We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Erker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is a juggling act. Success can also be somewhat of a controversial topic. When you ask someone what their definition of success means, you will probably get a variety of answers. Is it defined by how much money you make? How busy you are? My personal definition of success is what I’m doing now. Doing something that I love, but still able to make my own schedule, be home for my daughter when she needs me, and spend quality time with my family. That being said, I think most can agree that you can’t be successful without hard work and dedication. But you have to find that balance of what to sacrifice and when. I am constantly investing in myself by taking workshops to learn from other florists. I’ve also figured out what I can sacrifice in my life in order to devote more time to my business. Sometimes that means my house isn’t always as clean as it used to be. And I have had to learn to delegate certain tasks that I used to do myself: ordering groceries and picking them up instead of spending that time in the store, using software to that helps me keep tabs on my business, and now I’m even using AI to help write blog or social media posts. And soon I’ll be hiring someone to help with my website. But as for the former definitions of success, I don’t let money define my business as successful or not. Sure it’s nice, and we all need money. But I’d rather focus on my work-life balance. I like to ask myself these questions to gauge the success of my business: Am I spending quality time with my family? Am I able to take proper care of myself? Am I doing anything to progress my knowledge or progress my business? Am I making money? Am I getting new and repeat clients? If I can answer yes to those questions then I feel successful.

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.

Hi everyone! I’m Melissa. The owner and creative designer of Flowers by Melis. My love of flowers started when I was a kid, my grandfather grew huge dahlias in his backyard, we’re talking the size of a dinner plate! He also had a beautiful rose garden. I loved visiting him in the summers when everything was in full bloom. My mom is an interior designer and my sister is a landscape artist, so it’s no surprise when I chose a career involving design and creativity. I started by taking a floral design course at a local community college and got a certificate of floral design. I took on a few weddings for friends and family, worked in some shops and then took a hiatus when I had my daughter. I still designed for myself and kept up with the ever evolving floral trends. In 2021 I realized how much I missed designing for others so I basically told my husband that I was starting a business and literally the next day I applied for my business license. I signed up for another floral design course so I could brush up on the basics and learn new skills. So now I have 2 floral design certifications! That, plus freelancing for other florists and taking some amazing workshops has really catapulted my design techniques. I just really love the artistry of floral design and it’s an amazing feeling to be able to bring joy to others through my designs. My clients are everything, and I love making their visions come to life. I can do pretty much all designs, but I gravitate more toward feminine, romantic, lush, garden-y designs. I flip through European garden magazines to draw inspiration from. I think that my passion really comes through in my designs.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a florist is the joy and happiness I bring to others. I do both retail and events so I really get the full spectrum of emotions. There have been deliveries where someone has cried with happiness when I’ve delivered an arrangement to them, and then when an overall design idea comes to fruition for a wedding or event and the florals make the space come alive! It’s a whole lot of work on the back end, but the result is always worth it!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My social media presence literally started out with my friends and family. But little by little it has grown. Paid advertising didn’t work for me, so I focused my efforts into community building and word of mouth. I started following local accounts of people or other small businesses that I admired and I interacted with them through their accounts. Being authentic and kind has worked incredibly well for me. Sure I’ve gotten follows from reels and carousels, but it’s mostly the hustle of putting myself out there, being true to my brand and who I want to be. Authenticity and tenacity go a long way!

Contact Info:

• Website:www.flowersbymelis.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowersbymelis/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowersbymelis
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-erker-7047ba70/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/flowers-by-melis-long-beach?osq=flowers+by+melis

Image Credits
Tracy Reinhart Styled Shoot Across America