Blossom into a meaningful biz
It all starts with a seed. Rachel-Louise and I were sipping on hot Chai Latte's after our Oak + Pine mastermind meeting when a curious topic came up.
As the founder of The Garden Collective, Rachel-Louise Aguila creates individualized luxury floral experiences for your home, garden and special events.
"...but, I don't want to force my religious beliefs on people," Rachel-Louise said as she swayed with her bright-eyed baby girl Riley. I was taken back by her comment because a few moments earlier, our conversation was full of openness about faith in her biz. So I paused and said, "this is who you are as a person and business owner."
“I found myself in the garden when I was going through dark times”
There's no clear divide between your personal and professional lives as an entrepreneur -- your values are rooted in your biz. If the two are separated, the desire will evaporate, and the biz of your dreams will never come to life.
It’s all one big metaphor. Inspiration is everywhere, and if you slow down enough to see it. You have the desire to start a business, but that will only get you so far. For Rachel-Louise, planting the seed is more than just a cheeky way to say she's growing a biz.
"I found myself in the garden when I was going through dark times," she said. "It was a tough season for my family and health." In 2017 Rachel-Louise fell into a depression where she sought solace in the garden and her faith. Her best friend's baptismal and mother's birthday party took her comfort in the garden to the next level.
She hand-picked flowers and YouTube'd how to make a lei po'o. That's when her seed bloomed into a meaningful biz.
“ I wanted to make sure that my business honored God because He blessed me with these hands and gave me this passion for creating with His flowers and foliage.”
What’s the meaning behind The Garden Collective brand name?
Before becoming The Garden Collective, my business was called Alohaku. I was specializing in only haku lei po’o at the time and didn’t expect myself to do anything more than just that. Two years later, I knew it was time for me to rebrand when I saw growth in the products and services I was offering. I also realized I had a passion for inspiring others to work with their hands and to educate through my floral classes. When I created The Garden Collective, I knew that my ultimate goal was to be more than a flower shop. I knew that I wanted my business to be a go to spot for individualized home, garden and special event products and services. I remembered how my biz started and how I found comfort in the garden in one of the most depressing times of my life. I wanted to make sure that my business honored God because He blessed me with these hands and gave me this passion for creating with His flowers and foliage. So, on my second year anniversary, The Garden Collective was born! With my business, the Garden is associated with where everything started... this life, The Garden Collective and my relationship with Jesus.
What was it like to become a full-time entrepreneur?
I had a ton of support leaving my 9-5 to focus on my biz full time. From old time friends to the sisters I’ve made through Oak+Pine. My biggest supporter was my other half. Everyday he would remind me of “my why” and held my hand the entire way. However, it was still very scary to leave the stability of a 9-5 job for my flower business. I knew my parents thought I was crazy for ending my medical career and pretty much throwing out a bunch of degrees for something I had zero education in. Getting past the judgment from loved ones was hard at one point but I was reminded of why I chose to pursue my business full time and again, it was my faith in Jesus. I knew whole heartedly that this was what He wanted me to do and I was going to be obedient in my walk. I had to abandon the thoughts of pleasing everyone and focus on pleasing Him then it got easier to say goodbye to my old job and hello to being a full time floral designer for The Garden Collective.
Did you hold any reservations in tying your faith to your biz?
Yes. It took me a while to be “myself” on Instagram. I was battling with thoughts of just making my business just about business & not sharing much personally (bad idea lol). I wanted to stop copying and pasting cheesy quotes on my posts and be more transparent with my audience. I started to use my Instagram feed as a little diary to share my experiences with keeping my business Christ centered and I’ve had such heartwarming messages from other business owners and women! I’ve learned that Jesus needs to be the center of everything in my life... business, personal, everything. He has allowed me to use this platform to share what God has done in my life and for The Garden Collective.
Share a time when you doubted the growth of your biz. How did you overcome it?
It was my first collaborative event that made me feel a little discouraged about the growth of my business. I remember inviting a few other business owners to showcase their products at my lei po’o class. I invited everyone and anyone to come to this event and I think only 10 people came, with my family and in-laws being the majority. I was so bummed and felt like a failure. My other half quickly reminded me to focus on the good, and that there will be more events with more people and more genuine support. Fast forward to the launch of The Garden Collective in February 2020, a few females from my church put together a GALentines day event where I got to teach fifty something people to do what started it all: lei po’o. A few days later, I booked more private classes with groups of ten or more! And no, they weren’t friends or family. These were strangers who wanted to create with their hands or who wanted to make their special events even more special with the help of me! If I had given up after my first event, I wouldn’t have been able to see all of this unfold. Perseverance is key!
“ COVID cleared out the majority of those events and I quickly learned that being your own business owner doesn’t guarantee stability.”
What has been your biggest milestone in your business so far?
Me and my other half have two daughters and a dog who depend on the both of us to provide for the entire family. So, the pandemic was a big milestone. I had a few weddings, private events and educational classes booked for each month in 2020. COVID cleared out the majority of those events and I quickly learned that being your own business owner doesn’t guarantee stability. I didn’t have any guaranteed income and we were dipping into our family saving’s account to pay for bills. The month of May came, my floral vendors were given the okay to open back up and I told myself that I had to get back into the floral hustle. I released my collection of Mother’s Day bouquets and quickly sold out within 24 hours! After Mother’s Day weekend, I was blessed to create flowers for graduates, birthday celebrants and more!
Life is uncertain. But staying true to your roots will give you the strength to keep pushing forward. Rachel-Louise's story is a reminder that our businesses are an extension of who we are. As an entrepreneur, you have the control to shape the world around you.
If you're looking to surround yourself with like-minded women, become an Oak + Pine member when doors open. Leaving the corporate world or creating a biz from your hobby comes with it’s fair share of doubts. The Oak + Pine Society is full of supportive female-entrepreneurs and resources to carry you through your journey. You don't have to do it alone.