Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in floristry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emmy Ross, owner of Revel & Flourish, located in Minneapolis, MN, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Revel & Flourish is a full-service design and floral boutique that specializes in weddings, corporate and non-profit events, everyday floral occasions, and so much in between. From planning to design to execution, our experienced team has the knowledge and the vision to make any occasion truly unique.

It is a passion of ours to create meaningful and memorable moments that you and your guests will never forget. Revel & Flourish was born from the idea that everyone should have the ability to have the event of their dreams executed by professionals that truly care. It is our mission to be dedicated to our clients and commit to excellence across all of our teams. We pride ourselves on making the impossible possible!

Tell us about yourself

I am a full-time work-from-home mom to three, soon-to-be-four kids. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin with dual degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Management and have owned and operated several small businesses in the wedding and events industry.

My background is in event planning of all types, from weddings to non-profits, to corporate meetings, workshops, and conferences. After leaving my full-time job as a conference and trade show planner, I invested full time into my businesses which led me to meet my current business partner in Revel & Flourish, Jody Winter. Jody also has an extensive background in the weddings and events industry. We immediately connected on our passion for events and dedication to our clients. In 2019 we went in together to buy the inventory of an existing business, and Revel & Flourish was born.

I have always been someone who loves to be busy, and business ownership definitely does just that! I really enjoy the sales and marketing side of the business. Dreaming up and researching new ideas or different ways to do things has always been my passion. I also enjoy finding the right people for our team and empowering them to grow within the business, so they are doing what they truly love as well.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

It was a transition going from a one-woman show in my early days of business ownership to being in a partnership and growing a team, but it also has been extremely rewarding. We continue to grow Revel & Flourish both in services (we offer design, planning, floral, decor rentals, venue management, and event space rental through our venue, The Revel Room) and with our team. It has been wonderful seeing our business grow and seeing our team members flourish in their positions to find their passions within our company. I love having a business where my employees and contractors love coming to work, and I strive to continue to enhance our company culture.

I also love getting the feedback and images from our clients and couples saying they are so happy that their weddings or events were beyond what they envisioned. It makes all the literal blood, sweat, and tears worth it to know the client was over the moon with the end result.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Coming to grips with the old adage that no one cares about your business as much as you do. I have been blessed to be able to go through this journey with an incredible business partner, so there is someone there that is feeling the same things that I am. But in the end, the buck stops with us, and when customers aren't satisfied or something goes wrong that was out of our control, it can be a hard pill to swallow. I try to remind myself to keep my emotions out of the business side of things as much as possible, so I don't get consumed by them, but it can be hard.

The other hard thing I deal with is balancing my business life with my family life (even though I hate the word balance). I absolutely love working and love my job, and I absolutely love my family and spending time with them. It has been hard to make things work sometimes, and at times sacrifices need to be made, but at the end of the day, I think I set pretty good boundaries between my work and home lives. At the end of the day, I want to be there for my husband and my kids, and I want to demonstrate to them what hard work can look like.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Find a support system. Whether that's with a business partner, a life partner, or a group of like-minded people, finding a community that you can turn to for advice and can be a shoulder to cry on is crucial. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I have been fortunate to be a part of some incredible business owner's groups. The friendships I have formed with those people have lasted for years and have gotten me through some difficult times in my business.
  2. Never stop learning. Being a business owner means you don't get to be blessed with only doing the thing you are passionate about. You get to do the fun things, but you also have to do the really hard things. Take the opportunity to find ways to grow your business knowledge through classes, blogs, mentors, anywhere you can find it. There is always something more to learn about your own business and about business ownership, and the more you push yourself outside of your comfort zone, the better business owner you can be.
  3. Lift people up with you. I have benefited from a lot of great mentors in my personal and business life, and I believe that paying it forward and helping out where you can is so important. Taking the opportunity to foster growth within employees, sharing your knowledge with others in your industry, or volunteering your time with organizations like WomenVenture or BWC that provide development opportunities for business owners are great ways to give back to the entrepreneurial community and continue to grow your own network. You never know who will turn into a customer, or a client, or a referral partner that could change the course of your business!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

While I love working, it's not the only thing I love doing in my life! When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my husband and non-stop kids, playing volleyball, cheering on the Wisconsin Badgers, or catching up on my General Hospital guilty pleasure.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.revelandflourish.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revelandflourish
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revelandflourish/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmy-ross-19931613/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.