In conversations with client’s inevitably when the topic of where I used to live and work comes up, people look quizzically at me when I tell them that I used to live in San Francisco, I can see their eyes are saying…”you left San Francisco for Vermont, why?!” Yup, unintentionally, and with the graciousness of two friends I landed here.
Sometimes if feels a though I have banished myself to the equivalent of floral Siberia and committed business sabotage. Long winters mean shorter growing season hence the product selection isn’t always what it is in other floral metropolis, because of issues of shipping, volume and pricing. Scalability of business is always an issue for this little state and we aren’t the location of a hub for fashion, culture and business that also feed into the floral industry. But you know what, that is okay.
Granted Vanessa Seward isn’t going to call to do styling for a brand launch with flowers, or some big, fill-in-the-blank tech company for an over the top company party. But that is ok. Hotel’s don't have seemingly endless budgets for decor…you get my point.
The truth is I left San Francisco for many reasons, one was that I had made EVERY mistake a small business owner could and then some. I think I as running away from burn-out and away from my mistakes, if I am being honest. My business was a mess and so was I, it was a really dark time.
My time living in Vermont has been about healing, refocusing and untangling past mistakes. As I am about to launch into my second full wedding season here, I am certain every mistake, mis-step, wrong turn truly was for a reason. I have never been happier to have learned so much from what at the time I though were failures.
Just a little course correction and untangling, folks! Vermont, you have been a wonderful place to regroup!
