Kelly Marie Thompson of Fleur Inc., shown here on a farm in Tuscany, scouting her upcoming Italy workshop
If you want to walk through a case study of a boutique retail florist and special events florist, today's guest is here to share! I'm so pleased to welcome Kelly Marie Thompson, owner of Fleur Inc., based in Chicago. Fleur Inc is a diversified lifestyle boutique and special event design studio.
Wedding flowers by Fleur Inc.
Kelly formed the enterprise 19 years ago when she was just 22 years old and has based Fleur Inc. on the value of delivering extraordinary experiences, and offering a curated collection of home goods, fine jewelry, floral, and custom design.
Fleur Inc.'s Chicago Storefront
Kelly Marie shares this message on Fleur Inc.'s web site:
"Simply stated, we can't imagine our lives without nature. Flowers and foliage are our language; they are the way we emote, and the way we evoke the senses. Our mission is to collaboratively work with our clients in order to craft an experience that stirs the heart, creates a mood & tells a story. With imagination and technique, we weave every petal, frond and vine into the next chapter, committed to creating extraordinary experiences."
An upcoming Valentine's Day image (left); Kelly Marie Thompson of Fleur Inc. (right)
Fleur Inc. is a member of the Slow Flowers Society and has been featured in many online blogs and print magazines including Martha Stewart Weddings, Vogue, Town and Country, Better Homes & Gardens, The Knot and was named one of the top 63 floral designers by Martha Stewart.
An uncommon wedding palette featuring dark, jewel tones by Fleur Inc.
Find and follow Fleur Inc. at these social places:Fleur Inc. on Instagram
Fleur Inc. on Twitter
https://youtu.be/AP5hUlrD3wg
Check out Kelly Marie's online course (see intro video above), "The Art of Growing an Extraordinary Floral Business," which debuted about one year ago. She has compiled all of her experiences and lessons learned over the past nearly 20 years in retail and event floral design into a six-part online course. Click here for more details.
Learn more about Kelly's coaching practice through Be Sage Consulting. Maybe this is just the resource you need with the new year -- and how wonderful to learn from a fellow Slow Flowers practioner!
Find more details about A Tuscan Gathering ~ Flowering with Kelly Marie Thompson, upcoming, June 5-9, 2022.
Before we wrap, I have a couple important announcements:
All about Hellebores! The topic of our February Slow Flowers (Virtual) Member Meet-Up!
You're invited to join me this Friday, February 5th at our February Slow Flowers Member Meetup -- virtually.
We typically meet on the 2nd Friday of each month, but due to the overlap with Valentine's weekend, we're going to gather one week early.
I'm over the moon with our topic for February, which is all about the cultivation of hellebores as cut flowers and floral design with hellebores.
Our guests are both expert plantspeople and Slow Flowers members. You'll meet Pam Youngsman of PoppyStarts Inc., a plant broker who has spent her entire career connecting garden centers with uncommon perennials, and who now supplies flower farms with those plants; and Riz Reyes, past guest of this podcast, who owns RHR Horticulture. Riz grows hundreds of hellebores in the landscapes he designs and frequently incorporates hellebores into his floral design.
Follow this Zoom link to join us on Friday, February 5th at 9 am Pacific/Noon Eastern. If you miss the session, no worries! We will record it for replay viewing.
Next up, Robin Avni, my partner in BLOOM Imprint, and I are getting ready for a new course for all you aspiring floral book authors! We are joining the Fleurvana Virtual Summit March 5-7, focusing on Sustainability and Regeneration, with The Journey from Blog to Book. The course is designed for every creative person we’ve met ...