Story & Lesson Highlights with Sami Schmidt of Green Bay, WI

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Sami Schmidt. Check out our conversation below.

Hi Sami, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I’m walking a path—but it isn’t a straight one, and it isn’t borrowed from anyone else. I can see the traditional route to building a successful business, and I understand the structures that make it work. But I’ve never believed success has to look linear.

Instead of staying on the paved trail, I move parallel to it—building as I go, adjusting to the terrain, and creating something that fits the landscape I’m actually in. I’m not wandering without direction; I’m choosing to design my own path while staying grounded in what works. That balance—between structure and intuition—is where my best work happens.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sami Schmidt, and I’m the owner and operator of Daisy’s Bloom Bar—a mobile floral studio built inside a restored 1969 Dodge flower truck named Daisy. What started as a love for flowers quickly grew into a larger commitment to community, storytelling, and creating spaces where people feel seen.

Daisy’s Bloom Bar focuses on locally sourced florals, thoughtful design, and meaningful experiences—from pop-ups and workshops to weddings and community events. The work is rooted in collaboration, especially with women-owned and queer-owned businesses, and in showing that small businesses can be both beautiful and intentional.

What makes my work unique isn’t just the truck—it’s the way I build. I’m interested in creating experiences, not transactions, and in growing a business that reflects my values just as much as it does my creativity. Right now, I’m focused on expanding those experiences, building sustainable offerings for the slower seasons, and continuing to carve out space for connection, joy, and belonging through flowers.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Before the world told me who I had to be, I was a free spirit. I didn’t worry about fitting in or being palatable—I just created. I spent my childhood in the dirt, building a mud kitchen, pulling weeds and greens to make tiny bouquets, and learning through my hands.

I was the tomboy in a dress, playing with the boys and moving easily between worlds before I knew there were rules about where I was supposed to belong. That early freedom—being curious, creative, and unafraid to get messy—still shapes everything I do today.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
The most defining wounds of my life come from generational trauma and the loss of family due to homophobia. Becoming estranged from my parents and siblings over a decade ago forced me to grow up quickly and learn how to survive without the safety nets many people take for granted.

That experience shaped how I build my business. Being hyper-independent taught me how to create from nothing, but healing taught me something more important: how to create with others. Daisy’s Bloom Bar is rooted in chosen family, collaboration, and building spaces where people feel safe, welcomed, and valued—because I know firsthand what it means to lose that sense of belonging.

Healing hasn’t meant forgetting the past; it’s meant translating it into intention. The strength I gained shows up in how I partner with others, how I lead with empathy, and how I design experiences that center connection over transaction. My business isn’t separate from my healing—it’s one of the places where that healing continues to unfold.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is real—but it’s not the whole picture. No one’s public presence can fully capture their inner life, and I don’t think authenticity requires total exposure.

What people see is how I show up: how I connect, how I work, and how I lead my business. That part is genuinely me. What they don’t always see are the behind-the-scenes moments—the stress, the setbacks, or the emotional weight that comes with running a business where I wear every hat. I choose not to share everything, not because it isn’t real, but because discernment is part of integrity.

I aim to be honest without being performative. My business isn’t built on complaining or spectacle—it’s built on resilience, care, and consistency. So while the public version may be a softer edit, it’s still truthful. It’s the version that serves the work, the community, and the values I want my business to reflect.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes. As business owners, we’re taught to chase sold-out events and full sell-throughs, and on paper that kind of success looks perfect. I’ve had moments where we achieved exactly that—and it still left me uneasy.

At one event in Milwaukee, we sold out in under two hours. I was grateful, proud, and energized—but I also felt a surprising sense of loss. The lines were long, the pace was frantic, and I realized I’d traded the very thing that fuels my work: connection. Instead of slowing down to talk with people about their experience, I was focused on moving the line and keeping up.

That moment clarified something important for me. I don’t just want growth—I want meaningful growth. Success without connection isn’t fully satisfying, and that realization now shapes how I design events, scale the business, and define what “enough” really means.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Ashly Marie Photo Co.

https://www.instagram.com/ashlymarie_photoco_?igsh=ZnhvcXF0Y3F3eGFz

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AK18bpTKe/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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