We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Bleakley | Huntress Florals recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jennifer Bleakley | Huntress Florals, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment
The most invaluable investments I’ve made have been time and money spent on professional and personal development. Whether I invest in floral design classes to further master my craft, business trainings, or various healing modalities – they allow me to learn more and continue to evolve in different ways. I value growth and consider myself a lifelong learner – it’s never too late to try something new or continue to grow in any area you desire. And when I step outside of my routine or comfort zone, I often gain a new perspective and cultivate inspiration for business and creative ventures.
I’ve also found it tremendously helpful to build a resourceful network of friends, clients, vendors and partnerships through kindness and authenticity. You never know when you’ll need a favor, a recommendation, or a listening ear! I’m grateful for everyone that has crossed my path on this journey and is part of the Huntress family.
Automating processes and hiring someone to do the tasks I dislike has also been another key investment. It’s allowed Huntress to scale and me to enjoy more time designing and focusing on the tasks I enjoy most. Finding ways to do more of what I love and clearing space in my daily tasks has been a game-changer for my health and well-being in business and life overall.
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?
Growing up, I was an artist, dancer, and nature lover (amongst many other things). During college years, I began to doubt that I could make money as a creative so I shifted paths and graduated with a psychology degree and entered the corporate world. After 10+ years of unraveling, unlearning and finding my way back to my true self, I began creating and following my passions again. Eventually I left corporate life and followed the path to floral design and entrepreneurship.
Huntress was born out of a desire to live authentically. Founded in 2013, I gratefully spend my days slaying flowers for weddings, events and corporate clients from a studio setting. Our signature design aesthetic is full of the prettiest blooms and layered textures infused with thoughtfulness and a bit of an edge. The Huntress brand and guiding principles reflect all that I strive to embody and what flowers represent to me – BEAUTY, GRACE, STRENGTH, RESILIENCE, and LIFE!
As I continue to reacquaint with my soul callings and incorporate lessons learned from working with flowers, I’ve been practicing yoga and meditation again and am now a certified Embody facilitator. Huntress continues to evolve and will soon include more offerings that infuse flowers and embodiment practices. I’m excited to share more soon!
I’m most proud of following my heart and remaining open to change and flowing with whatever unfolds as life continues. To learn to listen to the guidance within and trust that the universe has a plan.
If you love flowers, embodiment, honoring the cycles and seasons of life, along with all things mystical, spiritual, and divine – I hope you’ll connect with Huntress and follow our endeavors!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
In the years since Huntress began, a lot of changes and unexpected shifts have taken place – from business partnerships ending, to opening and closing a retail space, trademark issues, overcoming limiting beliefs, a global pandemic, and more! Through the challenges, I’ve managed to continue to trust, flow and root into our guiding principles as a compass. Coming back to who Huntress is, how and why she was conceived, and where I envision her going – these reminders remain constants and continue to give me the courage to persevere and the openness to change as time goes on. Like the seasons, we’re constantly shifting and we can’t usually control things that happen to us, but we can choose our reaction and continue to blossom in our own unique and beautiful way. Embracing these struggles that happen FOR us and taking all the learnings and gratitude into the next chapters. It’s exciting to trust my experience and lean into a knowing in my heart that I’m in the right place.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
Applying for Art Alive, which is an annual event hosted by the San Diego Museum of Art is one of my most favorite career risks. The show is highly curated and a perfect way of combining art and flowers in a gorgeous gallery. I honestly didn’t feel equipped at the time of applying, but took the leap and did it anyway – thankfully it paid off. It’s an honor to design amongst so many other local talented floral designers, to be challenged creatively each year, and to enjoy all of the artistic interpretations from other florists. Participating in this event is a beautiful way to showcase our style and market our skills in a unique way. I’m proud to say that Huntress has now been a featured designer in this show since 2017!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.huntressflorals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntressflorals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/huntressflorals
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnk0EaxdpGHsevWK5q_NMFQ?view_as=subscriber
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/4a1yoeorkttgfllymiq687wfg?si=fc3e8fc586a8416d
Image Credits
@huntressflorals @studio.luniste @meg_marie_photo