Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Weaver.
Hi Danielle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
A lot of help and support!
I actually have a veterinary medicine background, having special interest and education in large animal medicine…predominantly horses & cattle (hence the obsession with cows!) My mom was a florist. Between growing up around her passion for flowers and horticulture, and my time spent on my aunt and uncle’s dairy and crop farm, I cultivated my own passion for the Lord, flowers, animals, agriculture and everything in between!
Despite my passion for VetMed, I chose to set my stethoscope aside for a needed change of pace and to be closer to my family. I found a lot of peace and joy in being more hands on with flowers, both inside and outside of my mother’s (at the time) flower shop. I began helping some with bridal floral, then began independently designing full wedding floral here and there and really found a niche and love for it! I continued to grow my knowledge and experience and eventually (with a dash of courage and a lot of faith) decided to open Lavender Cow Mercantile & Design. In addition to bridal, Lavender Cow is a full-service, all-occasion floral studio and shop. I also dabble in other passions like re-purposed furniture, woodworking and mercantile hard goods. At Lavender Cow you can also find my sweet Benelli Sue, my “go everywhere friend” and flower shop dog…she’s sure to steal your heart, and my clients sometimes come strictly to see her!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not entirely. I think with any large, life change there are emotions that come along with. Whether it has to do with purpose, skill sets, relationships or simply just change in general. It has been both exciting and at times scary. Learning the ins and outs of owning my own business and all the fine-print details of that has probably been the most challenging. I’m a bit of a nerd for knowledge, so that makes it feel less daunting most of the time! I am solo, so I wear all the hats-business, design, marketing, client communication, and everything in between. I am extremely blessed to have family, multiple friends and professional mentors that have helped me learn and grow in those areas so I CAN do it myself. And those friends also have and continue to lend a hand when needed as well as aid in continued networking! I’m an old soul, I don’t crave and love using technology like a lot of folks nowadays do. In fact, it can be a bit of a struggle for me to be motivated to be on social media and advertising if I’m being honest…that has been one of the hardest things for me in this journey- matching the pace in that area. My personality naturally wants one-on-one, small town hospitality and relationship! So branching outside of that box has been a growth experience for me for sure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Floral is my primary passion here at Lavender Cow. I love my mercantile and furniture, but floral is definitely where I find the greatest happiness, where I excel and the primary part of this business. Lavender Cow is a full service, all occasion floral design studio and shop. My cooler is stocked 24/7 to accommodate daily gesture pieces for pick-up and delivery, bridal/wedding, funeral & sympathy, prom, holidays and special/custom events. Bridal is definitely my dominate service. It is my favorite area to create and I absolutely love designing bridal floral for both local and non-local weddings. I love traveling to events and seeing the beautiful venues we’ve been blessed with not just in this community but elsewhere. I feel like I have built a reputation for unique and elegant blooms as well as customizing personal touches, even when designing more traditional pieces. I naturally have a larger design style, unless asked to scale back to something more petite and traditional in which case I am also happy to accommodate. Being on my own allows me to design the way I like and accommodate requests tailored to personal budgets and styles. I’m proud to say I don’t believe in milking people for every single penny- enter in again the small town hospitality. I aim to successfully and fairly make a living doing what I love while also bringing joy and happiness to my clients. Be honest, be fair, give back where you can, bless people where you can.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up I wanted to be outside in nature and where the animals were, saving everything I could that “needed me” and playing with the frogs and toads, something that has trickled into my adulthood. My Aunt and Uncle’s dairy farm was one of my greatest and happiest places- especially in the calf barn. If I was ever “missing” that was where to look. I also had horses- I trained and showed some, although the spotlight has never been something I longed for, so the showing I did do usually consisted of schooling my horses for experience and relationship with them, not for competition. I rode professionally for a brief time before diving into a career in veterinary medicine. I deeply treasured time with my grandparents. Picking carrots, dill and wildflowers with my Grandma Anna, on the family sawmill and working with my Grandpa Wyman, dressing up with all of my Grandma Sharon’s makeup and jewelry (the high heels looked extra fabulous on a 6 year old!) and listening to my Grandpa Gary play the harmonica and banter over basketball. I preferred time spent with them and other family over other things.
If I could be outside I was. If I could be riding along with my treasured and inspiring veterinarian mentors I was. If I could be working hard or lovin’ on the cows at the farm I was. I’m a diehard winter baby- I survive the rest of the year to make it to winter and SNOW. Ice fishing, snowshoeing, snowflakes, the cold, most everything about winter brings me joy.
I’ve always been known for my work ethic and my quick wit and humor- both of which I’m proud to say I’m certain I got from my dad…and my puns-there’s always one to be made.
I feel incredibly blessed in my journey thus far and so very grateful for the village God has given me and all the friends I’ve made along the way! I can’t wait to meet the rest of the people He has aligned to cross my path.
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Facebook: Lavender Cow Mercantile & Design
