We recently connected with Anndrea Boren and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anndrea, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Though I was born in Southern CA, my birth parents divorced when I was 6 mo old and we moved to Georgia. Through many moves throughout GA and even a quick season in Louisiana then back to Georgia, I actually planned a little escape back to California the summer before I entered into high school to never return! I did get convinced to return for 1 semester my sophomore year to quickly remember why I left in the first place! So my business name stems from my story….from Georgia Peaches to California Poppies…..Peaches to Poppies!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I thought for my career in life I would pursue the culinary arts! I loved cooking and thought I had a knack for it! In high school I joined every cooking class and restaurant occupation class offered. I participated in several cooking competitions up to state level and ranked pretty well! All while pursing this goal, I worked in the hospitality industry from hostess to pantry chef at wedding venue, (that’s a fancy title to say I made garnishes, salads, some side dishes, fruit displays and washed dishes!) After my last cooking competition I ever participated in, which didn’t go great, I realized that I really enjoyed guest interaction more than behind the scenes! I wasn’t able to see guest reactions or engage with them! I was asked shortly after to coordinate my first wedding for some friends from church….never had done that before but I agreed. I was not yet out of high school and did a wedding for about 240 people on a private estate! Not long after high school I got a job at an AirBnB where I did everything from house keeping and turndown services to cooking, administrative duties including all accounts payable and receivable, and lastly their wedding sales, tours, and coordination! From there I ended up getting a Banquet Captain job at a Golf Resort to which I was promoted to Catering Manager within 6 months. In the 2 years I worked there, I coordinated hundreds of events gaining the majority of firsthand wedding experience there. My son was born in 2008 and I decided to venture into being “stay at home mom” but shortly learned that I needed to continue some sort of work and Events By Anndrea was born! My daughter was born two years later and I continued to grow my business and added on floral design. Unfortunately I had gotten sick after my daughter was born and I slowly started to let my business go. It took years of trail and error to try to get “back to normal”. We had decided to make a big move out of our small country town into a costal town closer to my husband’s job. This required a bit more of a substantial income, so I went back to work full time for the since having my eldest. I got a job as a Bridal Stylist at a wedding gown shop. I spent half my time chatting with them about local vendors and ideas of what those brides should and shouldn’t do…..I missed weddings! So in 2017, after much thought, Peaches to Poppies came to fruition offering full coordination and event design! I LOVE working with so many amazing clients and wonderful vendors! I really feel it was the best decision! Unfortunately, COVID put quite a damper on my growing business! (As I know it did for everyone!) I am slowly building things back up again and looking forward to where things are heading!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

That I’m not good enough. In world of Social Media and constant comparisons, it is so easy to get wrapped up in not building up “enough” followers or getting “enough” clients or “enough” likes. I realize (and still need to be reminded) that my worth and the quality of my self and of my work does not rely solely on numbers! Yes, those tools do help advertise and can help spread your skillsets further but because I don’t see the same response as maybe someone else in my field, that does not mean that I should consider myself less valuable or equipped to my job professionally and beautifully! (Unless it’s social media management – then I will defiantly fall short! LOL)

How did you build your audience on social media?

Honestly I do not have the largest Social Media following or presence! The followers I have now are based on hashtagging appropriately and being tagged by fellow vendors and friends! I do know that consistency (though I fall short of this) is key to keeping the algorithm going and getting your posts out there in front of more eyes! Your posts should speak to your cohesive brand and attract the clientele you want. Don’t forget to show your face once in a while and be yourself! Quirks, shortcomings and all!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.peachestopoppies.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peaches2poppies/

Image Credits
Brocoff Photography AshGabes Photography Gabriel Conover Under The Oak Photography Sydnee Marie Photo The Olive Bungalow Lexi Harry Photo