Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Dahlson.
Robyn, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
In 1986, my family moved to San Diego to manage and operate a flower farm. Growing up I was surrounded by the best of what Mother Nature had to offer and quickly became inspired by flowers in their most natural state. My first job was sweeping floors for a wholesale florist in Carlsbad and learning sustainability and seasonibility of flowers. My entire family was involved in the flower industry in one way or another and I was in love.
After meeting my now fiancé and fellow small business owner, he encouraged me to take the risk and open my shop. Jon has and continues to use his restaurant as a vessel to give back to the community and so when the shop opened, I had the same mentality. Although our focus is on designing with intent, this business would not be what it is if we didn’t actively find ways to give back. This mentality allowed us to be chosen to design the American Military Partner Association gala in Washington D.C., design for reality T.V. Celebrities, but most importantly design amazing things for each and every customer.
We have now co-founded Goddess Yoga with Heather Seigmartin of Iconic Images which is a class to empower and inspire women. The classes consist of flower crown making, yoga, a beer reception, and a positive environment for women with an emphasis on being kinder to one another.
I truly love creating for people. My business is people- in all facets of their lives. When a couple falls in love and decide to spend their lives together, when a baby is born, when a family has to say goodbye to a loved one–we are there in every part of it, right alongside with them. Everything we do and everything we are is because of people.
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?
Opening the Social Flower has been a true labor of love. I found myself spending hours on my competitors’ social media, comparing, judging myself, and ultimately finding myself unworthy. Eventually I had to unfollow all of the local florists and only follow those that I admire and am inspired and challenged by. I (try) to just keep my head down and drown out the critics.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Social Flower – what should we know?
Everything we design is with purpose. We will not design an arrangement to merely slap a price tag on it and put it in our cooler. We have a bar in our shop where customers can sit and have a glass of wine or an organic lemonade from Belvoir Fruit Farms from the U.K. and tell me about who we are designing for. I want a deeper relationship with the lives of the people we create for.
I remember the day I was training a new designer on this policy; a dear friend and customer came into my shop with tears in her eyes. She hugged me and handed me a folded up piece of paper and instructed me to open it after she’d left. I offered her blind words of encouragement and reminded her that we’d be there for her no matter what she was going through. After she left I unfolded that piece of paper which read “I was just diagnosed with breast cancer.” I looked at Kristena (my designer in training) and handed her the note and said “Design for this. Design for her.”
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Man. This is a difficult question. In a past career, I trained sales reps with the core belief that when you are selling a superior product and you KNOW it to be a superior product, that you are informing the customer — not selling. I don’t want to sell my customer something that they don’t need or don’t want. I also believe that every order is as important as any other. It’s a big responsibility. They chose us.
Last weekend, we had two weddings with hefty budgets as well as a local high school’s homecoming. Each boutonniere and corsage were important to those kids, their parents, and their dates. So we worked until 1 a.m. assembling corsage bows so that we could assemble them at 6 a.m. so they were fresh and lovely for all those dewy faces.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3757 S. Mission Road
Fallbrook, CA 92003 - Website: www.thesocialflowerca.com
- Phone: 760-442-8600
- Email: robyn@thesocialflowerca.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/socialflowerca
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesocialflower
Image Credit:
Vierra Photographics
Iconic Images
DA PhotoZ
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