We recently connected with Ali Nicolas and have shared our conversation below.
Ali, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
For most of my life I have been a friendly and outgoing person (minus the mornings spent crying at kindergarten drop-off, sorry Mom! 😆). During adolescence and young adulthood I tried to portray an air of confidence, but like many elder millennials entering adulthood in the early naughts, self-esteem was more elusive. The beginnings of air brushing in magazines, unrealistic body image standards and the rise of the internet and social media placed intense expectations on women. Looking back, I really struggled with self esteem. I’d say my confidence really started to gain traction after becoming a mother. Motherhood has been one of the hardest journeys but has taught me so much about being resilient, flexible, and grateful. I recently had my third child and when I think back to how much I have grown personally and professionally, I am really proud of myself and my achievements.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Ali Nicolas, and I’m a floral preservation artist and the founder of P.Etal.Preserves. I started my business in 2023 after spending five years at home raising my two young sons. Before that season of life, I worked in museum education and in trade sales for a luxury interiors brand, so creativity and design have always been a part of my life. But after becoming a mom, I found myself craving a creative outlet that I could manage from home while still being fully present for my children.
The real spark for my business came from something deeply personal. When my grandmother passed away, I saved some of her memorial flowers and pressed them to turn into gifts for my family. That one project made me fall in love with the idea of capturing meaningful moments through nature. I realized how emotional and powerful it can be to turn flowers (especially flowers tied to important memories) into something lasting. That experience led me to dive deeper, experiment more, and eventually open P.Etal.Preserves.
Since then, my work has grown far beyond framed artwork. I now create pressed-flower home décor, cards and paper goods, jewelry, and other keepsakes. Every single piece is made with real flowers with no printed images or replicas. This means I can’t mass-produce anything, but that’s honestly one of my favorite things about this craft. Each piece has its own personality, its own story, and its own imperfections that make it special.
What I love most is getting to play a small part in someone’s life story. The custom projects are where I feel that connection the most. I’ve been doing a lot more of them recently including wedding bouquet preservation, memorial flower keepsakes, and even sentimental garden blooms. One of my recent favorites was from a client who had nurtured a peony plant that originated in her grandmother’s garden and wanted to preserve some of the special blooms. Being able to preserve something with that much personal history felt like such an honor.
At the heart of my work is the simple joy of preserving nature so that people can enjoy it long after the flowers would have faded. It’s a mix of art, memory, and the natural world, and I love that it’s something people connect with on such a personal level.
You can explore my work online at www.petalpreserves.com, find me at art markets around New England, or spot my pieces in several local boutique gift shops. I’m always experimenting, expanding, and dreaming up new ideas, so there’s plenty more to come.
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’d say the three things that have helped me most in building my business are my background in customer service, my interpersonal skills, and my love of creative expression. Those all came together in a really natural way once I started P.Etal.Preserves. Having extensive customer service experience has been such an asset, especially at in-person markets. I’ve found that when I can speak genuinely and confidently about my work, it creates a great dialogue with visitors to my booth. My interpersonal skills help me connect with customers on a personal level, which is so important when you’re creating pieces tied to someone’s memories or meaningful life moments. And of course, my love of creativity is what keeps me inspired and excited to keep experimenting and growing as an artist.
Talking about my process and the meaning behind my pieces feels natural to me, and I think that openness helps people feel more connected to the work. When you can explain what you do in a way that’s both confident and heartfelt, it invites people into your world; and, that connection often becomes the spark that leads to a sale or a custom project.
For anyone just starting out with marketing or selling their art, one of the best things you can do is create a short “elevator speech” about your work. Think about how you’d describe what you make, why you make it, and what makes it stand out. It doesn’t need to be rehearsed or perfect; just a simple, honest introduction to your art. The more you practice talking about your creative process and the meaning behind it, the easier it becomes, and the more comfortable you’ll feel engaging with customers.
People love buying from artists who truly care about their craft. When you share your passion, your personality, and a bit of your story, it helps customers feel connected; not just to the piece they’re buying, but to you. And that kind of connection is what really builds a loyal audience over time.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to grow the wedding preservation aspect of my business and am always looking for florists to collaborate with. I would love to be able to be the go to preservationist florists recommend to their clients.
I am also always looking for folks to collaborate with on workshops. I have hosted team building and recreational flower pressing workshops that are always a lot of fun!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.petalpreserves.com
- Instagram: @p.etal.preserves
- Facebook: P.Etal.Preserves
Image Credits
Ali Nicolas
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