Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryna Morrow.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Bryna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have always LOVED the smell of dirt, especially wet dirt. Something about it, there’s no other smell that compares. So, when I began to work in a local greenhouse when I was 14 years old, I knew that this was the right path for me. It was just a couple of hours a week, but I was in my element. I would water plants, make bows for Poinsettias, help customers, plant seedlings, really whatever needed doing.
From there, I basically stalked the owner of a local flower shop in town, where I really wanted to work. I would pop in every week to check if she was hiring. If I got a hard no from her, I was undeterred. I would just check in the following week. Looking back, this really cracks me up because I don’t think I would be that persistent now. Eventually, I wore her out (haha) and she hired me. I started out washing buckets, sweeping the floors, processing flowers until one day she let me make my first floral arrangement. I was hooked. I haven’t stopped designing since.
I studied Horticulture and Landscape Design in college but I never lost my love for working with fresh flowers. So, I moved to Dallas after graduation and worked for about ten years with an amazing company Dr. Delphinium Designs & Events, in their wedding and event department. These were pivotal years for me, I grew the wedding department, taught floral design classes and was constantly spurred on by the people around me.
When my little girl Saylor, was born, I knew it was time to start a new adventure. So, I started my own little floral business in Fort Worth.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Ha! That’s a hard no. I know that every industry has it’s frustrations and issues. I would say that working with flowers only highlights a constant flow of struggles. For one thing, it’s a fresh commodity that ultimately has a short life span. For example, if you use a Rose too early, it will be tight and closed and really unattractive, in my opinion. However, if you use it too late, it will start to wilt and the petals will fall off. So finding the sweet spot of when to use a Rose is part of stewarding your job well and will produce the best result for your client.
Speaking of clients, they are the bread and butter of the floral industry. I am so incredibly grateful for them. There is typically much emotion around the events that flowers are a part of, so learning how to be patient (not my forte), to listen, to be empathetic, to show compassion, to be generous, all of the things that come along with a customer service profession can be a struggle for me. But it’s a struggle that I need to go through to learn and grow as a flawed human.
When I was working in Dallas, I led the team of wedding designers and it was always a struggle to communicate the idea inside my head – that I had sold my customer – to the designer who was going to put it together. But as struggles tend to do, they help me learn how to be better at my job.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about A Fresh Approach – what should we know?
A Fresh Approach is boutique wedding and event floral company. My absolute favorite way to design is to incorporate fresh flowers along with plant materials, foliage’s or fruit that you wouldn’t typically see in an arrangement. I LOVE texture and depth and interesting elements built into arrangements so it makes me happy when I’m able to do that. One of my other interests is interior design, so I love decorating homes with floral or plant materials, as well as styling those elements together organically into a home. I am always proud when I can use local plant material sourced from my own garden or local growers. My dream is to one day be able to offer more unique plants and flowers that are Texas grown. As the name implies, I like a fresh take on things. I don’t like to do what everyone else is doing, I typically don’t love trends. If the color trends are blush and white, I will probably suggest jewel tones, haha.
I think I’m most proud of my customers. I love them and am so grateful that they choose to let me be a part of their special events.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Oh my goodness, so many have helped shape my path. My first boss, Theresa, the kind lady I pestered until she hired me. I absolutely would not be here if she hadn’t given me a chance.
I will also give a shout-out to everyone I worked with at Dr. Delphinium. I was surrounded by such a smart, passionate, and creative bunch that were forever inspiring. It can be so fun to partner with people who just love to make art, and that’s what that team did. They were great at pushing my creative boundaries.
My husband Nick is also invaluable in this equation. We both started our own businesses the same year with hardly any money in savings (a whole other story) and while it was so hard, it was amazing in the best way. We were both in situations where we had to trust God for His provision and He definitely came through for us. Nick’s encouragement and help along the way, along with some pretty great carpentry skills, has been invaluable.
And my clients, they are the best. Where would we be without our supporters?
Contact Info:
- Website: www.afreshapproach.co
- Phone: 469-233-2820
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @afreshapproachfloral
- Facebook: @afreshapproachdesigns
- Other: A Fresh Approach
Image Credit:
Kristee Walker Photography
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