We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Rebecca Armstrong. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Rebecca below.
Rebecca, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?
There are two answers to this question: I wish I had started my business sooner, and I know that it all unfolded exactly as it should have. Both are true.
I always knew that I would one day start my own business, coming from an entrepreneurial family and always having had this dream of owning a floral shop, or a vintage boutique with a studio in the back… I dabbled in flowers for a time when I was younger, but knew I wanted to pursue a career in the visual arts first. So I moved to New York, went to grad school, and worked in arts education in museums for years. I am so happy that I took that time to build one of my dreams of working in the arts, working with communities and the public in educational programming- I hold that part of my life dearly.
But in the back of my mind I always knew I was meant for something on a smaller scale, working on a more local level and face to face with other creative people and clients, and I could not get my dream of being a florist out of my head. As my career in the arts became less about tangible interactions with others and more bureaucratic, working extremely long hours in a grey office for very little pay (hey, nonprofits!) I just needed a change.
Like many people, 2020 was a year of waking up- I was disillusioned with my job, I had a medical health emergency, and a devastating breakup, and my grandpa passed away, among other life changing events- so I decided I really needed to leave New York and make my way closer to home. I spent a couple of years working in flowers and living in my family’s vintage VW camper van, first working on a flower farm in Idaho and then freelancing for very talented florists all over the country, from Wyoming and Utah to New York and L.A. Eventually, I was called back to my home of the Pacific Northwest, and settled back into Seattle- along the way, planting seeds for my business to thrive once I was more established in a place. It took a long time to get the ramblings out of my spirit, I really needed that time to just be free and reconnect with myself- but while I was in that phase, I was also working on building my website, developing a “brand,” connecting with other business owners and creative people, and doing a lot of creative exploration. It wasn’t long before I started booking clients for events, and things have just been amazing from then on.
Looking back, I think the catalyst for finally taking the risk and leaving my job to start my own thing was a conversation with my parents- I was feeling down about the way my full time museum job was going- I was very burnt out and just didn’t feel like myself there- and I was talking to them about my dreams of starting a flower business or a combination floral/vintage wares/music shop (I had SO many ideas and really still do). My Mom said- don’t wait, if you want to do something, just do it. It really stuck with me. I think it’s so easy to have these ideas and a gut feeling, but it can be scary to act on them. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. You just have to have courage and be kind of scrappy. I definitely had some terrifying moments where I thought, what have I done! I just left the big job I went to school for and now I’m houseless with no regular income! But, I’m so glad I took that leap instead of just analyzing everything until it was too late.
Rebecca, 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?
Hi! I’m Rebecca and I am a studio-based florist and solo entrepreneur in Seattle, Washington. My studio is called Phosphorus Botanical, and most of my events are in Western Washington but I also travel to work with clients in California, New York, and anywhere the work takes me.
The nugget of my company’s ethos really has to do with noticing the magic and awe in nature. I am someone who spends a lot of time outside in the wild, and am also fond of fairy tales, folk tales, and the supernatural- I think storytelling helps humans ask and answer questions about mysterious topics. Nature can be both science and magic. This is how I named my company- when I was a kid, I was awestruck by the glimmers in the water off the coast of my home at night. With a very active imagination, I thought the bioluminescence was mermaids, or something of that nature- and the word Phosphorus, though just a scientific element, has always carried this feeling of wonder and magic to me.
From the start, my company has been focused on sustainable practices in all aspects of the business, from sourcing flowers and botanicals from local farms, to never using floral foam or other commonly used toxic materials in our designs, to focusing on Leave No Trace principles on wilderness elopements. I work with the seasons as much as possible to avoid having to use imported products (though occasionally, I will use flowers from other regions for the aesthetic if I can’t source them at home). I’m proud of being a low waste company that values and cherishes the earth, because without healthy ecosystems, flowers can’t grow. The events industry can be notoriously wasteful, and I like to think I am doing my small part to prove that it doesn’t have to be that way. I love working with clients who are similarly passionate about sustainability and who aren’t too beholden to any particular flower or mimicking a photo on Pinterest- it’s always so incredible to work with people who trust my creativity and are open minded to what will be growing at the time of their event!
