Latest / Wedding Pros who are ready to grow - with Becca Pountney / There's no perfect age to own a business - Interview with wedding florist Sophie Ayres
Transcript
- 0:00Sophie: For me, it really was the biggest fluke in the world
- 0:04got into uni to study psychology.
- 0:06And I decided actually, do you know what this isn't for me?
- 0:09So literally on my first day of college, I had never arranged a
- 0:13flower in my whole entire life.
- 0:15And somehow I managed to find something that I was actually quite good at.
- 0:20So it just went from there really
- 0:24Becca: I'm Becca Pountney, wedding business, marketing
- 0:26expert, speaker, and blogger.
- 0:27And you're listening to the wedding pros who are ready to grow podcast.
- 0:31I'm here to share with you actionable tips, strategies, and.
- 0:35Samples to help you take your wedding business to the next level.
- 0:38If you are an ambitious wedding business owner that wants to take your passion
- 0:42and use it to build a profitable, sustainable business, doing what you
- 0:45love, then you're in the right place.
- 0:47Let's get going with today's episode.
- 0:51In today's episode, I'm going to be talking to one of my incredible clients,
- 0:55Sophie hearing real stories of triumph success and of struggle from others.
- 0:59Just like you in the wedding industry can be so motivating.
- 1:02And I'm sure many of you are going to relate to her story.
- 1:05I first met Sophie in 2017 at a wedding pro networking event, I
- 1:09ran over the last five years, I've watched her business evolve and grow
- 1:13and I've seen the same in her too.
- 1:15I know you're going to absolutely love hearing from her.
- 1:17So let's get into it.
- 1:19So Sophie, why don't you start by telling people who you are and what you do?
- 1:24Sophie: So, Hey everyone, obviously I'm Sophie, I'm 25 year old floral designer,
- 1:28animal lover, and a huge Disney fan.
- 1:31Um, my business is essay floristry, where I specialize in weddings and events.
- 1:36I'm based in Bedfordshire.
- 1:38And I love working with creative couples and bringing their ideas to.
- 1:44Becca: So you're a wedding florist.
- 1:45You're in Bedfordshire so how did that come about?
- 1:49Where did it start?
- 1:50Where did that idea come from of being a wedding florist.
- 1:52Most people don't go to school and just wake up one day thinking
- 1:55that's going to be their job.
- 1:56So take us back to where that started.
- 1:59Sophie: Yeah.
- 1:59So for me, it really was the biggest fluke in the world.
- 2:04Um, so I was doing my A levels.
- 2:07Um, I'd already always done quite sort of relatively academic stuff at school,
- 2:11but I've always been quite creative.
- 2:13Um, I like working with my hand sort of thing.
- 2:16Um, and I'd got in to doing uni, so it really was the biggest I decided.
- 2:26Um, and I was the first year that the tuition fees.
- 2:29Which scared me a little bit as well.
- 2:31Um, so obviously I decided what I was thinking, obviously I need, I
- 2:34need to be doing something else.
- 2:35And I was looking at college courses and floristry just sort of appeared.
- 2:41And I thought, what do you know what that sounds really nice.
- 2:44So literally on my first day of college, I had never arranged a
- 2:47flower in my whole entire life.
- 2:49And somehow I managed to find something that I was actually quite good at.
- 2:55So it just went from there.
- 2:57Becca: Okay.
- 2:57So that's quite a big decision and you obviously were planning on going
- 3:02the normal route, going to university.
- 3:04How did your parents feel when you said actually change your mind?
- 3:07Don't want to go to university, want to go to college
- 3:09Sophie: I think they were both apprehensive and proud, I will say to
- 3:13be fair, I'm quite, I'm quite lucky.
- 3:15My parents are, uh, very supportive.
- 3:18Um, so I think they were, they were quite understanding that
- 3:22maybe university wasn't for me.
- 3:24Um, and I think they sort of understood that I would quite like
- 3:28to do something quite creative.
- 3:30Um, they themselves have been, um, self-employed.
