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

Hi Tia, thanks for joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

In 2018, I walked away from the life I built as a pastry chef. I became a teacher; it was stable, it had health insurance, it was going to pay off my debt. I was going to love it. I kept telling myself that, kept lying to myself.

In March of 2022, I didn’t return to teaching after Spring Break. I cried every day and it had to stop. I had to figure out what to do next. Due to the support of my partner, I was finally able to take a risk. To start something just for me, that brought me joy, and it wasn’t baking. It took me three months to realize what it could be, what I could be, and that’s how Golden Preserved came to light.

Now I spend every day in my studio creating pieces for the newly married, the ones celebrating their anniversary, and for those wishing to memorialize their loved ones. It’s more than I thought possible and I’m only four months in.

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?

I have been involved in the wedding industry for over a decade. From catering to the cake, from flowers arranged to lighting candles, from set up to break down, I have done it all.

Golden Preserved was born from taking arrangements home. At the end of the wedding, all of those flowers go into the trash and I hated to see all that beauty wasted so I started to take them home. I began testing different ways to preserve them—in the oven, the microwave, pressed, hung in the closet—each way produces a different texture, a new shade of what once was.

I made my first framed piece and resin tray for a bride in the fall of 2021. I officially started my business in July 2022 and currently have 20 clients for commissioned pieces. Each week brings in more requests; each week I bring tears to eyes because my client can look on their wall and think fondly of their big day, they can bring out their set of coasters and say, “These flowers were at my wedding!”

That’s why I do it—for the memories, for those tears that well up in the corners of eyes.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Floral preservation isn’t on the forefront of wedding planning. It was difficult for me to get clients when I was spending my days in a classroom. When I quit teaching, I knew I couldn’t financially survive on building a business—I didn’t even know how to build one!

So, I reached out to an event coordinator that I used to work for and began picking up weddings. I would walk right up to the bride, “This bouquet is so beautiful, have you thought of preserving it?”

From there I met more vendors and eventually became a freelancer for two florists. Photographers will tell their brides about me, venues will mention my name, and I make sure even the DJ knows what I do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have pivoted my entire adult life.

I went to college for Creative Writing, but dropped out to go to Baking/Pastry school.

When I left that career after ten years, I finished my BA and shifted into teaching.

It was a different world that I didn’t belong in, so I pivoted again. I knew I didn’t want to continue to struggle as a pastry chef, I didn’t want the 3AM shifts and the lack of sleep due to coffee addiction. I didn’t know what to do next.

I tried to learn new skills so I could use my degree, but nothing interested me.

I kept finding myself in my studio, rearranging dried flowers. Then I finally invested in me and the skills I taught myself. Why was I trying so hard to learn something new when this was calling me? So I pivoted and I can’t wait to see how far this takes me.

Contact Info:

• Website: Goldenpreserved.com
• Instagram: @goldenpreserved
• Twitter: @tialorraine_e
• Other: TikTok @goldenpreserved