We recently connected with Jacqueline Courtney and have shared our conversation below.

Jacqueline, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I always love telling the story of how my husband and I came up with the name of our business! I’m a big believer in signs, and when brainstorming, I feel like that’s exactly what we got. We knew we wanted to incorporate the word “stem” somehow being that our business was centered around flowers and wine—both of which grow from the ground—but because so many other flower shops used it as well, we started exploring other languages. During this same time, we were blessed to welcome our second child, Stella, into the world. Soon after she was born, we discovered that the word “stem” in Italian is stelo—so similar to Stella! Once we knew that, it was the only name that felt right.

Jacqueline, 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?

Before journeying into entrepreneurship and becoming a small business owner, my background was very diverse, including seven years in the Army as a public affairs non-commissioned officer and many years in corporate America working in a variety of roles from marketing and communications to continuous improvement to data analysis, all of which led me to where I am today. As far as venturing into the floriculture and wine industries, it blossomed from a place of love for those things and a love for what they represented, follow by a tremendous amount of research and self-teaching.

Merging the two concepts under one brand was something we hadn’t seen before, and it just seemed natural to us. We wanted the space to be inviting and interactive, whether that meant building your own bouquet of fresh flowers from our flower bar, tasting your way through a variety of different wines from our self-serve wine machines, or a combination of both. On the flower side of the business, we offer traditional services such as daily deliveries and à la carte wedding florals, and for wine, we love to support local vineyards and carry wines that typically aren’t found in large retail stores. Fun fact: Missouri’s wine history dates back more than 180 years ago and is home to the nation’s oldest American Viticultural Area!

From the beginning, we wanted the products and services we offer to bring a sense of joy and happiness to people, and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to serve our community in this way.

We’re also proud to be 100% woman and veteran owned.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Throughout my career, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with many amazing leaders, several of whom were women. Prior to becoming a small business owner, my previous roles often required me to work closely with C-suite level executives, state-elected officials, military leaders, and other decision makers. It felt like a privilege to work alongside such well-respected professionals, and I made sure to absorb as much as I could from them. These leaders gave me the mentorship, opportunity and courage I needed to grow beyond my comfort zone, and get out of my own way at times, and much of how I manage my business and staff today is based on the examples they set. Having my family’s support has been instrumental as well.

Another bit of advice I picked up along the way and remind myself of regularly is to not let best get in the way of better. As a perfectionist, I’ve struggled with this more times than I’d like to admit (curse you, perfection paralysis!). However, it’s important to remember that any improvement, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem at the time, leads to big change!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

If someone had told me five years ago I’d be doing what I am today, I wouldn’t have believed them. I always wanted to work more with my hands, be creative and have more flexibility in my schedule, but I also enjoyed having a secure job at a great company that paid well with people I respected and genuinely enjoyed working with. During the pandemic, that’s when my mindset really started to shift. I had just discovered flower trucks and fell in love with the concept of them. Less than two months later, we bought a 1951 Dodge truck, had it outfitted, and officially became the first flower truck in our area. We took the truck to various markets on weekends and began partnering with local wineries and breweries, which was a dream itself. The flower truck was so well received that it wasn’t long before we started thinking about an expansion, and after one year of operating the truck, we discovered a local listing for a commercial property, toured the space and signed the lease agreement all in one day! Mother’s Day to be exact.

There’s much more responsibility that comes with operating a storefront, but having a brick and mortar has really allowed us to spread our wings, especially during times like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Christmas. Along with having our DIY flower bar and self-serve wine machines that allow customers to enjoy eight wines on tap, we also sell a wide range of wines by the bottle, host a variety of fun events such as wine pairing dinners and floral arranging workshops, and open our doors to private party bookings. It’s been an amazing rollercoaster ride so far, from the wonderful people we’ve met and the recognition we’ve received, and I feel like we’re still just getting started.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.steloflowerandwinebar.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steloflowerandwinebar
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steloflowerandwinebar
• Other: Email: [email protected]

Image Credits

N/A