Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in floristry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Joe Whitehouse-Seim, co-owner of Evergreen Florist of Appleton, located in Appleton, WI, USA.

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

We are a small, family-owned every day & event florist with a focus on community, sustainability, & locally-sourced product. We aim to bring back the days when folks recognized their farmer, florist, & grocer by their first name & not by the logo on their letterhead.

Tell us about yourself

Joe got his start at his grandmother's florist (Evergreen Florist of Ripley, WV) & has been obsessed with flowers ever since. He & husband Spencer Whitehouse-Seim opened Evergreen of Appleton following the closure of local icon Charles the Florist, hoping to follow those footsteps & create a welcoming, community-focused space.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Our biggest accomplishments are all of the designs we have created that have brought joy to our neighbors who have something to celebrate & comfort to those who are grieving, from the smallest loose wrap to the largest wedding. It is noteworthy that we opened during the worst of the pandemic & are still in business, but this is incomparable to the intangible goodness & comfort we have helped our clients spread in the world.

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

There simply aren't enough hours in the day.

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

  1. People will be your most invaluable asset. That loan will not come over to help you with a last-minute repair, but your friends & neighbors will.
  2. Even evergreen plants do not grow year-round. You will not feel like you're able to take breaks to rest, but your body will break & make you rest if you do not. Make time to take care of your body & soul with the same attention you give your business.
  3. Pine trees often grow to enormous heights & make an excellent building material. Thyme grows with shallow roots, creeping into narrow spaces between obstacles & across massive areas - it's delicious in a number of dishes. Aspen trees grow to a fairly medium height with a single tree cloning itself again & again until it becomes a grove of identical individuals - this increases the likelihood of surviving a natural disaster but limits the species' ability to fight disease & other threats. None of these options are better than the other, but they are the best option for that species. Opening a business is like planting a seed & while you may expect that seed to keep growing upwards, it may well grow outwards - or vice versa.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://evergreenfloristofappleton.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EvergreenFloristofAppleton
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evergreen.florist/

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.