The ScentSational Cassie Vogel, Olive & June Floral Co

Mar 9, 2020Archives, Show Notes

After living in Portland for 9 years, Cassie moved to the Albany area and started Olive & June Floral Co bringing her west coast aesthetic to the industry here. Today she shares how she built her brand & reputation and grew her business with an amazing team of women.

One of my favorite takeaways from our conversation was how she manages her workflow and client’s expectations. Oh, and don’t miss our rapid fire flower Q&A toward the end.

Explain to our audience who you are and what your business is!

My name is Cassie Vogel and we’re Olive & June Floral Co. We’re based out of Albany, NY and we’re primarily a wedding florist but we also have a cute shop on Madison Ave where we sell flowers and tons of products made by mostly women.

Do you make the florals here too?

I have a home studio where I produce the weddings just because this isn’t enough space. But I will prepare some stuff here, if it’s a smaller wedding or a pick up.

Can you talk about the history of Olive & June Floral Co.?

My husband and I got married in 2013 and after our wedding I thought, “Hey, I can do anything wedding related.” My husband was already in the industry, he’s a wedding photographer. I’ve always been a creative person and knew I wanted to work for myself in some capacity.

I knew we wanted a family, to have freedom to make my own schedule. One night Joe and I were laying in bed and I said, “What do you think of me being a wedding florist?” And of course he’s like, “Sure you can do anything” and I literally posted on Instagram the next morning. Hey, I have a business I’m a wedding florist now.

That was 2013/2014 we were living in Portland, Oregon. At that point it was like a side thing, people would hire me to do their weddings and I would say that I knew how to do it, and I would do it. We had our first daughter Olive and the next year our second daughter Juniper, and we changed the business name to Olive & June Floral, after them.

We relocated back to Albany, I grew up in this area, about 2 ½ years ago. We’ve done over 200 weddings in the last couple years of us being here, and we opened the shop.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I was always creative, a craft room kind of girl, sewing machine in my bedroom, painted my walls. But I wanted to be a veterinarian, I just loved animals and I thought that’s what you do when you love animals

Did you go on to college, receive a fine arts degree or anything like that?

No I went to Bible college in Oregon. I have a Bachelor’s degree in counseling- which is perfect for the wedding industry. I graduated the same year we got married and started the business so to pursue counseling I would have had to go on to further education.

At the core of me I knew I just wanted to work with people. That’s actually what’s kept me in this business, I love working with clients. Its funny to see the overlap, I think people see the flowers and think that’s the number one thing for me. But I was really so drawn to working with clients in the most special time of their life- the most stressful time of their life for a lot of people. So there is a lot of overlap there, but I didn’t have any training or anything to do this.

So without any formal art background, how do you approach formal design?

My team and I have a consultation with the client and we see their images and what they like. We always ask them to look at previous work we’ve done to see what they like. From there we formulate something based on their love story, venue, time of year, things that are growing locally and seasonally.

It’s difficult because it is a wedding, you’re pleasing that couple so you need to stay in parameters of what they ask for but we’re always trying to push the envelope, just do things a little more creatively or artistically. I’m inspired by what’s grown locally, I’m inspired by the bride’s dress, that’s a huge thing. Inspiration comes from the other artists that are already a part of their wedding.

Do you provide samples or do people come to you with ideas?

We don’t do samples or mock ups. We create a mood board for them so which will have their color palette and inspiration photos- we never promise anything will look exactly like those photos, and I don’t want it to. I want it to be fun and different. From there we ask them to trust us, they’ve seen our work, they know what our vision is, from there we just get to create.

How have you been able to build your personal brand in a world of big box flower shops?

That’s a big thing, especially when I first moved back to this area. There weren’t a lot of florists that were artists doing their own thing, creating really beautiful weddings that don’t look cookie cutter, or something you’ve seen in a magazine or order online. So I think that was refreshing for people to see and it was pretty easy to get work. I was surprised by the response that people had and they were so excited about what I do.