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
This question is amazing because it is 1. So important and 2. Difficult to answer. I think being business owners, we find ourselves in this role of being a manager of people- sometimes it’s not anticipated, and sometimes it is, but is usually one of those things that comes with the territory of operating a business, not the reason anyone starts a business. So it tends to be a learn as you go kind of thing. I went into this aspect with high expectations for myself, because I care SO much about being a really good boss! We’ve all had bad bosses, and I just never ever wanted to put anyone working for me through those experiences. I want to lift people up, communicate effectively, make sure people feel valued and trusted, and generally foster a sense of goodwill and a happy working environment. As I go, I realize how hard this is! Working in the wedding industry is high-stress- events are always intense days, and most of my events are my client’s most important day- so with tight timeframes, crazy weather and working conditions, early mornings, and VERY physical work, it’s easy to burn out and not be your best self. I’ve learned that it’s important to take care my myself to be able to hold space for my team, and work to your team member’s strengths! I am pretty type A, so I always try to organize communications ahead of time and make sure everyone has the info they need to work efficiently day-of. I also always bring snacks and beverages for my team so they know they should take care of themselves as humans- we aren’t machines. Overall I think it’s important to give both honest and positive feedback, and say thank you often (better yet, for something specific).
When I worked at a flower shop while in grad school, the owner (my manager) was leaving for a few weeks and leaving me with extra shop management and responsibilities. I remember she paused, looked me in the eye, smiled, and just said “Becca, I trust you.” She didn’t seem worried at all and it was such a grounding moment to know I was valued, and she knew I was up to the task- this is how I want to make my team feel too!
Managing people is really hard. It takes humility, careful and compassionate communication, and sometimes tough love and directness when you just need something done correctly. I’m always going to be working on it, because I think as a whole, our society needs to be better at fostering healthy workplace ecosystems.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In old-school retail the phrase “the customer is always right” is used a lot, and I don’t mean this to sound disrespectful to any customers or clients, but I really feel this is not a helpful mindset for any party, for a few reasons. To be clear, I LOVE my clients and love hearing their wishes, opinions, and hopes for their flowers, and I also love to get honest feedback of questions from them regarding their experience. I always want to know how I could better serve and work with my clients.
However! I have also learned that as a professional, people often come to you because YOU are the expert in your field. You must learn to lead and guide them to help them get to the nugget of what they want, what is possible given their event’s parameters, and start off with some ideas as a vendor in a creative role. Taking the lead on consult calls and communicating ideas helps build trust and means that you are coming with YOUR best ideas for your brand, not mirroring anything that comes your way. It also means that you can adhere to boundaries that protect your business’s reputation and ethos! So if a client comes to me with a request that isn’t something I would do creatively (i.e. it really isn’t the best aesthetic fit for my brand) or is something that would compromise my practices when it comes to sustainability, I have no problem saying no. I usually take this as a learning opportunity, because floristry is not something most people know about- so I’ll have a conversation around why I think we could find an alternate solution or plan. And if it turns out that the client wants something that isn’t in my practice, I might send them to another vendor who would be a better fit for them- which is great! There is a beautiful community of talented florists in my area who all specialize in different things, have different styles, or do different scales of events.
Most people that come to me with event inquiries have not planned a wedding before, or aren’t used to working with florists much, and I approach conversations as such- there is so much to the phrase “you don’t know what you don’t know,” and I like to try to guide people with what I know to help them make the best choices for their needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.phosphorusbotanical.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phosphorusbotanical
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phosphorusbotanical
- Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@phosphorusbotanical
The Friend Club: https://thefriendclub.com/phosphorusbotanical
Image Credits
Mary Kalhor
Natalie Fong
Weiss Photo & Film
Molly Moormeier
204 Weddings
Jonas Seaman