We recently connected with Neal Linville and have shared our conversation below.

Neal, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

I wish I had started my business sooner. While still in college in the late 1980s I started working at a florist shop as a designer, and continued on this path for the next 25 years or so. Although I had frequently been encouraged to open my own brick and morter shop, I was overwhelmed with the details and overhead involved. My last job was working for an event venue that specialized in weddings, as the in house florist where I learned that focus on a specific aspect of floral design could be lucrative and fullfilling. This time allowed me to network with other wedding vendors and develop a full understanding of the wedding industry in my area as well as services brides are looking for. The fruition of on line sales and marketing that had developed during my learning years made opening my own business very doable. Being fortunate enough to have potential studio space in my home made the process easy. Lack of self confidence and fear of failure kept me from making the jump sooner, and although it is never too late, one should resist the inclination to allow fear to get in the way of their future and potential success. Having seen the benefits of operating my own business for the last 5 years, I realize how much better my financial position would be had I started sooner, and my stress level has been reduced significantly. I am thankful that having taken the plunge when I did has allowed me to make a living working fewer days/hours now that I am 59 years old.

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?

My love of flowers began when I was a young child, and has only grown throughout the years. Being a creative type, I was naturally drawn to floral design, but my passion for flowers also includes growing them, designing gardens, greenhouse culture, etc. There were various career options among my interests, which lead me to major in horticulture in college. While still in college a local florist owner reached out to a horticulture professor who taught floral design, asking her if she had any students she would recommend to fill a design position, and she immediately gave her my name. I started there and worked alongside a very talented designer who taught me the ins and outs of the business.

I am a people person, and enjoy working with others, helping to formulate designs that work for the customer, and developing constructive business relationships. Having focused on weddings, my relationships with clients entail months of communication that create more meaningful bonds nowadays, which I find very special. We often remain connected through social media, and it is so nice to see other milestones in their lives as they arise, like the birth of a child or the purchase of their first home.

Having been in the floral design industry for 38 years, I have seen lots of styles and trends in wedding flowers. I embrace change! While I have a particular fondness for certain aesthetics, I enjoy expanding my creative horizons and creating new and unique designs as much as working with traditional and timeless looks. I view my work as a creative collaboration between myself and the bride where I offer my floral expertise to execute her vision using the products that are in season and work within the confines of her budget.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

General floral design was always appealing to me because I enjoy all the aspects of expressing my creativity. Working for a retail florist allowed me to do all sorts of designs, fresh flowers for celebrations, as expressions of sympathy, as tributes to lost loved ones, for lifes milestones like weddings, births, and anniversaries. Faux designs with silk flowers to decorate homes, embellish front doors, and make homes festive and warm for the holidays. And all sorts of unique requests along the way!

Having accepted that running a brick and morter business requires many skills far outside my wheelhouse, I chose to focus on weddings. Initially I was concerned that this focus may not offer the diversity I enjoy, but have found that is not the case. Each client is unique, and working with her aesthetic is a challenge I find fullfilling. When I do experience repitition, as in color trends or flowers that a popular at the time, I find this makes the job easier and faster to accomplish. I feel a sense of pride when I complete the designs in record time!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I worked for an event venue for almost 10 years as the in house floral designer. Most of the clients there were not from our small town; the venue is historic and offered a unique experience and was appealing to clients from surrounding areas and beyond. This time allowed me to fully develop a portfolio and pictures speak loudly! It also provided me with plenty of past clients to reach out to and ask them to share their experience and provide reviews. Attending bridal shows as a representative of the venue allowed me to network with other wedding industry vendors and develop relationships. Getting to know wedding planners is very beneficial!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://neallinvilledesigns.com
• Instagram: neallinvilledesigns
• Facebook: Neal Linville Designs

Image Credits

Neal Linville Designs