- 3:33Since I was a baby.
- 3:35So I think they sort of maybe knew that I was sort of heading in that direction.
- 3:41Becca: So you went to college, you obviously enjoyed it.
- 3:44there were no regrets about not going to university.
- 3:47So then what happened when you came out of college, did you go
- 3:49straight into self-employment or did you take a different route?
- 3:53Sophie: So, so with floristry, like lots of, sort of creative
- 3:56industries, Basically it's all about, um, experience, experience is key.
- 4:02So literally I think it was like six weeks into my college.
- 4:05Cause although it was like a full-time course, I was only
- 4:07in college two days a week.
- 4:08I went and got myself a little job in a florist shop, we did a little bit of
- 4:13everything from sort of gift flowers, funeral, flowers, everything like that.
- 4:17So it worked through that when I did my first year of uni, I was working part-time
- 4:22um, so my first year of college, and then I did my second year of college as well.
- 4:26So I've got my level two and three, um, in my floristry.
- 4:30Um, and then sort of it went from there.
- 4:32And then I think I decided that actually, you know what, I loved working in
- 4:37this, in this little shop for someone else, but I think I decided that.
- 4:42Working for someone else actually wasn't for me.
- 4:45And I really, really wanted to look at, you know, doing what my passion was
- 4:50at the time, which was working on the weddings and working for someone else,
- 4:55didn't allow me to have creative freedom.
- 4:56And that's really what I wanted is to be able to use my own skills and to
- 5:01create things that I love for couples that they love, if you know what I mean
- 5:06Becca: so you make it sound so easy.
- 5:08Is it make it sound like I worked for someone else?
- 5:10I wanted freedom.
- 5:11I went to work for myself and there's a lot of people are all
- 5:14sorts of ages and stages who are probably listening to this thinking.
- 5:18I feel like that, but I'm way too scared to do anything about it.
- 5:21So what surely there was some fear in that leaving the florist shop and
- 5:25going self-employed what fears did you.
- 5:28Sophie: A hundred percent.
- 5:29So yeah, absolutely terrifying, but I think that's what drives you a little bit.
- 5:37Um, it was definitely scary leaving the shop.
- 5:40Um, and especially when, because obviously I wasn't particularly old
- 5:44anyway and I, it's not like I had a huge.
- 5:47Capital behind me.
- 5:48So obviously you, you hear these startup businesses and they're
- 5:51like, oh, in Dragon's den, can I have a hundred thousand pounds?
- 5:54I didn't have a hundred thousand pounds.
- 5:57Um, so, you know, it's, it's about being savvy when you're starting up.
- 6:02Um, and just going for it.
- 6:04Um, having a little bit of a plan is obviously massively helpful.
- 6:09Um, but just going in.
- 6:11Meeting people getting out there, talking to people, um,
- 6:15is really, really important.
- 6:17And the thing is, unless you start, you're not going to get anywhere.
- 6:21So, you know, I said to myself, oh, maybe it might be better to do this
- 6:24when I'm in, you know, 10 years time or whatever, but I don't know where
- 6:28I'm going to be in 10 years time.
- 6:30So maybe it was now or never sort of situation.
- 6:33Uh, just because I'm, you know, 21.
- 6:36Why, why can't I set up my own business?
- 6:38Absolutely.
- 6:39Becca: And I think we've had a lot of discussions together about
- 6:42this subject and about age and how society kinds of tells us.
- 6:46You have to have done so many things first before you start a business, or
- 6:49you're too old to start a business.
- 6:51And I know you struggled with that a lot to start with
- 6:53feeling like you were too young.
- 6:55Not because you weren't good enough, but because you're worried about
- 6:57what people would think of you.
- 6:59So if there are people out there that are thinking, oh, I can't start business yet.
- 7:03I'm too young.
- 7:04I need to go to university first or I'm too old.
- 7:07What would you say.
- 7:09Sophie: Um, I think in life, I think life will always tell you.
- 7:13And I think, and anyone will tell you, there is never a right moment
- 7:16to do certain things in life.
