Stepping
into a flower shop is like stepping into a fragrant wonderland where nature’s
beauty is carefully arranged. Today, I will be chatting with Joy, a floral
artist who knows that flowers aren’t just decorations, they can be messengers
of love, sympathy, celebration, and sometimes even apologies.
Some
may say, “I work with flowers because they don’t talk back, but they do have a
way of making people emotional.” In this interview, we dive into the passion
for floral design, the unexpected challenges of the job, and why flowers will
always have a special place in human connections.
Sam: How are you doing?
Joy: For the first time in a
long while, I can truly and honestly say that I am fine. I have just come from
the high of chasing and meeting one of my financial goals for my business this
year. I am of the opinion that the fact that I went through that and came out
unscathed is evidence that I can get through anything life throws my way. So
yes, I am thriving, flourishing and doing fine.
Sam: Can you share your
journey into the business world? What inspired you to start?
Joy: I cannot be more honest
than saying that the fact I wanted to be financially independent. Financial
independence is the one thing I can say pushed me into the business world, I’ve
always done businesses right from childhood, I wanted spare change apart from
the allowance my parents were giving me, but the problem was that I wasn’t
persistent, so after a while, I would stop it, so starting and stopping a
business has been my thing for a long time. Apart from financial independence,
when I go to a place and I see a need and the fact that I can solve it and I
consider if I actually want to solve it and if it is worth my time and if it
is, I start it.
Sam: What challenges did
you face when starting, and how did you overcome them?
Joy: From 2023 till now, I’ve done 2 major businesses, first was drink making and the second is a flower business which I am currently doing. The challenges I faced when I started the flower business was getting visibility, getting clients, marketing, from June to September 2024, I didn’t get 1 order and when the orders would come, they would come in bulk and they would go quiet. I started on X (formerly known as Twitter), I can talk about my business on twitter but not on Instagram because I’m not an Instagram person and people say Instagram is the market for vendors, so that has been something that has been very difficult breaking into. I guess the biggest challenge is starting, when I conceived the idea, I didn’t start, I was supposed to start the next day, I conceived the idea I think January 29th ’24 and the plan was to go home and create flyers for valentine, I didn’t do that till February 13th, lucky me I got 10 orders that period but if I had put in work, I would’ve gotten more orders which was what I decided to do this year by putting in more work which has brought the success that I wanted. Starting was a very big challenge because I wanted everything to be perfect, I wanted the perfect Instagram page, the perfect picture and videos but I decided to just start and make it perfect along the way.
Sam: Was there a defining
moment when you realized your flower business was going to succeed?
Joy: Oh definitely, just a
week before my birthday last year, someone placed a huge order which I made so
much profit from, so that was a “I’m here
to stay” and a huge defining moment for me and then in October, I kept
getting orders back to back and I averaged 500k in 3 weeks. So this valentine I
decided I’m not joking with it, I can definitely do more if I focus and do the
right thing
Sam: How do you handle
seasonal changes and ensure you have diverse selections of flowers?
Joy: Each season comes with what people want, like
for Valentine, more people wanted roses, other times they want something
different, so you just need to anticipate people’s demands and what they want.
To ensure that I have diverse selection of flowers, I’ve created a network of
florist that I can reach out to when I don’t have the flowers that people may
request for so I don’t say “No” to any order, if I don’t have I reach out to
other florist and even if I don’t make the expected profit, I still make
something. The only time I can turn down an order is when I’ve reach out to
others and they don’t have what the customer wants. I ensured that I built I
community of florist, for example, I sent an order to Benin and I didn’t send
it via road, I simply outsourced it to a vendor there and made a little profit,
which is something and built a little bit of presence in Benin as well.
Sam: What would you
consider the biggest worry clients have whenever they come
to order flowers?
Joy: The biggest worry they
have is how long the flowers are going to last, is it going to die immediately?
How do I take care of it? How do I ensure that they stay for few weeks? And
most of them are also worried that I am selling faux flowers and I have to
assure them that they are fresh flowers and if they take good care of it, it
can stay up to 3 weeks to a month. They are plants and they cannot live forever
but even in death, they can serve some purposes, they can be used for so many
things, if you see a dead flower arrangements, they are also beautiful so I ensure
to educate them and let them know they are getting the real deal.
