Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth St. John.
Hi Elizabeth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always been crafty and creative. Art classes were my after-school activity of choice growing up and I found myself mostly drawn to botanical subjects. My corporate career pulled me away from my creative side (PowerPoint presentations became my artistic outlet), but inspiration struck on a summer trip to Italy and my passion project was born. I was at the Academia in Florence to see Michelangelo’s David. In the halls surrounding the David, there were many whimsical statues of children and women wearing flower crowns and the idea hit me right there to start a flower crown party business. I had previously taught myself how to make fresh flower crowns for music festivals and parties with friends and they were not only fun to make but very fun to wear. I think that moment in Italy made me realize this was truly an ancient practice and something humans have used for centuries to both honor nature and their own creative spirit.
On the hour-long drive back to our Tuscan villa, I rolled over many names in my mind, landed on “Flower Crown Muse”, secured the Instagram handle, and bought the website domain. My Type A corporate skills certainly came in handy to get my business of the ground. From there I hosted my first party for about 40 women in New York and the joy, connection, and beautiful mess of flower petals had me hooked. Now, I primarily operate in Austin and the surrounding Hill Country. I have found myself in AirBnBs all over town facilitating flower crown making while bachelorettes, birthday girls, baby shower guests, and more sip champagne and play with flowers. I’ve also created flower crown bars for community events, Austin City Limits, at local breweries, and more.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started this business while I was working full time and while I was also starting up my own coaching and meditation teaching business. So the biggest challenge for me has really been around dedicating the time and energy to grow and nurture my vision for Flower Crown Muse. There is so much potential! I’ve had to refine my offerings, learn to say no sometimes, and navigate the landscape of escalating fresh flower prices. Despite the challenges, the excitement and genuine joy people experience when they join a Flower Crown Muse event is palpable and keeps me in the game.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
There are so many fantastic florists in the Austin area, and I greatly respect all the work they do – large events are a TON of work! I want to leave the true florist work to the experts and really stick to my specialty of helping people create their own fresh flower crowns. As an artist and meditation teacher, there is something very expressive and present when people create their own crowns. There are so many smiles and a sense of pride when people are involved in the process and create something beautiful for themselves that they can wear and keep. I’ve also recently expanded my services to offer custom experiences at my property in Dripping Springs where groups can come enjoy the hill country views and create an event perfect for them (including flower crowns, meditation, yoga, swimming, fire pit time, and more).
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
I’ve learned that you never know what will come your way so agility in a small business is key. Flower crown parties are really an in-person experience so my business definitely took a hit early on in the pandemic. I pivoted to offering virtual experiences over Zoom but that’s really not what people were looking for. Luckily when things started opening back up in Texas, people were very eager to get together so business picked back up quickly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flowercrownmuse.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowercrownmuse/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/flower-crown-muse-austin