- 7:18Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and just do it because no one,
- 7:23especially when it comes to starting a business, no, one's doing this for you.
- 7:26You're doing it for yourself.
- 7:27Um, so yeah, and unless you take yourself out there and get that done,
- 7:33then it's not going to get done.
- 7:36You know, waiting a little bit longer, you're just going to keep
- 7:39putting off and keep putting it off.
- 7:41I decided to do it when I was, um, younger, just because
- 7:45it was what I wanted to do.
- 7:47It was my passion.
- 7:48Um, and I, I had the motivation to go and do it.
- 7:54You know, being in a creative industry, you get to the point where I was like,
- 7:58you know, although I really liked working in the shop, was I going to
- 8:01get burnt out, doing something that I'm not enjoying and then end up going, or
- 8:05maybe actually floristry is not for me.
- 8:07Whereas if I had control of it myself, I running my own business.
- 8:12Um, I think it makes it a lot easier to do.
- 8:16Yeah.
- 8:16Do what you want to do.
- 8:17What you're passionate.
- 8:19Becca: Yeah.
- 8:19And I think you should be incredibly proud of the fact that you did that at
- 8:22the age you did, because it does kind of go against what society tells us.
- 8:26It goes against what people at school tell us.
- 8:28And I know that you're a real advocate for wanting, uh, young people and
- 8:32people in school to be taught that there is another option don't you?
- 8:35Um, other than just going to university and that there is an
- 8:38option to go out there and start your own business and why not?
- 8:41So you've told us that.
- 8:43Decided to leave the shop.
- 8:45You're going to start this floristry business.
- 8:46You want to be brave, you going to step out on your own.
- 8:49So what happened next?
- 8:50Like what things did you do that you think helped that business
- 8:53to grow to where it is today?
- 8:56Sophie: Yeah, so I, a few things that sort of immediately, um, come to my head
- 9:01is that obviously I needed a portfolio.
- 9:04I wasn't doing much or if any work of my own at that point.
- 9:08So I needed stuff to show.
- 9:10So I did the smallest little photo shoot, not like one of these big
- 9:14lavish style shoots that you see in.
- 9:16I've done sort of relatively recently.
- 9:19Um, just a really, really small little shoot.
- 9:22I don't know.
- 9:22I must've only spent like, Maybe 300 quid on flowers, max, something like that.
- 9:27Just to be able to pop something on, on a website.
- 9:31I got my website done and I invested in doing sort of like
- 9:35two or three wedding fairs.
- 9:37I think.
- 9:39To get out there and then it was, do you know what I think I need to
- 9:42start going, seeing other people cause obviously networking is a massive thing.
- 9:46Um, so yeah, I got myself out there to one of your friends, obviously Becca and,
- 9:51um, just got talking to people and that, that is one of the most important things
- 9:55I think really is just getting out there, especially with just like-minded people.
- 10:00Becca: Yeah, and I love how you talked earlier about being savvy
- 10:02and when you're starting out and you don't have big money behind you.
- 10:06Uh, so what were some of the things you did to kind of save money and not feel
- 10:10like you, you had to splash the cash?
- 10:14Sophie: Yeah.
- 10:14Um, that's a very good question.
- 10:17Um, so.
- 10:18And yes, at being savvy about money, especially when you're starting business
- 10:21is really important and knowing what money's coming in and what money is coming
- 10:25out for me, the business needed to start paying for itself at least quite quickly.
- 10:31Um, and then start paying me a little bit again, relatively quickly.
- 10:35Um, so for me, it was get as much exposure as possible, um, for.
- 10:42As little.
- 10:42So again, being really, really careful about what venues that
- 10:46I'm going to be working at.
- 10:47So venues that I personally really love and that I want to be working at.
- 10:51And therefore knowing that that's where my couples are going to be,
- 10:54that was really important to me.
- 10:56And again, showcasing work, um, that I wanted to be doing for my couples.
- 11:01So getting the couples that I want to be working with through the door.
