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

Melissa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I started in flowers as a time of necessity of sorts. I was at the end of one era of my life and needed a new passion/goal/career. It was such a simple moment when my husband asked me, “what do you want to do” and I said, “I’ve always wanted to have a little flower shop”. This goal required some very concrete plans like having an actual shop space which I found by walking a few blocks up the street from my house where a new development was being built. We signed a year lease and that set the fun stuff in motion like creating the shop space. I had always had an interest in flowers and it felt very natural creating with them so I started simple by putting together grab and go flower bundles. That grew into creating arrangements for deliveries and that grew into creating flowers for weddings. Each step gave me more confidence and skills to move onto the next step. It felt so natural but thats not to say there isn’t doubt and fear and sometimes those things can want to take over but I have always had a good support system from family and friends and that is invaluable. That was the first year of my flower journey…I didn’t know so much more was to come.

Melissa, 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?

I have always felt a desire to create but not always in the most obvious meaning of the word. I was in a band for 15 years and yes we did create music and that was part of it but I think what always felt most true to me was creating moments with people that made them feel seen, heard and accepted. Creating connection if you will. Once I moved from music to flowers the same thing rang true. I wanted to use the flowers to form connections for and with people. I now own a flower farm and yes I grow flowers and create with them but more than that I want people to come to the farm and feel seen, heard and accepted, to feel connected to something or someone that makes them feel love.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Honestly I feel like my whole life has been moments of pivots whether its been business, career or life. I don’t think pivots are scary or wrong. I think they are necessary bc we live in a world that is always pivoting (economy changes, environment changes, health changes). There are so many things we cannot control that we have to hold on to the one true thing that we can and that is our core heart goal. I have pivoted in business time and time again over the years but with every change I have tried to look at what my purpose has always been and figure out how to transition it into the next phase.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have mentioned that I was in a band for 15 years. Most of it was amazing but as some things go we are forced into a time of change. There were things between me and the other members that forced a choice for me. I had to look at my belief system and decide what was best for me knowing that if I did they wouldn’t support me. I had to walk away knowing they would think they were right and I was wrong. I knew me leaving would eventually end the band but I had to leave. I felt confused and lost and like people that had cared about me had turned their backs on me. There were a few years of feeling this way and working at silly meaningless jobs just to pay bills and such. Until the Flower Shop dream finally came into focus and brought me back to my core and birthed a new dream with an old heart.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @rosebudseast @perry_family_farm