Welcome to Uniquely Small Biz, a podcast where small business owners share their real stories of success, failure and everything in between.
Carolyn: Welcome back to Uniquely Small Biz by Selective Insurance, a podcast for small business owners to share stories about the small businesses that they own. I'm Carolyn McCardell, and this week I'm joined by the owner and creative director of The Petal Effect in Los Angeles, Tobore Oweh. After working as a freelancer for many notable floral and design companies, she relocated to LA and launched The Petal Effect. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Tobore came to the U.S. at a young age and continues to use her deeply rooted love for her culture to help her as her business continues to grow. Now, here she is to tell us more about her small business journey. Alrighty, Tobore. It is so nice to have you. Thank you for being with us today.
Tobore: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
Carolyn: Yeah, it's wonderful. And the reason we wanted to have you on, and I wanted to have you on, is because your story is so unique, but first of all, the basics, your business is called The Petal Effect. Tell us a little bit for those people that aren't familiar with it, what your business is all about, what you do.
Tobore: Yes. So The Petal Effect is a unique floral and design boutique, and we really aim to cater to our client's wellbeing. So we create and cultivate meaningful moments of self-care and community, and just going on a deeper level of flowers rather than just seeing them as gifts or luxury, but more of a necessity is really our aim.
Carolyn: Do you feel like in a way, and I think I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask you anyway. Do you feel like flowers are therapeutic?
Tobore: Oh my gosh, totally therapeutic. Flowers have an energy to them that, you know, I think naturally attracts us to them visually, but there's actually more of a connection with them on a, I would say spiritual level where we kind of co-exists as living beings. Right? So the therapeutic part of them is really just releasing energy from them that we all kind of possess, right. When you have flowers in your space and they automatically liven up the mood, there are a few factors that go into that, just flowers in themselves with their energy, and also the color that you're bringing into your space, because color has a very important aspect to creating what type of atmosphere you kind of want to be in.
Carolyn: It's so interesting to hear you talk that way about it, because for us just everyday people, you know, that aren't in the flower or the floral industry, we just think, “Oh, flowers are great”. But to hear you break it down like that, how the different colors affect your mood and how, you know, you would send blue for somebody in mourning, maybe. Yeah. I never would've thought of that. But then when I hear you describe it, I'm like, that is a whole new world!
Tobore: Yes, definitely. And not all florists really use that to, I would say to an advantage, but again, it goes back to my clients, what do they need? How can I add meaning to what I'm doing? How can I add purpose and intention in it? And there's a lot of intention in flowers just by themselves where they can teach us. And I feel like they're a mirror of how to live a more intentional and purposeful life, but also being intentional in the type of blooms you use, you know, different blooms mean different things, like peonies, which are in season right now mean compassion, you know, and just mixing that with color. It's just really, you can really be super intentional and purposeful with flowers.
Carolyn: Where did your passion come from? Every business owner has to really be passionate. And I can tell that you're passionate, no doubt. But where did that come from?
Tobore: I guess, so my entrepreneurship journey kind of started unintentionally and unconventionally. I'm originally from Nigeria and I came to America at an early age at 7. And you know, I graduated high school at 15. Realized that I wouldn't be able to go to school because I am undocumented and being undocumented is having no legal status in America. So for the past 25 years, I haven't had any legal status. So at the time when I realized I couldn't go to school and pursue a career in interior design, it kind of led me into thinking deeper. Like what other types of forms of design can I choose? I was so fascinated by interior design because I just loved the transformation that happened in a room from like this blank space into this, mind blowing space. Then I knew right then I wanted to be in design. So I kind of worked backwards after I figured out like, “Hey, I can't go to college”. What else can I do that doesn't require college? So I started digging into event design. I see a lot of event designers were floral designers. So it would be like floral and event design. They weren't really just event designers. That was the point where I decided I'm going to do flowers. And that was in 2011.
Carolyn: I picture you sitting home watching HGTV or something like that. And your wheels are just spinning. You're like, “That room is great, but you know what it needs…a blue peonies”.
Tobore: Right, right. I mean, right from the beginning, I would say my passion for design really came from color. I would say that colors always, I've always been so drawn to color, so even in the interior design space, I was thinking about color, but not even knowing necessarily how far I would go into color and meanings when it came to floral design. I think that's just something that subconsciously happened. But now I feel like I'm really walking in purpose because intention and consciousness has also added to that.
