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

Ayana, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We believe kindness is contagious and so we’d love for you to share with us and our audience about the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone has ever done for me was give me a second chance before I was even old enough to understand what that truly meant.

I was adopted at three months old. My birth parents’ relationship was very complicated and, from what I understand, unhealthy in many ways. As a baby, I obviously couldn’t understand the circumstances, but what I did understand or maybe what I could feel was love, change, and loss all at once.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve carried this strange emotional memory of my birth mother. I used to dream about her as a child. If I closed my eyes tightly enough, I felt like I could almost see her face in my sleep. But somehow, even in those dreams, I always knew she was leaving.

Then came the greatest gift of my life: my adoption.

My mom and dad opened their hearts and their home to me completely. They raised me with love, patience, structure, encouragement, and belief. They nourished every part of who I was becoming. They supported my creativity, challenged me to grow, showed me the world, and taught me what unconditional love truly looks like.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized something so profound: even when life doesn’t go according to the original plan, that does not mean the story is ruined. Sometimes the second plan becomes the better plan.

That lesson has shaped every area of my life, personally, emotionally, spiritually, and professionally. There have been moments where things didn’t work out the way I hoped, moments where I had to rebuild, pivot, or begin again. But my life itself is proof that second chances can become beautiful things.

Because of my parents, I learned that as long as I remain faithful, consistent, and willing to keep going, there is always another opportunity to grow, heal, create, and become the beautiful flower that I was meant to be.

And for that, I will spend the rest of my life grateful.

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.

My name is Ayana Harris, and I am the owner and creative director of A Floral Designs, a luxury floral and event design company based in Pennsylvania. I officially began my journey into the wedding and event industry in 2018, although creativity and visual storytelling have always been a part of who I am.

Interestingly, I did not begin with fresh flowers. I actually started by creating luxury artificial flower walls and operating an e-commerce business that eventually reached clients around the world. That experience introduced me to branding, design, customer experience, shipping logistics, and entrepreneurship very quickly. While the business was successful, it was also highly seasonal, and I found myself craving a deeper artistic connection and wanting to explore the emotional side of floral design through fresh flowers.

At the same time, I was pursuing my Master’s degree through the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts while also teaching fine arts to students in grades 5–8. Eventually, I transitioned from teaching into working at a flower shop as a full-time florist assistant making $7.50 an hour. It was a humbling but extremely important season of my life because that was where I learned the foundations of floral care, processing and daily operations.

Although the shop was not focused on luxury weddings or large-scale installations, it gave me enough exposure to realize that I wanted to continue growing creatively and build something of my own. I began investing heavily into education through horticultural classes, floral workshops, and intensive design programs. During that time, I was also learning something equally important: not only what I loved about the industry, but what type of designer and business owner I truly wanted to become.

In 2019, one of my close friends became my very first wedding client, and shortly after that, the world changed with COVID-19. Oddly enough, what could have completely stopped my business actually became one of the most defining growth periods of my career. Like many people, I initially believed the shutdowns would only last a few weeks, but as the world paused, I used that time to refine my brand, strengthen my logistics, develop my design style, and continue booking future clients.

When the wedding industry reopened, A Floral Designs experienced incredible growth. We quickly became known for romantic, elevated floral designs, immersive candlelight stylingand large-scale floral installations. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to design weddings and events throughout the Philadelphia region and beyond while continuing to evolve creatively every single year.

What sets my company apart is that I approach floral design as both an artist and a storyteller. My background in fine arts influences everything I create, from color theory and texture to movement, balance, and emotion within a space. I never want clients to feel like they are simply purchasing flowers. I want them to feel seen, understood, cared for, and emotionally connected to the environment we create together.

I also believe one of my strengths is my ability to create experiences strategically. Not every client has an unlimited budget, so I enjoy helping couples maximize impact through intentional design decisions, candlelight, floral placement, layering, and repurposing installations throughout the day. I think creativity truly shines when vision and logistics work together.

