We recently connected with Katie Robertson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Katie, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so one thing we think people don’t talk about nearly enough is investments – either time or money. What’s one of the best or worst investments you’ve made and what did you learned from the experience?

The best investment I’ve made, and continue to make, as a creative business owner is in continuing education. Floristry offers limitless opportunities to grow and expand your idea of what event design can look like. Before starting my business, I took an intensive workshop for freelance floristry, which led to two years of working with other established florists. Seeing how other talented artists run their businesses gave me the confidence to do it myself and taught me to be the kind of designer that I would want work under.

When the pandemic hit, the wedding business was halted and I didn’t have any work. I took the downtime as an opportunity to establish and grow my own business. I spent most of my days pouring over floral design books and using online education resources to take in as much information as I could. I designed using flowers from the garden, created a website and, within a year, I had a schedule packed with weddings. I started my business working out of my kitchen with no money. In the floral design business, I really believe that establishing a solid foundation of design skills and having a willingness to continue learning is all someone needs to get started. One of the greatest things about working in the event industry is the low barrier to entry, creating room for anyone to give it a shot.

Today, I create room in my business budget to take at least one workshop or to purchase an education resource each year. I’ll never become complacent or overconfident, because I know that there is always room to grow.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

After years of trying different jobs on for size, floral design felt like a calling. I made a couple of arrangements at home and felt compelled to give it a try as a career. I cold-called every flower shop in Baltimore until somebody gave me a job washing buckets and answering phones. I watched the designers work, learned the name of all of the flowers, and eventually started designing myself. Eventually, I transitioned to designing as a freelance designer for wedding florists, eventually finding a home for myself in the event industry and starting my own company.

Yarrow Floral Co. is a fine art floral studio specializing in creating naturalistic, garden-inspired designs for weddings and events. Our events feel elevated, experimenting with unexpected elements to set our designs apart.

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

When I started Yarrow Floral Co, I never saw the potential to have a full time floral design business, and assumed I would need to maintain other freelance jobs to stay afloat. The business grew quickly and, before I knew it, I didn’t have time for any other work. In the event industry, the best advertising you can have comes from creating strong relationships with other vendors. Each couple is working with a photographer, a wedding planner, a caterer- and if they like you and your work, they’ll recommend you. I am fortunate now to have full books and happy clients.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients is wedding planner referrals. If you’re just starting out, doing styled shoots or small favors for wedding planners can help foster relationships that will continue to pay off throughout your career.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yarrowfloralco.com
• Instagram: @yarrowfloralco

Image Credits
Photo of me: Coral Dove Photo 1: Emily Gude 2: Photo by January Skies, concept & styling by Rachel V King Lifestyle 3: Photo by January Skies, concept & styling by Rachel V King Lifestyle 4: Photo by January Skies, concept & styling by Rachel V King Lifestyle 5: Coral Dove Photo 6: Coral Dove Photo 7: Coral Dove Photo 8: Rachel V King Lifestyle