Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasmine Norris.
Hi Jasmine, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Fika is for the flower lovers, the ones in-tune with nature, the people who appreciate color and texture.
My goal is to provide a fresh, visually stunning handmade bouquets, arrangements and installations to please your senses. Giving flowers to another or even yourself is a conscious choice made to evoke a certain emotion or sense in that specific moment in time.
I originally started Fika is an extension of my designer curiosity translated into the natural world. Having a background in art direction and design, floral curation came naturally and began extending across all platforms.
Here to disrupt the traditional floral industry, fika takes a more tonal, natural approach to arranging and installs… removing the fluff and keeping nature at its purest and allowing it speaks for itself.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not always been the smoothest road, but I will say I have been blessed. I am self-taught and have learned a lot along the way through practice and patience and trial and error. My creative background has played a huge role in how far I have come but one of my biggest struggles was learning the business side of things. While I love to create knowing the ins and outs of how to properly scale a business, create contracts, pitch new business, etc. has been a learning curve. One that I used to try to avoid at all costs, I now take on as a learning challenge and really throw myself into, no matter how uncomfortable or inexperienced I may sometimes feel – I know it’s for the best.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
First and foremost, I am a Creative Director. I have worked in designs for almost 12+ years between New York, Miami and London. I cover everything from brand conception, naming, custom collateral, websites, etc. My style is very clean, light and airy, minimal and usually monotone and this is where Fika comes in to balance it out. Fika is rich, natural, colorful, curated and always evolving. It’s an alter ego of sorts to my personal branding aesthetic but yet is naturally me as well.
What sets me apart of others is while I have a unique style and look, I can curate a design for anyone based on their mood, aesthetic or atmosphere. While some florists stick very strictly to their style and don’t waver, I tend to go a bit deeper into their world and make it a bit special. I also am very anti the traditional balloons and roses and teddy bears. Let’s appreciate flowers and nature for what they purely are and their natural beauty – the same way we should treat others.
The one thing I am most proud of is the relationships I have cultivated along the way. I never get tired of seeing the look on someone’s face when making a delivery,
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
The one piece of advice I would give to someone just starting out is never give up. Sure, take a small break to re-group and get re-inspired, but never give up. You may not be who you want to be or where you want to be three months out but just keep going and you’ll find your way. What Fika was two years ago is nothing where it is today. I have taken the time & put the money aspect aside and really honed in on what my brand meant to me and how I wanted to be represented but also really lean into the work I wanted to create. It may not always be what’s trending but the people who believe and support what I’m doing came, and they stayed and for me being authentic to myself means everything. I want to continue to love what I do 2,4,8 years from now and not feel like I have to be someone else to succeed.
The one thing I wish I knew when starting out is not to be scared to do my taxes. For some reason, this was the most daunting thing for me to do the 1st year and I’m not sure why. Looking back, I think it was just fear of the unknown and potentially messing up. I wish they would teach you these things in school (or maybe they do in business classes not fine art and I missed it) but again, I turned fear into a challenge and now it’s a piece of cake.
Pricing:
- Pricing starts at +$125 an arrangment
Contact Info:
- Email: inquiries@fikaflowershop.com
- Website: https://www.fikaflowershop.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fika.flowershop/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fika.flowershop/
