We recently connected with Mercedes MacQueen and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Mercedes, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
Throughout my childhood and young adulthood, I have often found myself as the “odd one out” in many of the spaces I was in. I grew up in a predominately white environment, so I was usually one of the few Black people, and Black women specifically. I was also fortunate to have grown up with a lot of economic privilege, and due to this and my educational background, I was often seen as “too white” to the Black people I would be around. I received the lessons from my parents and grandparents that most young Black children get – that I had to try twice as hard to be seen as even close to equal as my white peers, that I was constantly being judged by white people so I had to always be on my best behavior.
I have always had a bit of a rebellious spirit, so I didn’t always heed this advice, oftentimes not really caring what white people in my presence thought of me. My independent nature, while it definitely gave him a lot of headaches, was also encouraged by my father.
I would say that because of my struggles fitting in various spaces (white spaces, Black spaces, etc.) and the building of my self-confidence during my childhood provided me with the skills and tough skin required to operate and navigate spaces and a world that wasn’t designed for me as a Black woman.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
It has always been a goal of mine to have my own business. Working customer service and human resources for various companies in the past have not fueled me spiritually, as my main motivation in any work I do is to lift people up and bring them happiness. I’ve spent years working for other people, running their businesses. Even though my desire to work for myself had always been a dream, as a single mother I didn’t really have the opportunity to make this jump, so I had to temporarily put my goal to the side so that I could make sure my daughter had all that she needed. However, as she got older, and I met and married my husband, I knew that I had the support I needed to take the risk of starting my own business. I’ve always enjoyed flowers, I grew up helping my parents in the garden, and one of my favorite acts of kindness was receiving a bouquet of flowers. So shortly after the birth of my second child, as I was preparing to enter the workforce again, I talked to my husband about my desire to start a floral design company. He agreed, and told me he’d help with whatever I needed to make it happen. From there I just started designing arrangements, posting them on Instagram, and before my husband could even finish the paperwork of forming an LLC, I got my first contract for a wedding.
The past two years have been a huge learning experience for me. Some of the most amazing aspects of this journey have been meeting and talking with brides about their vision for their wedding flowers and being able to take their dreams to the next level. I’m also constantly thinking about how I can continue to grow and expand Blossoms, and currently my husband and I are working towards branching into not just floral design for weddings, but wholesale farming of cut flowers.
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?
The three qualities and areas of knowledge that have been most impactful for me in this journey have been to never give up on your passion, rely on your support network, and that you are your own competition. Throughout the years, I’ve had many different ideas of things I could do as a business to make money – but am glad I made the choice I made to be a floral designer. Starting a business is extremely difficult and tiring work, and it requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice, and tenacity. I really don’t think I could’ve stuck with it if I wasn’t doing something that I was passionate about. So my advice to others for this is never give up on your passion, plain and simple. If you are starting a business or major project, and you are doing it from a genuine place of love for that business/project, then don’t let anything stop you from seeing it to fruition.
So, even though I just said don’t give up on your passion, there are going to be many many times when you want to. Something fails, doesn’t go as planned, or you’re just tired or anxious that the whole thing will crash and burn. Those are hard emotions to stick it through alone. Relying on your support network, and making sure you have one, is vital for your success. Whether it is asking for professional advice, networking to help get you through a roadblock you don’t have the skills to do yourself, or just offering some unbiased reassurance, your support network is a top priority.
While social media can be an amazing tool, it can also act as a fuel for our anxieties and insecurities. From a business standpoint, we can easily see others out there and compare ourselves to them – why we aren’t getting that gig, or our arrangement using those flowers didn’t look like that!, or whatever it might be. So just remember that you are your only competition. There’s going to be others out there at different points in the journey – comparing yourself to them doesn’t do anyone any good. Learn from those around you, build off them if needed, but at the end of the day the only person you should be comparing yourself to is yourself in your own growth journey. And most importantly, take breaks from social media! It can be easy to get sucked in, but take time away – ask a friend or co-worker to take over your account and delete the apps for a couple weeks.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
My husband. He is not only my business partner, but my biggest cheerleader during this process of building Blossoms. He reminds me daily, implicitly and explicitly, that I am an amazing Black woman, mother, floral designer, wife, and so on, and to not let anyone (including myself!) make me think otherwise. He helps out with some of the business operations on the back end, is always there to give me his opinion when I’m designing arrangements, and does everything else he can to help me out as I am building Blossoms. I don’t think I’d be nearly as far in my journey if it wasn’t for the love, help, and support that I get from my him.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blossomsbymacqueen.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossomsbymacqueen/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mercedes-macqueen-a0b0a1288
Image Credits
Aubrey Sloan Photography Jennifer Syl Photography
