We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Holly Ryan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Holly, appreciate you joining us today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
If I could go back in time, I think every part of me would want to say I wish I had started my business sooner. I began my floral preservation and memorial keepsake business at 22, at a stage where I was still figuring out who I was, what I wanted, and what kind of artist I was meant to be. And like anyone with a dream, it’s easy to look back and think, “If only I’d started earlier, I could have grown faster, learned more, or reached success sooner.”
But the truth is, life unfolded exactly the way it needed to.
When COVID hit, the world slowed down in a way that gave me space — space to experiment, to create, to push myself, and to take a risk I had always been too scared to take. That unexpected pause became an opportunity to build something meaningful. Without that timing, I don’t think I would’ve had the courage, the clarity, or even the creative voice that now defines my work.
Starting earlier might have meant rushing in before I was ready. Starting later might have meant missing the momentum and inspiration that came from that very specific moment in my life. Beginning exactly when I did allowed me to discover myself not just as a business owner, but as an artist. It allowed me to grow through the mistakes, evolve my style, and build a brand that feels deeply personal.
So while the “I wish I started sooner” feeling is always there, I genuinely believe the timing was perfect. I started at a moment when life aligned just right — when I had the passion, the drive, the time, and the opportunity to pour myself into something I loved. Looking back, I wouldn’t change it. I started exactly when I was meant to.
Holly, 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?
For those who may not have met me or heard my story before, I’m a floral preservation and memorial keepsake artist dedicated to transforming bouquets, memorial flowers, and cherished pieces from loved ones who have passed into lasting works of art. My business began in a very unexpected way. I originally started exploring fluid art painting, and while searching for a beautiful top coat to seal my pieces, I stumbled into the world of resin. What started as a simple finishing technique quickly grew into a full creative obsession. I began experimenting with my own custom pieces, then creating themed collections, and eventually I found my true calling: preserving flowers and memories that people never want to lose.
Today, my work revolves around giving clients something that time can’t touch — a tangible way to hold onto their most precious moments. Whether it’s a bridal bouquet, a memorial arrangement, or petals from someone loved and deeply missed, I capture those emotions in a form that can be kept, displayed, and cherished forever. I often say I’m not just preserving flowers; I’m preserving stories, chapters of people’s lives, and pieces of love that deserve to be remembered.
One thing that sets me apart is the heart and soul I pour into every single keepsake. Behind the scenes, I wear all the hats — from designing and pressing to resin pouring, framing, editing, customer service, and everything in between. It’s something I’m incredibly proud of, because it means every detail, every step, every decision is guided by the same set of hands and the same level of care.
What I want potential clients and followers to know most is that this work is deeply personal to me. These aren’t just art pieces; they’re legacies. Every bouquet I touch once belonged to someone experiencing one of the biggest moments of their life. Every memorial keepsake holds more meaning than words can describe. And I treat that responsibility with the tenderness, respect, and devotion it deserves.
At the heart of my brand is connection — to memories, to emotion, and to the people who trust me with their most meaningful moments. My goal is always to honor those moments in a way that feels timeless, beautiful, and true to the story behind every flower.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
A pivotal moment in my life didn’t come from a business strategy meeting or a neatly planned goal sheet — it came from survival. It came from a version of me that many people today would never guess existed.
Once upon a time, before I ever pressed a flower or poured resin, I was an addict. I was homeless. I was battling addictions that had been active in my life since I was eleven years old, and I was coming out of a period marked by violence, hopelessness, and the kind of uncertainty that swallows you whole. There was a time when every day felt like a coin flip between trying to get through the next hour and giving up entirely.
But even then, somewhere buried under all the hurt and chaos, there was the artist in me — the part that had been alive for as long as I could remember. I was the kid selling duct tape wallets at six, sewing and selling doll clothes at eight, and by ten I was making custom glass-bead bracelets for kids at school just because creating something beautiful always felt like a lifeline. Art had always been my compass, even when I was lost.
Life-changing events — some traumatic, some simply out of my control — pushed me down a dangerous path. And for a long time, that path felt like it was the only one available to me.
But then one morning, I woke up with this quiet but powerful realization:
I cannot live like this anymore.
Something clicked — not in a sudden movie-scene triumph, but in a moment of deep truth. My soul wanted more. It craved creation. It craved meaning. It craved a life where I could use my hands to build something instead of destroy myself.
That day became the pivot.
I chose art.
I chose myself.
And I chose a life where every single day, I would fight for something better.
The journey wasn’t instant. It wasn’t pretty or easy. It was — and still is — a battle to rise above the circumstances I was born into and the ones I walked through. But that’s also what being a business owner is: choosing, every day, to believe in what you’re building. Choosing to show up for your clients, for your creativity, and for the version of you who once needed proof that their life could be different.
This business, this craft, this work — it’s so much more than preserved flowers. It’s the physical representation of a promise I made to myself: that I would never settle for a life that dimmed my light again.
The fastest way to attract what’s meant for you is to express yourself so honestly and so unapologetically that anything misaligned has no choice but to fall away.
That pivot — from survival mode to creation, from chaos to artistry — is the foundation of who I am today and the heartbeat of everything I create.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
The story of how I built my audience on social media is honestly pretty simple: I stopped hiding. In the beginning, I posted the pretty things — the finished pieces, the highlights, the polished moments. And while that was nice, it wasn’t what truly connected with people. The real turning point came when I started showing my face, talking to the camera, and letting people see the messy, chaotic, beautiful behind-the-scenes world of floral preservation.
When I began sharing the nitty gritty — the flower prep, the long nights, the trial and error, the moments where things didn’t go perfectly — everything changed. People don’t just want to see a final result; they want to understand the journey. They want to feel like they’re watching magic unfold in real time. And the magic isn’t only in the artwork — it’s in the artist.
The more I let people peek behind the curtain, the more my audience grew. They connected not just with the keepsakes I was creating, but with me as a person, as an artist, and as someone who genuinely loves what I do.
If I could give advice to anyone building their social media presence, it would be this:
Show up. Show yourself. Show your process.
Your audience wants to know who’s behind the work. They want to see your hands in action, hear your voice, feel your passion, and see the humanity in what you create. Social media is storytelling — and the best story you can ever tell is your own.
Post the pretty things, yes. But don’t be afraid to share the real moments too.
The vulnerability, the growth, the excitement, the mistakes, the learning curves, and the triumphs.
When you let people see all aspects of you — not just the curated ones — your community becomes stronger, more loyal, and more genuinely invested in your journey.
At the end of the day, the story is you.
And that’s what people fall in love with.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artbyhollyryan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyhollyryan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/@artbyhollyryan1/?hr=1&wtsid=rdr_1RKyKihUZjPRj6IsF
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@artbyhollyryan?_r=1&_t=ZM-922qouUm9kG
Image Credits
@Jackiehillphoto
@Melissanphotography
@Lensandnest
@Hillcroftphotography