Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ronna Thompson . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ronna , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think it takes a certain love of what you do and determination to be successful, but I also think it takes a supportive family and village as well. Tipsy Designs blossomed from my husband and my wedding in 2021. I dove right into planning. I wanted a lot of flowers but I hated the idea of fresh flowers wilting away and I had not quite found the silk flowers that I liked either. I discovered wood flowers in the process of planning and I fell in love. December 2020, I began flower prep. I ended up creating everything from centerpieces to bouquets to arch flowers for our wedding day. From there family and friends asked me to create their wedding flowers. Without their confidence in me, success in this business would have been slower. Those experiences led to me doing weddings for complete strangers and events for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I really have my husband, our family and friends to thank for the businesses success. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am at so quickly.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Ronna Thompson and I am a wood flower florist. I work with soft wood flowers and faux or preserved greenery and filler to create arrangements that last a lifetime. I discovered the industry while planning my wedding that took place in Sept or 2021.

My focus is wedding flowers but I do DIY workshops and home decor as well as formal events and funerals as well. I take pride in creating a stress-free process with each client. I get to know what they are looking for, imagining and from there I bring their floral arrangement to life. I am proud of the progress Tipsy has made. In 2023 I created 15 football bouquets for the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony events and was featured on New Day Cleveland. I also completed the year with 8 weddings as well. I am proud of the progress the business has made so far and the mainly homes, events and weddings I’ve been able to brighten with my work.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Best source is word of mouth. Half of my brides so far, have come from referrals. Next would be my presence on Facebook. I have quite a few brides that come across me from posts being shared. Another source of clients has been from things I try to do for the community. We have taken part in the parade that takes place in June. And February 17th was Random Acts of Kindness day, and with community involvement, we were able to deliver 284 flowers to local small businesses and organizations to share a random act of kindness with their employees and volunteers. From there, I have seen an uptick of followers and order inquiries.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

I was in banking for 8years. When our youngest was born in 2022, I took a leap. I quit my job and jumped feet first into the unknown of small business ownership. I did more craft/vendor shows, advertised more for weddings and strived to build the business into something sustainable and enjoyable while also balancing being a stay at home mom and our youngest sons cranial reconstruction surgery in 2023. I wouldn’t change a thing. Everything came together as it should and it has been very rewarding and successful

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tipsydesigns.com
• Instagram: Tipsydesigns1
• Facebook: Tipsy Designs by Ronna
• Other: I have done several out of state weddings and orders. My clients are not limited to just local Ohio.

Image Credits
I took them.