Today we’d like to introduce you to Stella Embleton.
Hi Stella, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
At an early age, my grandmother introduces me to her passion for gardening. She had a garden that was a square acre large. Every time I went to visit, we would spend hours walking through the paths. She would talk about each plant as if we were wine-tasting. Pointing out the smell, color, texture, how it made her feel and all the elements she loved and respected. We would cut buckets of flowers. She thought me how to arrange them and we would put them in every room in the house.
Growing up, my dad was a wedding photographer and my mother homeschooled me and my 4 siblings until high school. My mom would let us focus on the things that we were interested in. I would walk the wood around our house and pick wildflowers. We lived in southern Maryland and I learned all I could about the botanical landscape in our area.
When I went away to college, I studied interior design. I learned a lot about how we could live in a space that was both functional and brought us joy and health.
Getting out into the world with a degree in interior design, I learned it was much more escapable to change the elements in our space rather than the structure itself. With my knowledge of interior design, botanical arts, and the event industry, I felt overly confident in my ability to speak through floristry. After moving to Austin, I studies at ACC for floral design, and quickly started my event floristry business.
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?
Well, even though I was confident in my ability to make beautiful arrangements, I had little knowledge of running a business. I wanted to be able to design flowers for couples on a tight budget. Sixpence Floral Design was born. As you can imagine, being one of the most affordable wedding florists in Austin, my business grew very fast. In the first 3 years, I was pulling close to 90 weddings a year. I got a storefront, had employees on payroll, and was excited about our growth! Unbeknownst to me, my overhead was killing my business. During my 4th year in business, I was 30K in debt and had to run home with my tail between my legs. I was so embarrassed and defeated. Fortunately, I have an amazing family and was bailed out of debt by my husband’s Aunt and Uncle. This literally bought me time to reevaluate my business. I played it off to my industry friends as if I was only taking time off to be with my 2 baby girls. Even though this was true, I couldn’t share my other reason for downsizing. I took a position as a floral vendor for an all-inclusive wedding planner. My husband enclosed our carport, and I was working by myself on very small orders. With much less overhead and more time, I slowly built my business back up. Now Sixpence is in its 10th year of business and meeting all our growth goals. I now support 4 design contractors. And we are building a permanent studio space with an in-house showroom and consultation space!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My work is known for being very sculptural and artful. I would like to say we specialize in floral installations for wedding and corporate events, but we really do it all. From boutonnières to centerpieces. What sets us apart from other florists in the industry is we look at each arrangement as more than just decor but as stories and visual cues. Such as, what the event is about, how one may move through the space, and give more insight into what the client wants the guest to know about them.
Whether it is a corporate event, wedding, celebration, baby shower, art exhibit, grand opening…etc. We want the guest to walk in and feel confident they are in the right place. Seeing a large installation around the entryway says “welcome” or “start here”. Directing the eye to a descriptive sign, decorating the stage for a performance, or a big altarpiece will bring comfort to the guest.
The venue might be a maze of rooms and hallways, or an open blank slate. We make sure that our florals can attract attention and add a very functional element to the event. Directing guests through the space and highlighting what we want them to look at.
But sometimes, the most important element we focus on is the style and vibe of the host(s). For example, during a consultation, I can pull a lot of information from the client. Not only the line items and color palette but overall vibe, style, and culture. I believe fresh floral decor can not only honor the event, but tell a visual story of the host(s). We might design the pieces to be tighter with a subtle color palette for those who like to be seen as proper and “have it all together”. For those who travel and are more adventurous, our designs might be more organic and edgy. We try to support our client’s life statements and seamlessly integrate their story into the event.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have such a big support team that deserves credit. I have wonderful friends and family who are always willing to help in any way they can. I feel that everyone in my life knows this is my path and will do as much as they can to make sure I stay here.
My Husband Todd who has supported me as I work on my passion.
My father who had his own business, and taught me that is wasn’t a scary thing. That working for myself might be seasonal with ups and down but in the end can be very rewarding work.
My mom who has always had confidence in me.
My grandmother who taught me to love flowers.
My design professor in college who told me “you’re a smart girl, figure it out!”.
My friend Erika, who I met in floral school and has been designing with me this whole time. There has been late night and long halls but she is always there when I need her.
My best friend Jess, who is the first one I tell whenever I have a new idea or get a big client. She is always there to get excited with me and not go into boring logistics… lol.
My girls who are always starting their own little businesses. They keep me motivated to pull through the hard times, knowing I have little eyes on me.
Contact Info:
- Website: Sixpencefloral.com
- Instagram: @sixpencefloral
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sixpencefloral
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SixpenceFloral
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sixpence-floral-design-austin
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sixpencefloral
Image Credits
Sloane Photography
Paige Vaughn Photography
Linda Flores
Brittany Jean Photography
Simply Breezy Photography
