Christy Doramus: Flower Crown Queen!!!
All looks are exclusively from LoveShackFancy!!!
Photography by Meg Niemann | @MSNPhotography
So excited to share my interview with my first ever "Honest Girl," Christy Doramus!!! Everyday I am so inspired by female entrepreneurs who have taken their careers to new levels. The Honest Girls section of my blog will give you an insight into some of the inspiring women who are curating their own futures everyday!
Christy Doramus is a Manhattan based floral stylist, specializing in custom fresh and faux flower crowns. A former beauty publicist, Christy has experience working with both large and small brands on creative strategy, floral projects and special events. Along with her team, she hosts DIY flower crown making workshops for private events all over New York and in the Hamptons. In 2015, Christy published a DIY book titled, Flower Crowns which can be found here. Christy and her team work out of a flower-filled studio in New York's quaint NoHo neighborhood.
Here's my interview with one of my best babes, and flower crown queen Christy!!!
Tell me about the philosophy of your flower crown business.
Flowers make people happy and Flower CROWNS, make people even happier. There is nothing that brings me more joy than to spread happiness through flowers daily. This philosophy is what keeps me motivated and excited to grow my business.
Was there a particular moment that made you realize this career was for you? Have you always been interested in being a “florist”?
I have always loved flowers and although I never intended to be a florist, I am so thankful that I sort of accidentally found myself on this career path. When I was working as a full-time publicist, I always enjoyed helping with decor and flowers for events. In the midst of the most stressful moments revolving around guest lists, car services and venue deposits, I always found joy in perfecting the floral delivery and often arranged the flowers myself. Eventually, I was given the chance to make flower crowns for a few client events and it was during this time that I realized how much happiness I was able to bring people via flowers.
What is the inspiration behind your business? How did you come up with the idea of the flower crown?
I think the most successful businesses are those that are really designed to fill a market void and when I started @CrownsbyChristy , that was essentially what I was attempting to do. Brands, brides-to-be, bachelorette parties and birthday girls were looking for flower crowns that did not cost $300 each and I was able to create something custom for them at a more reasonable price point. I believe in constantly listening to ideas and feedback from clients because they truly inspire and challenge me to move forward with new concepts. Mermaid crowns? unicorn headbands? floral sunglasses? masks made of blooms!? These are all challenges presented to me by clients and as I always say... Give the people what they want!
What advice do you have for other creative women with a passion for entrepreneurship and starting their own business?
Starting your own business is so many things... rewarding, exciting, liberating, challenging. Whether you are starting a small craft business or the next multi-million dollar retail concept, I think that if you are truly passionate about what you are doing and don't take NO for an answer,thesky is your limit. Running the business is the easy part, but trusting your gut and never giving up is what can be the most difficult especially when things don't go your way. I love my business, but I question it every single day... Why am i doing this? Why would I ever leave a great 9-5 job to work around the clock? What's next? Who can I trust? WHY oh why would I put this stress on myself voluntarily??!! It would be a lie to say that I am a completely confident business owner, but I strive to be one every day. Those who are passionate about what they do and always have a goal are my career idols. I hope that I can someday be this to another girl in my shoes.
What makes your approach different than other artists out there?
Although I love creative freedom and the opportunity to see my vision come to life, I understand the importance of listening to my clients considering that we offer a custom service. My work always turns out best when I feel trusted, but I am always considerate about what the client wants as they are typically placing an order for a special life event. I love to be a small part of someone's big day so when our visions all align, magic happens!
What’s next for your career? Do you have any exciting projects coming up?
Over the past year, we have expanded our offerings beyond flower crowns while working on creative floral installations, flower walls and even custom chuppahs (thank you Ilene Sands for trusting us on that one!). While growing, we have also had the opportunity to offer creative consulting services beyond the flower crown to a number of incredible brands which has been very interesting and rewarding. I hope that we can grow this branch of the business over the next year.
How do you stay honest to your brand?
Staying honest to your brand involves staying honest to yourself. I can't be everything to everyone and neither can my business. This can be a difficult concept to grasp at times, but after every single flower crown class or private event at my studio, I am reminded that we have built such a strong network of incredible women who I love and admire. Just because my brand is not also xyz, I am ok with that in the same way that I am ok with not filling every category as a human. My brand is a true reflection of myself and the women who make up my team and for that, I am proud.
Thanks for sharing Christy!!! Head to www.CrownsByChristy.com to buy your crown today!!
Check back next week to see who our next Honest Girl is!
X kt