Meet Larry Walshe

We recently connected with Larry Walshe and have shared our conversation below.

Larry, 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?

I’m going to be honest…everyone kept telling me when I was young that I needed to decide what I wanted to do with my life and I felt a huge weight and responsibility, largely in the hope of not disappointing my parents, of finding “my purpose”.

When I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, people would tell me that it would come to me, almost like it was a gift that would be delivered to my doorstep so first off, I wanted patiently and hoped for said epiphany to arrive…it didn’t.

In trying to understand what I wanted to do with my life I knew I wanted to express myself; to have a voice. I felt as if there was creativity within me that I wanted to outwardly share. I used to sketch, I was musical, I would appreciate how and what things looked like from an early age but I could never quite put my finger on what “it” was that I really wanted to be passionate about.

As a teenager this was incredibly frustrating. Not only are you trying to understand who you are and what you stand for but now, you’re also trying to fathom out what it is that you have been created to do. In order to try and find clarity, I dipped my toes into many possible careers. I jumped around, never staying in one place for too long and a little like Goldilocks, was constantly on the search for my perfect bowl of porridge. I worked in sales, trained as a dancer, sold houses, sold luxury goods and latterly found myself accidentally working for a prominent catering company in the events sector. It was in this last move that, over the course of my time there, I found myself developing an interest and passion for what events looked like. I felt as though, if I were to create an event, it should be beautiful. So I encouraged my clients to push themselves and take risks. You could say I vicariously lived out some of the parties I would have loved to have thrown for myself using my clients as a vessel for doing so. In this, I invested a lot of my time and energy into trying to make these celebrations the best they could possibly be and I became frustrated when I felt as though I was coming up against roadblocks in the design process that prohibited it being as easy to navigate or as clear as I felt it should be. Ultimately, I felt so passionately about this that I decided if I felt it could be done better, I should go and put my money where my mouth was and do it myself.

I had never thought that flowers would be my medium. As a creative, I was very good at music but my parents had me practicing every day since the age of three so even if I were a prodigy, I didn’t want to do it professionally as that would have been too obvious and would have made them too happy. I toyed with the idea of being a draftsman, only for my father to tell me that absolutely could not happen…I didn’t have the patience…he was probably right!

My father had always been a keen gardener and had told me for many years that one day, his entire library of botanical books would all be mine. I could not have been less interested! I certainly never thought reciting the latin names for an array of flowers at the drop of a hat would be my key skill and yet, here we find ourselves!

For some reason, I was transfixed by the way that floristry, alongside other parts of event design, could transform the whole look and feel of a space. Much like the movies, done well, it has the power to take the audience into another world except this time, it was real. You could touch it. Then after a few hours, it was all gone, as if it had never happened. I found this fascinating.

I never particularly loved flowers per se, but rather the power they had to transform a space through my eyes. When I realised this, sat at my desk with no reason to think today would be the day I would be having a lightbulb moment, it was as though all the advice where people had told me I would “just know” when I had found my purpose, were actually right. This was it. This is how I could express myself. It couldn’t be that hard…could it?!

Never one to sit still, I had my a-ha moment, I had my idea and I immediately worked out how exactly I was going to accomplish my goals. I took annual leave from my paid position, undertook a professional floristry course and upon completion, handed in my notice with my employer. I then sat the very next day at my dining room table with £500 in my bank account with abolsutely no idea how to run a business and set about becoming the best florist in the world.

I have kept that goal with me to this day and have no idea if I have or will ever achieve it, but I spend every working day striving to be the very best at what I do. I am passionate about flowers, about the way they can utterly transform any setting into a magical dreamscape and about realising my clients ideas into the most beautiful reality I know how to create.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

When I started the business, I never imagined or expected for it to become what it is today; I just wanted to express myself creatively and at the same time, hopefully pay the rent!

The brand began life in London and today, this remains our flagship studio. We have since opened studios in Italy and the North America, allowing us to service clients and create events across multiple continents with ease. We are in fact, the first florists and event designers in the world to be truly international. This provides our clients with unparalleled access and confidence that we can deliver, even the most challenging of requests.

Our brand has become known for design excellence; with the spirit of generosity at the core of everything we do. Following a simple rule to be the very best at what we do has kept a keen eye on details, the importance of evolution if we are to develop and grow, and the necessity to provide our clients with a strong value proposition.

To date, we have had the opportunity to work across four continents, creating and producing some of the most discussed events and celebrations on the planet. Our work has been enjoyed by Royal Households, celebrities and some of the world’s most discerning brands, each seeking a new and refreshing approach to event design.

In the latest evolution of the brand, in late 2024 we launched Elite Furniture Hire, which brings a fresh and design-driven approach to furniture hire for live events. Based in the UK, it services clients throughout Europe.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I have always had confidence in my own abilities; even if others didn’t necessarily fully agree at the time! I believe it is vital to standby what you know and to be willing to speak out if you know you know the answer. If you don’t have the confidence to sell your own product or service, why would anyone want to buy it? It doesn’t matter if others don’t believe in you from the outset; as long as you do, you will in turn win them over.

I believe it is equally important to stay true to what you stand for. As a creative, this may be a your own signature style or a particular taste level. As a service provider, it may be a particular way you feel that something should be done or a moral outlook you hold close. Remaining clear about what you stand for and being consistent will allow you to build an audience that aligns with your views and in turn, create a pool of customers that will want to buy what you are offering.

It is incredibly important when building any brand to remain resilient. Creating something from nothing takes time. It won’t happen right away even if you are amazing at what you do. I have always believed I was just as good at my job when I first started than I am today; I just have more proof now which I can share with prospective clients so they do not feel as if they are taking a risk.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I am of the belief that if you feel passionately about something or you want to achieve something, you should go all in to make it happen. Ultimately, if you cannot afford to fail, you can’t fail…right?! Now, I’m not sure how accurate that actually is a statement and I appreciate that I am somewhat risk tolerant in my outlook but I do believe that if you are good at something or have a particular skill, use it. Look analytically at what it is you want to achieve and define the steps that must be taken in order to reach that goal. Nothing is impossible.

If some of the steps require a skillset you do not possess, you have two choices. Learn that skill, or bring someone into your orbit that already has and can assist you. I always believe it is amazing just how resourceful one can be and the things that we do when we have absolutely nothing in order to reach our goals.

When I first started, I created my first wedding at my dining room table. I had very little clue what I was doing and aside from making a whole host of mistakes, I also made an incredible mess! I learnt very quickly that this wouldn’t be sustainable so I borrowed a garage space to store equipment and quickly made this into my first, very non-client-facing studio. I bartered services from other vendors to create a portfolio, a website and even a brand logo. Then, over the years, as the business operation has grown, we have refined our appearance, our offering and our processes into a fully-functional, actually sustainable business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.larrywalshe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larrywalshe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/larrywalshefloraldesign