Sam: Who has been your
biggest influence or mentor in business?
Joy: I would say I am my
biggest mentor in business and some of the huge florists that I patronize. I
have been pushing myself to do better and what I can do to serve more people.
Sam: How would you
describe the current business climate in Nigeria?
Joy: Honestly it’s terrible,
everything is just fighting you. During the valentine period, logistics was my
biggest nightmare, with the increased cost of fuel, getting rides was so
difficult. For my flowers, I need constant light to keep the room cold, there
are so many things coming at you, I don’t blame businesses that have been
folding, it’s very hard to stay afloat with what is going on, it is crazy out
here.
Sam: What role does
networking play in business success in Nigeria?
Joy: It has a major role in
business especially in my field, I need networking, I need to tell people about
my business and my business relies on referral. Recently I had to bring on
board two influencers, Hauwa and another content creator on Instagram and what
they did gave me a whole lot of publicity. Networking helps with the marketing,
to send the right clients your way.
Sam: What is your
approach to customer service and brand loyalty?
Joy: Even as a customer to
other businesses, I value good customer service, courtesy, excellence, my
demands being met at the right time and place and as a business I also ensure
to do all those things for my customers, I’m very polite with them, my manner of
approach very courteous and listen carefully to what they want. Someone told me
recently that I’m very observant and I was very happy that someone actually
noticed it and I like to keep to time, which is why what happened during the
valentine day made me really sad, I spent the whole day apologizing because I
had promised that they would get their orders before 12 noon. Most people got
their orders early but unfortunately some couldn’t because of the whole
logistics issue, after apologizing to the people who made the order, I also
called the recipients to apologize and made sure they got their orders. And for
brand loyalty, I am very loyal and this is something I am trying to get from my
customers by offering excellent services that will keep them loyal to me, even
if they find better deals outside, the way and manner of approach I use will
ensure that they stay and even bring in their friends, so brand loyalty is very
important to me.
Sam: What area of
business do you hope to venture into in the future?
Joy: I’m hoping to venture
into the gift and wedding industry, I want curate bouquet for brides and their
bridal train. I also want to curate cute gift for loved ones, paying attention
to what their loved ones like and then create things that will make them know that
this person had me in mind. I want to be known as the biggest florist in the
country and also known for making romance affordable in Nigeria.
Sam: Apart from money or
financial independence, what keeps you motivated in business?
Joy: The joy I get from
people whose partners are very happy with what I've sent them is a high that I
often stay on for a long time, I'm helping people to smile and honestly it's
the best thing ever.
Sam: And to wrap up the
first section, what is your favorite flower and why?
Joy: It has to be Lilies. I mean, have you seen the beauty and splendor of that flower? It's the most gorgeous thing God made on earth and its fragrance.
FAST AND CURIOUS
Sam: Would you rather
lose all the money you've made in the past 5 years or all the memories you've
made in the past 5 years?
Joy: Money
Sam: Do you see you glass
half full or half empty?
Joy: Half full
Sam: Would you rather go
through life not being able to forget anything or go through life not being
able to remember anything?
Joy: Not being able to
forget anything.
Sam: If you see a puddle on
the ground, do you walk around it or over it?
Joy: Over it
Sam: What would be the
title of your memoir?
Joy: Joy, the girl who lived
to the fullest
Sam: What is the best
advice you've ever received?
Joy: To not look back on the
past but instead towards the future
Sam: If you were in a
high speed chase, what song will you be playing?
Joy: Fast car by Tracy
Chapman
Sam: And lastly, would
you rather win a lottery or work at your perfect job?
Joy:
A lottery. There's no perfect job for Joy.
Sam: Thank you so much
for your time. I appreciate this.
Joy: You are very welcome, Thanks
for this.
Whatsapp:
https://wa.me/2349012528567
IG: tenisflowers
X:
https://twitter.com/this_iyanu
P.S: This
interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity