Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carley Gubera-Klein. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carley, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
Success can look like a lot of different things for a lot of different people. For me and my floral business, I felt like success was measured by the amount of weddings booked and profit with them. In 2020 I had booked 10 weddings and thought, “wow watch out world, I’m hot stuff!” During that first year of weddings, I learned more than any book or class could have ever taught me. I felt very proud of my 10 weddings but started to dream and think on a bigger scale. The next year, 2021, I had booked 48 weddings and doubled my profit average. This past year 2022, I have booked 58 weddings and have grown my profit average once again. Perhaps more importantly, I have grown my knowledge about flowers along the way. But I have learned that my success really isn’t measured by the amount of money that I earn, but instead, the joy that I bring to each and every client on their special day. I believe in order to achieve this success takes dedication, an attention to detail, a great support system, having growing goals, and faith that the Lord will always provide. With this comes the sacrifice of time, one thing we don’t get any more of. For example, I was a full time college student during the majority of my floral career (graduated this past May), and I was so determined to have CJF grow enough that I sacrificed time with friends and family. Along with sacrifice came countless prayers and trusting my faith that my business would grow!
Carley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Carley Jean and I am the founder of Carley Jean’s Floral. I am 22 and newly married as of October 1st this year! My husband is a middle school history teacher and coach. We live with our perfect pup named Cupid. I first was introduced to flowers in 2019, the summer after my freshman year of college. I worked in a grocery store flower shop where I learned all about the trade. I thought it was the coolest job in the world. I loved it so much I decided I wanted to take a shot at having a flower business of my own. I started Carley Jean’s Floral and would sell bouquets at pop up shops around Missouri State’s campus. From there I peaked an interested in wedding flowers and found my true calling there. Fast forward to 2022, CJF has flowered over 100 weddings and have 100 more on our books for upcoming years. Something I feel that sets me apart from other wedding florist is that I am right there in the brides shoes, and I am open to the craziest of flower ideas! I have yet to face a flower dream that I haven’t been able to tackle. I am most proud of the quality of my work. I feel every wedding is as special as my own and cannot wait to make a brides’ most special day classy and beautiful with my work! Something awesome about the flower industry is I am constantly learning and growing. There is no such thing as too much knowledge, especially when it comes to flowers! I have flowered all sorts of styles from colorful boho to classic whites and greens. My favorite flowers to design are bright, ethereal, and have whimsical feel to them. I could not imagine pursing any other career, I am so glad to be flowering my way through life for the most special day of peoples lives! Glory to God for how I have grown and where I am heading.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I have always thought of myself to be more in tune with my right, creative, side of my brain rather than the left, number side of the brain. Growing up, school was never my strong suit. I had a tutor from elementary school all the way to high school graduation. Then college was the same story it always has been… school is hard. Coasting through my undecided major, I craved for a major/career where I could be creative and be hands on. So, when I found flowers, it was like everything finally made sense. Being able to cultivate beauty and emotion through flowers is nearly undesirable. The best way I can think to describe it is a passion project. I feel so excited when I have the honor to flower for a wedding. It is so incredibility rewarding when months, sometimes even years of planning is finally executed within a week to produce the most perfect wedding day. That is when the real flower magic happens. When I finish setting up a reception or ceremony space and take a step back to gaze over all the tiring work, I feel very rewarded and that makes it all worth it.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Something that I do not think I will ever get over is the power of social media. I have a page for my florist business on just about every platform. Facebook, Instagram, and yes, Tiktok (@carleyjeansfloral) Pursing my socials more seriously has had a very evident, great impact. To grow my audience on social media I make sure to post every other day. Not just photos but also videos or also known as reels. I try to think of engaging content that draws the attention of potential clients. I also love to share about my current weddings via social media story. I will share on my Instagram and Facebook stories the bouquets I’m making that week, my van loaded to the brim with flowers, the set of the wedding that day, and everything else in-between. This is also helpful because in these stories I will tag my client that week for them to share it to their page so I gain even more exposure. Also, when posting photos I will tag all the other vendors, such as the photographer and venue, so they may also share the post. Something that has worked surprising well for me is Tiktok. I was applying for an internship in college and instead of writing a paper they asked me to make a Tiktok. I didn’t even have the app or a profile! So I downloaded the app, made a profile for CJF and just messed around making some videos trying to understand how it works. Little did I know that one of my early videos would go viral with over 1 million views! It was crazy but also very encouraging and beneficial to my business. My advice for other entrepreneurs is to take social media seriously, and do not be afraid to put yourself out there! It is definitely worth a shot.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://carleyjeansfloral.com/
- Instagram: @carleyjeansfloral
- Facebook: @carleyjeansfloral
- Other: Tiktok: @carleyjeansfloral
Image Credits
Emily Blackford Photo Sarah Kellie Photo Lily Notz Photo Abby Rose Photo Irish Eyes Photography Omega Wedding Photo Photography By Esther Herbert