Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cristina Schutz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cristina, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. f you needed to find a key partner or facility – how did you find them, what was the process of striking a deal like and what would you do differently knowing what you know now?

While opening Crate & Bloom, I knew in order to be successful it what going to come down to vendors and the relationships I needed to foster. Almost everything in life comes down to relationships and starting a flower studio was no different! I believe in providing quality without breaking the bank; that meant finding the best product with the best pricing for my business and customers! I did my research, asked a lot of questions, and switched when I didn’t feel we were a good match.

Vendors are a critical lifeline in business, providing goods and services necessary for a business to operate effectively, and a good vendor can save time and money while delivering high-quality products. Building strong relationships with vendors is equally important, as it can foster trust, communication, and collaboration. When vendors are viewed as partners rather than simply providers, they are more likely to go the extra mile to ensure that their products and services meet the needs of the business.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but being a kind person, and building authentic relationships leads to strong vendor relationships that can lead to cost savings, better terms, and improved service levels.

Cristina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Cristina is the owner & master designer at Crate & Bloom and loves everything business and being a creative visionary!

I love the ability to create, lean into my entrepreneurial spirit, and spread love through flowers! I have spent much of my career in leadership and team development and my passion to grow a business & those around me has followed me throughout the years. I spent years playing it small, and not living up to my true potential until I finally walked out of the corporate world and into entrepreneurship in 2019.

Initially, I took the leap into real estate to support those who never believed they could own a home into making that dream come true! My passion in life is to lift others up and bring joy and found I can do this while fulfilling my desire to be an entrepreneur. While growing by brokerage I realized I was still missing something in my life, and quickly realized it was my creative side that was screaming to be let back out!

I had been in the floral industry previously while living in Pennsylvania for a few years. I was given the opportunity to learn from the largest family-owned flower shop and when moving back to Denver; had continued this on the side for weddings and events; primarily for family and friends. However, had not really focused on it much from 2018-2020. If the pandemic taught me anything, it is that life is what we make it and opportunity is all around us!

In 2022, my niece moved in with me and began working at a local flower shop in Englewood; hearing her talk about her designs and seeing her talent come to life sparked my creative side to start banging down the door! While driving home one afternoon and chatting with a good friend the spark and excitement were back in my voice when talking about flowers. It was clear that I needed to lean into this! Thinking it through for a couple of days; I realized finally opening a flower studio made sense, it brought together everything I love; business development, women empowerment, community, creativity, and fun! Within a couple of weeks, Crate & Bloom was fully up and open!

When I share this with people. they tend to look at me a little cross-eyed; how could she just take another leap and open another business? That is the beauty behind it all; the opportunity to truly find what sparks joy in me and continue to lean into building business and brand.

Crate & Bloom, quickly began to rise; from daily deliveries to large events it has been an amazing 10 months! Initially, the goal was to grow the daily delivery side of the business but as my creativity and business mindset grew I realized my love is in weddings and events! Building relationships with vendors, venues and those looking for quality for their special day is what drives me to be the best.

At Crate & Bloom, we are able to hear your vision and bring it to life or guide you from start to finish to create the vision you were not sure how to articulate. I believe that it is your special day/event and if that means you just need a few pieces or you want large installations and the wow factor at every turn I am happy to design and provide that for you!

I want every customer to feel like they just had the best experience possible, that they were heard, their needs met and they feel it was of value! I think people tend to believe it is all about the end product/service when purchasing anything but for Crate 6 Bloom it’s from the first interaction all the way until the end!

From the customers to the community is the vision for 2023! As I continue to build the brand and customer base the goal for 2023 is to give back to the community. From donating our tips to offering free flower classes at senior living and youth services; we will find the balance between success and giving back!

I cannot wait to continue to see the growth, creativity, and success that come from leaning into fear and allowing my passion to guide me.

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

I call 2022 the year of pivoting! As a multi-passionate entrepreneur, I get my excitement from new endeavors but I also get a little restless from time to time. I just want to do it all! When opening Crate & Bloom; my initial thoughts and goals were to have a store-front, hire, build the daily delivery, etc. As the months went on, I realized this isn’t what I wanted, but what I thought I had to do to be successful. Once I gave myself the space to explore my definition of success for Crate & Bloom I realized it was time to pivot! I decided to keep operating in the studio space; because having a storefront does not determine success. I love the freedom of being an entrepreneur, which means focusing on events and weddings while allowing a hand full of daily deliveries to come in however this is not my main focus or source of revenue.

Pivoting can feel like a failure but it is actually one of the highest forms of success for me. Being able to step back and see how you need to adjust, is what makes amazing creatives, business owners, and leaders!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Funding a business is tricky and I hear so many people have amazing ideas but don’t act on them because of the financial aspect. Opening Crate & Bloom was an expense, and daily overhead is costly as well. How could I sell an arrangement without having the supplies? I needed the money from the sale to buy the supplies; it felt impossible. But it was not! I still work in real estate, I still have a couple of other sources of income that allowed me a little wiggle room. When orders started coming in I was able to buy just enough for those orders! I watched every expense and researched for the best pricing on everything, from flower food to vases to fresh flowers; I needed my margin to be spot-on. As the orders started coming in, so did the profit. I took the profit and started buying in bulk when able to help save money. It is about having just enough to start and being frugal and aware as you build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cratebloom.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crate.bloom/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cratebloom
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/cratebloom