About 8 years ago, Julia Alvarez sought to open the doors to her first business. The fact that flower shops were price-gouging unknowing customers for flower arrangements sparked her into developing a plan to do something she’d been wanting to do for a long time: open her own flower shop. Upon realizing these same businesses were profiting off of crafting arrangements for children’s caskets, she began to see it as a moral obligation to her community, rather than a personal ambition.

 

“You just can’t put a price tag on God’s angels.”

 

This became the foundational tenet upon which Julia built her business model. And true to her word, Julia has never accepted payment for funeral caskets belonging to children under the age of 17.  As a woman of self-determination, Julia went about opening her flower shop the only way she knew how: through her relentless tenacity and sheer willpower. After spotting the building that would become the headquarters of Flowers & More by Julia, she saw her dream begin to unravel. From that point forward, there was no going back. Perhaps through what some may consider an act of serendipity, Julia was well acquainted with the owner of the building, whose mother-in-law had previously used it to run her own flower shop decades ago. Yet, if there’s anything to know about Julia, it’s that things don’t just happen; she makes them happen. So, although the building was slated to be rented to another individual, she would not be taking ‘no’ for an answer. It was in this spirit that Flowers & More by Julia opened its doors.

 

Although the name was spontaneously conceived on the spot while applying for her business license, it perfectly encapsulates the way it came to be. One hundred percent founded and operated by Julia.  “I said I wanted to open a flower shop, so I went out and opened a flower shop. I knew I could do it. When someone says they want to do something but they can’t, my answer is always ‘Why?’”

 

No stranger to the trials and tribulations of becoming a business owner, Julia can attest that the best way to accomplish your dreams is to take a risk, work hard, stubbornly believe in yourself and nothing can stop you. After all, gaining something you’ve never had involves doing something you may have never done. Prior to becoming the owner of a successful full service flower shop that’s been operating for nearly a decade, Julia had zero experience or training when it came to the art of crafting floral arrangements. As a self-taught florist, through months of online Google-searching on how to artistically enhance the beauty of flowers through their arrangement and hundreds of her own money spent on purchasing flowers to constantly practice, practice, and practice on, Julia’s dedication to her practice  shone through. Her commitment to perfection is also evident in the fact that, even after 8 years of operation, Julia hires no outside staff. She may entrust her family, such as her daughter or young niece, to help with the cutting of the flowers; however, every arrangement is created by Julia, and her alone. As her own worst critic, this is the way she prefers it. Although her body of work speaks for itself, Julia can count on various funeral homes and previous clients to vouch for her artistry and commitment. She cites the personalized experience she has become well-known for as the main driver behind her success as a florist.

 

“When making an arrangement, it’s important to act as both designer and customer.”

 

In order to accomplish this, Julia prefers to meet with clients face to face in order to truly gauge what they’re envisioning out of a floral arrangement. This is one of the most important parts of the design process, as every arrangement crafted by Julia is meant to capture the essence of the individual(s) being honoured, whether it’s a wedding, funeral, or anything in between. “In many cases, this is the last thing people that walk in here will be doing for their loved ones. It’s my responsibility, and one I take very seriously, to make sure I make it beautiful for them,”

 

As someone who initially opened the doors to what would become a successful flower shop having a particular aversion to flowers and with no prior expertise, we can only expect even more beautiful and grander things to come from behind the doors of Flowers & More by Julia. But, perhaps more remarkably, as someone who’s been an 8 year veteran in the industry, Julia can finally say,

 

“You know, maybe I do love flowers.”