- 11:06Um, and then for me, again, it was a little bit as well.
- 11:10I knew.
- 11:11With weddings, it can take a little bit while, a little while to get going.
- 11:15Um, so maybe I need to do another little avenue to get going, um, as well.
- 11:20And that's when I started doing some workshops as well.
- 11:23So that year that I started, um, I also did a lot of Christmas wreath
- 11:27workshops and that was, um, uh, quite a big, big thing for me to
- 11:30get going, um, for sort of the next season to get really, really pushy.
- 11:36Becca: Yeah.
- 11:36So you basically did some other little things to bring in the income.
- 11:39In the meantime.
- 11:39And again, this is something that people forget that they can do, they think,
- 11:42well, I've got to just wait for the weddings to come in, but actually, yeah,
- 11:45if you've got something else you can sell in the meantime, it doesn't mean
- 11:47you have to be doing it forever, but.
- 11:50Cash is important in a business and too often, people in the
- 11:53wedding industry run their business like a hobby and not a business.
- 11:56So I think that's a really good reminder.
- 11:58Now you mentioned networking and obviously coming along to, um, my
- 12:02networking event and you're part of my members community as well.
- 12:05I think again, people neglect this part of their business.
- 12:09What is it that you think.
- 12:11Being part of that kind of community.
- 12:13What benefits does that have to you and your business?
- 12:18Sophie: Um, I think it's two fold as in it helps my business, but it
- 12:22also helps me personally as well.
- 12:25Um, business wise, obviously I'm out there networking with like-minded people.
- 12:33Who can help me out if I need help.
- 12:36Um, and also I'm going to be out there talking to their own couples.
- 12:40So, um, you know, it might be a photographer and a
- 12:44photographers are quite often.
- 12:46One of the first suppliers booked in.
- 12:48Um, so, you know, they might be asking their photographer,
- 12:51oh, do you know any florists?
- 12:52So for me, it's really important to be going out there making those,
- 12:56those friends in the industry so we can all help each other by passing
- 13:00on all our details, because word of mouth is huge in the wedding industry
- 13:04um, and then I would say, yeah, there's the second string of it is personally
- 13:08as well, actually having, again, those like-minded people that you can talk to
- 13:12sometimes if you're stuck in a little bit of a rut or you're feeling a bit
- 13:15down about everything or you just, yeah.
- 13:17You just need to pick me up.
- 13:19Um, it's great to have, you know, a few people that you know, that
- 13:22you can just call up pop a text, put them in email and be like, Hey,
- 13:26do you want to go and get coffee?
- 13:27Um, I need to have a chat.
- 13:28And that, that is.
- 13:30Just as important really, because that's what keeps you
- 13:33going and keeps you motivated.
- 13:35Becca: Yeah, and that is the reality, isn't it really, for most of us owning
- 13:38our own business, we spend a lot of time on our own making decisions on our own,
- 13:42having to face struggles on our own.
- 13:44And actually sometimes the people in our family, as much as they love
- 13:47us, they just don't understand.
- 13:49They don't understand the same struggles as we do.
- 13:52So if you're listening to this and you.
- 13:54Actually, I don't really have community.
- 13:57I really encourage you to go out there and find community.
- 14:00You're welcome to come and be part of my community.
- 14:02You can find the link to that in the show notes, but just find other
- 14:05like-minded people, either in your area or online that you can meet with.
- 14:10Talk with ask questions too, so that you don't feel like you're doing
- 14:14this business thing alone, because that really is a difficult thing.
- 14:17So while we're on the subject of struggle, What do you think has been the
- 14:20hardest things for you about owning your own business and being self-employed?
- 14:26Sophie: Um, so I think firstly, for me, it's definitely the it's all you part
- 14:35of it at the end of the day, there's, you know, I don't have a boss man
- 14:39behind me checking up that I'm doing my work, keeping myself accountable.
- 14:43Um, it's really difficult.
- 14:45Um, especially when you know, you, you may be having a bad month and
- 14:50things aren't quite going your way.
