We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natalie Bae Lauzon. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natalie below.
Alright, Natalie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.
“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” — Anais Nin
If you were to ask those closest to me if I was a risk taker they would probably say “no”. I am a rule follower, a planner, cautious and I like to weigh the pros and cons to a situation before just jumping in. On the other hand, I have always been adventurous, someone who likes to experience new things, get to know people and travel to places all over the world. My actions in life would show you that I am a risk taker, but I feel that I take precautions and safety measures before taking those risks therefore hoping for a more positive outcome. The definition of risk is to do something that MAY result in loss or danger. I don’t look at it that way. I look at risk as a way to grow. How do you know what the possibilities are if you don’t take a risk?
I would say besides all of my moves across the country over the years, Chicago, Illinois – Los Angeles, California – Denver, Colorado – Colorado Springs, Colorado and Petoskey, MI, the biggest risk I have taken is opening Flora Bae Home!
It was a dream of mine for close to 20 years and every time I felt ready to take the leap, something would hold me back. We had the recession of the early 2000’s due to the dot com bubble bursting, then we had the Great Recession of 2007 – 2009, then the September 11th attacks, (although brief it added a sense of insecurity). I was having a quarter life crisis and I had taken a big enough leap moving across country with no job, selling everything I own and packing up my car and driving out west.
Then in 2020, Covid hit.
That’s when I said enough is enough. The event world which I worked in was turned upside down. In person/physical events turned to virtual events that were technology focused as far as planning was concerned and although I embraced the challenge, I had a completely new job which eliminated the majority of what I loved about my job. I thought maybe this is a sign to work towards opening Flora Bae Home. I don’t believe that there is a perfect time to take a big risk, especially during a recession, BUT, I think when things start to line up in your favor, I believe its the universe or a higher being or whatever you believe in, that is guiding you and validating you that it is the right time. That is how it happened for me. I believe that you can prepare and educate yourself as best you can to help reduce the risk of failure but it really boils down to the amount of work you put in. Learning as much as you can about the business you want to open, doing market research about what people want and how you can offer that to them, taking a look at the competition in the area, writing a solid business plan and taking advantage of the resources out there like the SBDC ( America’s nationwide network of Small Business Development Centers ) are all helpful tools. Trying to stay ahead of the trends or right beside them, is also helpful.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Flora Bae Home was conceptualized 20 years ago. I am a Michigan native who has lived all over the country. It only seems fitting and a bit fate-like that I would end up moving back to Michigan (my home state) to open my boutique.
Petoskey is nestled along the shores of Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan, on Howard St. in the Gaslight Shopping District. This beautiful resort community is steeped in history, Victorian architecture, and breathtaking views. It won me over instantly and I knew that Flora Bae Home had found it’s home and so had I.
I thought that being in a resort town gave me an advantage that I may not have otherwise gotten in a big city. Small town, immediate customer base (tourists) and a fresh vision for a growing small town.
Flora Bae Home is a home shop with a focus on women artists and women owned small businesses, where boho chic meets eclectic with mid century modern touches. Products are curated and sourced by me and I also provide Interior Design services and consultations on a case by case basis.
Over the span of my life, I have been empowered by many strong and successful women starting with my Hungarian emigrant Grandmother and strong, independent, hard working single mother. I started babysitting when I was 13 years old and then had my first “real” job in a retail shop (Kilwins Chocolate in Traverse City, MI) when I was 15 years old.
The majority of my professional development has been working side by side with amazing, creative, entrepreneurial woman including but not limited to a James Beard winning Pastry Chef, Mindy Segal, while managing Hot Chocolate Restaurant and Dessert Bar in Chicago. I also worked with and for a very creative and inspiring business owner/interior designer/floral designer at Asrai Garden in Chicago, Elizabeth Cronin, who definitly played a large role in helping me to figure out my style and how important it is to have a cohesive and well designed boutique. Elizabeth’s talent for curating a noteworthy boutique inspired me and taught me a lot about what my expectations for Flora Bae Home would be (what to do, and what not to do). I learned an elevated style of Floral Design while working at Asrai Garden and also a lot about designing weddings, I went on to lead the wedding sales for Elizabeth. I assister her in all aspects of the business from accounting, wedding sales, floral design, shop management, and event planning. I even attended my first market in NYC for buying with her about 18 years ago.
My career has mostly been focused on full service event planning, design and decor, floral design and art but I also dabbled in the wine world and as a visual effects coordinator (glorified personal assistant and office manager), think Devil wears Prada but instead of fashion, the movie business.
A trend that continued over the last 30 years was working for strong, inspiring, hardworking, dedicated, amazing, talented, female business owners.
All of them have encouraged me to follow my dreams and have been an huge inspiration in me opening Flora Bae Home. All of these expeerences led me to my mission at Flora Bae Home. Flora Bae Home’s ultimate goal is to bring joy to other people’s lives and into their homes. We do this through an artfully curated store, whose mission is to bring community together, to showcase local and handmade products, highlight women owned small businesses and bring beauty to all who visit.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Building a reputation within a market takes a lot of work. I do believe that a lot of it came naturally to me as I find it very important to get to know the people and businesses around you. I also made a huge effort to get involved, donate to important causes, and volunteer with organizations that shared my beliefs like the Crooked Tree Arts Center, The Women’s Resource Center and Habitat for Humanity.
I also nurtured relationships with the Chamber of Commerce and other small business owners from day one. Social media has definitley been a positive impact on creating a good reputation virtually as peoples comments on facebook and instagram show brand loyalty. Google reviews have also helped me to build a good reputation with all 5 star reviews. Wohoooo!
Any advice for managing a team?
I think that the hardest part about running a business is managing employees. For me, I learned from each past job that I had, what I appreciated and what I didn’t appreciate.
My experience and expectations as an employee in my past helped shape me as a manager and I continue to develop my own managerial style by talking with other business owners and listening to my employees. I find that positive reinforcement and a true appreciation for your employees is the number one way to build a high morale.
I also believe that trusting your employees and giving them opportunities to grow is also important. It can be hard sometimes to let go of control and let your employees help! I have learned that if things aren’t done perfectly the first time, allowing those moments to become teaching moments make for an empowered and happy employee rather then a micromanaged employee. It also builds trust and communication. I let my employees know that I would never ask them to do something that I wouldn’t do myself. Although, I own the business and deserve and expect a certain amount of respect, I also want them to feel that they can tell me anything and that no one is better than the other. We are all equal when it comes to job duties and no ones is above any daily role or duty that the job entails.
I also like to reward my employees with a coffee, treat, or lunch AT LEAST once a month.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.florabaehome.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florabaehome/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/florabaehome
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-lauzon-431489b/
Image Credits
Natalie Lauzon