an elaborate soirée. It was sweet and simple – exactly what we wanted. I really feel our flowers really spoke to that. For months afterwards, I couldn’t stop reading and learning about the life of flowers – how they’re grown, where they come from and the plethora of varieties. It was then that I felt I had finally found what I had been searching for.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Where’s the excitement in a smooth road, right? It was a challenge to stand out in such a saturated market. I struggled with figuring out what I really wanted out of my business, building a solid foundation with core values for my brand and showing people what made me different from the rest. In finding what I wanted my brand to look like, I struggled with imposter syndrome regularly – constantly doubting myself or feeling that I wasn’t good enough. Owning a small business is not for the faint of heart, but in conquering all the battles, there’s no better feeling when you create something people adore. It makes it all worth it.
Please tell us about Flor Vida.
Flor Vida is a floral design studio offering everything from fresh flower arrangements to large-scale dried floral installations. What sets Flor Vida apart from other florists is the flowers themselves. Every arrangement features locally grown flowers. As much as I possibly can, I source my dried flowers from small family farms in the states. My goal with Flor Vida is to design with intention and support other small businesses and artisans alike. I am proud to support other women-owned businesses and to use my platform to celebrate other immensely talented creatives in San Diego.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’ve learned that being so consumed in chasing after perfection and pressuring myself to “have it all figured out” in the beginning was ultimately my greatest downfall. I overthought a lot of insignificant details and let anxiety and self-doubt take over my decision making. Knowing what I do now, I would have definitely been more adventurous and taken the risks sooner. Having confidence in myself and in my work from the get-go would have been a game changer. Now I know that in doing what I want, people who like what I do will follow along for the ride, even if it’s not perfect! Just do what you makes you happy and you’ll figure things out along the way.
Pricing:
- Freshly Wrapped Flowers // $35 – $65
- Monthly Flower Subscriptions // $70 – $460
- Custom Dried Installations starting at $300+
- Private/Corporate Events starting at $1,500
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopflorvida.com
- Phone: 619-245-5618
- Email: holaflorvida@gmail.com
- Instagram: @shopflorvida
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/shopflorvida
Image Credit:
Personal Photo – Sarah Cecilia Photo
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