We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charity Gooden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charity below.
Hi Charity, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
Let’s start with a walk down memory lane and my humble beginnings! I grew up in south Louisiana in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath home: there were 9 of us, four girls and 3 boys! My mom was a stay at home mom, and my dad a blue collar worker. With only 1 income, $30k at best, times were challenging to put it lightly. Our home was very old and was located in the woods. We had huge “water-bugs” that would disrespectfully fly around the house when company came over. Our living room also doubled as a dining room, so we had both a sofa and a kitchen table in it! To this day I am amazed at the ingenuity my parents showed in order to gather together as a family. I remember boiling hot water on the stove and pouring it in the tub because there was no more hot water after the 3rd person showered. We often times had a washer, but no dryer, so we hung clothes up on the clothes line in the back yard. Have you ever worn “sun dried” clothes? They felt like newspaper and smelled like “outside”. The 7 of use would tear the house up fighting each other. We would cover holes in the wall with duck tape or place something in front to try to disguise it. My dad is a paster so we went to church at least three times a week. I don’t know what kind of child you were, but I could think of other more pleasurable things to do than go to church. There were a lot of arguments and disagreements in our home, but that was nothing in comparison to the love and support our parents gave us. My parents had an open door policy. We would buss in their room and flop on the bed at any time and just talk about whatever. This was my foundation. We didn’t have much, but at the same time we had so much! There can’t be a legacy without an understanding of where one came from. I want to say thank you to my parents for showing me what compassion, humility, perseverance and support was/is.
What legacy do I hope to build? I want generations after to me to think of hope, resilience, perseverance and authenticity when my name or business is mentioned. I want people to remember me for thinking outside of the box and creating a blueprint for a business model that didn’t exist prior to me creating it! I want to share a legacy built on humble beginnings, built with love, support and engagement. Legacy to me can be broken down to the following concepts. L-listen, learn, lead! E-embrace discomfort and watch magic happen! G- Goals are important, set them and take strides to meet them! A- authenticity cannot be duplicated! C-change the environment if you aren’t growing! Y-Yes you can, yes you will!
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
So The Tipsy Bloom (TTB) started during the stillness of Covid. I’ve always loved flowers. My husband has always showered me with them throughout our relationship. I love the aroma and beauty the fresh flowers give off. Add flowers to anything to elevate the room. During Covid I started adding fresh flowers to wine/champagne bottles and I loved it! It inspired to create different designs and arrangements and I grew more and more enamored. I decided to make it a business. I offer exclusive designs to customers interested in giving this as a gift. New homeowners, grand openings, corporate courtesy gifts..etc. Though I love creating arrangements of my own, my heart is with offering TTB workshops! It is an interactive hands on workshop where patrons create their own arrangements that sit on top (crown) their full bottle of wine/champagne. Looking for something unique to do with friends or family, TTB experience is definitely one to try!
What sets me a part from other businesses is no one else is offering this service. I partner with tasting rooms, wineries, vineyards, event halls..etc. Partnerships and collaborations make my business exciting. I love building rapport and building new relationships with other brands. What I am most proud of is my consistency with this business. I am a creator so I’ve tried quite a few different things. I am proud that TTB has become my start to entrepreneurship! I am also proud that I remain authentic to my brand and to myself. I do not offer traditional arrangements. I admire and am inspired by all of the local florist that do.
For anyone interested in booking me to host a TTB experience please reach out to me via the contact page on www.thetipsybloom.com. I also have events posted on my Instagram page for upcoming workshops!
How did you build your audience on social media?
My social media audience has been an interested journey. I posted one of my arrangements in 11/2022 that went viral. I gained over 20,000 followers from it. It was a huge confidence boost for me. It validated that my designs are unique and that people wanted to see more. I continue to grow my platform by posting weekly content. My advice to startups is to stay authentic and stay consistent. What’s for you will be for you! Don’t give up. Social media is tricky, but you sometimes only need that one person to repost your content and that influence will grown your page substantially! Trust the process!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to unlearn doubt. I had to and continue to affirm myself. Entrepreneurship is tough. Sometimes progress is so slow that doubt kicks in. I had to learn to stay consistent, continue to elevate my craft and to believe in myself. I am enough, my creativity has a place and I will succeed. So I no longer doubt myself, but I manifest the things I want and I believe those manifestations!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thetipsybloom.com
- Instagram: instagram/thetipsybloom