Meet Shalonda Dawkins | Concierge Florist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Shalonda Dawkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Shalonda, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Rich Girl Floral was built as a result of my passion for creating centerpieces for display in my own home. I enjoy playing around with different colors and textures and wanted to create arrangements that truly represented my own personality. I would share my pieces with friends and family online, and would receive several requests for custom arrangements. I enjoy a very full career in banking, so it was important to me to create a company that was compatible with my career. I wanted something that I would enjoy equally as much, and that could provide joy to people around me. Floristry fills that need for me.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Rich Girl Floral is an avenue for me to empower others and share love with the people who visit our page. I wanted to create a company that brings joy into people’s lives. Our company has a very strong self-care and women’s empowerment message built into all of our marketing. We want to do more than just deliver flowers. We want to let our clients know that they are strong and important in this world, and they deserve to be happy and well kept. Our theme includes the mantra: Confidence, Love, Faith. We try to remind our followers to focus on those three aspects of life as often as we can. Our name is not a semblance of financial wealth. We focus on encouraging our followers to become rich internally instead.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Houston is one of the most amazing cities to live in. When friends come to visit, I encourage them to get to know some of the hidden gems that we have to offer. Spend a quiet evening in River Oaks dining at Backstreet Cafe. The chef always has an amazingly delicious surprise on the menu. Spend a sunny Saturday walking in and out of the shops in Highland Village. Be sure to linger just long enough that you’re there at night when the streets are illuminated. I always encourage visitors to check out an Astros game during baseball season to catch a glimpse of our World Series Winners in action.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Starting a floral business was not an easy decision. It took a commitment to educating myself on how to be a responsible floral provider for my clients, and there were many days that it felt like an impossible feat. I have to thank my business partner, Brian Jones, of Christian Jones Consulting, for being a constant motivator and taking the time to create the business model with me. He was so committed to helping the business flourish that, at the height of our initial launch, he jumped right in and starting making arrangements with me! He would fill in as a designer, delivery driver, package courier….whatever was needed. Without a partner who truly believed in my potential and continuously encouraged me to push through, I would have probably ignored my vision for this company and missed out on meeting some of the most amazing clients in this city.

Instagram: RichGirlFloral

Image Credits
Emile C Browne