We recently connected with Anne Bradfield and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Anne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

As it was for many small business owners in the events and service industries, the onset of the pandemic was pretty earth-rattling. My floral design business had focused primarily on weddings for the past 18 years. Within the space of a couple months, all my projected earnings for 2020 were deferred or deflated, and I had to let go of my staff. But once the shock wore off, I was able to see the silver lining: this major shakeup was actually an opportunity to make significant leaps that I had wanted for myself and my business.

The truth was, I was getting weary of weddings. I’d had wonderful clients and fantastic teams, but after 18 years I was approaching burnout. And I found myself resentful of the large role that social media played in promoting my business. I wanted to scale down to a more intimate level, and to engage with flowers in a day-to-day way — not just for the big fantasy moments.

Thanks to the cushion that PPP loans afforded, I made the decision to step away from weddings and to rebrand as Analog Floral. With the rebrand, I moved into retail floristry, offering daily deliveries and – very important to me – committing to only using domestic and locally grown flowers. It felt really great to put two feet fully in an environmentally sustainable business model, and to feel a more genuine connection with a new and different kind of customer base.

There was a learning curve at first. I realized that tried and true event flowers aren’t always the best ones for the at-home consumer, who has different expectations for vase life. As time went on, I gained confidence in creating floral designs that satisfy my very own eyeballs — designing for my own sense of beauty as opposed to trying to match someone’s pinterest page. I had to relearn how to work by myself, figuring out the rhythms that are sustainable for the long haul.

Making this shift has given me another 20 years of energy for this line of work. Which is probably also what has enabled me to devote 2024 to growing the plant rentals side of the business! Yep, new story line: what started out as a small rental inventory of 8-10 maple trees has grown to now encompass around 300 plants, ranging from tabletop to 8′ tall in size. There is potential for great growth in this area of the business, so I’m excited about putting in all the sweat and equity to take Analog Plant Rentals to the next level.

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 came into floral design through an unusual turn of events. After moving back home to Seattle following a few years in Boston, I found myself working in the involuntary psych unit of a hospital. It was not my area of expertise or interest (although it was definitely interesting). A friend of mine mentioned that her neighbor was selling her floral design business, and was I interested?

I was. My background in art and experience with landscape gardening came together when I discovered floral design — something I hadn’t ever really considered before. I bought the business, and was off and running. Thank god there was no social media at the time. I had the liberty to make mistakes without the scrutiny that new entrepreneurs face today.

21 years and 1 rebrand later, I am still loving the life of flowers! It’s especially important to me that Analog Floral is committed to supporting local flower farmers and not buying globally imported product. The idea of flying flowers — a perishable item that is meant to have a fleeting beauty — to Seattle from all over the world just doesn’t sit right with me.

In recent years, I have seen the potential for growth with the plant rentals side of my business. The sustainability aspects to plant rentals really excite me, too. 2024 is the year for creating growth within the “Tree Department” — as we call it at around the shop.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

At the time I purchased my business, I was really fortunate to have inherited $10,000 from my grandmother. I think she would be very happy to know that her gift enabled me to create this career. She was a super talented painter, fiber artist, illustrator, portraitist… Her work in pretty much any visual medium still inspires me.

I also got a loan for another $10,000 from the SBA, to cover the remaining $5K purchase price of the business, plus any additional starter capital that I would need.

The purchase price of the business was only $15,000. A pretty low price even in 2003, but understandable considering that I purchased goodwill around the name, a website, some tools, and 3 months of training. As the attorney I consulted with told me, “Remember, you’re essentially buying yourself a job.”

I was able to pay back the SBA loan within a couple of years.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve always tried to keep the word “integrity” in mind. It applies to so many things: Am I charging the right price for this arrangement? Am I giving this client my best energy? Am I respecting this vendor’s time and talents? Am I listening to this employee’s feedback and making adjustments accordingly? My floral designs might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I do feel secure knowing that I have come back to the touchstone of integrity at so many big and small points along the way. I feel like this is something you can sense when you work with other people — and I believe and hope that people have sensed it with me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.analogfloral.com, www.analogplantrentals.com
• Instagram: analogfloral
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/analog-floral-seattle?override_cta=Get+information

Image Credits

Into Dust Photography, Diwas Photography, Amber Fouts Photography