Making changes in our lives and in our careers is inevitable. They can be exciting and scary all at the same time – but sometimes it is just time for a change! Amy Dunlap previously of Amy Lynne Originals and now of Stemz Farm shares her decision to move from floral designer for weddings to a flower farmer.
Thank you, Amy, for sharing your story and thoughts with us!
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Alicia
My flower journey has been interesting, hard, inspiring, fun, frustrating…but overall amazing. For 13 years I owned and operated Amy Lynne Originals, a floral design company specializing in weddings. At the end of 2018 I decided to close and start a new career as a flower farmer.
Many have asked if I am sad about my decision to close. While it was hard to let go, I am not sad…I’m grateful. I am grateful for all those years designing, and I am grateful for a change. We are all constantly evolving. If I stayed where I started (in my basement designing with a baby on my hip and a washer/dryer as an extra worktable) I’d be crazy. While I fondly remember those early days owning a business as well as the later years in my floral studio, change is inevitable and what makes life interesting.
I knew it was time to shift directions when I started noticing how flowers were not bringing me joy. I felt like I was simply going through the motions. This was a hard realization since flowers have been a part of my life starting with a job in a flower shop at age sixteen. As soon as this reality sunk in I had to act on it. I needed a way to keep flowers in my life, but in a different capacity. What is so interesting is that my education is in horticulture/agricultural. Deciding to become a flower farmer is like coming around full circle!
There is a lot of advice I could offer about owning a floral design business. In this article I am going to focus on the biggie – that thing I would do differently if I could do it all over again. While it may seem like obvious advice, it is “my biggie”. Always put yourself and family first.
There were years I did not take great care of myself claiming I was too busy. Weddings kept getting bigger (which was a good thing), but it came with added pressure and anxiety. Once I started landing the big ones, I felt like I couldn’t say no. I rationalized if I said no I would be missing a huge opportunity.
The day I decided to skip a trip to Cozumel, Mexico with my family because of a wedding was when I began to sink. I don’t really remember the flowers I used in that wedding, but I remember the sadness I felt knowing my kids were experiencing their first trip abroad without me. No wedding order is worth that, I don’t care how big it is.
Just be the badass floral designer that you are. Don’t be afraid to say no and find time to take care of yourself. Find joy in the process and alway be brave enough to change. Remember – when we change, we grow.
If you are interested in learning more about my flower journey, I wrote a short book of stories, advice and resources. You can download it at www.flowerjunkiejourney.com (for a free pdf download use the word JUNKIE in the promo code).
I am now transitioning to flower farming. I know I will feel so much joy seeing the flowers I grow in beautiful arrangements created by amazing floral designers! Sign up to receive our newsletter and stay in the Stemz Farm loop!
Warm wishes for a bountiful floral career, Amy
Contact Information:
Amy Dunlap
Stemz Farm
Walnut Cove, NC
amy@stemzfarm.com
Instagram – @stemzfarm
All images in this post provided to Flirty Fleurs by Amy Dunlap for use in this interview.
Photographed by Allison Khun Photography