- 14:52It's really difficult to pick yourself up and be.
- 14:55Next month better.
- 14:56Let's get going sort of thing.
- 14:58Um, so yeah, definitely holding yourself accountable to what you, what you're
- 15:02doing and what you want to be doing.
- 15:04And again, it's sort of the idea that you, you needing when you're running business.
- 15:08You're always needing to push, keep pushing, keep pushing, especially
- 15:12with weddings to a certain extent, because you're not necessarily
- 15:14getting that repeat custom, although you're getting the word of mouth,
- 15:17um, because you're not getting that.
- 15:19a repeat customer coming back and coming back, hopefully coming back,
- 15:24um, it's, you know, it's, it's really difficult to, you know, your, your
- 15:28foot is always on the gas basically.
- 15:30Um, so keeping that momentum up and keeping yourself accountable
- 15:34to, you know, keeping up, um, yeah, I would say that's sort of one of
- 15:38the most difficult things I think.
- 15:41Becca: On the other side of that, what do you think are the best things
- 15:44about owning your own business?
- 15:45So for someone who's now listening to that and thinking, well, maybe she
- 15:47should have stayed in the flower shop.
- 15:49Like what are the best things about owning your own business?
- 15:52Sophie: So for me, it's the flexibility that I've given myself.
- 15:57Um, and that's actually one of the big reasons why, um, I set up the
- 16:01business in the first place and actually why I run the business.
- 16:05Um, so I, for example, don't have my own floristry shop because I don't want to
- 16:10be stuck in a shop from nine to five.
- 16:13Um, for me, I'm actually, I'm quite a night owl.
- 16:16Um, so for me, quite often I will get quite a lot of my work done in an evening.
- 16:22And again, there's nothing wrong.
- 16:25And it just allows me to be able to work in my own time
- 16:29when, and whenever works for me.
- 16:32And that, that for me is sort of the most, the most helpful.
- 16:35And the thing that I, I enjoy the most.
- 16:38Um, and again, like if I know I'm not feeling particularly well,
- 16:41I don't need to beat myself up.
- 16:42I can give myself the afternoon off.
- 16:44Um, and yeah, I that's, that to me is sort of the most, the
- 16:48most important thing about.
- 16:49Becca: And it's funny, isn't it?
- 16:50Because you're saying one of the hardest things about owning your own business
- 16:54is not having that big boss man behind you, but actually one of the best things
- 16:57about owning your own business is also not having that big boss man behind you.
- 17:01And I definitely find that myself, it swings and roundabouts.
- 17:04I don't want anyone telling me what to do, but then sometimes I
- 17:07find it hard when there's no one
- 17:08Sophie: telling me what to do.
- 17:09I don't, I don't like people telling me what to do.
- 17:13Becca: Honest with ourselves.
- 17:14That is a trait of a lot of entrepreneurs.
- 17:16And I always say to people I'm probably now the most unemployable
- 17:20person, because I just can't see how I could ever work for anyone else.
- 17:24Ever again, because I make my own rules.
- 17:26I make my own schedule.
- 17:27And if I want to stop for coffee, I don't have to ask anyone.
- 17:30I can just go and do it now again, I think it's interesting to think about this
- 17:34kind of journey of being an entrepreneur, because often when we start out, we
- 17:39have this idea in our heads about right.
- 17:41When I get to this point in my business, I'm successful and
- 17:44I'm happy and I've reached it.
- 17:46And I think actually that's not really true because what happens is
- 17:49our thought about success or what we actually want evolves over time.
- 17:53And for you, you started this journey really early.
- 17:56And so you're still really young and you've already kind of got to
- 17:59that initial point of success of, I want to have a wedding business.
- 18:03I want to have clients, I want to be working in those venues and
- 18:07you kind of achieve that already.
- 18:08Haven't you?
- 18:09So what what's next?
- 18:11Like what does success mean to you now?
- 18:14Um, do you feel like, yeah, I'm happy here.
