Today we’d like to introduce you to Josy Johnson.
Hi Josy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always loved gardening and being outside. Born and raised in Austin and the Hill Country, I developed an appreciation for all our local plants, and I anticipate the blooms changing with the seasons. I looked around and saw few options for local and seasonal flowers. Traditional arrangements are often “flown in” flowers and sadly that means grown with chemicals, pesticides, even preservatives and an unsustainable carbon footprint. I wanted to provide a sustainable option for the Austin community to share beautiful arrangements that reflect what is in bloom now with flowers and herbs that smell good and have character. To do this, I grow as much as possible at my home gardens, and I source from several amazing local growers. Specifically, I started Wild Vine Floral on Mother’s Day 2020 by offering arrangements to friends. With the pandemic raging, I started offering a flower club with the option to have local flowers delivered as a subscription. Preservation is also important, so extra blooms and foliage are dried to make everlastings, dried bouquets and wreaths. The “waste” from my business is composted to add to my gardens.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One big obstacle for me was being a “florist” but not doing events/weddings. I do provide “a la carte” packages of all the florals for a small wedding, but I do not do the setup. Also, running a business at home with the responsibilities as a mother of four presents challenges! Turning our old shed into a studio has helped, but doing all the tasks (gardening, cutting flowers, buying flowers, arranging, delivering, emails, managing orders, cleaning) has been the biggest challenge. Putting myself out in the world as a florist was also a challenge. Putting aside feeling inferior to established floral businesses and having confidence in my unique model has not been easy. As with many art forms, there is an amazing amount of work out there, but that can be overwhelming if you compare yourself.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I strive to bring some of nature’s wildness to each arrangement while featuring the beauty of the season’s blooms. Every week, I harvest from my gardens and visit local growers to source my arrangements. So, my work reflects the current landscape. I am proud that I have stayed committed to being a sustainable business.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I do worry about taking risks, but being stagnant is lame. And, I wanted to model to my teens that you can pursue work that is off the beaten path, and do your own thing if it makes you happy. I quit a steady and secure job to commit to my flower business. It was a tough decision, but it forced me to take the next step, and get more serious about what it was I wanted to do with my time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wildvinefloral.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/wild_vine_floral
Image Credits
Photo of studio Chad W Adams Photography Photo of me with arbor of flowers http://johnnyvacar.com/ the rest of the photos are by me or my husband