Carolyn: Well and how neat is it that you're able to do something for a living that you genuinely love? Like you're not doing a job. You're just doing a hobby. You're doing a passion and you happen to be making some money at it and you're doing great. But this is the ideal for everybody, right. Is to be able to do a job where it doesn't feel like a job at the end of the day. It just feels like I went to work and had a great time and, oh, I'm getting paid for it too, right?
Tobore: Right. No, totally. I, you know, just keeping it real, being an entrepreneur where, whether you're doing something you really love or you don't, you know, it takes a lot of hard work, you know, there's days where I don't feel motivated to play with flowers and some people are like, “Oh my gosh, your job is so great”, and I'm like, it is awesome, but it’s a lot of hard work, but I wouldn't trade it for the world because I get to like, practice. I get to do what I love to do. I get to spread the magic and power of flowers to the world. And honestly, that feeling is so irreplaceable. You know, I know everyone's not fortunate to be doing what they love to do as a living, so honestly, I'm just, I'm really, really excited and really humbled by the experience.
Carolyn: Well, you know, that no matter what your job is, I mean, even Oprah Winfrey has a bad day and if Oprah can have a bad day that just goes to show you, it doesn't matter what you do for a living. We're all going to have bad days. But at the end of the day, we appreciate what we do and we love what we do. That's the goal. Tell me, you know, I would imagine that being a Nigerian immigrant, also being a woman presents its own sort of unique challenges. So how have you navigated both of these challenges along the way up to this point?
Tobore: So, you know, those aspects of myself were definitely obstacles in the beginning, just being a black woman and just being black in America, we aren't granted the same or afforded the same opportunities or resources as our counterparts and also being undocumented, presented its own challenges because, you know, you're kind of trying to navigate the world, but also, in a way being fearful of sharing your story or being vulnerable and that. So for a long time, I didn't pursue what I wanted or I just was really in hiding of who I truly was. So honestly, it's just been an amazing experience because those things that were obstacles at a certain point now are literally helping me as a stepping stone in moving forward with my business. Like right now I'm working on getting some seed money from being undocumented and being in an undocumented community, utilizing my resources. I'm working on some funding that way for my business. I also have joined a mentorship because I am a black woman. I'm crowdfunding for my business. There's a program that has allowed me to join because I am a black woman. So all these things that seemed to be obstacles in the beginning have really helped me, especially in this new age that we're in and everyone is self-aware and just trying to be better people in general, it's definitely excelled me and my endeavors.
Carolyn: That's fantastic. How about your parents? I know your parents were both entrepreneurs. Your dad played the sax, your mom owned her own dental, didn't she?
Tobore: Yes. Yeah.
Carolyn: How did they influence you along the way? I mean, the choice in occupation that you've made is a very unique choice. So what are mom and dad saying to you?
Tobore: They're definitely proud of me as pursuing my entrepreneurship endeavors. It wasn't easy for them to accept in the beginning because you know, just as a parent, you want stability for your children. You want to make sure that they're okay. That they're financially okay. Emotionally okay. These are all aspects you have to consider as an entrepreneur, like your emotional state, your spiritual state, your physical state, all of that matters at all times. You know, there's never really a turn off button as an entrepreneur. So naturally they wanted me to be comfortable and stable, but you know, being entrepreneurs themselves, it was an easy sell, really. It wasn't that much of resistance from them. So they've definitely been here and been supportive of me and even more now that they see like, “Oh wow, she's making money. This is like a real thing”. In people's minds, they think about floral design and they just think about like hobby and they think about just, that's not going to make you money. Especially being Nigerian where everyone's a lawyer, a doctor, you know, all those heavy jobs that are like, whoa, what do you need a degree for? But yeah, they've been super supportive, and I’m so grateful for my parents.
Carolyn: I'm sure there was a moment for them that in the beginning they were like, “Oh, my gosh. You want to go into the business of flowers? Well, we do want you to be a doctor or a lawyer”, but now that they see you're making it, they're going, “Oh no, this is great. We're so glad you did that,” right?
