Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in floristry, but not sure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with florists, Hannah Beeching and Katie Dial founders of Blooming Mad Surrey.
Tell us about yourself and your journey to where you are today...
Since a young age, our grandparents always had us in the garden, learning the Latin names of flowers (of course we found this boring at seven years old, but we are very grateful for it today!).
We both come from a creative background having studied art and fashion before moving into interior design and marketing. Like so many people over the past 18 months or so, the pandemic made us re-evaluate and explore what is truly meaningful to us, pushing us to take steps towards something that we were really passionate about. Sitting at a desk wasn’t fulfilling us, and we wanted to drive a business and make the decisions.
We have taken floristry courses with Flourish Sussex, and have had the opportunity to do work experience with some really talented florists who have generously shared their own insights and wisdom with us. We’re super grateful because that spurred us to take ownership of our futures and Blooming Mad was born.
What motivates you each day?
How varied the role of designer is. We create incredible designs with flowers that celebrate so many different things, from bringing joy to people at weddings, helping them say goodbye to loved ones to jam jars and gift bouquets – nothing beats the smile they put on people’s faces! Every project is different and that keeps things so exciting. We love to learn and are motivated by gaining knowledge in many different areas - it keeps us focused and helps us define our direction and goals.
The world of floristry and design comprises so many elements, from the growing to the colour palettes and the marketing. Things are constantly changing and evolving in the world so there’s always something new to understand. The freedom of having our own creative license – as designers we are always studying the latest trends in floristry and beyond, thinking about how we can offer something uniquely beautiful, what and how we can improve – it's always motivating to think about what we will come up with next.
What makes your flower business stand out?
Blooming Mad’s floral style is romantic, organic, and whimsical – embracing movement is what we’re all about. With a mission to disrupt tradition, we don’t create any formulaic flowers here. Only blissful, boundless, blousy blooms. We offer a sustainable, local alternative to the usual wholesale flowers that come with reams of plastic, flown over from various countries before being driven all over the UK.
To what would you attribute your entrepreneurial success?
We feel so lucky to be able to work together, two heads are better than one and we can bounce ideas off of each other for different perspectives, ideas, and thoughts. Coming from creative backgrounds and experience in interior design has given us a distinctive eye for styling and interesting colour combinations. Experience working in business, PR and marketing have also really given us a head start. Not being afraid to connect with people and ask questions - being engaged with the florist and flower farming community has really helped us.
What's been your biggest accomplishment to date as a business owner?
As a small business in its early stages, everything we achieve seems to be a big accomplishment, from creating our branding to purchasing our first stamp, even though these are so tiny in the grand scheme of things. If we had to identify one thing, it would be booking our first event for 2022 after the difficulty the industry has faced as a result of the pandemic.
What is the hardest thing that comes with being a business owner?
Keeping on top of our ever-changing world, and the needs of our market.
Where can people find you online?
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 us out and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.