- 18:16I'm just going to sit doing this the rest of my life, or
- 18:18have you changed your motives
- 18:22Sophie: yeah.
- 18:22So I think, I think a hundred percent I've changed my motives and dare, dare.
- 18:27I mentioned the big word.
- 18:29Um, for me COVID was, uh, you know, a massive thing that happened in
- 18:33our industry, um, and was awful.
- 18:35And I think it's put a lot of things in perspective.
- 18:39Um, so for me, although I love doing the weddings and I
- 18:43want to carry on doing them.
- 18:44I think it has made me realize that.
- 18:47That's not what I want to do forever and ever.
- 18:50It's very long hours.
- 18:51And especially with flowers, obviously they only last so
- 18:54long and very early mornings.
- 18:57Um, and for me, I'm ready to start diversifying a little bit.
- 19:01Um, as I said, I love being creative and making things, um, I
- 19:06love helping other people do that.
- 19:08Um, so as I said before, I already do a lot of like Christmas wreath
- 19:12workshops and stuff like that.
- 19:14Um, and I'm wanting to sort of push that online a little bit, but
- 19:18I think it's definitely allowing yourself to change is a good thing.
- 19:26And that's yeah.
- 19:27There's no, no problem in, in wanting to change.
- 19:31Becca: Yeah, absolutely.
- 19:32And kind of on that same theme then how do you suggest people stay
- 19:36motivated, keep their ideas fresh?
- 19:39Like what sort of things practically do you do to not just
- 19:42end up stuck in your own rut?
- 19:44What do you do to keep yourself motivated?
- 19:47Sophie: Um, so for me, a lot of it is keeping in touch
- 19:52with people, so I always find.
- 19:56Chatting to people in the industry, but be that someone who I know through weddings,
- 20:01or it might just be someone who does something similar to me that I'm friendly
- 20:04with, or it might even be someone who does something totally unrelated business wise.
- 20:10I think it's really nice to have someone that you sort of can regularly talk to
- 20:15about how things are going and just bounce ideas off because I think motivation.
- 20:20Or tends to get squashed mostly by like imposter syndrome.
- 20:25So if you can like push that down, that really helps the motivation keep going.
- 20:31So by making sure, like, if you have an idea, I don't feel like
- 20:35you need to keep it to yourself.
- 20:36There's nothing wrong with, um, wanting to discuss things.
- 20:40I'm quite lucky that my partner and my boyfriend's very, very supportive.
- 20:44Um, so I know if I ever have an idea that I think is absolutely crazy.
- 20:48Um, quite often the first person I bounce it off.
- 20:51Him.
- 20:52And he'll be quite honest, whether he's like thinks that's a really
- 20:54good idea or whether maybe it needs a little bit of a tweak.
- 20:57Um, but yeah, I always find bouncing ideas off other people and not
- 21:02necessarily feeling like I have to hold everything in to myself.
- 21:05Um, actually is the most motivating thing.
- 21:09Cause if someone else is saying actually, do you know what I actually
- 21:11think that's a really good idea.
- 21:12Then you're going to take that idea.
- 21:13run with it.
- 21:15Becca: Yeah, absolutely.
- 21:15And I think sometimes we get locked inside our own head don't we, because
- 21:19we think of this idea and then we get frightened about telling anyone
- 21:22because we think they might steal our idea or they might not like our idea.
- 21:25And so then we keep our idea locked up inside and actually talking
- 21:29about it and telling people can be one of the most freeing things.
- 21:32So on that note then, and I don't know what you're going to say now,
- 21:35so we'll, we'll see what happens.
- 21:37What is next for you?
- 21:38Where are you taking your business?
- 21:40What are you going to do next?
- 21:41And what are you brave enough to commit to and tell us is happening next?
- 21:46Sophie: Very good question.
- 21:49Um, well, at the moment, as I sort of said before, for me, COVID was a big
- 21:52turning point, um, in my business.
- 21:55And I think personally, I think it made me totally, um, look at my business and
- 22:00evaluate what I currently like about it.
