Changing Career & Becoming a Farmer Florist With Rebecca Stuart

#027 - Farmer Florist Rebecca Stuart from The Garden Gate Flower Company shares her small business journey. After working in various roles in a corporate environment in London and Bath, she now lives in her home county of Cornwall, growing and designing flowers for weddings. And she recently started creative art direction for product styling and prop sourcing. After studying at Surrey Institute of Art & Design, Rebecca moved to London and began to temp. She worked her way up from receptionist to secretary to running a team. And during this time, she learned a lot about the processes of running a business like marketing, PR and email management. Whilst working at Macmillan Publishers, she met her husband and decided to go back to New Zealand with him. She took two years out to travel and work in New Zealand and Australia with him. In 2001, they returned to the UK, got married and bought a house in Bath. During a holiday to France, they decided that they were either going to move to France or back to Cornwall. Rebecca originally thought the conversation was a bit of a 'holiday chat'. However, on their return, her husband put their house up for sale. And shortly afterward they moved to Lostwithiel. She decided that she wanted to run her own business and started making curtains and blinds. However, she found working on her own to be lonely. Her friend Maz had read an article about flower growing. And she suggested that Rebecca started growing flowers in her paddock. So, they did!They had a website set up, decided to do wedding flowers and worked closely with the local wedding market. Inspiration for their seasonal designs came from Constance Spry and the Dutch Masters. Rebecca discusses working collaboratively with other wedding suppliers, including Louise from Taylor & Porter and Leech Pottery. Plus she talks about her passion for photography, her recent move into commercial styling and her plans for the remainder of the year. Listening to this episode, you'll hear how passionate Rebecca is about flower growing and working collaboratively with other small businesses, particularly photographers whose work matches her brand. At the end of the podcast, you'll discover her practical tips, which I'm sure you'll find very inspiring. Show notes are available on the My Small Business & Me website: https://mysmallbusinessandme.com/episode27

Om Podcasten

Are you a budding entrepreneur looking for inspiration to start your very first business? Or do feel that your small business is in need of a little va-va-voom? Then this podcast is essential listening. It has two elements - on the one hand your SMALL BUSINESS and on the other, YOU. Firstly, your SMALL BUSINESS. Host Rona Wheeldon from Flowerona speaks to entrepreneurs who share insights into what it takes to run a successful, sustainable and profitable business. You’ll hear how their companies have grown from ideas to reality, the challenges encountered along the way and lessons learned.Industry experts in web design, branding, marketing, photography, social media and coaching also providing insights into how to maximise your potential and build your small business, making sure that you have the essential knowledge and tools you need to grow. Secondly, YOU, the owner. Rona speaks to specialists who can help you, both mentally and physically - from fear, confidence and time management to personal styling advice, meditation and aromatherapy - you’ll gain an insight into how to prioritise your well-being. There’s so much that goes into a successful, happy entrepreneur. And listening to this podcast will ensure that you’ve got all the bases covered, when it comes to both your small business and you. So, hit subscribe, settle down and be inspired…!