We were lucky to catch up with Darian Araiza-Samples recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Darian, so happy to have you with us today and there is so much we want to ask you about. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others developed certain skills or qualities that we are struggling with can be helpful. Along those lines, we’d love to hear from you about how you developed your ability to take risk?
Growing up, most people who knew me wouldn’t have labeled me as a risk taker. I was a very cautious child— I wouldn’t speak until I had knew I was going to speak well. I wouldn’t jump from too high up or leave the comfortable boundaries I was in.
My caution gave way to discipline, then discipline grew into determination. I began having goals bigger than maybe was possible and I worked hard to get to them. Soon, I realized there was no way to reach these big goals without risk. I’ve applied to jobs, fellowships, colleges, beyond what my GPA or experience might say I was qualified for, but have succeeded. I’ve started multiple business with only $250 in my bank account for them then to grow and support me. Now, with my floral business that I co-own with my husband, we take risks all the time and our investment in our future exceeds our fear.
I didn’t always have confidence in the entirety of myself, but I had confidence in my dreams, my passion, and my determination. I am sure enough of my capabilities, and of my support system, to take risks and reach beyond probable into the infinite possible.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a floral designer and poet, I use flowers as a medium for story telling. My background is in creative writing, but my life began to shift as I discovered the joy in creating with florals. Now, I get to create a more tangible art that speaks to our clients’ love stories on one of the most special days of their lives!
Araiza Florals is founded on intentionality. In every placement of a stem, in every communication with our clients, in every design we plan + execute, there is intention. Our style is textural and romantic, always bespoke, and leans on fine art and architectural elements. I love implementing color of all kinds and elevating our couples’s visions beyond what they had dreamed of!
While our main clientele revolves around weddings, we are working on expanding into other areas as well such as editorial events, corporate functions, and set design.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Resourcefulness, a willingness/hunger to learn, and investing in good education. These three all play hand in hand as well!
After bouncing the idea around in my head for a while to open a floral business, I jumped in without a ton of experience or know how, particularly in the business aspect. At the time, I wasn’t sure where to start looking for advice or mentorship, but I got started anyway.
I watched design tutorials and read for hours and hours about LLC’s, taxes, wholesale licenses, etc. I started following floral educators, invested (poorly) in a course from a florist who I thought could teach me a lot but didn’t. I kept searching and found an amazing floral educator to invest in who not only taught me a lot of design skills but truly helped so much in my business and marketing efforts as well.
All entrepreneurs should be investing in education of some kind— it is so important to keep learning even when you are several years into owning a business because the market, the clientele, the trends, the legalities, etc. all shift so much over time. You need to get scrappy, to get hungry to learn and improve, and to put in the work to make sure you are building something for longevity and success.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Our market is currently facing a huge slowing of inquiries. While the wedding industry is expecting these to pick up for a strong 2025, that doesn’t mean that Araiza Florals will be slowing down this year along with the inquiries.
Right now, this means that I am allocating my time a little bit differently by shifting into strengthening our marketing strategies, elevating our client experience, consuming as much education as possible, and overall preparing our business for the growth that I know will be coming.
We still have a full roster of events for this year, but by focusing heavily on our backend work while our inquiries are slower, I am able to bolster our business through and into new eras of success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://araizaflorals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/araizaflorals/
Image Credits
Headshots: Alecia Mathis Photography Column Greenery: Rachel M Photography Moody Arch Couple Photo, Male Runway Photo, + Fireplace Photo: Applehead Photography Retro Disco Ball Photo: Ashley White Photography Grounded Meadow Couple Photo: Audrey Rae Photography Bouquet Photo: Hailey Pierce Photography
