Steph Douglas communicate to Business Matters approximately what led her to create the present agency Don’t Buy Her Flowers.
What do you presently do at ‘Don’t Buy Her Flowers’ I released the commercial enterprise in 2014. We ship considerate present applications for all occasions, to provide a few TLC and to inspire the recipient to take a piece of time for themselves. We additionally guide a developing variety of company customers searching out presents that say a piece greater than the same old hampers, for worker engagement and rewards, customers and launches.
What became the foundation at the back of your commercial enterprise?
When I had my first baby, I obtained 8 bunches of flowers. They have been manifestly properly meant, however it struck me as weird that the go-to present became any other element to care for, whilst you’re doing greater being concerned than you’ve ever achieved on your existence.
I determined the ones preliminary weeks overwhelming and emotional and what I virtually wanted became a person to simply inform me it’d be adequate and perhaps provide me a piece of TLC. From then on whilst a chum had a baby, I commenced sending applications with treats for them. A magazine, chocolate, a mini gin – not anything big, however simply followed with phrases of encouragement. Their response became constantly so unnecessarily grateful, and it made me curious as to why a person wasn’t doing that.
It became after my 2d maternity depart once I virtually couldn’t shake the concept and mixed with thinking how my function at paintings became going to suit with own circle of relatives existence, I commenced to get curious approximately the concept of going for walks my personal commercial enterprise.
I commenced a weblog as a piece of a stepping stone, writing truely approximately motherhood and relationships, and the achievement of that advised me that different human beings felt like me – crushed and a piece lost – and acknowledgement of these emotions virtually helped me connect to human beings.
I released as presents for brand new mums some months later and in no time determined clients desired to ship our applications for an entire host of reasons – constantly to provide TLC, however for birthdays, bereavement, paintings presents etc. Just over seven years on we have 20+ employees, have upsized our warehouse and feature happily had loads of achievement for the duration of the pandemic.
We have been very lucky that our product flawlessly resonated with human beings for the duration of a time whilst human beings desired to attach and guide every different and couldn’t bodily be collectively. It became daunting at first, as the whole thing became unknown and at factors we have been 600% up at the preceding yr so a large task operationally, however the crew have been exquisite at pulling collectively and we added to the demand.
Now in 2022 we’re in a incredible spot as we’ve been capable of make investments returned into the commercial enterprise to shield and construct on our foundations, in each the crew and infrastructures including the inventory control system. We have a glittery new internet site we’re virtually pleased with and plenty of recent merchandise and services to return back this yr.
Who do you admire?
Lots of human beings encourage me in commercial enterprise and out of doors of commercial enterprise. We simply released the Don’t Buy Her Flowers podcast in which I’m talking to splendid human beings – psychologists, experts, and ladies who’re carving out their personal lives amid this ‘rush hour’ of households and paintings and existence, now no longer to say the pandemic.
I’ve achieved a very good quantity of paying attention to and studying Glennon Doyle and Brene Brown, who’re each instrumental in main the communication round equality withinside the home, which determines how we live on and thrive in commercial enterprise too. It’s a subject I’m virtually passionate approximately, as I need ladies like myself to return back collectively and proportion mind and thoughts round how we are able to craft a existence that works higher than it has withinside the past.
My foremost message is that we are able to’t do the whole thing we did earlier than whilst we’re main or going for walks businesses, consequently conversations begin at home. There’s additionally loads of communication round vulnerability, and that’s now no longer some thing that has been related to commercial enterprise and management withinside the past, however surely ought to be.
Looking returned, is there some thing you’ll have achieved differently?
I’ve found out a lot and retain to achieve this all of the time. The hardest, maximum tough instances are honestly whilst you study the maximum, so I don’t suppose it’d assist to extrade them. I love having a crew – in maximum instances I possibly ought to have introduced human beings in only barely sooner. Especially once I appearance returned at packing packing containers on my knees in my spare room – I had small children at that time, I became doing each function withinside the commercial enterprise and a person advised me to get assist with the packing, that my time wasn’t fine spent doing that. They have been totally proper and I’ve determined that with every hire, it offers me and the relaxation of the crew room to suppose, develop and deliver.
What defines your manner of doing commercial enterprise?
The commercial enterprise became based due to a want to attach, recognize and guide human beings regularly once they want it maximum. These are the values that run thru the commercial enterprise internal and out. The pandemic honestly clarified how crucial speaking with the crew is, however particularly in regards to their wellbeing. Everyone became going thru some thing – feeling anxious, involved for his or her households and cherished ones, worried approximately the virus – and I found out lots approximately what I need our way of life to be.
