We were lucky to catch up with Mary Catherine Lilley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Catherine, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Honestly, I never thought being a business owner was for me. I always wanted a job where I could go to work, do what I needed to do, and then go home without thinking about it until the next day. Work is stressful enough without having to worry about every aspect of a company. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I could run a business, it was more like, why would I want to? Owning a business means being the finance manager, marketing director, HR officer, operations specialist, and strategist all at once. It felt like choosing more stress and more uncertainty.

But the funny thing is, I’ve never felt less stressed, or more certain about my work, than I do now as a business owner. Let me be clear, the stress is definitely still there, but it’s not the kind of stress I expected. It doesn’t drain me or make me dread the next day. It’s the kind that comes with purpose. Every problem I solve, every decision I make, moves my business closer to the goals I set for myself. I’m not just maintaining another person’s dream anymore, I’m building something I believe in. I’m no longer waiting for opportunities or approvals. If I want something to change, I can change it. It turns out, the thing I thought would bring more stress into my life has actually brought me the most happiness and, honestly, the most peace.

Mary Catherine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My career began in the banking and finance industry—sounds super fun, right!? I’m as Type A as they come, and honestly, I loved what I did. It sharpened my attention to detail and deepened my love for organization, but over time, I realized those skills could be used in a more creative, fulfilling way. I started coordinating smaller events on the side and quickly fell in love with the events industry. As I became more involved, I noticed a gap in my area for high-quality, luxury décor, especially flower wall backdrops. After a lot of consideration, I decided to take the leap and open Blooming Walls.

My goal was to bring in beautiful, statement pieces that would transform events and bring a little luxury to each client’s big day. What started with just three flower wall options quickly grew to nine walls and eight flower arch designs. I was amazed at how quickly it all took off, and how people fell in love with the flower walls just like I did.

In September of last year, I was asked by the amazing Taryn Stark Wyant if I would consider creating a drapery backdrop for one of her styled shoots. I’m always up for a challenge, so I thought, why not? Two drapery backdrops later, I was hooked. That’s when I knew it was time to expand the business and start offering drapery.

Drapery opened a whole new creative side of me that I didn’t even realize was there. It gave me the ability to design in a way that felt more custom, more intentional, and more transformative. There’s something so powerful about draping. It can completely change the look and feel of a space. What starts as a blank or ordinary room can be turned into something soft, romantic, dramatic, or elegant, all depending on my client’s vision. No two setups are ever the same, and that’s what I love most about it. It’s not just décor, it’s an experience. Every detail, every fabric choice, every installation is tailored to reflect my client’s unique style and bring their vision to life in a way that feels personal and unforgettable. That’s when it really clicked for me, this is more than just decorating. It’s about transformation. It’s about taking a space and turning it into something that feels completely their own.

And now, we’re adding wood backdrops into the mix. This next step feels like such a natural evolution for the business. While drapery brought softness and movement, wood brings warmth, structure, and a completely different kind of character. It opens the door to even more design possibilities.

Every time this business grows, it pushes my creativity even further and that’s been one of the most exciting parts of this crazy journey. Being able to continually expand, try new things, and offer more ways to transform a space is something I don’t take for granted. It’s amazing to look back and see how far this has come in such a short amount of time. It’s even more exciting to think about where it’s going next. I can promise you, we have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Learning how to pivot while working in the event industry is just as important as learning how to brush your teeth when you’re a kid. This industry constantly keeps you on your toes! Up until about a year ago, pivoting wasn’t exactly my strong suit. As I mentioned earlier, I’m as Type A as they come, and because of that, I didn’t always handle things well when they didn’t go according to plan. I would figure it out, but not without nearly giving myself a heart attack in the process. But then I was hit with the biggest pivot of my life…a divorce. Not only did I never see this pivot coming, but I also had to navigate it while growing a very young business in the…drumroll please…wedding industry. No person, podcast, or self-help book can prepare you for that one.

I was suddenly faced with a big decision: give up my dream and go back to the finance world, or pour everything I had left in me into a business I truly believed in. As you can see, I chose the latter, and it turned out to be the best pivot of my life.

Blooming Walls originally started as a side business, something fun that brought in a little extra income. But at that moment, it became so much more. It became what I needed to build, grow, and rely on. It became the thing that was going to support me, not just financially, but personally, too. It’s true that you have no idea how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Suddenly, any pivot the event industry threw my way didn’t seem all that bad. I was recently working on a project where our venue experienced severe flooding from an unexpected storm just one week before the event. The old me would have panicked over all the changes and last-minute decisions, switching venues, reworking the setup, and completely adjusting the design plan. But not this version of me. Now, it’s just another pivot. I feel like Ross, Rachel, and Chandler would be proud.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

You know what they didn’t teach in the Business Management program at East Carolina University in 2013? Social media for businesses. Because in 2013… that wasn’t really a thing. Navigating the world of social media has, at times, made me feel like a complete fish out of water. I’ve been on social media for years, so I figured it would be easy. I was very wrong. Social media for businesses is a whole business of its own.

When I first started, I only posted pictures of our work. They got a few likes, maybe a couple of shares from family (thanks Mom!), and our following slowly started to grow. But if the success of the business depended on that alone… we weren’t going very far.

So, I decided it was time to go back to school. I attended every class, panel, and group discussion I could find on social media for businesses. At times, it felt like learning a foreign language, but before long, I was understanding hooks, trends, SEO, and all the things I never thought I’d need to know. Once I started implementing those strategies, I saw an immediate jump in followers.

Then one day I was at a networking event talking with other vendors about all the struggles of posting on social media, and someone said something that completely changed my approach: “You’re never going to grow if you don’t sell yourself as your brand. Clients book based on who they trust to be part of their big day.”

Up until that point, I swore I would never post myself. No reels, no behind-the-scenes, no day-in-the-life content. My work could speak for itself… right? Why would anyone care what I wore to an install?

But at that moment, it was like a light bulb went off. That’s exactly how I choose vendors. I want to know who I’m trusting with something important. I want to feel confident in the person behind the business. And these potential clients? They didn’t know me at all. So why would they hire me?

I decided to go for it and try something that felt completely outside of my comfort zone. At first, it was awkward. Hitting “record” felt unnatural, and I overthought everything. What to say, how to say it, how I looked, what people would think. I probably filmed, deleted, and refilmed more videos than I actually posted. But with every reel, I got more comfortable. I started sharing behind-the-scenes moments, talking through installs, showing the real, unfiltered parts of what goes into creating these setups. I let people see not just the finished product, but the process—and more importantly, the person behind it. And that’s when everything started to change. People weren’t just liking posts anymore, they were engaging. They were reaching out, asking questions, booking services. Clients would show up already feeling like they knew me, like they could trust me. The conversations felt easier and more natural.

It’s not just about the work, it’s about connection. Beautiful setups might catch someone’s attention, but it’s the person behind the business that makes them stay. That’s what builds trust. That’s what turns a follower into a client. Take it from me…make the silly reel, be you, and have fun while doing it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bloomingwallsnc.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bloomingwalls_nc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BloomingWalls.NC/
• Other: Wed Society Raleigh page:
  https://raleigh.wedsociety.com/vendors/blooming-walls/

Image Credits

Personal Photo: Him & Her Photography
Picture 1: Laura Memory Photography
Picture 2: Him & Her Photography
Picture 3: Him & Her Photography
Picture 4: Him & Her Photography
Picture 5: Laura Memory Photography
Picture 6: Jessica Turner Photography
Picture 7: no credit
Picture 8: Rae Marshall Photography