Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhachel Stevens.
Hi Rhachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started out working with my mother-in-law 26 years ago at her flower shop we first did faux flowers and then she moved to fresh and through years I kept learning learning new tricks and tips and techniques, I never really thought it would turn into anything I was just helping. I was able to do my own side hustle after her shop closed to make some extra cash but after her shop closed I always had people asking me to do their flowers for dances, weddings, funerals or special occasions they would tell me how different my arrangements were from everyone else’s and how much they loved them and how much the stood out from the others, and that’s when I kinda realized maybe I’m good at this stuff. I really didn’t think it would go anywhere but after doing them out of my house for 5 years I took a leap and opened up my own shop. And here we are. It’s not just the flowers I love though I love the boutique side of it just as much I love finding the perfect items and unique gifts and fun new idea like our hat bar and charm bar as well. I have been so lucky to do something I love for these last few years and after making a side hustle a full time job even though it’s challenging it’s so much better then having a “real job”!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No not at all so before everything got started and after my mother in laws shop closed I would work my “real job” trying to make ends meet I did just about everything a dental assistant, mail carrier and mail clerk and then come home to the side hustle and my 3 kids, I was just keeping it going enough to get a little money on the side and stay in touch with the floral community just in case I ever got the opportunity to open my own shop. My husband was struggling with addictions at the time and money trouble was our middle name so anything I could do to keep going was what I did. Then 4 years ago someone came to me and asked me to open a shop with them and do the floral side of things and help manage it for her and I was ecstatic so I quit my good paying job to follow my dreams, Well after I had taught her what I knew about flowers, things went kinda south and she started cutting me out of it, I was devastated, but I put my big girl pants on and quit, learned from it, don’t believe everyone has good intentions and 2 months later opened my own shop, and now I’m doing what I love and what I want to do with it. I am able to show off my creativity anyway I’d like and give to whoever I want and it has been an awesome opportunity, so it was all for the better and my husband got clean and has helped me every step of the way which is another story!!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Thistle & Honey is a flower and gift boutique. We offer customized unique floral arrangements for any occasion and we have a hide variety of unique gifts for everyone. I have been in the floral business for 26 years and have learned and am still learning so many fun techniques. What I have been known for is my dance/ prom flowers they are what florists dread most and I admit after doing 90 in one night and mist part of the early morning it’s a lot but we love to put our special spin and design on each one to make sure each one is special, not to say we haven’t had a few mishaps but it’s kind-of a given in this area of flowers. My other speciality has been sympathy arrangements these ones are my favorite. We love to get a feel for who the person was and what they liked and make it personal and unique to them we don’t have standard arrangements that we do, we never do the same one over and over we make each one unique and tailored to that person, in all our arrangements not just sympathy ones. To me it’s a final tribute for that person and the last thing you get to do for them so I like to make sure it is as personal and beautiful as we can possibly make it.
We also have been lucky enough to do weddings which in Utah is different we get a lot of DIYer’s but we still like to make sure whatever your budget is we are sure to make your day special. We are hoping for those luxury weddings but small towns really aren’t the scene for them until then we make each one we do as big and beautiful as we can!
I am proud that we have made thistle & honey in to an amazing shop that has healthier options most of our products are all natural, we try to stay away from toxic candles and scents and choose more natural options for everything.
We encourage other small business owners and entrepreneurs to go for it, we do consignment for other local artisans so they can be sure to make their talent noticed. We are all about encouraging everyone to do what they love and to show off their talents and skills I just want everyone to succeed and do good in life it makes me so sad when there is so much negativity and jealousy out there for businesses. Everyone should just support everyone and make everyone millionaires lol or just pay the bills is fine too.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
As I said in the previous story I quit my full time good paying job with benefits to risk it all and start a company that we had no idea would succeed and still don’t. Rural Utah, Sanpete county is such a hard place for businesses to succeed so many people try businesses and then go out of business so often, so it was even scarier knowing this happens so often in this area. I don’t know what it is but you can offer them the same product and same price and they would rather drive 2 hours to buy it up north them to buy it from you. It’s so hard to get the communities support, We give away arrangements and people won’t even put in for them it’s so odd but we are still trying to find are niche and hoping to bring more community events and support the other local businesses. Our area is growing so much which is good but also sad in a way. We hope we can make it for a little while longer! So in short, yes! take the risk live your dream why wait? Don’t wait till everything lines up perfect do what you love now, things will fall it to place and if it doesn’t then learn from it and try again because you don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring you!
Pricing:
- We offer floral arrangements for any budget! I never want to turn away someone who may need a pick me up for the day
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thistle-honey.com
- Instagram: Thistle.honeyfloral
- Facebook: Thistle&Honey
