Entrepreneur Talia Boone has made a career out of delivering self-care and wellness to her customers through her floral distribution company, Postal Petals. She certainly practices what she preaches — and advises other entrepreneurs to follow suit.
“Be kind to yourself by taking care of yourself and carving out personal time to reset and refresh,” Boone said. “Constantly judging yourself for what doesn't go well and never celebrating yourself for what does can begin to erode your inner peace. The last thing you want to do is burn out before you accomplish your goal.”
Boone describes Postal Petals as a “multi-touchpoint self-care and wellness company” that works with domestic flower farms to distribute bundles of fresh-cut flowers that can be used to make DIY flower arrangements.
Customers are able to choose from three box sizes and hand-pick the kind of flowers that go in each, from colorful Gerbera daisies to traditional red roses. For Boone and many of her customers, this is the ultimate form of creative expression and relaxation.
[Read more: Business Ideas: Businesses to Start During a Pandemic]
Finding peace in a time of chaos
In the early days of COVID-19, when regulations were becoming more strict and people were becoming increasingly isolated, Boone found herself in desperate need of a floral fix. For Boone, flowers are more than just a creative outlet or a visual pleasure: She describes them as “a kind of catharsis.”
When the local fresh flower market near her home was closed during the pandemic, she turned to online retailers.
“I came across a flower wholesaler who shipped large volumes of flowers to clients like florists and event and wedding planners all around the world,” Boone said. “I just cold-called him, hoping to convince him to reduce his minimums and ship me a small order of flowers that I could arrange at home.”
I realized that what I wanted didn’t actually exist, and I saw that as an opportunity for me to possibly fill a hole in the marketplace.
Talia Boone, founder, Postal Petals
But Boone quickly realized that this process wasn’t as easy as she had hoped.
“Through that conversation, I learned about the obstacles that prevented him from accommodating my request, [and] by the end of our two-hour call, my mind was spinning,” she said. “I realized that what I wanted didn’t actually exist, and I saw that as an opportunity for me to possibly fill a hole in the marketplace.”
In just two short months following that call, Boone put together a business plan, made connections with local farmers, and launched in beta with about 20 domestic farm partners that agreed to ship for her.
Helping others learn how to care for themselves
Boone has over 15 years of experience working in brand strategy, communications, and sales positions in the sports and entertainment industries. She mostly focused on brand activism and accountability by creating initiatives that would help the communities and people who made up a company's consumer base. The lessons she learned in these roles carried over into the heart of Postal Petals.
“The core brand values of Postal Petals are the personal values I’ve cultivated throughout my life and career: building community, inclusivity, and ethics,” she said.
Postal Petals does a lot to support others. By partnering with domestic farmers, the company provides these distributors with an extra revenue stream. Boone also keeps a nationwide directory of Black florists on her website so customers can support Black florists in their own cities.
One of the most important initiatives at Postal Petals is bringing the therapeutic art of DIY flower arranging into underrepresented communities. Postal Petals provides equal access to mindfulness through these activities and promotes the practice of self-care for all.
“Our mission is always to pull others up with us as we grow,” Boone said.
[Read more: Building a Supportive Ecosystem for Black-owned Businesses]
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