We recently connected with Kait Bibb Becca Barnell and have shared our conversation below.
Kait Bibb, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?
We hope the legacy of Sparrow Bloom is one of beauty, connection, and care. We want people to remember how we showed up—with intention, with creativity, and with a genuine love for our community. Whether it was designing a wedding, curating a workshop, or simply handing someone a bouquet on a hard day, we hope people felt seen and celebrated. We’re not just building a business—we’re building a place where people feel something. And if we’re remembered for bringing more joy and thoughtfulness into the world, we’ll feel like we did our job.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Sparrow Bloom is a floral design studio and shop based in Lansing, Michigan. We offer daily flower deliveries, curated gifts, wedding and event floral design, floral workshops, and private floral experiences for teams, friends, and special celebrations.
Our story began in 2020—a year when the world needed beauty and connection more than ever. What started as a simple idea to grow flowers for Becca’s son’s wedding quickly blossomed into something much bigger. In one evening, we came together, created a name and logo, and Sparrow Bloom was born. Since then, we’ve built a business that not only celebrates beauty through florals but also strives to create meaningful connections within our community.
In 2023, we opened our storefront in Lansing, where we get to bring our designs to life daily and host workshops. Our shop is filled with locally grown flowers, handmade goods, and vintage items that reflect our values of creativity, sustainability, and community. We love curating gifts that tell a story—by incorporating vintage pieces, we’re able to offer something unique while also contributing to a more environmentally friendly way of giving.
We continue to grow as many flowers as we can in our small urban garden, and we partner with local flower farmers to ensure our blooms are as fresh and seasonal as possible. Our work is about more than just flowers—it’s about building relationships with our clients, supporting independent makers, and offering thoughtful, sustainable alternatives that bring joy.
Becca, our lead designer, brings over a decade of experience in creating floral palettes that are as unique as the people we work with. She specializes in using locally sourced, seasonal flowers and enjoys sharing her love for design through workshops. Kait focuses on the bigger picture, ensuring that every customer experience is personal, memorable, and grounded in the values we hold dear.
What sets us apart is the way we combine artistry, sustainability, and community. We’re passionate about creating florals that mark important moments, whether it’s for a wedding, corporate event, or just because. And we’re proud to offer curated gifts that reflect our commitment to supporting local artisans and being environmentally conscious.
Above all, we’re most proud of the relationships we’ve built—with our clients, local growers, and the amazing independent makers we showcase in the shop. Every arrangement, every workshop, and every product is a part of a larger story—a story about creativity, community, and sustainability.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
We met through our husbands, who had been friends for years before Kait met hers. At first, we were just hanging out as couples, but over time, we became best friends. We’ve been there for each other through some of life’s toughest and happiest moments—living states apart for years, but staying close. When Becca finally moved to Lansing, after being apart for over ten years, it felt like a dream come true.
Kait has always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and Becca had dreamed of starting a flower business for years. After working in flower shops and earning a degree in education, the idea was always there, but life took us in different directions. If it weren’t for the shutdown during COVID, we might never have taken the leap. What started as a simple garden flower subscription turned into something much bigger than we ever imagined, and that’s how Sparrow Bloom was born.
It’s truly amazing to look back and see how the foundation of our business is built on a friendship that came first. We’re so grateful to be able to build this dream together, side by side.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
One of our biggest pivots came before Sparrow Bloom officially existed—but honestly, we’ve had to pivot more than once. In the beginning, we said we would never open a shop. It felt too big, too scary—maybe even too far out of reach. Looking back now, we think we were just afraid to dream that big.
But then we received a grant that made the idea of a storefront possible. We started planning, Kait left her day job to help bring the shop to life, and Becca continued teaching full-time while still designing. We had our sights set on a location, but when that fell through unexpectedly, we were suddenly on a tight timeline with a lot on the line and no space to open in.
So, we pivoted again—fast. We opened in a temporary space in July of 2023 that was under 600 square feet (and not even all of it was usable shop space). It was tight, especially for designing, but we made it work. While we were operating there, our permanent location was undergoing a full renovation—a dream project with a landlord who truly shared our vision. It was a huge leap, and we felt lucky to be a part of it.
In February 2024, we moved the entire shop—and two storage units—into our new space in just one day, reopened the following week, and kept going. That experience taught us that some of the best parts of our story have come from the moments where we had to figure it out as we went. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, especially knowing how many times we could have walked away but chose to keep building instead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sparrowbloom.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparrowbloom.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparrowbloom.co
Image Credits
https://www.liketheplanetphotography.com/
https://www.kaylaturpin.com/