We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hannah Fales. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hannah below.

Hi Hannah, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Owning a business has so many challenges, but it is also so rewarding. Especially in floral design. You meet with the client for concept and ideas and then months later, you make their dreams come true. I get to step back and look at the work I did and be proud. There have been many times where a client has asked me to do something I have never done before and I surprise myself with the result- I did that and I rocked it! My challenges lie with the financials. You have to figure out how price yourself so that you are profiting and growing, receiving bookings, and appealing to your ideal client. It has been a ride and I have learned so much over the last two years.

I work a part time job at Warren Place Venue as as assistant Coordinator when I am not doing floral design. It provides a steady income and I am able to pursue my other interests. I love my job there and there has been a few times where I thought, “What if I just did that full time?” It’s a great career with benefits and it’s consistent. I wouldn’t have to deal with finances or managing my own business. BUT I could never walk away from the dream I started building on with Sweet Chamomile. I am so fulfilled by it – It fuels my creative and individualist personality. I have so many plans to keep building and I am so proud how far I have come since my first Floral Design class three years ago.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started floral design three years ago. I was a student at Johnson County Community College and I was there on a Theatre Scholarship. Theatre was incredibly fun and I enjoyed the Stage management and design aspects, but it can be all consuming. I wouldn’t have much time for anything else if I stayed, so I started to think about other careers I could pursue that combined my love for organization and design. Event Coordination felt like the next step so I took a hospitality management class and I decided to try some other classes in the event industry- a cooking class and a floral design class.

From that very first day in Floral Design, I knew I was never going to leave. I absolutely fell in love with it in every aspect. The beautiful blooms, the smell of the flowers and cut stems as you work, how creative you could be, and the fact that I felt like the artist that I was meant to be.
I always said I was going to be an artist as a kid. I loved painting, sculpting, and drawing but I never found my style or felt incredibly inspired until I started working with flowers as an adult.

I take that passion I have for art and translate it to my business- creating individualized designs for all of my clients. Nothing is better than their face when they see the designs we have been talking about since their first consultation. I get to be a part of something meaningful in their life and that is so special. It is so easy to be proud of the work I do when I have clients who trust in my ability as a designer. So far, I have been lucky to have that opportunity to show them what I can do and offer as their florist or event coordinator.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Connections. Connections. Connections! Everywhere I go, I try to meet and connect with other designers and business owners. It’s an opportunity to make new friends, but it is also a great way to create a network of people who know you and trust in your business enough to talk about it to the next person they meet and so on. I have gained many of my current clients through other vendors talking and sharing on social media and past client referrals!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

This past year was a rough one. Really, the past few years if we are being honest. But, at the beginning of this year I was working in a job that wasn’t making me happy (an Assistant Manager in a coffee shop), trying to run a business, and trying to buy a house. On top of that, I found out I was expecting my first baby. There was a lot going on and I felt very stuck. I couldn’t leave my job because we were in the process of buying a house and the stress of that job and Sweet Chamomile was getting to be suffocating. I told my husband that all I wanted to do was find a job where I was working in the event industry full time- maybe with a venue. Then, Warren Place posted that they were looking for an Event Coordinator. I was still stuck at my other job until a house was finalized, but I could at least try. I interviewed with them in April and they were happy to wait for me to join them until we could get our house. At the beginning of May, I found out I was pregnant. We still didn’t have a house and I was still at the old job but the same day I found out I was expecting a baby, we found out that our offer was accepted on a house in Kansas City. I cried!
From there, everything started to fall into place. We got the house, I changed jobs, and we announced that we were having our first baby. I have been so happy but there are more challenges ahead as I will learn to navigate being a mom and owning a business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sweetchamomilefloral.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetchamomilefloral/

Image Credits
Shelby Biggs Photo McBride Photography MK Zach Photography Camryn Lee Creative Photo KC