- 22:03I don't like about it and why I want to change because at the end
- 22:07of the day, nothing's perfect.
- 22:09Um, as we've sort of mentioned before, working for yourself
- 22:13can be quite stressful.
- 22:14Um, which is again, it's just part and parcel of, of what we do.
- 22:18So for me now, I'm currently looking at, um, doing a rebrand of SA Floristry
- 22:23um, which I'm really, really excited.
- 22:25Um, that is all looking really good, very excited to share everyone.
- 22:29Um, and then I'm going to be opening up an online store to
- 22:33go along with that as well.
- 22:34So as long as well as running sort of the wedding and event side of things, and
- 22:38that, that won't necessarily change, that will just be under a new little name.
- 22:42Um, but that will all be quite similar to what it already is.
- 22:45Um, I will have, um, yeah, an online shops selling nice, um, sort of relatively
- 22:52high-end, uh, gift home and gift wear
- 22:57Becca: exciting, well, I can't wait to see what you do next Sophie, and I
- 22:59think it's so inspirational for people to hear from you because I feel like
- 23:03you've done more in the last five years than some people do in a lifetime.
- 23:07When it comes to changing path, starting a new business, evolving
- 23:11that business, thinking of new ideas.
- 23:13Advocating for young people as well.
- 23:15I think you've just done so many great things, uh, before
- 23:18we go on to my quickfire quiz, which is coming up very shortly.
- 23:21I just want to take you back to Sophie who was just starting out in their wedding
- 23:25business, because I know there'll be people listening who are maybe florists
- 23:29or maybe other parts of the industry that are just starting and are feeling.
- 23:34Will I ever get any customers, will anyone ever reply to my emails
- 23:38and kind of feeling desperate?
- 23:40If you take yourself back to that moment, what can you tell those people to help
- 23:46them realize it will happen for them?
- 23:49Sophie: Yeah.
- 23:51I, yeah, I've been there.
- 23:52It's scary.
- 23:55Um, yeah, sitting there waiting for emails to come in is nerve wracking.
- 24:00Um, I always think the best thing to do and try to do is
- 24:04to be as helpful as possible.
- 24:06So even if you get a really, really light inquiry of someone, who's not really sure
- 24:11what they're talking about, you know, go out of your way to answer their questions.
- 24:16And then.
- 24:18If that makes sense.
- 24:19Um, and again, it might be industry friends.
- 24:23It might be that someone needs help, uh, setting up a wedding
- 24:28fair, offered offer to help them.
- 24:31The more you get your name out there, the more that you're seen, the more that
- 24:36people will want to pass on your details.
- 24:38So definitely don't just sit there on your computer, waiting for inquiries.
- 24:43Your best bet is again, to keep motivated and just to take your mind
- 24:46off things, get out there, get helping people and get talking to people.
- 24:51And it might even be, um, you contact a venue who again, is having, having
- 24:56an open evening or something like that.
- 24:58Pop them a message pop over and see them, you know, is there
- 25:01any way that I can help you?
- 25:02Um, Anything like that it might be for florists like, can I offer you
- 25:08a bouquet of flowers for a raffle or can I, um, offer you sort of to set
- 25:14up a table or something like that to showcase, um, for, for it to look nice.
- 25:18in your venue for your couples.
- 25:20Becca: A hundred percent be proactive.
- 25:22So if you're out there and you're sat behind your computer waiting for inquiries
- 25:25to come in, stop stressing and get out there and do something proactive.
- 25:28Okay, we're going to go on to my quickfire quiz.
- 25:30So I've designed this quiz.
- 25:32Sophie has absolutely no idea what I'm going to ask her, but I'm going
- 25:35to be using this quiz on everyone that I interview so that we can
- 25:38get more of an insight into the person I'm interviewing and get to
- 25:42know Sophie a little bit better.
- 25:44So Sophie, I'm going to give you two choices and you just need to give me
- 25:47your answer as quickly as possible.
- 25:50I think so.
- 25:51Okay.
