We were lucky to catch up with Brooke Stance recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brooke, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The story of how Deliberately Adopted Floral & Design came to be is one of faith, family, and a desire to build meaningful connections. During the global pandemic, everything felt uncertain, but it clarified that we wanted to start our own business with a heart to serve others. My husband Jordan, and I covered a wall with sticky notes, brainstorming potential business names. My marketing experience in the small business and nonprofit sector over the past 10 years has given me a unique passion for storytelling. Everyone has a story, and I’ve always been driven by the belief that those stories matter. We kept coming back to “Deliberately Adopted,” inspired by our last name, Stance, which means “to deliberately adopt.” This name reflects a heart posture we’ve always had—to bring people into community so they don’t feel alone. It’s rooted in our belief that God has deliberately adopted us into His family, and we have the opportunity to extend that same love and belonging to others.
At the time, we had no idea what form the business would take. Fast forward to 2024, my grandmother Bonnie, a lifelong creative and florist, passed away after a beautifully full life. She had spent her life bringing beauty and healing to others through flowers which I got to be a part of my whole life. Just before her passing, while putting together arrangements for a nonprofit event, I casually mentioned to my husband and son, “Wouldn’t it be crazy to open a flower shop?” Little did I know that this passing thought would soon become a reality, right here in La Mesa. This vision aligned with our mission of ‘flowering with purpose’ and helping people feel seen, one flower at a time.
What sets us apart is our approach to floristry. Florists often seem transactional—we are not your 1-800 florist, pumping out arrangements. We are creating a movement of “flowering with purpose” in an industry that meets people in every season of life to help them feel seen. Funerals, births, weddings, birthdays, and more—when you don’t know what to say, flowers say it all, and that’s what we are all about. We are strategically partnering with local nonprofits, including workshops for foster youth and their families in the YMCA San Diego program, and creating arrangements that give back to organizations like Feeding America San Diego to support victims of the California wildfires. In just a few months of being open, we want people to know we are for the community and for people.
An opportunity arose to purchase La Mesa or Floral & Design Shoppe, a local florist in the heart of La Mesa and we embraced the opportunity to move the business to a new location at 8878 La Mesa Blvd. Our current space features a large industrial warehouse, a floral studio, and an outdoor patio—the perfect canvas for our vision. This February, we’re adding coffee to create an even more welcoming environment.
Today, as a full-service florist, we offer a floral stem bar for walk-ins, same-day floral deliveries, wedding and special event florals, workshops, and even space rentals. Deliberately Adopted Floral & Design is more than a business; it’s a reflection of our mission to create beauty, foster connection, and help others feel seen and valued, one flower at a time.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

The idea for Deliberately Adopted Floral & Design grew from a deep connection to family and the legacy of my grandmother, who was a creative and florist. She taught me that flowers were more than just arrangements—they were vessels of healing, joy, and connection. When I opened the floral shop, I wanted to honor her memory and the love she put into every bloom. But I also felt the need to breathe new life, reflecting my vision for a modern yet meaningful approach to flowers.

The name Deliberately Adopted came to my husband and I during a time of deep reflection. It captures the essence of intentionality and care—adopting a thoughtful approach to each customer, each arrangement, and each connection. In many ways, it symbolizes the delicate balance between tradition and fresh innovation. Our families last name is “Stance” which by definition means to deliberately adopt, a fortified position. “Deliberate” embodies my intention to thoughtfully choose every detail, while “Adopted” reflects the idea that the shop, its mission, and its community are all part of something larger, something chosen with love and care. It’s about creating a space where people can feel seen.

I was motivated by a desire to create an environment where flowers are not just products, but tools for emotional expression. In a world that sometimes feels disconnected, I knew this would resonate. And a shop where my 2 year old could run around and be free and creative, and people could walk in and feel seen. Flowers carry stories—of love, of loss, of celebration—and I wanted to be the conduit for those moments. The name and mission behind Deliberately Adopted Floral & Design were not just a business decision; they were a reflection of what I value most: meaningful connections and bringing joy to others through beauty and nature.

Ultimately, I knew it would work because there is an undeniable power in flowers, and in offering people a chance to see and feel seen. There is a space for beauty and personal connection in every moment, and we are excited to be able to offer that through Deliberately Adopted.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

When we launched Deliberately Adopted on social media we wanted our mission of “flowering with purpose” to really shine through our content and our purpose of helping people feel seen, one flower at a time through intentional customer service and sustainable practices in what we share, our events, collaborations, and florals.

Our niche is really caused based floristry. We are not your average florist pumping out highly processed arrangements without forethought. We do florals for people and causes. We get to be a part of such pivotal moments in people’s lives including first dates, weddings, nonprofit galas, funerals, birthday celebrations, births, anniversaries and so much more Including investing in the local community and non profits.

Since starting we have been able to share special collaborative events on social media including wreath making with local foster youth, mommy and me floral workshops, yoga classes, coffee pop ups, markets and more! We also love to show the beautiful floral creations we make on social and show process videos as well.

We are more than just your neighborhood florist. We are the intersection of creativity and community. We are delighted to bring beauty and joy through our space, floral creations, wedding, events, workshops and more!

Let’s talk M&A – we’d love to hear your about your experience with buying businesses.

We bought pre-existing floral shop, La Mesa Floral & Design Shoppe. While we ended up moving the business location and rebranding the name, buying an established business allowed us to build on the foundation laid by the former business for ours including start up materials, fridges, flower product, and initial customer base.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lmflorals.com/
• Instagram: @flowerswithpurpose
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61571683936185&mibextid=wwXIfr
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/deliberately-adopted-floral-and-design-la-mesa-2
• Other: https://www.bloomnation.com/florist/deliberately-adopted-floral-design/?srsltid=AfmBOoqq31lPBmMpmIs7pxvVdW-6HJJRSiBBQ97PJJybje4uytPBQT_l

Image Credits

Personal images