Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Campagna.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I began my career as a Floral Designer about 9 years ago in San Diego, CA where I learned from a number of established and honored designers. From there I moved to the Bay Area continuing my floral education and eventually settled in Boise, ID in 2016.
The business is now rooted deeply in Idaho where we do around 20-30 events each season and offer local deliveries in and around Boise. The business has evolved over the years and is now run out of my personal property where I have an intimate Floral Studio, workspace, and even a small cut garden.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Rust + Thistle is only where it is now with patience, consistency, and some necessary pivoting. It started in a kitchen in 2013 offering free labor to established designers and doing friends-of-friends weddings pro-bono. With each season, the business has grown and now finds itself rooted in the industry here in Idaho. COVID of course put a spin on things for us but with some pivoting and creativity we were able to survive that devastating couple of years.
As things begin to regulate again we have found ourselves continuing to evolve. We are currently expanding our team, and the scale of events we offer services for as well as continuing to hone in on our craft and style. It’s an honor to be selective with our work and feels more and more like artistic expression with every passing season.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Starting and running Rust +Thistle Floral has been the biggest investment in my career and life. While the business end is filled with the expected computer work, accounting, hiring, managing, etc., the design is a true artistic expression. We create romantic floral arrangements and installations with the intent of bringing a lush garden-like look to our events.
Inspiration for each event can come from quite a few angles. We take into account the season, the venue, the personalities of the couple getting married, color preferences, texture preferences, and more, all while trying to match the tone of the Rocky Mountain West. Florals are a tricky medium. Working with them takes practice, experience, and a timely approach.
In addition to the artistic side of things, there is a dance we do to produce the perfect outcome. Watching these events come together is so much fun. Creating a small business and being dedicated to its growth continues to fill me up. Achieving the goals I set for the business and completing events that we feel we put our whole hearts and effort into is an honor and a true gift. By nurturing this business through passion and dedication I know we offer something rare and celebrated.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
People ask me for advice often and though I’ve only ever run and operated one business I think this advice is appropriate for any small business owner. I do recognize that it is simple to spell out but harder to live but the advice is, to give it time.
I could never have the success in this industry that I’ve achieved without all the years before that were trying, scary, and educational. I chose to keep going, event after event, season after season. I’m loyal to my core in all aspects of my life and I think ultimately that helped me more than anything else. I chose to be loyal to this business and this path for myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.rustandthistle.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rustandthistlefloral
Image Credits
Bramble and Vine Photography
