We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marin Kees . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marin below.

Marin , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

The story behind the name of this business comes from people that I hold dearly to my heart. Florence was one of the most delighted human beings to enter into my life. She was my Mom’s Aunt and we all considered her Grandma, because she acted like ours. Rose is the middle name of most of the women in my life. My Mom, my twin Sister, my Grandmother, and my Niece all have that middle name. They are the two names I hold dearest in my heart and I always said if I had two girls, it would be their names. To me this business stems off of passion and love. It only felt right that the people in my life that I love should hold that part and the passion I have for flowers holds the other. That is how Florence & Rose Floral Co. was born.

Marin , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, and welcome to Florence & Rose Floral Co.! As you embark on this journey, I am going to introduce myself. My name is Marin Kees, and the beautiful art form of floristry has become my passion in life. I have been in this industry just shy of five years and keep learning every day. That’s why I fell in love with it in the first place.
As a child, I always picked up a pencil or a paintbrush and would paint the day away. As the years went on, I began my career in art school and moved on to fashion design and merchandising, but I did not feel the love as much as when I got into floristry. Flowers have always been a part of me, from my mother and grandmother both being florists and my grandmother owning her shop.
It all started a few years back when I found a dream job at a local flower shop in Durham, North Carolina. I was born and raised in Arizona but had an opportunity to live for a year in North Carolina, and there is where my journey began. While working at this shop, I learned a ton about all these new flowers I had never heard of or seen before. Come to find out, the shop I worked for was sourcing local flowers from local farmers as much as possible, and what a beautiful process it was! Nothing was better than the new flowers’ smells, colors, and textures. Not only were we supporting small businesses like ourselves, these flowers were organic, and we knew where they were coming from. Also, seeing the strength and hard work these farmers were putting into growing the flowers, I knew it was something I wanted to happen in Arizona when I moved back. That is when I started brainstorming ideas for my flower shop.
With only being in a flower shop for a year, I knew I needed more experience in the industry but also felt comfortable enough to design, and that is when I worked in another flower shop in Phoenix for a few more years. Finally, feeling ready to embark on my journey and thinking back on what I wanted to do years prior, that is when Florence & Rose was born. I started reaching out to growers in Arizona and purchasing local flowers from them as much as possible, but with everything in Mother Nature, weather permits, and seasons happen, so local flowers are not always available. Other times the flowers have to come from another state or country when they are in season, but limiting the use of imported flowers is what I strive for.
Another reason why I wanted to start this business was to focus on sustainability in the floral industry. Surprisingly enough, the industry is still very much how it has always been. Toxic floral foam is still on the market, using paper and plastic, not recycling, and not using eco-friendly methods when arranging. I want to get ahold of that and show my clients that there is another way of doing things. I wrap all my bouquets in reusable bags, use bamboo card sticks rather than plastic, recycle, compost when possible, and use other eco-friendly methods (bio-degradable floral foam) when arranging or installing. This is one of the reasons I got into this industry. I want to show my clients that floristry does not have to be traditional; it can be creative and different in many other ways, but by being sustainable. Another reason I got into this industry is to show clients the beauty of Arizona’s growth and the farmers’ magic that makes it all happen, as well as getting to know them is the best part. The reaction I get most often from clients when they see local flowers is, “No way that is grown in Arizona; I can’t believe it!” It is a beautiful process.
Being a third-generation florist, I take pride in my work specializing in design and paying attention to detail. I want to ensure that whatever the occasion may be, the flowers do the talking. I strive to capture the moment with an artistic approach and create a memorable experience for my clients. I prefer quality over quantity. Also, I am open to accommodate any special requests, or solve any issues that may arise. For instance, clients can reach out within 24 hours if the flowers go down; in that unlikely case, I will send new flowers based on what they purchased.
The website offers a variety of options. Clients can purchase a pre-made arrangement in multiple sizes, hand-tied bouquets with reusable bags, flower crowns, dried flowers, local chocolate, and more goodies are on the way! I also offer wedding services that allow clients to choose what best fits their needs for their wedding day. The wedding page shows bridal bouquets in different sizes, bridesmaids’ bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, wedding centerpieces, and so forth. I offer free consultations beforehand; that way, I can get every detail written down, and if they are not seeing all they want on the page, we can further discuss to make their wedding a dream come true!
Everything I have discussed above is what I want clients to know about my company and what sets me apart from others. I hope to give clients an outlook on this state’s organic beauty of flowers and more sustainable practices from Florence & Rose Floral Co. In the future, I hope to see homegrown flowers from my field offered to clients, more local goods from artisans around the state, and other fun projects ahead. The possibilities are endless; I am proud to see my business grow and excited for the future, something I could only dream about a few years back.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The time in my life that I had to pivot was when deciding whether to stay in Arizona, where I was born and raised, or move to a different state, North Carolina. I had worked in retail for nine long years. I was a visual merchandiser for all those years, eventually wanting to become a fashion designer. I dreamed about living in Los Angeles, where I could further pursue my career, but the stars needed to align for me; they didn’t, so I never moved to California. I knew my path was shifting elsewhere, though, and that is when the idea of owning a flower shop hit me. I began to think of flowers because my mother worked with flowers briefly in her youth and taught me a few things growing up. However, it was only a thought, perhaps a dream. When my partner and I moved to North Carolina, I knew it was the beginning of a new career, something I had only dreamed about. I started from ground zero; that was scary and exciting at the same time. The shop I worked for opened my eyes to what soon became my new career in floristry.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The best advice I can give for maintaining high morale is respect, respect, respect. Respect others’ views, respect others’ needs, and last but not least, respect others’ time. Setting the right tone for teamwork makes everyone feel comfortable; treating everyone how you would like to be treated leads to workplace leadership, creating a positive space. I have been a part of many teams and led a team in the retail industry. I have faced numerous hurdles in managing people and vice versa, but the one recipe that stood the test of time has been respect for peers’ views, needs, and time. No one should feel as if they do not belong in their workplace; everyone should feel welcome and love being a part of your team.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.florencerosefloral.com
• Instagram: florenceandrosefloralco
• Facebook: Florence & Rose Floral Co.
• Yelp: Florence & Rose Floral

Image Credits
Daniel Akridge Zulema Reyes