Today we’d like to introduce you to Gwendolen Meckle.
Hi Gwendolen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My interest began at a very young age, making flower crowns out of weeds, fast forward to having a child at 21, and needed just a “part” time job. That flowershop owner had me washing buckets, delivering blooms, helping clients, learning all the “icky” parts of this profession. Eventually, she had fired me after the summer was over, and told me that I don’t have what it takes to succeed in this industry. Fast forward again a number of years, 25 or so – I have spent a lot of time proving that woman wrong. I have been a hardworking staff member, I have ran shops successfully for other people, I have ran a home based studio, then the last 7 years I have been the owner/operator of Bayside Floral in the Lake Minnetonka area taking a failing shop to a successful floral and gift shop, earning many Best of awards and nominations for our neck of the woods.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Never! This industry is NEVER SMOOTH! That’s what I really enjoy- I never know what is going to happen from day to day for the most part. I think the biggest struggle for me was to get to a point in believing in myself. I spent so many years working for others, they overworked me, underpaid me, stole from me- yes at one point an employer was not depositing our 401k deductions and just keeping them! For years!
But getting to that point of OK- I CAN do this, I can be my own boss was the biggest hurdle. I really just got to a point where I realized that I had been working for all the right bosses/employers that showed me all WHAT NOT TO DO. Once I recognized that it was like seeing the wizard behind the curtain. I never looked back.
Today, I can still say I am happy with the choices I made to purchase this business, it absolutely was not easy, but I haven’t regretted it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a floral designer, but also an artist. Every floral arrangement or plant mix that goes out of our shop is a piece of art. Many of our clients give us a budget and a color guide such as, “she hates purple” and just lets us do our thing. I am so proud that our clients give us mainly free reign with our creating. I truly believe it allows us to create in a free flowing manner and also gives our clients the absolute best with any budget. Flowers can be expensive, and not pretty and also inexpensive but beautiful. It is all about finding the perfect mix. The perfect mix for that specific client. – that is the true art form.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Top rated customer service is essential. Listening to your clients needs and expectations, assisting them in making good decisions to reach the desired outcome is everything. I have always believed in giving a top notch customer experience. You need to laugh with your clients, and sometimes you also cry with them, We help people who are in the middle of so many big life events, weddings, babies, deaths, birthdays…. you experience all of that with them. It’s hard not to. We think about all of that when we are creating for you. You cannot be successful if you are numb to all of the feels.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.baysidefloral.net
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/baysidefloral
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BaysideFloralGifts
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/bayside-just-because-spring-park
