Bailey Brewer shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Bailey , so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My day starts off with making a greens and superfood drink and a cup of coffee. I enjoy drinking these while I respond to emails and complete admin work on the couch. This is a great, calming start to my morning and the best part is that my dog snuggles up next to me before we start working on floral designing for our weddings.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hey there! I am Bailey, owner of Marigold Flowers. But I wear many hats, owner, lead designer, organizer, planner, candle cleaner, wedding day emotional support coach, and more! At Marigold Flowers, it is our passion to make our couples wedding floral dreams come to life! We take inspiration from their color palette and general vibe of their wedding to create floral arrangements and floral installations that make a visual impact and pull everything everything together! I’ve had many couple tell me that the floral arrangements were so much more beautiful than they could have ever imagined!
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was my senior year of high school. I had been a competitive gymnast from ages 8 to 18. To be honest, my self-esteem was lacking, especially on competition days. I knew that I could complete the skills during practices but the stress and anxiety that came with performing and being scored would always get to me, My nerves would cause me to choke and I would hold back on my skills to ensure that I stuck the landing, which isn’t necessarily a good thing because I was still getting point deducted on the dynamic and technique required for the skill. At my last gymnastics meet before I was graduating high school, I wanted to go in with a different mindset. This was going to be my last competition after 10 years. The most important thing for me was to have fun. I was able to let loose, release the stress and anxiety, and make the most of my last performance. This meant seeing my friends at practice 5 days a week after school was coming to an end, my relationship with my coaches would fade, and my love for the sport of gymnastics would never be the same. Because I allowed myself to enjoy these last moments, I had the BEST competition of my entire career, Effortlessly. I finished second place in the entire state of Maryland for my level and age group. I felt so powerful in this moment because I was able to control my thoughts and shut down the anxious feelings. This was a huge learning experience for me and now, I have learned how to control that part of my brain. This is beneficial to my life in so many ways.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Owning a business is many things, but a huge one is HARD. For lack of a better words, and to sum it up. There is a reason that not everyone does it! As a business owner you must take responsibility for so many things that most people probably do not realize. There are so many behind the scene tasks and doing it alone can be overwhelming, daunting, stressful, and exhausting. Honestly, there have been many times that I question if I want to continue my business. Did I make a stupid decision? Am I in over my head? However, I am always able to circle back and realize that I am truly doing what I love. I fell in love with the art of floristry at the young age of 14. I tried out different career routes, but at the age of 20 it hit me that this is my passion and that I am not suited anywhere else. I am proud of my business. I look a leap of faith and I have come so far since starting my business in 2021. Now that I am more established, I am discovering more opportunities for my business and I am excited to see where it takes me. I will never give up!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies that the wedding industry tells itself is that there is a “wedding tax”. That weddings are expensive just because it’s a wedding. This couldn’t be further from the truth, weddings can be expensive, that part is true, However, you are not just paying for the “wedding”. The definition of a wedding is, “The ceremony or celebration where two people formalize their commitment to marry each other.” To plan a luxurious wedding with over 150 of your closest friends and family that you wish to celebrate this special moment with, to rent a venue to host these guests, to hire a caterer to feed everyone, to hire a dj to dance the night away, to hire a photographer or videographer to capture every moment of this special day, to hire a florist to elevate the space and make it beautiful. There are so many moving parts and I only named a few! There is so much hard work, detail, and planning from each vendor. Most couples start planning their weddings a year in advance. Time is money! The expertise and knowledge is worth the cost. Then, executing it all seamlessly on wedding day. It’s actually remarkable! Your vendors are all working like a well oiled machine to make your day feel magical. I think many people don’t understand the “why?” behind the price tag. But let me tell you, it’s not because it’s a wedding. It’s because we are diligently working to sure this is one of the most special days of your life!
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Loving your job is truly a special and unique possession. I think there are a lot of people that don’t necessarily love their jobs. It’s not their true calling or passion. I am so fortunate to have found what I love at such a young age in life. Of course there are rainy days here and there that I’d prefer to stay in and watch movies all day. Or bright sunny days that I’d love to bask in the sun. But most days, I don’t really think of completing my work as working. I just enjoy it. I want to do it. It’s fun for me. And when I see everything come together and look so beautiful on wedding day, there are literally times where I jump up and down, clapping, and squealing because it is just turning out so beautifully. It makes the hard times worth it and keeps me excited to continue doing what I love every day!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.marigoldflowersbybailey.com
- Instagram: marigoldflowersbybailey
- Facebook: Marigold Flowers by Bailey
Image Credits
Jakie Steele Photography, V.Kennedyphotos, Kateann Photography, Dare Visuals
