Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Norris.
Hi Jennifer, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Floral design is my third career, as I started as a Registered Interior Designer, and then a commercial photography prop stylist for a few years. I loved working in a studio setting and collaborating on ideas with others to create a setting – whether it was a room or entire home, or a styled set for a catalog shoot.
I moved to Austin at the end of 2009 and three months later I happened upon a floral studio that needed help with the largest wedding that they had booked so far. Those three days of work were so fun and I loved working with others to create everything for the wedding, and then being a part of the setup at the venue while styling the floral and candles on the dining tables. A couple of weeks later, I was offered the studio manager role even though I had no experience. I completely stumbled upon floral design, and am grateful that I was able to learn both the studio part, but also the business side — from client consultations and proposals to the behind-the-scenes operations that keep a floral business running.
Over the next few years, I managed two more studios and freelanced with several other designers in the Austin area. In 2020, I was offered to purchase Pollen Floral Art after managing the studio for 5 years. What I got most out of working with the original owner, Brooke, is her love of working with natural and found objects, and incorporating those textural elements along with interesting flowers to create arrangements that feel organic, layered, and truly one of a kind.
That philosophy — finding beauty in the unexpected and the imperfect — is at the heart of everything I create at Pollen Floral Art today.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Taking over an event business during a pandemic was a little unnerving, but it’s been relatively smooth sailing over the last six years, largely due to a handful of loyal corporate clients who stayed with Pollen through the transition and whose continued support has been the backbone of the business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My focus is primarily on events – weddings, corporate events, and other celebrations and gatherings. Rather than imposing a signature look, I tailor every design to each client’s vision — bringing my background in interior design and prop styling to really listen to how a space should feel, and then building something that looks like it could only have been made for them.
My journey to floral design was an unexpected one, and that experience influences everything I create at Pollen.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Freelancing is one of the best ways to grow in this industry. Working with many different designers exposes you to a wide range of styles, processes, and approaches, and you learn something from every single designer. Sometimes what starts as a one-time job can turn into something you never expected if you show yourself as a hard worker.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pollenfloralart.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pollenfloralart/