How long did you live in Portland? Did you bring some of that west coast flair with you?

9 years, and that’s exactly what it was.

I was scared. Before we moved I looked on Facebook and on Instagram for other designers in this area and they were really hard to find, now I have a couple friends who are designers and it’s awesome to have that community. But people weren’t doing what I was doing and I interpreted that as no one would like my work and wouldn’t want to hire me, but really it was the opposite.

It was exciting for people to find what we do because it’s different. I want to stay different, as things evolve and change I don’t want to do the same designs every year. But I do think the personal aspect is what sets us apart from the big box stores.

I have a great team, Rosa and Sarah are my core girls. We really do connect with people, become their friends even from the first call. I think that’s really important in the wedding planning process, having a relationship with your vendors and people who you know are on your team. My team does a really great job advocating for our brides with venues, even within their own families, encouraging brides and grooms and I think that’s something big box stores aren’t doing well.

I think it’s important that you acknowledge your team, because when you’re the face of a name or brand people want to work with you. I think it’s important to acknowledge the team that helps you be what you are.

As a small business owner, your team is everything. I couldn’t do anything I do without them. I think my first year here especially, it was just me and I was really lucky I could bring Rosa on my first wedding season, I was so overwhelmed.

Your team is something that holds you together and makes your business. You’re only as successful as the team behind you.

I’m nothing without them. When I first moved here people expected me to do every single aspect of their wedding, and at first I was doing that. But as we grow I have designers helping on wedding days, Rosa’s taking calls, Sarah’s at the shop.

I want to be the face of the business but people need to understand this is a team and I personally will not be placing every single flower or stock every single shelf. I’ve been trying to express that to clients when we’re booking, managing expectations and hyping up the Olive & June Floral team, whoever is there on your wedding day is the best, I’m only hiring the best.

What has been the biggest challenge to grow your business?

My biggest challenge has definitely been work-life balance.

You’ve been pretty open about that on Instagram…

Yeah, I get a lot of “You’re superwoman” comments and I think people think its just easy and great. Working for yourself is hustle. I’ll just go 150% and other areas of my life fall short.

I have been vocal about it and I want to use social media to show real stuff. It’s not just pretty flowers. Social media shows people’s highlights, I want to use the platform. Now I have three daughters and my husband is also in the wedding industry so we’re both really busy at the same time. That’s been my biggest thing to navigate. I want to give my family my best and my clients my best.

How do you do that, practically?

For me its delegation. If you work for yourself, you do all the sales, you can take home all that money, and be really burnt out and snarky at your husband and short with your kids. Or you can empower people and hire them, give them some of that money, have a happier home life and a social life.

I’m always evaluating my weak points, where I’m stretched thin and how I can fix that.

Do you have systems that you use? Besides Sarah and Rosa are there other programs or things that you use?

We use this program called Honeybook, and it’s from the time the client inquires all the way to signing contracts, collecting payment, and referring other vendors. That has been huge to have a pipeline so my team and I can see where every client is at. I try to get all the vendors I know to use it. And keeping a good calendar.

How do you handle pricing when a potential customer comes back and says you’re too expensive?

That’s been a big thing to navigate as well. It’s a big issue in the wedding industry because you have brides and grooms reading a blog post or The Knot that florists should cost “x” amount and photographers should cost “x” amount. It’s not fair because that’s across the whole country and as we know demographics are so different, what part of the county or what city you’re in.

I used to get down on myself about that, and think maybe I was too expensive and maybe I could do it cheaper. Now our posture is “Great if there’s a florist you love that is less expensive you should book them. You should love your vendors and be comfortable in your budget.”

We have a minimum for a full service wedding, we come on the day of the wedding and set everything up. That’s on our website on our inquiry forms, we are trying to help educate that client about our services at the beginning.

Again, managing expectations.

Exactly. We do give an itemized list on proposals of what things cost. If brides want me to get closer to a certain budget, I won’t bend anymore. I know if I book at that price where the client feels better about their budget, when it comes down to it, I know I’m missing out on time with my kids or I’m having to book more work to pay the people I need to pay, and that’s where the value comes in.

