We were lucky to catch up with Sami Schmidt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sami, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things small businesses can do, in our view, is to serve underserved communities that are ignored by giant corporations who often are just creating mass-market, one-size-fits-all solutions. Talk to us about how you serve an underserved community.

When we started our flower truck, we knew we wanted to embrace mobility. I always felt that grocery stores and flower shops lacked that authentic, wildflower vibe among their offerings. After researching, I found that most flower farms were 30 minutes to an hour away. This inspired us to serve our community by not only providing fresh flowers in a unique vintage truck but also sourcing blooms from various flower farms. We wanted to bring the farm-fresh experience directly to our customers, offering a build-your-own-bouquet option that prioritizes variety and quality.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello all, Sami here.
As a non-traditional, twenty-something, first-generation student, I graduated in December of 2022 with two degrees in interior design. Working in various design roles, I quickly realized my true goal was to be my own boss. I disliked being confined creatively, often being told that my ideas were welcome but ultimately required to stick to uninspired sketches.

To find my path, I began jotting down everything I enjoyed and brainstorming business ideas I felt confident I could pursue. While building a conservatory was out of the budget, the idea of a flower truck stood out. I wanted to avoid the high overhead costs of a brick-and-mortar store, and the mobility of a truck seemed perfect. It felt serendipitous when we found our vintage 1969 Dodge pickup, and everything started coming together.

We’ve been in business for just over a year, and it’s been an incredible journey. Despite the challenges of maintaining our vintage truck, we’ve had the privilege of being part of numerous weddings, birthdays, and baby showers. Each event allows us to bring joy to our community, and just when I think everyone has heard of us, we attend another event and see the smiles of new customers as they build their first bouquet.

We source our flowers from multiple women-owned flower farms, which I visit weekly to pick up fresh stems. My incredibly supportive wife, Emily, is the behind-the-scenes queen who helps with everything from toting and building to lifting and more. We also love to donate our leftover stems to local shelters and nursing homes, bringing a bit of brightness to those who need it most.

This journey has been about more than just selling flowers; it’s about fostering connections and sharing beauty with our community. Our mobile flower truck has allowed us to achieve this in a unique and meaningful way.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In the journey of running a mobile flower business, we’ve faced our fair share of challenges, particularly with our vintage truck, affectionately named Daisy. While we love Daisy’s charm, she’s certainly given us a run for our money—pun intended.

In the first two months, Daisy lost her coolant plug, blew a gasket, and fused two cylinders together, leading to a very expensive engine rebuild. On top of that, we’ve dealt with numerous small maintenance issues, which might be minor in scope but certainly not in cost. This has required us to be incredibly resilient and resourceful.

One of the quirkiest challenges we’ve faced is with Daisy’s solenoid. This part, which connects to allow the truck to start with a key, refuses to work consistently. As a result, we have to hot-wire the truck every single time we want to start it. It gives the truck character, right?

As an entrepreneur, I expected to fund my business, but it’s kept me from leaving my full time job yet. The goal is to be full time by the end of next year. I’m excited for what the end of this year brings us. Just hope it’s less part hunting bs more income earning.

I’m incredibly thankful for the support of friends and family. They’ve not only helped us financially but also assisted in customizing and maintaining the truck. Their support has been invaluable in keeping Daisy on the road and our business thriving.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Our clientele largely stems from networking recommendations from some truly amazing entrepreneurs. I absolutely love meeting new people and exploring collaboration opportunities. It’s exciting to use my creativity to identify new markets we can tap into.

While the wedding scene is a natural fit for us, we’ve also been participating in car shows. These events allow us to showcase not only our gorgeous local flowers but also our vintage truck. The response has been fantastic, and we’ve been so busy at these events that we’ve created a small book with pictures and descriptions of the work we’ve done on Daisy so far. This helps us share our journey and connect with our audience on a deeper level, celebrating both the beauty of our flowers and the charm of our truck.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mobileminitrucks.com
• Instagram: Mobile Mini Trucks
• Facebook: Mobile Mini Trucks
• Linkedin: Sami Schmidt
• Other: TikTok: Mobile Mini Trucks

Image Credits

Christina King
hollyschaulandphotography
Emily Schmidt