Over the years, I’ve learned that this business is about so much more than flowers. It’s about leadership, communication, trust, adaptability, and creating beauty during some of the most meaningful moments in people’s lives. There are countless moving parts behind every event, and I take great pride in continuing to grow both as a creative and as a businesswoman.

Today, I am especially proud of how much A Floral Designs has evolved from a small creative idea into a recognized luxury floral brand. I am also excited about the future as I expand into the wholesale floral and supply industry through AFD Supply. A concept focused on creating a more elevated, organized, and inspiring purchasing experience for florists, event professionals, and creatives.

More than anything, I want people to know that my brand is built on resilience, faith, artistry, and growth. I have grown through every season of this business publicly and honestly, and I think that transparency has allowed people to genuinely connect with my work.

At the end of the day, my goal is simple: to create beautiful experiences that people never forget.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn was the idea that I had to say yes to everything in order to be successful. Early in my career, I believed that being a “good business owner” meant being endlessly available, endlessly accommodating, and capable of executing every single idea or request that came my way.

When I first entered the wedding industry, I was still trying to prove myself. I thought success meant taking every client, every design challenge, every style, every installation, and every request. Even when it stretched beyond my strengths, my boundaries, or my capacity. I was afraid that saying “no” would mean missed opportunities or failure.

Over time, I realized that constantly overextending myself was not sustainable creatively, emotionally, or operationally. Some of the most stressful moments in my business happened when I agreed to things that did not fully align with my design style, logistics, team structure, or values simply because I wanted to make everyone happy.

As my company grew, I had to learn that boundaries are not limitations. They are actually part of building a strong brand. Our scope is now very intentional. There are certain services, aesthetics, or production styles that I simply know are not the best fit for us, and I’m completely comfortable saying that today.

Ironically, learning how to say “no” made my work stronger. It allowed me to focus more deeply on the experiences and designs that truly align with who we are as a company. It also helped me protect my team, my creativity, my mental health, and ultimately the quality of the work itself.

Now, instead of trying to be everything to everyone, I focus on creating experiences that genuinely reflect the heart of A Floral Designs. Romantic, elevated, emotionally driven environments that feel intentional and memorable.

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

One of the biggest pivots in my life happened during the transition from being an artist and educator into becoming a full-time entrepreneur in the wedding and floral industry.

Before floral design, I was deeply immersed in fine arts and education. I pursued my Master’s degree through the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and taught fine arts to middle school students. At the time, I thought my future would remain rooted in traditional art and education.

At the same time, I had quietly started an e-commerce business creating luxury artificial flower walls. What began as a creative side project unexpectedly grew into a global business. That experience opened my eyes to entrepreneurship, branding, and the possibility of building something much larger than I had originally imagined for myself.

The real pivot came when I realized I wanted to transition from artificial florals into fresh floral design and luxury weddings. That decision changed the entire direction of my career. I went from teaching in classrooms and working in a flower shop for $10 an hour to fully investing in building my own company.

Then COVID happened, which forced another major pivot. Like many people in the wedding industry, I experienced uncertainty overnight. Events stopped, timelines changed, and no one knew what the future would look like. Instead of walking away from the industry, I used that time to refine my business, strengthen my branding, improve my logistics, continue my education, and prepare for what I hoped the industry would become once the world reopened.

When weddings returned, my business grew rapidly. What started as a small creative venture evolved into A Floral Designs — a luxury floral and event design company producing large-scale weddings and immersive event experiences.

Now, I find myself in another pivot season as I refine AFD Supply, a wholesale floral and supply concept focused on supporting florists and creatives through a more elevated and modern purchasing experience.

Looking back, I’ve realized that pivots are rarely comfortable while you’re living through them. Most of the time, they feel uncertain, emotional, and even frightening. But every major pivot in my life has ultimately pushed me closer to the work I was truly meant to build.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.afloraldesignspa.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afloraldesigns