Tobore: Yes. Totally. Totally, totally. Yeah. My parents weren't. I mean, my mom again is, she came from a dentist background. She's a dental hygienist here. So her natural path for me was to be a dentist. And I tried, I was a dental assistant for about eight years. Then I realized, you know, while I was doing that, I was working part-time or doing free work or volunteer work with flowers. I was just exploring my creative side. So yeah, now they’re super excited for me.
Carolyn: Do they give you business advice? I mean, being that they're both entrepreneurs, they both kind of run their own businesses. Do they come to you every once in a while and say, “Okay, here's something you need to know. You should know this, that”, or are you already past that point?
Tobore: Yes. I'm always humbled by my parents speaking to me about entrepreneurship, because I know they've done it all their lives as well. Again, they own a restaurant right now, so it didn't stop back then when I was a kid, they're keeping it going now, but you know, I always appreciate any advice they give me. And also, you get to a phase when you're an adult and you realize your parents didn't know everything. So like sometimes, they give me advice, and I'm like, “No, mom, it's better this way, faster this way”. And then I show them and they're like, “Oh, okay”. But you know, you can never not be appreciative of advice from your parents.
Carolyn: You know they love that you do that, but they hate it at the same time, like we're all even now. I call you guys a power family. You are a power family right there. And so this past year and a half throughout the pandemic has been tough. A lot of challenges, a lot of businesses took time to kind of sit back and reset. Maybe come up with some new ideas. How did you navigate throughout this past year and a half with a business like yours, of being the floral business?
Tobore: Honestly, it's almost been a year for me. So I officially launched in July of 2020. So just in the time that I chose to really launch my business for one, I was really, my back was against the wall. I was working for someone. I was very unhappy and I’d just always known since 2011 I picked The Petal Effect as a name. So I always knew that I wanted my own business and, you know, last year, just really for me, was such an aha moment as to just pursuing really going full throttle in what I want to do. So I decided to launch my business last year. In that aspect of it, it was great because it was at a time where everyone wanted to support black businesses. Everyone was looking for a black business to support. So when I launched it, it was kind of like an instant love, instant loyalty. And it's just been up from there. So, honestly, I can't say I'm mad that I did that. You know, the pandemic in a lot of ways, was a very upsetting or very, some people viewed as like a down moment, but it had a lot of ups too, as well. Again, my business launching, I'm grateful for that experience, you know, even though it was a time where it was really downtime for everyone, but it also had really good moments.
Carolyn: Yeah it’s crazy. I mean, I don't think I know anybody else that's launched a business during the pandemic. I certainly don't know anybody that said, “You know what I'm going to do right now in the middle of this”, right? In July, you were smack dab in the middle. “I'm going to open a business”, but you're right. Black Lives Matter, that movement had just kind of really started gaining steam. And there was a lot of focus on that. So, you know, they say timing is everything. And I think in your case, I also believe, you know, I'm a little bit of a hippie in some aspects and think that like, everything happens for a reason. And there's a reason that you launched your business when you did. And there's a reason that it's working out. I mean, that's a tough one to argue in your case, you know, you had a lot against you and you still came out ahead.
Tobore: Yes. I mean, my motto is, you know, diamonds are created out of pressure. Right. And I was in a lot of pressure at the time. I was working one day a week. I was arguing a lot with my current boss. We weren't seeing eye-to-eye. I had to make a drastic change, but here I am almost the year later.
Carolyn: Yeah, sometimes the worst situations, the best stuff comes out of them. You don't realize in the time, while you're in it, you're arguing with your boss in the past, and you're thinking, this is the worst. How did I get into this? Who would have known if somebody had told you a year later, you'd be here doing a podcast on your one-year anniversary of your business opening and flourishing. And, you know, I want to know, in an industry like yours, it is a fairly unique industry as a business owner, what do you think some of the challenges are that you're encountering as a business owner, as you're just kinda getting started?
Tobore: Yes, oh my gosh. I mean, I feel like entrepreneurship is so glamorized on social media. It doesn't really tackle what really goes on behind closed doors. Some of the challenges I've encountered is just being a solopreneur for almost a year, I mean, I do definitely have freelancers that I reach out to. Drivers I reach out to when need be, but trying to balance my expenses as well. So having to wear so many hats by yourself, having to stay motivated by yourself, really, you have to motivate your own self. There's no one there other than you – well there's people there, but ultimately, you have to motivate yourself to wake up every morning and make something happen. So just being a solopreneur has been quite the journey for me, I would say, just realizing I need help. So I'm currently at a phase in my business where, you know, we're making money, we're growing and it's time to kind of go to the next phase of hiring people, part-time help and, you know, delegating tasks to people. And moving on to new products and services that I can offer to better help my clients.
