We were lucky to catch up with Margo Zoeller recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Margo thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
I am a proud Filipina-American and really wanted my business to reflect my beautiful heritage. Tagalog is one of the major languages of the Philippines. Malayà in Tagalog means “free, independent”. Which feels very authentic to me. Around middle school, my family moved from South Florida to North Carolina. And this was a huge change for me. I grew up around so many different cultures, cuisines, and people in South Florida. Then moving to North Carolina, I felt like my world was upside down. I really felt like an outsider because my looks weren’t similar to the other girls in my class. At that age, all I wanted was to be blonde, have light skin, and all the things that I thought would make me “fit in”. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that my prescriptive changed. I started owning and becoming comfortable in my beautiful brown skin. I started really learning more about my Filipino heritage and understanding how beautiful my ancestors were. For Malayà Floral, it is so important to show that Asian-American women can create and build their own dreams even when they didn’t ever think it was possible.
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?
Hey there! I am Margo Zoeller the owner and face behind Malayà floral. My story into the wedding world started almost two years ago in 2021. I was working in healthcare feeling absolutely lost. When I was in that career, I so badly wanted to evolve and advance in that career for years. I was always applying for job positions that were higher than my current position because I knew I wanted more. Flashback to 2020 we are halfway through the pandemic, I am engaged, planning our wedding, and still hating my job but now my anxiety had worsened like crazy. One night after work, I was having a full-on panic attack and a breakdown. You know, it’s hard not to compare your “career” to your friends and feel like you’re falling behind. My husband said, “well why don’t you become a wedding planner”, I was like “you’re only saying this since I’m doing all of the planning for our wedding”. Then, after a few days, I just kept thinking about what my husband said. I am someone who will totally put myself out there and just go for it. So I started googling and contacting a bunch of wedding planners in CLT and, also at the time, my wedding planner-Sierra. The majority of everyone I reached out to ghosted me, except a few. For the few that did respond to me, I started working as an assistant on the weekends while working my full-time job. After about 8 months I take a full-time job as a wedding planner with my amazing team at “Plain with Sprinkles” and started working with a local florist. I absolutely love planning but I feel totally in love with all things florals. Last fall, I was ready to become truly my own boss and create a business that I was so passionate about. And Malayà was born! Every day I try to think of things I can do to grow, as not only a business owner but as an individual (and playing with flowers allows me the creative freedom that I’ve always wanted.
Malayà is an all-inclusive wedding and events floral service. We believe that love is love and we want our work to represent each couple. Coming from a wedding planning background has been so helpful. I’ve learned, of course, the logistics of weddings but also the importance of having a connection with the couples that I am involved with. I am not only their florist but I want to be that person they trust along their wedding journey.
My biz is unique in that I feel like I’m adding playfulness & sass back into an industry that has a history of being uptight. There are more & more couples shifting to have weddings that feel funky & celebratory in a way that shows off their personalities. I am showing people they can do what they want in a way that stills feel elevated & intentional.
Flowers are an extension of my couples and they are in place to enhance their special day.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
My current audience on social media is not huge by any means but I’m hopeful that it will continue to grow! The way I treat Malayà Floral’s IG is a mix of business and personal style. In the way of a business prescriptive, I’ll prep the photos in advance using the app called Preview which allows me to see how I like the photos to appear in the grid. I also try to post content at times when I have the most “traffic” on Instagram. When it comes to personal style, I love when other creators are also sharing about their personal life and also normal iPhone photos to show that they are humans too. I try to mix both behind-the-scenes iPhone photos/videos and professional photos. I am a huge open book and don’t mind sharing unpopular opinions on my Instagram. I really want people to relate and resonate with my brand and also myself.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
What I have found that has helped build my reputation within the wedding industry is honestly staying authentic to myself. I really put myself out there in the hopes that people like me and my work but also appreciate my creative eye on things. Having my own business also me to take inspiration from what my clients what but also adds that creative freedom and that’s why I think people really appreciate my style.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.malayafloral.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malayafloral/
Image Credits
1) @emilychidester 2) @adornmentphoto 3) @alybarnettphotography 4) @camblackmon 5) @mrs.bri.hines 6) @mrs.bri.hines