When Adri Smith, founder of Moss Floral Design in Fort Worth, Texas, was a child, she loved sitting in her mother’s garden, smelling the hyacinths and admiring the irises. She began her career as a teacher but knew it wasn’t her calling and it wasn’t until her own wedding that she reconnected with her early love of florals and realized she wanted to bring that beauty and delight to others.
In this episode, Adri shares her experiences innovating when times suddenly change and weddings are put on hold; doing right and taking action to make life meaningful; and the incredible art of floral design to bring joy and beauty to others. Adri joins Lynne Golodner on the Make Meaning podcast to talk about balancing artistic vision with fulfilling client dreams, bringing joy during the coronavirus pandemic through floral arrangements, and how to learn from your mistakes to stay grounded and find your purpose.
Adri’s Permission Slip: “Do a gut check. When you know your why, you can strive for improvement and learn from your mistakes. Always know the ‘why’ behind your work.”
In this episode, Lynne and Adri discuss:
- The power of listening to know what a customer wants
- Balancing artistic vision and client requests
- Daring to leave one career to follow your personal passion
- How florals are art
- Finding the courage to build your own business
- How to make every wedding unique through floral design
Links and Resources:
- Moss Floral Design
- Pamela Haack, Strada Toscana
- How to Start a Floral Business
- How flowers blossomed into one of art history’s most popular subjects
- Floral Design as Art
Do you dare to imagine a different path? If you like this episode, you’ll also like these episodes of the Make Meaning podcast:
- Episode 65 – Reducing Food Waste with Reyanne Mustafa
- Episode 14 – An Artful Path with Heather Leavitt
- Episode 6 – Protecting the Great Lakes with Jackson Riegler
Coming up on the Make Meaning Podcast:
Next week, Lynne speaks with Monica Leibson, an acupuncturist with Michigan Association of Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine. Tune in to hear how Monica uses Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture to help resolve infertility, to empower people to engage with their own health journey, and how she sees a different vision to good health.