Carolyn: It's funny. Solopreneur, that's my new term. I've never heard that before. I love that. And it's so true because you're, it's such a good point about social media, how it's so glamorized, like, “Oh, I run my own business” and people think, “Wow, you're rich”. No, there's so much more that goes on. There's all these things you described and I've never thought about that. I was thinking when you were talking about that, the people that work for you and work under you, it takes a village, right? I mean, you're at the helm, but you can't do it without your team. And so when you have such a passion for our product as the floral industry, and you hire people to work for you, how do you make sure that they have that same passion? So you're going to get nothing but quality out of those people. They have the same drive. Do you have to tell them, do you say like, “Hey, here's how it has to be”? Or do you hire people that have a background? Like what? I have no idea. So I'm coming to you the expert to find out.
Tobore: Yeah. So, I mean, I think it's a few factors that kind of play into that for me. When I have people helping me, you know, I really want them to understand the power of flowers. And the magic of flowers. So that's always my go-to conversation with them. So they get a deeper appreciation for what they're doing or what they're delivering or, you know, so when they understand my philosophy behind flowers, I do think they get a deeper appreciation of flowers and they look at flowers differently and have a new perspective on them, which allows you to kind of exude more intentional, I would say kind of energy towards them. So, and I also, I'm not like a super strict…
Carolyn: You don't strike me as that. So don't worry.
Tobore: Owner or boss. I just really want people to flow. Like it's such a beautiful art form. It's such a way to express yourself. To me, there is no right or wrong way to floral design. You know, there's only your perspective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Obviously there are definitely some formulas and concepts you keep in mind, but ultimately it really is beauty. You know, beauty is perspective. So I just like to connect with them on a level of what flowers really are, how we connect to flowers as humans. And then also just giving them the freedom to be themselves too, you know, because they inspire me just as much as, you know, they may feel like I inspire them.
Carolyn: Did someone teach you how to manage? Because you sound amazing. Are you just naturally an awesome manager? I mean, I want to work for you after that.
Tobore: No, no one taught me how to do that. I’m still learning how to manage.
Carolyn: I think you're on the right path. You're doing a good job. So let's switch to social media. I'm very interested to talk to you about social media, you know, social media is so about sight, but in the floral business is also about touch, it's about smell, but with social you're relying solely on sight. So what sort of unique tactics do you use when it comes to social media to really bring The Petal Effect to light? What's your strategy? How do you differentiate yourself?
Tobore: Yeah, no, totally. So I really go back to the core of what I'm doing and how it affects my clients, right? What are my clients telling me about The Petal Effect? People come to me because they want color. They want a whimsical feel. They want something different. They're not really your traditional rose and hydrangea person, normally. So I kind of play into that, if this is what they like, you know, I make sure that my social media has a lot of vibrant and bold colors in it. So they understand what my brand is. So when they're reaching out to me, they kind of know already what to expect from me. So I play on that on my social media with color. I also play on what my mission is about. You know, I keep all of those things in mind. My mission is to create and cultivate meaningful moments of self-care and community, the clients I work with, you know, they have some sort of meaning behind it. Are they creating spaces for community? Are they creating spaces for self-care? When I give affirmations or encouragement on there, you know, that's what my brand is about. So it's a mixture of what my clients want. Ultimately what my brand is about. And that put together is what I really try to execute on social media.
Carolyn: What I love that you just said is that you listen to your clients and you find out what they want. Social media is a world of selfishness, right? Everybody's in it for themselves. What have I done? What selfie can I take? Where am I at? Who am I with? And you are doing just the opposite, which is the right thing to do in your case, as a business owner, it's like, what do my clients want. The other thing that you were talking about was your positive messages. And I don't want to gloss over that because your Instagram, you've got like 5,500 followers. Oh, I checked it out. Your photos are beautiful on your page. You've got the most positive messages. I want to follow you and read your messages every day. They just make me smile.
