Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelli Rogers.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Owning my own wedding and special event floral design studio has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I have always had an entrepreneur’s spirit, and I find the world of wedding and event floral design so fascinating! I grew up living in State Parks all over Texas, and I have always enjoyed visiting State Parks on vacation.
Nature is the best place to draw design inspiration! You will notice that our large structure rentals are all named after National Parks. After graduating from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture and a minor in Business, I spent the next few years working in the industry…all the while continuing to dream of calling a studio “mine” one day.
I will never forget the day that changed everything. My Dad and I were talking about that dream, and he asked, “What are you waiting for?”. I just looked at him with a blank stare and no response. From that moment on, I have been running full steam ahead with Sweetwater Stems! Here we are almost five years later, and I am so proud of how far my dream has taken me!
Great, 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?
As all of my fellow entrepreneurs know, running your own business is not for the faint of heart. It’s an adventure, full of unexpected twists, and events that you could have never imagined! I have experienced hardships along the way, or as like to think of them – opportunities to learn and improve.
One of my biggest struggles was finding a wholesale floral company that I could trust. It’s my job to provide fresh, luxury quality, and unique blooms to my clients – and finding a supplier who could meet my high standards was an ongoing issue. After a few years and lots of trial and error, I’m so happy to now have a great relationship with my current supplier!
Another hardship I experienced quicker than expected was running out of space. I started my studio in a 200 square foot portable shed. As my inventory and scale of weddings grew, it became almost impossible to work out of! I’m currently working in a larger studio space now, but I am already outgrowing it as well. I am excited about what’s next for our studio!
I’m very fortunate to have only had one negative client experience, which happened during my first year of business. While I can’t go into detail, all I can say is that although it took a while to realize – it was a blessing in disguise. I’ll be honest, what happened with that client made me doubt myself and my abilities for the next few years. I also became very apprehensive of people in general, and completely terrified on wedding days. Although it was a huge blow to my confidence – it taught me so many lessons regarding my contract, my ideal client, and how to really become black and white with my business by eliminating the gray areas. Because of that experience, I am a more savvy business owner!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Sweetwater Stems – what should we know?
Our mission is to create stunning floral designs for weddings and special events, with five-star customer service! What sets us apart from others is my passion, hands down. I genuinely care about my clients and their floral wedding design. I’m the one who dreams up the designs, carefully chooses the floral selection, unboxes and processes the blooms, and creates all of the designs.
I’m the one who will be there on the wedding day, handing the bride her bouquet and giving her a hug to let her know that her flowers are well taken care of. My clients’ happiness is my priority! Because of this, I only book one wedding per day so that all of my energy and focus goes toward making the floral designs absolutely perfect.
I’m proud to share that many of our weddings are published in well-known blogs and featured in magazines. I am a total perfectionist and do my absolute best to make sure that everything looks impeccable for those detailed photos. You never know where those photos will end up one day, so perfection is key!
My business thrives on the relationships I have with my brides, so providing a wonderful client experience for them is very important. Without my amazing and trusting clients, I would not be where I am today!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I think that being genuine, professional, and calm is the key. I have had so many clients provide feedback about how calm I am amidst the storm of emotions that wedding planning can be, that it’s refreshing.
My brides don’t need to know about any flower snafus or problems that may occur behind the scenes – that’s what they hire me for, to take care of their flowers – so I do! At the end of the day, remaining an honest and dependable professional that follows through on their promises is a must.
Pricing:
- Our minimum for full-service floral design begins at $4,000.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://sweetwaterstems.com/
- Email: kelli@sweetwaterstems.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetwaterstems/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/swstemstx/
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/sweetwater-stems-weir-tx-969292
Image Credit:
Laura Morsman Photographer, HoneyGem Creative, Love the Nelsons, Grant Daniels Photography, Ashlen Lee
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
