We had the good fortune of connecting with Montshona (Mo) Ihekweazu and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Montshona (Mo), have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Having tried to juggle my business with wrangling in two little kids this past summer, hearing the terms “work life balance” hits at the heart strings, because I haven’t had much of that the past few months. Honestly, my business has taken a back seat this summer to summer camps, daycares, little trips, you name it. And that’s been really hard, because as much as I want to spend time growing my business, I also want to make sure my children are happy and thriving. Even if I’m not as happy and thriving as they are.
It’s been tough. It’s been hot. It’s been a constant state of I should be doing this, instead of that. I feel guilty about this, why didn’t I get to that. It just goes on and on. What I’ve finally decided is that I’ve got to let what I can’t get to at the moment go. If I don’t have steady childcare that week, I’m not going to be able to do a ton of client outreach that week. It’s just how it goes. And I have to be ok with that. It’s hard, because as a mother and business owner, you can feel like you want [or have] to do everything for your children, and there’s not a ton of time left for you, or for your business. But, things are getting better. School has started. I’m hoping to hire a part-time assistant to help me with business and household tasks sometime in the future. I’ve made appointments I’ve been putting off.
This summer taught me a lot about myself, and that I can’t do everything. I used to think if I was just more organized, if I was just somehow more productive, then I could do it all. But nope, doing everything, and doing everything well, isn’t possible. It’s more so comical. I’m learning to level set more appropriately, and to ask for help, admittedly something I’m not great at, when I can. I’m still a work in progress.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Blooming Garden Flowers is a floral experience company based in Houston that was started in 2022. We provide one-of-a-kind experiences for people using flowers, and we are a woman and minority-owned business. We focus on corporate floral team building workshops, private floral arrangement classes, and florals for events. I like to transport people to a beautiful blooming garden with my flowers.
I’m particularly excited about the expansion of my corporate floral team building workshops in Houston. I teach these sessions as a great way to get women (and sometimes men!) together, during or after work, to relax, unwind, and find some joy together while learning the tips and tricks of flower arrangement, even for when they are just quickly grabbing flowers from the grocery store. I actually have an MBA and a background in client service, and so I use a lot of the skills I’ve learned in my prior career to facilitate a fun, engaging experience–with flowers, of course. I’m starting to book more of these workshops and I hope to really grow this part of my business in the coming year.
That said, leaving the daily office grind to do my own thing hasn’t been easy. For one, I’ve experienced a fair amount of loss in the last few years before starting my company: I lost my father and to a large extent, my career, during the pandemic. After a lot of grief and self exploration, I decided to venture out on my own, which is something that has come with its own set of challenges. I’m juggling mothering two young children, a marriage, a business, and everything else that comes with life. I’m also really trying to acquire more customers and grow my business so that I can keep this business, because I believe that I’m building something special for people, myself, and my family.
And I want people to know that it’s ok to take risks. I’d say measured risks though, especially if you have a family or people depending on you. As we get older, and more people depend on us, I think we can still follow our dreams, just reasonably, if that makes sense.
Flowers have brought me so much joy, and I truly hope to bring that joy to others.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve narrowed down some great Houston spots; here are some of my faves:
Museum of Fine Arts Houston (Thursdays are free, evenings have music and drinks). MFAH is such an extensive art museum that rivals any other major city art museum. Grab dessert at their cafe if you get the chance—their lemon tart is to die for. And don’t forget their gift shop(s); they have some great affordable and creative gifts and keepsakes to take home. Keep the night going and grab drinks 93 ’Til in Montrose, which has a great chill late evening vibe; no reservations necessary and they usually have great music while you sip a cocktail.
The Menil Collection, also in Montrose, is a more intimate art museum that’s always free. Have a picnic on the lawn, or eat at their museum’s restaurant across the street.
Mont Art House, a local art gallery with the goal of making buying art more attainable, affordable and transparent. They do free art consultations, and they’re so nice! I’ve bought a piece from them (that they brought to my home to try out for free), and the experience was seamless.
Shop for some fun things for your home at OKA, a British decor store. I’ve gotten A few mirrors and book ends, pillows, also furniture. Light and bright, colorful, quirky.
Flora for the best steak fajitas, tasty frozen margaritas, and the gorgeous chandeliers. The restaurant overlooks the Bayou downtown which makes it very unique. I would grab reservations there as it’s more upscale (but so worth it!).
Sixty Vines in Rice Village has yummy affordable pizza (their fire-roasted crust is heaven), and they also have well priced and generously portioned kids meals. You can walk around Rice Village for some fun shopping as well. There’s a ton of tasty food in Rice Village, including Mendocino Farms (excellent salads), and Hopdoddy Burger Bar (such good parmesan truffle fries).
Wild in Montrose has delicious bites, including their fried rice, and a lot of different specially infused cocktails. Da Gama in The Heights has a cool ambiance and really creative Indian-Portuguese bites. Mastrantos, also in The Heights, has a delicious truffle pasta- probably one of the tastiest most decadent pasta dishes I can remember, and I love pasta.
With all that eating, you may decide you’d like to get your body moving a bit. My go to workout spot is Defy Pilates in Bellaire. Instructors are fun and the classes fly by! Also, Duo Coffee & Pilates in the River Oaks area is great, and I believe it’s black-owned. Plus, you can grab coffee right after class since they have an in-house coffee shop. Both pilates studios are co-ed.
If you’d like to get outdoors, the Arboretum has great walking trails (and a fun children’s playground, if you’re with kids). Actually, both the Houston Arboretum and the Nature Discovery Center in Bellaire are worth looking up for both kid and adult outdoor programs and events. Some of these activities are free or pretty reasonably priced. It’s always nice to get outdoors when you can, and outside of summer here (which is beyond hot), Houston tends to have pretty decent weather.
Lots to do and hope you have fun!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to first give a shout out to my amazing husband and our two wonderful young daughters. They all keep me busy for sure, but I’m really grateful and proud of our little family unit.
I’d like to shout out my parents, for believing in me no matter what. My dad passed away from cancer a few years ago and that’s been really tough, because I lost one of my all time cheerleaders who I know believed I could do absolutely anything. But, I like to think he’s looking down on me and quite proud that I’ve ventured out to start my own business. And thanks to my mom, for being such an amazing grandma and helping so much with her grandkids whenever she comes in town for extended stretches.
To all my other family, friends, and clients, thanks so much for your support from all across the country. It takes a village, and it means a lot!
Website: https://www.bloominggardenflowers.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatbloominggarden
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/89706830/admin/inbox/
Other: https://goo.gl/maps/vsuQgkb2B5DWNJ9G9 (Google reviews)