Tobore: Oh, Carolyn. You're so sweet. Thank you so much. No seriously. I mean, I'm intentional about that because I want my brand to not only be something pretty to look at, I want you to feel my brand because I feel like feeling comes first to me because that's how you're going to get your loyal customers more than just surface level things. Right. You want to hit them at their point of need, right? If I'm screaming, self-care and community, I want to make sure I'm providing that for my community, whether we're starting our week with affirmations, whether we're setting our intentions for the week, whether I'm giving you positive messages on my page. I want you to always come back to my page or if you're having a down moment, think about, let me go to The Petal Effect because I know she always has some type of self-care help on there. So those are things that I'm intentional about. And I always want to bring to the forefront when it comes to The Petal Effect.
Carolyn: I love your passion. I really do. I see you a year from now, you're going to be even bigger than your now. I just know it, passion always wins and being a good person, eventually always wins. And you have both, how unique is that, that you have both of these characteristics. I'm so happy for you. What is next for you? What's next for The Petal Effect? Because I know there's big stuff coming.
Tobore: No, definitely. Thank you so much, Carolyn. I really appreciate that. You know, I have so many big dreams and plans for The Petal Effect, one step at a time. But we're also getting, again, we're getting to a phase where, you know, we're growing rapidly, just getting to a crowdfunding is one of the things I'm working on right now to be able to hire a part-time person where it's not just a freelance situation, but someone that really is a part of the team, you know, freelancing has been helping, but I really want someone that's dedicated to The Petal Effect. Moving into a bigger space, getting a truck. These are all things I'm thinking of. Providing new products and services that continue to feed to my customers and my clients. So these are things that are in the works, just more brand partnerships with some amazing people. In my first year, we got featured on ELLE and worked with Banana Republic, SheaMoisture. I mean, I can't even believe half of the things we've accomplished in a year. So just taking that and just adding to it honestly, and just spreading more magic through flowers. That's always our mission.
Carolyn: There aren't a lot of people that could say in their first year, they've partnered with Banana Republic and Elle and some of the others you mentioned. If you're doing that a year in, I think you're going to be okay. So just keep doing what you're doing. You've got the vision, you've got the personality. You've got the passion for it. I can't wait to see what's next for you. So thank you so much, Tobore Oweh for being on our show today. petaleffect.com is where we can find you online. Again, petaleffect.com. Thank you for being on with us.
Tobore: Of course. No, thank you so much. We're also on Instagram, @petaleffect, if you want to find us on there too. I'm just so grateful to be here. I love conversations like this. I love conversations to get deeper into flowers and my passion. I'm just so grateful to be here, Carolyn.
Carolyn: Oh, you're the sweetest. Thank you. Thank you. Our next guest is Vice President of Small Business at Selective insurance, Mike MacMullin. He is here to talk about how working with a company like Selective Insurance can help emerging small businesses like The Petal Effect. Before we end today, I want to talk to Mike MacMullin with Selective Insurance. You know, Mike, after talking to Tobore about her business and learning so much about her, sort of, solopreneur, if you will. We heard her talking about her plans for next year. Her business is going to be growing when it comes to the number of locations, she's going to hire more staff. That's obviously a great thing. So how can an insurance agent help along the way?
Mike: Yeah, sure. Solopreneur, Carolyn, that's a new word for me.
Carolyn: I kind of like it though.
Mike: You know, Tobore said in her interview that she has come to realize in the past year that as she continues to grow, that she's going to need some help. And so that could come in the form of hiring people, subcontracting, delegating as she enters in that next phase of her business is in growing her business. And one thing that she mentioned that resonated with me was when she talked about pairing the perfect flower with the situation and actually listening to the specific needs of our customers. You know, an independent insurance agent is going to help her in the same way, using the same techniques that she uses, listening, collaborating, collectively pairing the right insurance solutions with her unique business. This is one of the many strengths of the insurance agents that we work with at Selective. They take the approach that insurance coverage is more than just a contractual obligation. But it's really a consultative partnership, In any event, I mean, people wouldn't really consider a floral designer as a high hazard business, but as you know, accidents can happen and Tobore is going to want to ensure that she's protecting her business, which has now become her livelihood. One specific example that comes to mind would be around spoilage. You hear the term spoilage, and we typically think of food. But flowers, you know, they can spoil if the equipment fails, and given the uniqueness of our product, this is certainly something that Tobore should consider as she talks to her insurance agent.
