We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Zuber a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Courtney , looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I get my work ethic from my parents. Both of my parents are hard workers. Growing up with two parents who are entrepreneurs my siblings and I all learned the importance of working hard.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Howdy! My name is Courtney Zuber and I’m the owner of Cone Flower Designs and Simplee Cone. Cone Flower Designs opened in 2018 and we specialize in custom wedding and event florals. I graduated from Texas A&M University in 2018, and opened my business a month later. It’s grown so much in five years!
Simplee Cone was created and launched just before the 2020 Covid shutdown. Simplee Cone specializes in predesigned collections at a lower price point. We created this company so anyone could purchase fresh florals from us, not only for their wedding but for a birthday, anniversary, graduation party, etc. The possibilities are endless!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think many things have been impactful to my business journey, but the first three that come to mind are being motivated and driven, being organized, and obviously having knowledge about flowers and floral design.
It probably goes without saying but, in order to be a successful event florist you need to have a vast amount of knowledge about flowers and floral design. You also need to have an eye and talent for floral design. Much more goes into floral design that what the average person might think. There are many things that factor into floral design. You have to consider the mechanics of the items you are designing with, the composition of the design, and the ability of the flowers to last after being out of water or being exposed to warm or cold weather.
Being organized has been extremely helpful as well. In our studio we often do several different events in one week so we have to be meticulous about the way we keep the floral proposals and the products organized. We have a very elaborate coloring coding system that is key to our success, especially during the busy season! I have to be very organized out of the studio as well. Keeping organized records for finances and taxes is something that every business has to do well in order to remain successful.
Lastly I think my drive and motivation have been hugely impactful to my journey! I am constantly learning and growing as a designer and a business owner. I am passionate about what I do and I am motivated to think of new ways to serve my clients and further my growth and my companies.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My family has been the most helpful in overcoming challenges. They’ve been my biggest support system when it comes to being successful. My parents are entrepreneurs and have been for a very long time, their knowledge and skills about running a business in general is unmatched. They know so much more about business than I thought possible. I also have close friends and mentors that are in the wedding industry who I go to for advice and knowledge on specific industry topics when I might not know everything about it. Since we opened in 2018 making relationships and having friends in every aspect is so important. I cherish my friendships I’ve created because you never know when you might have a questions and need to ask someone who knows more about a specific topic than you do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.coneflowerdesigns.com
- Instagram: @coneflowerdesigns
- Facebook: @coneflowerdesigns
- Other: Sister company Simplee Cone website: www.simpleecone.com
Image Credits
Becca Paige Photography Helo Photography Robyn Dawn April Mae Creative Photography Rebecca Tripp Photography Lacey Seymour Photography Kennedy Miller Photo
