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

Chelsea, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Parents can play a significant role in affecting how our lives and careers turn out – and so we think it’s important to look back and have conversations about what our parents did that affected us positive (or negatively) so that we can learn from the billions of experiences in each generation. What’s something you feel your parents did right that impacted you positively.

My parents have always been a steady guide in my life. Looking back, they have provided a wonderful balance of support and leadership as well as freedom to fail and fly. I’ve always been told I can come home which has given me the strength to go out and try new things knowing I have my parents behind me. They also instilled a very strong work ethic in me at a young age. As soon as I could have a job, I had one and worked really hard to be successful…whatever the role. This often lead to leadership positions and more responsibility and success. I attribute a lot of my success to my parents and my hard-work ethic.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I studied architecture and art at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Someone had told me that architecture was the “Mother of all Art” and at 17 years old, loving anything art and design, that sounded like just the path for me.
My college experience was extremely demanding and challenging academically and very art focused which I loved. Most of my architecture studios were spent visualizing spaces, drawing, building and creating. I did a study abroad program in Ghana with one of my favorite professors. We designed and built a marketplace in a small village to help the artisans there have a solid structure to sell their handmade goods. It was one of the most valuable personal and professional experiences I’ve had in my life. Throughout my 4 years at Miami, I learned how to be a creative and critical thinker, how to push myself to be the best I can be, how to listen to others and work together, how to be a leader among my peers, how to appreciate where I came from and recognize that I can make a difference both big and small in the world.
I had two other experiences while in college that unknowingly at the time would help to direct the course of my life. First, I got a side gig at a small flower shop in Oxford, OH. The 2 sister owners were looking for someone to paint a floral mural and update the signage on the facade of their brick and mortar. After painting high up on a ladder, I would hang out in the shop, watch the designers and play around with flower scraps. It grew into a part time position and Miss Louise became my first flower mentor.
Secondly, I worked at an outdoor adventure camp in Colorado every summer and then 2 years after I graduated. The experience I gained while working at Sanborn is unparalleled to any other one life experience. I gained such confidence, leadership, humility, real life problem solving skills, appreciation of the natural world and humanity. So many of these concepts were already in me, but the experience allowed me to flourish in a positive outdoor community and really shaped my leadership style.
After my time in Colorado came to an end, I went to LA to visit a friend and ended up getting a job with Anthropolgie as a Display Coordinator in San Diego. I wasn’t quite ready for an office architecture job, so it was the perfect fit for me. I was able to create all kinds of art and displays in the windows and within the stores and experimented with all types of materials over the 6 years I worked for the company. Occasionally we would work with flowers, plants and natural materials and I began freelancing as a floral designer for friends and clients that came into Anthroplogie and saw my work. I began to realize that floral design combined so many of my interests and when my husband and I moved to Wilmington, NC I began seeking out floral and event companies for employment. I walked into Fiore and never left. I quickly became the manager and then a couple years later purchased the company from the original owners. In the past 10 years, we have expanded and branded our retail florals and gifts as well as added event design and planning to the floral wedding/event side of the business. We have tripled our sales and staff. The quality of design and customer service is something that I am most proud of in addition to the community of creative women that work for us. I believe it is something really special and unique in our market.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Like most businesses in the event industry, COVID wreaked havoc on most of the 2020 and 2021 event seasons. We had more than 100+ booked events postpone, scale down or cancel. At the time, we had 5 full time employees that I did not want to lose, so with the help of funding from the PPP and EIDL loans we were able to keep our team bankrolled and working for the most part. There were so many pivoting moments that it’s hard to keep straight. As creative problem solvers we worked diligently to come up with new methods and practices to keep selling and keep the business going. We designed and built a new website, adding ecommerce and offering shipping of all our hardgood gifts and products for the first time. We also built a new arbor and some rental pieces that had been in the pipeline for awhile but hadn’t had the time to make it happen. Our team went through a lot together during this time period when most people were at home on zoom calls with their families. We were quarantined together and navigating the new world of the pandemic as a team. When things opened up and large events were back, we were ready! As difficult as it was, I think it was a bonding and grounding moment for the business and the team, and I am grateful to have gone through it with my team.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I think having worked a variety of jobs with a variety of different managers all with their own leadership styles, I try to remember how I felt as the employee in situations. As a small business owner, I’ve had to come up with my own systems (which has actually been one of my favorite parts of owning my own business). I’ve implemented things that have been positive or seemed to work well in past jobs and try to avoid some of the policies or negative aspects that I’ve experienced at past jobs. I try to always keep an open line of communication with all my team members. I try to train and lean on my managers and delegate whenever possible (something that has taken a long time to do, but one of the most important and valuable lessons I’ve learned especially now that I have a young family). I offer medical benefits, 401k, paid vacation and holidays, annual bonuses and profit sharing. I conduct annual reviews and offer raising and always try to promote from within the company. I love working WITH people and find that our best work comes when we collaborate. I try to empower my team to succeed and cheer them on in their successes. One of my favorite leadership quotes is “A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” -Lao Tzu

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fioredesignhouse.com/
• Instagram: fioredesignhouse
• Facebook: fiorefineflowers
• Linkedin: chelseafritts