Carolyn: You know, I think a lot of us, when we think about a business like Tobore’s, and we think about her physical location when it comes to insurance, but there are other factors, like you said, like spoilage. But I was also thinking about business-owned vehicles. She's going to be doing deliveries. Those play a huge role in that as well. So sort of along the lines of the insurance factor there, is it kind of the same with the spoilage or are we talking about the same sort of thing?
Mike: I would say so, yes. I mean the potential for auto accidents. I mean, that's one of the most common exposures that any business that has deliveries can face and when your employees are on the road, they're delivering your product. You know, the business is going to be responsible for physical damage or bodily injury that happens as a result of an accident. And Tobore is going to want to discuss her current situation with an agent to make sure that she's properly covered. Because her situation right now is unique in that she doesn't have a fleet of delivery vehicles. She subcontracting the work. There may be some folks or friends using their own vehicles to drive, to do some deliveries on her behalf. And that may change as she purchases, you know, the truck that she was talking about in her interview. But, you know, that's clearly something that she's going to want to address.
Carolyn: Yeah and I liked that you mentioned a couple of minutes ago and I want to go back to this because I think it's so important. And I think I brought it up a couple of times with Tobore when we spoke, was that it was about her social media approach, how she listens to what her clients and her customers say, and that's how she kind of formulates her social media posts. It's such a unique way of thinking. And I could absolutely see how at Selective Insurance, you guys are doing the same thing. It's about what the customer needs, not what you have to offer them. You've got to find that right fit.
Mike: Yeah, I would agree. And I think that, you know, she talks a lot about passion and purpose right, in her business. You know, one of the things that we're passionate about here is educating around and bringing awareness to distracted driving. Earlier this year, we had done a partnership with a Harris poll and we conducted a survey that when asked, 87% of drivers said that they engaged in various distracting driver behaviors in the last 97. I know it's staggering. And so we continue to educate our customers and provide some risk mitigation tools to help spread awareness.
Carolyn: And when you have a solopreneur like Tobore, right? You can tell from her passion and from her smart thinking, she's going to go places. Her business is going to grow. She is going to need those things. And how smart is she to be thinking right now about long term, about planning? I mean, it's a huge piece of the puzzle that's essential. Really.
Mike: You also talked about the possibility of needing to hire some new employees, right. And bring on some additional help as she grows her business. And I was reading actually her Instagram page and I'm impressed with the colors and vibrancy and just the overall presence she has, you know, with her page, The Petal Effect. In any case, one of the affirmations of the week she had was called “Change is Constant and Inevitable” and with a product as unique and vibrant as Tobore’s, she's poised for change. And to me, I think that change is going to come in the form of growth and hiring some new employees. And I think there's a couple of things that if I were in her position, that I would consider, one of which from an insurance perspective, she's going to want to talk with her insurance agent about the needs for workers' comp insurance. You know, that conversation itself may not be quite as glamorous or as exciting creative as arrangements that she makes for her customers. But I'd argue that not all insurance carriers are the same. You know, in addition to some of the expertise in claims handling that we have here at Selective, we also offer risk mitigation services and 24 hour access to a registered nurse to help in the event that any injured worker gets the right level of care. Now, I agree with your assessment that Tobore is going to be a joy to work for. And I think as any business grows though, you know, employees can be put under stress. And as any business owner, whether it's a large business, small business, you know, you want to make sure that you're considering the needs of your employees.
Carolyn: I love, love, love talking to you, and I love hearing your passion for what you do, and for Tobore as well, and all of our guests here on Uniquely Small Biz. I just want to thank you for your time again, Mike. It was a joy talking to you.
Mike: Oh no, thank you Carolyn, look forward to our next episode. So thanks again.
Carolyn: You got it. It's Mike MacMullin with Selective Insurance. Thank you so much. Thank you everyone for listening to Uniquely Small Biz by Selective Insurance. Selective Insurance believes successful small businesses keep our community strong. To find out how you can Be Uniquely Insured with Selective, talk to your independent agent or visit selective.com.