Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Nguyen.
Hi Elle, 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?
My name is Elle Nguyen. I’m the owner of SongHi Houston flower shop. After graduating with a graphic design major, at the age of 26, I was unsure of my future path. Covid happened. However, this was also an opportunity for me. During quarantine time, most events are cancelled, so the price of flowers is cheap. I got a chance to buy a lot of flowers and decorate my home. Flowers bring me joy and peace of mind during such stressful time. An idea came to me to spread this joy to others. Therefore, I started my passion in arranging flowers. I found a job at florists and event vendors in Houston. Thanks to them, I develop my flower skills and started my own flower shop. My flower shop delivers fresh flowers to Houston area, with a focus on Korean wrapping bouquets, conveying a feminine and romantic style. One lesson I learned is that it’s ok if you don’t know what to do, just take a step back to explore your
passion. What brings you joy can also bring others joy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Behind all the colorful and beautiful flowers are a lot of effort and dedication. During the time that I studied and worked at florists, I must learn a whole new vocabulary on flowers names and how to take care of each of them. In the first 6 months, I spent late nights and scarified weekends to research and memorize flowers names and conditions to preserve their beauty. Moreover, I spent early morning to work with the flowers in the cooler, and sometimes even get an allergy.
After a year of learning and practicing, I started open my own business. I was hard for me to find support from and share with others. “You can’t even tie a bow, how can you run a business?” That was the response I usually get when I asked for help. I am self-taught in multiple aspects of business, including accounting, sale, marketing, and management. I saved up my own money to invest in the business, which was even harder due to the pandemic. Flowers have a short shelf-life, so I must manage inventory turnover rate. In addition, to make myself stand out, I develop my own style and have my own market. It took two months to understand my target customers and tailor to their preferences. What critical to my success is the team that I built at our flower shop, whom I always kept motivated. I did my best to create an open environment where everyone to freely explore and grow their creativity.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
SongHi is a love child between my love for Korean pop culture and my obsession for floral. The name SongHi in Vietnamese also mean Double Happiness, which usually displayed at Weddings. The essence of SongHi lies in the femininity of the flower selection, the elegance of high quality imported paper wrap, the dedication of professional customer services. SongHi truly is the ultimate lifestyle brand for all things floral, any event you can think of, there’s always a place for our products. We commit in bringing clients unforgettable experiences, purchasing or not.
What makes you happy?
From small orders every day to boyfriend/girlfriend to large wedding and corporate events, they all bring me joy knowing that my flowers bring people happiness. Seeing beautiful flowers can either enhance your happy moment or bring you up during your difficult time. This makes my job meaningful. Along this journey, I am also grateful for all the new friends I met. They are influencers, photographers, and bloggers. I hope in the future I can create more jobs for my friends and people around me. Therefore, I would love to open workshops to pass down all the skills and knowledge I have learned. They, in turn, can create even more jobs and spread the joy to even more people.
Pricing:
- Flower bouquet: $100-$200
- Event: $1000-$5000
Contact Info:
- Email: elle@songhifloral.com
- Website: songhifloral.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/songhi.floral/
Image Credits:
Elton (@tangy.twist)
