Today we’d like to introduce you to Rinna Olvera.
Hi Rinna, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up in central Texas in a town called McGregor Texas, which is a suburb town near Waco. Just like most small towns, I found myself comfortable and secure in my hometown. I’ve always felt like I belonged in a big city. So, in 2013, I took a leap of faith, and loaded up my personal belongings in my 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and moved to Fort Worth Texas. I’m sure most may not find it a huge step, but for a single mother at the age of 23 with no job lined up, it was exciting and scary at the same time. I secured a contracting data analyst position at Microsoft at the Las Colina’s campus. I was excited because not only would it look great on a resume, but I dreamed of what other opportunities it would open for me. As the years continued, I suddenly felt the pressure of always having to prove my worth each day I went to work. I would hit super low points and feeling unaccomplished, I felt I had hit a dead-end in my career. I noticed my mental health deteriorating and it took a heavy toll on my personal life. Some days I would just stand in the bathroom stalls at work trying so hard not to cry because I wasn’t happy with myself. I just knew I no longer wanted to work there, but felt stuck and didn’t think it could get better than this.
I recall walking from the Microsoft campus to Whole Foods during my lunch break to take a break from the mundane day-to-day tasks to just look at the flowers they had on sale that day. I’d find myself wishing and hoping I could find a job that would make me happy.
As the years went on, and I found myself in my 5th year in the corporate industry, I realized I truly wasn’t happy. I had always been creative but never had an opportunity to explore my thoughts and ideas.
I always asked myself, if I could be an expert at anything in life, what would it be? What would my dream job be? Is there a career out there that could actually make me happy, exciting, or bring me joy? I grew up watching my mother decorate weddings and quinceaneras back in my hometown and always knew that was something I would love to do one day. I wanted to jump into the wedding industry but didn’t know what I wanted to do exactly or where to begin, so I begin to apply for anything that would get my foot through the door.
I recall turning in my resume for a chance at working for this amazing wedding designer in Fort Worth. I didn’t have enough experience and was kindly turned down. The same resume I turned in for that job I applied for was forwarded to a floral designer. This led me to a floral intern position in 2016 working alongside so many talented floral designers. As I learned basic skills such as processing and care for the flowers, I gained the technique and experience to become a freelance florist. I began to work on my days off anytime I was needed for weddings or events. Never did it feel like “work” to me because I loved being creative. It truly made me happy.
I finally found a creative outlet but was still unhappy with my corporate job. My wonderful supportive fiancé sent me a link for a wholesaler nearby who was hiring. The position was for a sales representative and needed an experienced sale associate. I had no experience selling anything, but I knew how much I loved flowers, and how eager I was to get this position. I took a chance, and was hired shortly after.
Leaving the corporate world behind to work at an independent company has blessed me in more ways than I can count. I get to see the process of how we select and purchase the flowers from the farms from different parts of the world to the final design on wedding day as a freelance florist and how each bloom comes together. We’ve been going through floral shortages since the Covid Pandemic began, so I see first-hand how tough it’s been on both floral wholesalers and floral designers. This floral community was hit hard, during the beginning as weddings and events were cancelled. Shout out to all the flower shop that kept us going. I honestly believe without the flower shops; many other flower wholesale companies would not have made it.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’ve always struggled with self-doubt when it comes to floral design, and I can sometimes be my biggest fan or worse critic. If I’m working on a piece that I’m not completely confident, I find it best to step away for a few minutes and get back to focusing on my complete design. Beauty is subjective, and everyone has their own unique way of designing. In the end, it’s all beautiful!
I wouldn’t dare to compare a Monet with a Van Gogh.
As a sales representative, things happen that are way out of our control. For example, a customer can give us their wedding order weeks in advance. When that week comes, issues such as missing boxes or damaged florals during transit can occur. As your sales rep, we do our best to find a solution for you such as an alternative for missing flowers on your order. We also experience rose shortages a few months ago which inflated our already limited supply of white roses. It was sad to see the pain on both wholesaler and florist sides. Our client’s success is our success, but when they hurt… so do we.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work at Botanica Wholesale Floral company, and my job title is a floral sales rep. My job is to sell flowers to wedding floral designers, floral shops, nonprofit organizations, and corporate/independent business who are in need of florals. I know it may be a cliche statement, but I truly love what I do. You can find me working on the computer entering order for clients, running in our cooler and taking pictures of flowers for the customers, or helping out our customers.
I’m proud to work at Botanica because of selection of florals and our quality! We have created a family that extends to our clients themselves.
In my free time, I am a freelance florist who works for floral designers across DFW. I primarily work on wedding events.
My grandfather taught me to find something your passionate about and to find a way to earn a living with your passion. I’m passionate about flowers, and getting to design on the weekends is just the cherry on top.
For questions on how to purchase flowers, please email me (rinna@botanicawf.com). Please follow my IG (blossierfloral) for freelance work and stories of what we have in our cooler at Botanica!
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Working in the floral industry has open up more opportunity than my corporate job. Looking back, I can’t help but notice this career was always in my path. I’m thankful I took many chances that has lead me to where I am today. Finding this career has lead me to meeting so many talented florists who I now call friends.
My dear friend Angelica who is owner and lead designer of From A to Z Designs has taken me under her wing and has taught me so much. Since working with her, I’ve become more confident with my floral designs. My daughter Aubrey who is now 15 also works for her when she is available. We are a great team!
Contact Info:
- Email: rinnao@botanicawf.com
- Website: botanicawf.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blossierfloral/
Image Credits:
From A to Z Designs
Angelica Zelenov
