Georgia Martin
Introducing our most recent JB gal. Georgia Martin. Georgia is the one stylish half of Tamarama's gorgeous florist MyFlowerMan. If you haven't been lucky enough to visit this little gem it is filled with an amazing selection of seasonal flowers and greenery, combined with a curated selection of gorgeous homewares and delicious coffee. We were lucky enough to spend the afternoon with Georgia and discuss floristry, small business and fashion!
Wearing Safari Shirt and Oasis Trousers
How did you get into floristry?
The business was started by Kieran (Birchall) as a small floral delivery concept, He originally only delivered flowers on Friday whilst working full-time in the corporate world. The business quickly expanded and I came on board full time just over 2 years ago. I learnt very much on the job. Neither of us have formal florist training and we have taught ourselves along the way. Our style and aesthetic is very relaxed and natural so we keep it simple and don’t over do it.
Wearing Liberty Dress
What elements of running MyFlowerMan are you mainly across? And what parts do you enjoy the most?
I originally was just across the communications, social media and events, however now I’m across all areas of the business. Any small business owner I’m sure will understand the juggle of all the hats. You really are everything from customer service, branding, accountant ha.
Wearing Natasha Maxi Dress
Do you think coming from a fashion and PR background has helped you with MyFlowerMan?
Yeah I think originally my contacts and friends in the industry allowed MyFlowerMan to grow and gain exposure.
The coffee and homewears element of MyFlowerMan is quite unique for a florist; do you think it has helped the business grow?
Yeah. We both always loved the idea of having a space that we felt was more dynamic and offered an experience to our customers. When we found our current shop space, it lent itself so well to a coffee element and homewares were a logical expansion to the flowers as we do lots of gifting and work with interiors.
Wearing Olivia Trousers and Nancy Ribbed Tee
How did COVID affect your business and how did you have to adjust?
At the start we were very apprehensive like so many. We had only been in the new space for about 6months so it was scary, but being able to safely operate the entire time has allowed us to continue to grow. We actually feel like we have met so many more people in our community and created stronger relationships as most are working from home or staying in the area so we have more contact day-to-day. And also people are wanting to reach out and send messages and love when they can’t physically be together so that has been very uplifting to be part of that. We feel very grateful that we adapted and could continue to operate fairly seamlessly.
Wearing Safari Shirt and Oasis Trousers
Is sustainability an issue in the Florist industry? How do you implement sustainability into the running of MyFlowerMan?
Yes like so many industries it needs much more discussion and action around what we can do as an entire supply chain to be more sustainable.
Sustainability is an element that we try to consider and implement across all areas of our business. We aren’t completely sustainable, I think that is a real buzz word at the moment and I never want to contribute to more confusion surrounding it. But we certainly do our bit and it’s very much front of mind for our business model.
Wearing Olivia Trousers and Nancy Ribbed Tee
Does your sustainable mindset towards floristry cross over into fashion? How would you describe your personal style?
Yes I feel really passionate that I can have a voice and hopefully make a small difference with the choices I’m given as an individual. When it comes to fashion I guess I just keep it simple - information is key so like flowers I try to know where my clothing was made, who by and using what materials. Quality over quantity and natural or recycled materials are my main aim.
Wearing Natasha Maxi Dress
What does the future hold for MyFlowerMan? Do you see it expanding further into home wears or coffee?
Yes we have grown the business organically and each move is very considered. There are lots of areas I would like to move into, so certainly watch this (little) space.