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

Hi Lydia, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was raised in rural Indiana around few people my age and a lot of nature. My grandmother grew sunflowers the size of my head and my dad, being an engineer by trade, taught me the value of solving problems. This, combined with my mom’s shared ability to connect with people from all walks of life inspired me to see flowers as a means of connection to others and design as a skill that can be measurably improved.

Right before high school my dad started a job at Disney and our family moved to a diverse suburb of Orlando. I went from a graduating 8th grade class of 9 people to a freshman class of over 1000, which was a total culture shock at first. Ultimately, it was a huge leap to expand the horizons of what I considered possible for myself and my career.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The summer after my sophomore year of college at Florida State I fell into a DEEP rabbit hole. I wanted more than anything to land the Student Brand Manager position on my campus for Red Bull. This job, along with the full time role that followed, taught me more about marketing than all my college classes combined (sorry professor Hopkins).

After college, I took a role with the brand in none other than Des Moines, Iowa, moving across the country to manage 27 college students as a recent grad myself. Here I learned how important local relevancy is for mid size markets and was first introduced to B Corps. I grew up fast, and had a fairly self-led crash course in management. Around the same time I finally bought a winter coat, I met my fiancée, Nolan. We moved to Texas 3 years ago, where I worked in Field Marketing consulting.

A year after moving to Texas, I fell in love with a small sustainability start up called Imperfect Produce (at the time). From there, I held on to the inner tube through multiple rounds of fundraising, a rebrand to what we now know as Imperfect Foods, and expansion into full grocery from produce items. We have a tremendous bunch of customers and never ending supply of interesting projects.

About a year ago I wanted to round out my involvements with a creative outlet and familiarize myself with the floral industry. That’s how Music in Bloom was born! I love making floral arrangements as a means to connect with others and punctuate a special moment, whether it’s a birthday party or wedding.

One layer deeper, I someday seek to combine my work in start ups and sustainability with the floral industry. It’s my long term dream to improve the floral supply chain for a happier planet.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in South Austin near Congress which is nice and central to many floral destinations.

Kicking things off with a walk around the Zilker Botanical garden, you can see many remnants of Austin Architecture, along with rare flowers and world influenced design styles. From there, Austin Flower Co. has a solid collection of specialty flowers and even full bouquets from local growers like Petals Ink.

Surround yourself with tropical greenery at a Zanzibar happy hour. It’s a rooftop spot with splendid views and is well worth a wait for the reservation.

Also, make sure to lap it over to Tillery Street Plant Co. for a sassy house plant or succulent. They make great gifts!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many strong women in every corner of my life.

My mom is my grounding force, always helping me see the bigger picture and embedding deep meaning in the things she takes on. I’m thankful for the independence she instilled in me from my first day of pre-k and admire her ability to lead others.

When COVID flipped the world upside down last year, my current manager Hilary saw my strengths and opened up the opportunity to rewrite my job description accordingly. This, along with my continued working relationship with her, transformed my career entirely and gave me the confidence to start my own business.

Don’t even get me started on my friends and peers! My friend Hannah is a jack of so many trades and has an unstoppable thirst for life while supporting those around her.

Website: www.musicinbloomfloral.com

Instagram: @musicinbloomfloral

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydiaoxley/

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.