We recently connected with Daphne Anderson and have shared our conversation below.
Daphne, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
As a nurse who worked during the pandemic, I realized it was time to pursue a new career path that aligned with my personal passions. I returned to graduate school, earned an MBA, and made the bold decision to build a business rooted in what I love most: flowers. I love to grow, photograph, draw, cook, anything with flowers. But what did I want to do with flowers?
In the summer of 2022, my brother was unexpectedly killed in an accident. I was devastated. My husband saw how debilitating this loss was in my life. He is also an engineer and remembered how much I loved to press flowers. He made me a custom flower press and was hopeful it would quell my grief. What it did was ignite a fire within in me. One press, turned into two, then three. From the day I received that press, I was officially introduced to my purpose. This singular gesture from my husband created a cascade of events that has led to me life filled with both passion and purpose.
I don’t think you find your purpose; I think it finds you. What made it resonate for me was complete surrender. I capitulated my career as a nurse and immersed myself into the world of flower pressing. I haven’t looked back and have no regrets.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Professionally, I began my career in New York City working for Steve Madden. Creatively, I blossomed in this entrepreneurial environment. Living in NYC, in many ways, laid the foundation for Vancuterie’s evolution. I loved living and working in the city but always missed my family and the magic of the Pacific Northwest.
I moved back to Washington and in strange twist of events, I wound up in nursing school, specializing in emergency medicine and forensics. I still maintain an active forensic nursing practice and can be found time to time, working as a school nurse at the Washington State School for the Blind.
While cultivating my creative spirit, I began developing a business framework incorporating my artistic skills, floral acumen, and a love for life built around flowers. I identified a lack of professional flower pressers in the United States. I took that information and capitalized on my creative background. I started Vancuterie in the fall of 2023.
Vancuterie is a fully operational flower pressing studio located in Vancouver, WA. Bridal bouquet preservations are our specialty. Our focus is on full scale petal reconstruction and color correction. This is an important distinction and what demonstrates our discipline and commitment to the craft. We are traditional Japanese flower pressers, and it shows in our craftsmanship, quality, experience, and how we can individually approach each preservation and framing. We are among the finest purveyors of floral preservation art in the United States.
We have recently expanded our menu of services and now offer resin add-ons including ornaments, jewelry, candlestick holders, keys chains, magnets, and vanity trays.
With the roll out of our new website, I am pleased to announce the Flower Presser Academy. When I first began my flower pressing business, there weren’t any reliable sources to get information. You had to depend on 10 second reels and posts from social media or outdated books. It was an unending, uphill battle of trying to get information. I was surprised at the lack of educational tools available and disappointed at the level of gatekeeping from other artists.
I developed this program to help emerging preservation artists hone their technique. In addition, we now offer an intensive 3-day program that will help you create a sustainable and profitable business model. You will learn the essentials of starting your flower pressing business, setting up an efficient workspace, client engagement and marketing, pricing strategies, business foundations, and you will begin to master advanced floral art and design techniques.
In 2025, Vancuterie has partnered with the Growing Kindess Project and will be working on an online flower pressing class with their members. We have quadrupled sales in over a year and have plans to expand in the upcoming year.
I am so elated with the success of Vancuterie since its inception. I never had a job I loved and now I own a business I treasure. Life is curious path!
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?
Perseverance, determination, and discipline.
For anyone who is early on in their journey, they can’t lose sight of the goal. No matter how small the step, each day must be spent working towards your goal. The discipline you develop now is essential to your professional and personal growth. You are going to be told “this won’t work” or “this isn’t a real job” or “stop messing around”. Your family and friends won’t see this as a step in the right direction, they will see it as a mistake. You have to ignore the naysayers. You have to accept that before you are successful, there will be many failures. Those too are an integral part of the process.
Every week I write down a list of achievements and a list of things I need to work on. I am constantly assessing and reevaluating what I can do make my business and work more innovative and stylized. When you see how much you have accomplished, task by task. It can be highly motivating.
Don’t let other people hijack your dreams because they lack the initiative or bravery to start something on their own. Drown out the noise and focus on what living a life with passion means to you!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The biggest challenge in my business is helping people fully understand the art of flower pressing and its value. While many can imagine the concept, they often don’t realize how timely and complex the flower pressing process is and they can’t visualize turning a 3-dimensional object into a 2-dimensional object. They are unaware that they can transform their sentimental flowers into a lasting work of art.
My goal is to bridge that gap through education, collaboration, and interactive experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vancuterie.com/
- Instagram: @vancuterielove
- Facebook: @Vancuterie
- Other: TikTok: @vancuterie
Image Credits
Daphne Anderson, MBA, BSN, RN, BS-Psy, SANE-A, OR-SANE
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