Holding fast, we’re totally conscious of budget, and we’ll do pick ups, we have other options if you need something. But at the end of the day, what am I sacrificing if I bend for that? I think there is a lot of education that needs to be put into the wedding industry.

People think I grow flowers or something and that it’s free, they’re actually really expensive and even locally grown things, and its backbreaking work. People think, especially a wedding florist, is its beautiful and fun, and it is beautiful and it is fun but there’s a time constraint because these things are perishable, there’s so much pressure.

It’s stressful, I’m already having anxiety dreams about wedding season. I just have to remember my value in it and relief people that think we’re too expensive. Let them go and wish them well. I never undercut another florist. I don’t play that game and I don’t think other people in the industry should either.

Know your worth, know your value and charge appropriately. Have faith you’re going to get clients. We’ve had clients tell us we’re priced outrageous, we do 50 something weddings a year so there is work out there in our price range.

I read on your website that you have only a few openings left in 2021!

I know, it’s crazy! My team has been amazing, having that support enables us. Give those brides a pat on the back for booking the vendors they want.

What was the process of hiring and growing team Olive & June Floral when its your taste and aesthetic?

With Rosa, I got so lucky. She’s my main admin girl, project manager. She was working in a bridal shop and was ready to move on to do something different. At the time I wasn’t sure I could bring someone on but I knew I couldn’t lose her. She and I have very similar tastes and personalities that I already knew meshed well. I told her don’t look for a job, I’ll offer you a job and it has worked out amazingly.

With freelancers, people who are actually designing for weddings, people around here are mostly classically trained and its easier for me to train from scratch to our aesthetic out of the traditional design. One of my main designers, who is a team lead for us, moved here from Canada last year. It’s been pretty much me putting it out in the world this is what I needed and people find us. Its more than just the aesthetic, I can help train that.

I think its personality, work ethic and character. I want to make sure whoever I’m sending out to weddings represents me and my company well, treats people with kindness. Those things are so much more important than the aesthetic, we can train that.

What would your advice be to your daughters if they came to you wanting to start their own business?

I would probably give them their college money to do it. My husband and I are both small business owners, our income is made on our dreams. I’m raising them, hopefully, to chase their dreams and not sleep on them, to work hard, to network well so I would be excited. I value their education, we’re saving for their college, but I would give it to them if they had a plan.

What advice would you give them?

I would say act quickly, don’t sleep on it, don’t overthink it. Treat people well, network, don’t have a big ego, be humble and ask for help.

How did you go from Olive & June Floral to a storefront where you have merchandise?

It’s been a year this month that we’ve been here. I was doing my 2019 goal setting and two of my goals were to empower more women and reach my community more. But I realized to work with Olive & June Floral you had to be getting married and have a certain amount of money. So I had brainstormed to do more workshops, pop-up shops to connect with more people, give opportunity for people to work, hire more people.

I saw this location and asked how much. It needed a lot of work, the price definitely matched the condition it was in. I said “OK let’s have a lease, I want to do it.” I leased it thinking it would be a studio space and I could have more workshops, just a physical place for people to come in.

Do you do workshops?

I was doing a lot more. Now that we’ve shifted into retail there’s not the space for it here. That’s what I leased it for, but within weeks it evolved into a retail space. I’ve been able to hire more ladies to work for me, almost everything in here is made by women.

Where do you source your goods?

A lot of it is local, and a lot of it is on Instagram and I say “Hey, I want to sell that” and I reach out.

What are some things that you sell here?

Macrame, fiber arts, candles, cards, not just florals. Basically you could buy a gift for any lady here. We do floral, we do dried arrangements. We do grab and go bouquets but we don’t do walk-in for something like a funeral piece. We will have an awesome pair of earrings you won’t find anywhere else and a few stems of flowers and you’ll leave with a great gift.