- 25:53I quiz, would you rather get married in a barn or a manor house?
- 25:56Barn.
- 25:57Live music, or have a DJ
- 26:01Sophie: DJ?
- 26:02Becca: Are you light and airy or dark and
- 26:04Sophie: moody, light and airy.
- 26:06Becca: Would you prefer a summer wedding or a winter wedding?
- 26:09Summer chocolate cake or lemon cake?
- 26:12Chocolate cake, Instagram or Facebook?
- 26:15Sophie: Definitely.
- 26:16Instagram.
- 26:17Becca: Would you prefer to be at a wedding fair or in a wedding directory?
- 26:20Wedding fair.
- 26:21Are you an early riser or a night owl?
- 26:23Definitely.
- 26:24Night Owl.
- 26:24And are you a work too hard person or an always get distracted person
- 26:29Sophie: work too hard
- 26:31Becca: or a little bit of both.
- 26:32I think a little bit.
- 26:35Sophie, you pass a quiz and I feel like we know you a little
- 26:37bit better before we let you go.
- 26:39I'd love you to finish by just sharing one piece of advice that you wish
- 26:43you knew earlier on in your wedding.
- 26:47Sophie: Yeah.
- 26:47So, so for me, I think it was to, um, be really savvy.
- 26:55And again, it goes back to sort of a monetary thing for me.
- 26:59Um, at the end of the day, running a business is all about making money.
- 27:05Um, so for me, it's, when you start your business, don't be scared to make
- 27:09sure you've got that spreadsheet and everything's coming in and out, or make
- 27:12sure you have yourself a bookkeeping, um, a bit of software and don't be
- 27:17afraid to go and talk to an accountant.
- 27:19Um, quite often accountants will have, um, Free meetings and stuff like that.
- 27:26Um, and get that advice because actually going, um, I think one
- 27:30of the fears is actually being, self-employed, is really complicated.
- 27:34It's really not, it's actually quite simple.
- 27:37Um, or at least sort of the sole trader side of things, um, and putting
- 27:42through, um, your taxes and stuff like.
- 27:44I think definitely keeping on top of all of that is really, really important.
- 27:48And don't be afraid to get started with that, because that is what
- 27:52will show you your growth as well.
- 27:54That's the biggest thing that you can look on a piece of paper and go, oh
- 27:57look, how much money I've made and that that to me is actually one of my big
- 28:02motivators is that I can look at graph and go, oh, look how much money I've made.
- 28:06I must be doing it.
- 28:07Right.
- 28:08Um, so a hundred percent, don't be afraid when you start start, your business is
- 28:13just be really clever with your money and just make sure your keeping in touch and
- 28:18knowing sort of what's coming in and out.
- 28:21Becca: Amazing.
- 28:22Sophie, you've been so inspiring.
- 28:24If people want to connect with you, find out more about you.
- 28:26Where's the best place for them to find you?
- 28:29Sophie: So for me, the best place is probably Instagram, um, at SA Floristry..
- 28:34Um, and I'm also on Facebook
- 28:35Becca: as well.
- 28:36Amazing.
- 28:37and Sophie, we can't wait to see your rebrand.
- 28:39We can't wait to see your new launch of everything.
- 28:43So keep us posted and thanks for your time.
- 28:46Sophie: Thank you so much, Becca
- 28:48it's lovely to have a chat with you.
- 28:49With.
- 28:51Becca: I hope you enjoyed that interview with Sophie.
- 28:53As much as I did, Sophie is a fabulous client and it's been amazing to watch
- 28:56her go from being a 21 year old, starting her own business on to being
- 29:00a really successful florist and with more great projects in the pipeline.
- 29:04If you've been inspired by anything that Sophie said do reach out to her,
- 29:07or if you realize you want to be part of a community, just like she is in
- 29:10my wedding, pro members lounge, then you can find all the details about
- 29:13how to be part of that community.
- 29:15In the show notes, I would love to welcome you and support you on
- 29:18your own wedding business journey.
- 29:20I'll see you next time.