We recently connected with Katie and have shared our conversation below.

Katie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

Beyond supporting my family, Pika’s Bouquet exists to bring joy with lovely flowers and items, to celebrate makers and growers, and to give back. Pika’s Bouquet donates 1% of all profits to The Glacier National Park Conservancy.

Glacier National Park and its surrounding ecosystems are at the heart of my inspiration and work. It is home to the pika (the cutest alpine critter) and countless other species of flora and fauna. Each Pika’s Bouquet purchase supports efforts to protect this special area.

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?

I am a maker, artist, floriculturist, and owner of Pika’s Bouquet. With Pika’s I sell jewelry and seasonal flowers.

My journey here started as a child with my parents in Colorado. I tied flies with my dad and learned how to design and create things from garden beds to a strawbale house. I learned to grow flowers and vegetables from my mom in different climates and conditions, savoring the rhythms of hand-watering and tending to plants from seed to harvest. Using my hands to create beautiful things took root in my soul, and throughout my life I’ve found myself making and growing in times of celebration, grief, and healing.

I moved to Montana 20 years ago and, after earning degrees in Environmental Studies and Education, spent 15 years as a middle school teacher. While I loved working with students, a few events caused me to rethink my career path and priorities. In 2020, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and, two years later, Rheumatoid Arthritis, both of which impacted the use of my hands. I am lucky to have incredible treatment that has halted the progress of both diseases, and I seldom notice any symptoms. With my diagnoses, however, I realized I could not take my hands for granted. The final turning point came when a student asked me what I would do if I had any other job. Without hesitation, I said I would want to grow flowers and make things for people. I made a business plan and decided to allow myself two years to give my dreams a shot.

As I approach the first anniversary of starting Pika’s Bouquet and face turning 40, I am thrilled beyond measure to be doing this work. As a maker, I create beaded and woven earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. I am drawn to color, and once I have a palette, I like to use it in various forms. My inspiration largely comes from the natural environment, our Montana landscapes and flora, and my garden where I tend blooms of perennial and annual flowers.

The name “Pika’s Bouquet” comes from the American Pika (PIE-ka), a small mammal related to the rabbit that lives high in the Rocky Mountains. Pikas are known for their squeaks and tendency to carry bouquets of grasses, flowers, and seeds to dry for winter storage. They’re tough cookies and cute as all get out. I like to think I, too, can flourish in rugged terrain and circumstances and just maybe make something beautiful in the process.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

The decision to step away from a steady career in teaching and towards my “hobbies” was terrifying. For years I had told myself and heard from others that it was unrealistic to grow or make things for a respectable income. With a growing pull towards a career shift, however, I realized if I didn’t attempt one, I would forever look back and regret it. I knew that I had a diverse skillset that I could apply to running a business – I just needed to believe in myself and dive in.

For my first year, I set rough goals or milestones to work towards, beginning with my first market season. I needed to figure out if there was demand for my products, determine the right price points, and master the process of setting up my vendor booth. For my first market, I had about five flowers blooming, so not enough for bouquets, and I had fewer than twenty pairs of earrings. I was a bundle of nerves and excitement and was thrilled to walk home with $200. At each market, I adjusted my display, expanded my inventory, and got to know my customers and other vendors. My average sales increased, and I got to the point where I could set up and take down like a pro. I had regular customers find me each week for blooms and gifts.

I rolled into Fall with my next goal of building a website, something customers routinely asked for and an avenue for year-round national sales. I applied my passion for project design to creating my website, taking product photos and writing descriptions. After several long days, I published my website in early November and began to see online orders roll in.

With the market season winding down, my next goal was to have my items available in a local shop. I got to know different boutique owners and learned about different structures for wholesaling or consignment. I heard of a new store that wanted to support local vendors and reached out. They were excited to have my work, and I dropped off my first inventory collection in early December.

I used each of these milestones as guideposts, knowing that they would either be signs that I was on the wrong path or that I should keep going. I continue to do this, bracing myself for an “end-of-the-road” sign, but it hasn’t come. Instead, I continue to make connections, reach goals, and hear encouragement. This Spring, I am selling more flowers to local florists, and I am excited to be teaching a workshop in addition to managing a growing wholesale list and market events. It’s hard to shake the voices (especially our own) telling us something isn’t possible, even when it is happening right before our eyes, but I’m trying to let myself rise above and enjoy the journey, however long I can.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have a vivid memory of learning I was a bad artist. It was third grade, and the project was to draw a sunflower. I spent forever shaping each golden petal around an enormous circle, which I meticulously filled with black, pointy-ended ovals. We used oil pastels, and I rubbed the colors to blend them together in the petals, avoiding the black areas.
When it was time for the school-wide art walk, my parents looked at mine with joy, and then we read the back – “F” for not following the directions. I was supposed to fill the inside of the sunflower with a quilt of different colors and shapes. From then on, I felt it was definitive – I was not creative. I went to science camps, leaned into my love for nature, and envisioned a career in biology.

It took me about 30 years to unlearn that lesson and to see all the ways people can be artistic. I create new things with fiber, glass and metal, sketch and plan landscapes with shapes and color, and arrange bouquets with different structures and tones. I love looking at a flower or landscape and trying to capture the color and form in something else. As a business owner, I see a lot of room for creativity, from communication to branding and more. To me, it is just like trying to draw that realistic sunflower. I wish I could tell my younger self, “You are an artist, you just misunderstood the directions. You are creative in different ways. Don’t close this door!”

I think other people may need to hear this, too, and I am happy to encourage others to believe in themselves and find creative pursuits. Often we already have them, we just don’t see them for what they are.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pikasbouquet.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pikasbouquet/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Pikas-Bouquet

Image Credits

Lindsey Jane Photography