Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Drisdelle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rachel , we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I’m not sure if I really found my purpose or if the Universe had a plan for me and told me to buckle up and hang on tight. Every time I thought I had it all figured out either something changed out of my control or I’ve gone through a metamorphosis of sorts and came out different on the other side.
I’ve had a passion for art, writing, and nature from a very young age and the strong desire to create. I convinced myself I couldn’t do art for a living and I went to college thinking I would train horses or work in animal agriculture. But after a bad accident I had to pivot in another direction. Years later, I was studying to become an agriculture teacher and took a floral design class entirely by chance. I was completely hooked after that and did everything I could to get experience in classes and the campus flower shop. It seemed impossible to me to consider another career path when I found something that lit me up and inspired me so much. When COVID happened I was designing wreaths and floral crowns on my living room floor, determined to make it work. When the world opened up again, I decided to take a huge leap and start doing wedding florals, where I was blessed with wonderful clients who let my creativity shine through on their special day.
Now, I’m focused on sustainable floristry, minimizing environmental impacts through supporting local product, fighting against agricultural injustice, and learning more about how flowers can heal both our bodies and our souls. When we give someone flowers, we give them something from nature that is wholly unique, finite, and precious. I can’t get enough of the joy of flowers. Every step I’ve taken in my life, every mistake, every interaction, every second, has lead me to the place that I am now. And the journey continues every day!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Currently I am hosting workshops, working small events like elopements and microweddings, making floral art, and dipping my toes into growing flowers and medicinal plants. I hope to have more fresh flowers to sell in 2025 and expand my local flower subscription service, where I deliver fresh locally grown flowers in my community. Recently, a new flower collective opened called SLO Flower Collective, which is exciting news for local flower lovers and shows that more and more people are caring about where their flowers comes from, who grew them, and the environmental impacts of getting flowers from field to vase.
Something that is not talked about often are the impacts of the cut flower industry. Over 80% of flowers you find in stores or online in the USA are imported from other countries, mostly Colombia and Ecuador. There are huge issues with workers rights, ranging from unsafe working conditions to lack of regulation of pesticide use. You think you’re getting a bouquet of beautiful, harmless flowers from your local grocery store, but what you’re really getting is a product that’s been sprayed with unregulated pesticides, picked by often exploited and underpaid workers, flown into Miami airport, stuffed in plastic, and then stored in a cooler for who knows how long. There are risks to the consumer handling this product and also studied health risks to florists who handle pesticide laden flowers day after day. By buying local flowers, consumers can feel good knowing that the product they are receiving is safe for them and their families, they support their local community, and they’re reducing the environmental impact of the cut flower industry by decreasing transportation miles as well. It’s a win win.
In my opinion, flowers should always be something that is beautiful, safe to handle, and feel 100% GOOD to give as a gift and enjoy. Flowers are a wholesome expression of love and thoughtfulness and everyone deserves to have access to them.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I’ve found that three qualities that have really helped me are: flexibility, resilience, and being humble. I’ve had to be flexible multiple times throughout my career when things have unexpectedly changed. Instead of wallowing or worrying, just roll with it and trust that you’ll end up where you’re supposed to be. For resilience, I tend to get overwhelmed when a task seems huge or intimidating. My dad always used to say “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time” which is a silly saying but has helped me get through some overwhelming situations. One step at a time and if needed, evaluate, and pivot. And lastly, being humble and recognizing that there is so much to learn! Even though I spend a lot of time learning more about my craft, I can always learn more and learn from others.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
Earlier this year I experienced some health setbacks that really changed the outlook of the year. I felt like I just got into a really good rhythm with wedding work and then suddenly it wasn’t working for me anymore and I had to turn down quite a few larger events, including one that was my absolute dream. It’s been tough having to take a step back and not get sucked into the comparison game or get lost in imposter syndrome. Ironically, letting go and tuning inward are things I’ve struggled with my whole life and that’s what I’m having to really focus on now. At first I was upset at having to slow down but then I realized hey, I have an opportunity to really dial in my business and make it something that works well for me and my life. It’s all worked out in a beautiful way as soon as I let everything else go, there was room for what truly works for me and I’m happy where I’m at now!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.oakfloraldesign.com/
- Instagram: oak_floraldesign
- Facebook: oak_floraldesign
Image Credits
Nadine Wendorff
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