Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brittney McKinley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Brittney, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?
Prior to launching my business I worked remotely for Corporate America and I got to the point of truly disliking what I did for a living. My employees would call me in tears or in anger after dealing with low vibrational clients and it really began to impact my emotional and mental well-being. I started to understand because we worked and lived in the same environment it was important to protect and prioritize our energy. Each day when you wake up, you only have a certain amount of energy to give out, whether that be to yourself, projects, family, significant others, or to work. When you have factors constantly depleting you of the energy you’re beginning with, you begin to realize how crucial it is to manage those factors and get ahead of them to replenish yourself. I started listening to frequencies, burning incenses and candles, and having my diffuser on while working and encouraged my employees to do the same. Whatever it took that was healthy for them to replenish themselves after handling unsavory clients. That was something employee handbooks never taught me. Instead it was about continuing on after handling someone with heavy energy or who has spoke poorly to you. When I launched my business, setting the tone and energy for my space to work and for my clients to be in has been a top priority. It is an energy exchange and whether I am designing a piece to send to a client, curating a space, or guiding a breath-work session, I’ve always made it a point for it to feel good for myself and others. Sometimes it is not about seeing how much you can consistently endure to build strength, For me it is about taking a pause and grounding myself to source the strength that is already inside me so that I can continue to pour into myself and others. I strongly believe that needs to be spoken about more in the Corporate realms and when working with different brands for Corporate Wellness Initiatives, I encourage them to prioritize their peace and know when to take a pause, simply because I have experienced how unsupported you can feel when your work environment doesn’t hold space for you to do so.
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 Brittney “Bee” McKinley and I am the Founder and Creative Director of Contained Stems. Contained Stems is the first brand of it’s kind to design beyond aesthetics with the intent of balancing and nurturing our emotional and mental well-being. We combine the Floristry and Wellness industries together by focusing and educating our clients on the different properties and palettes of flowers and herbs and how they can enhance the energy in a space. Our core collection includes, Chakra-Balancing flowers, Healing flowers, and Mood-Enhancing flowers with additional collections of calming herbs, and roses inspired by my late grandmother, Rosetta. All of our collections are available for daily deliveries and subscriptions for the 48 states within the Mainland. We offer immersive experiences such as our Floral Wellness Workshops that are retreat-style consisting of breath-work, floral design, and meditation, our Floral Wellness Bar that allows clients to build their own arrangement based on their emotional and mental well-being needs where we educate clients on flower medicine, and Breath-work sessions where clients can experience transformative journeys of self-discovery, expression, floral energy, reflective journaling and of course exercises that honor our life-force. As a Creative, I want my clients to experience our work and offerings in many different ways so I offer virtual and in person experiences, along with residencies throughout the U.S. where I travel to meet my clients where they are. I am an Intentional Interior Designer and curate spaces for my clients homes, offices, studios, etc. to elevate the space both aesthetically and energetically. Intentional Spaces by Contained Stems is comparable to Feng Shui, but doesn’t abide by the traditional teachings of the art that are more restrictive to my clients’ desires. I offer commissioned crystal grid art in which I design canvases that include floral, crystal, and energetically-pleasing elements for my clients. When designing the brand, I knew I didn’t want to only sell clients flowers and that be our only interaction. I wanted to provide connection and a different perspective and understanding to floristry and how intentional incorporation can benefit our emotional and mental well-being. I am most proud of the work that we’ve accomplished so far and the connections we’ve made. I have the deepest gratitude for those who’ve shared how we have impacted their lives and I am honored to say this is only the beginning. For those who have not yet connected with me and want to experience our work, I would love to be your designer and guide.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Learning the art of pivoting is a skill, whether it be in business, in life, or within your career. I look at pivoting as being versatile and as a way to understand when something doesn’t go right or the way you would expect it to go, to think of your next plan of action. I’ve had to pivot so much on my business journey. What I thought I saw Contained Stems as in the beginning has transformed so much because I am not allowing any limitations on what I can do. In the beginning stages, I believe it’s a good idea to test different lines of products and services to see what resonates most with your clients and your spirit. Being an entrepreneur means that you have the privilege to do and share what makes you feel most alive with the world. As a part of my offerings, I include Intention Cards with purchases. The Intention Cards outline the piece that I saw missing in the industry that shares how a client should care for their flowers, ideas on where to place them to receive the most benefit, the details of the design aesthetic, and an affirmation that may help if choosing to include the flowers into their practices or rituals. I had to pivot with purchasing from a company that I had no prior information about in order to meet my deadline for launching as the original company was delayed by weeks for printing. I was not able to receive a sample of the cards prior to purchasing but I am pleased to say everything worked out.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
Being an entrepreneur is a business and personal development journey. I believe inspiration is everywhere and I seek it in art, books, podcasts, collective experiences, and in writing. My favorite books that I have read on my journey thus far is Jen Sincero’s “You are a Badass”, “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz, and “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. All of these books have changed my perspective and way of thinking, and taught me to have the tenacity to go against any limiting beliefs or teachings. Yoga, meditation, breath-work, and affirmations have been major healing modalities for me to practice to center and ground myself so I can receive the downloads I’m meant to have. I am a fan of Devi Brown’s Deeply Well Podcast for all things wellness and spiritual. I’ve studied Chromotherapy or Color Therapy to assist with my knowledge of color theory with designing and the impact palettes can have. I am a music lover and often share with my followers who we’re designing to in the studio. I am in a high vibe and transformative state currently and have been loving artists like Cleo Sol and Quin. I had the opportunity to work with Quin at the Fantasy Soul Marketplace in Pasadena in August and it was such a dreamy experience. Lastly, experiences with the collective I am a part of, Sacred Sisters, founded by Reta Moretti has been truly life-changing and impactful.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.containedstems.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/containedstems/