Inspiration
Work’s like a
DREAM
It takes guts and self-belief to start a new career, but in a recession?
Zest meets three women who prioritised their happiness in the riskiest of times
‘I DITCHED FINANCE FOR FLOWERS’
After dreaming that she ran a florist, Kally Ellis, 50, from London, did just that – at the peak of the 90s recession
‘I
’m the youngest of four girls. And
while all my sisters went to art
college, I rebelled and pursued a
career in banking, using the languages I’d
studied at university to work for a French
bank. But banking isn’t exactly creative
and eventually the nine-to-five slog really
got me down. To add to that, in a short
space of time everything in my life
changed for the worse – I split up with my
boyfriend, my best friend died and I had
to move back in with my parents. I’d hit
rock bottom and couldn’t see a way out.
Then out of nowhere, a work trip to Paris
threw up an unexpected glimmer of hope.
‘I’d gone out to buy
a bouquet for a friend,
and stumbled across a
shop selling the most
beautiful flower
arrangements I’d ever
seen – just simple
hand-tied tulips and
roses, but they were
stunning. I hadn’t
seen anything like that
in London – back
then, flowers were all
boring, flat-backed
arrangements.
I couldn’t get the flowers out of my
head and soon afterwards I had the most
incredibly vivid dream. I was in a flower
shop – my shop – surrounded by handtied bouquets. I woke up feeling happier
than I had in a long time. This was a sign.
Work and life had got so bad, the only way
was up, and the dream gave me the focus
I really needed. I walked into the kitchen
and announced to my parents, “I’m going
to be a florist!” They
thought I was barmy.
‘Over the next few
months, I threw myself into
my dream and thought
about nothing
else except the
shop. The
1990 recession
was at its peak,
so I took voluntary
redundancy at the bank and
bought a very small flower
shop, McQueens, which was
about to go under. All my
banking friends thought I
was mad and kept telling me
“No-one starts a business in
Kally’s talents
brighten up
a recession!” But I had such
A-list parties
faith in my plan that, despite
the very real financial risks, I didn’t doubt
my instincts for a second. To me, all the
fundamentals were sound - the central
location was key because so many people
travelled past there every day and there
were no decent florists in the area. Plus,
with all the doom and gloom, I felt people
needed something to make them feel
better. Flowers have so many proven
wellbeing benefits after all, from boosting
happiness to making you
more productive at work.
It couldn’t go wrong.
‘That’s not to say I
didn’t have lots of
learning to do though yes, I owned my own
business, but I wasn’t too
proud to hold my hands
up and admit that I had a
long way to go. So, while doing up the
shop, I worked at a garden centre to get
some hands-on experience. And I
immersed myself in the industry - finding
out who the good suppliers were, and
volunteering with legendary florist, Paula
Pryke, so I could learn on the job. Even
hearing how traders didn’t want to open
accounts with me because of the old
shop’s reputation didn’t put me off. I was
‘DESPITE THE
VERY REAL
RISKS, I DIDN’T
DOUBT MY
INSTINCTS FOR
A SECOND’
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Signpost
Kally’s business
is flourishing
positive we could change their minds and
attract new customers, too.
I’d had my dream at the end of
September and opened my shop on New
Year’s Day. Then I put my absolute all into
making it a success, working 18-hour
days, and by the end of the first year we
were making a profit. Unlike the overtime
I’d had to do in my old job, this didn’t feel
like a hardship at all because I was
literally making my dream come true.
‘My big breakthrough came four years
in when, out of the blue, I was asked to do
the flowers for a Vanity Fair party in
London. They’d originally booked a
famous French florist but he arrived
unprepared. So, I did what I usually do –
say yes and panic later. It was an
unexpected opportunity to make a huge
impression, so, I took the florist to the
flower market and let him use my
suppliers and staff, and we worked
around the clock. Thankfully, the gamble
paid off and since then, I’ve done the
flowers for Vanity Fair’s Oscar parties in
LA and the Cannes Film Festival.
‘Twenty one years later, we now have
bigger premises, 35 staff, a flower school
and recently launched a new shop in
Claridge’s Hotel. I believe my success has
been down to a mixture of ignorance and
instinct. Ignorance can be a beautiful
thing, if I’d done more research I might
have been put off starting a business in a
recession. Even in the toughest of times,
if you team instinct with passion and
hard work, you can really reap the
benefits. I’m living proof of that.’ ➜
How to make your dreams a reality
1
BE REALISTIC If
you have a dream,
however big it may
seem, it’s important to
narrow it down to a
tangible goal, so you’re
clearly focused and
aiming for something
achieveable.
2
PLOT YOUR
GOALS Once
you’ve established
your ultimate goal,
plan smaller weekly
or monthly goals that
will help you get
closer to the allimportant big dream.
3
BE A SWOT
Identify the
strengths you can use
and make note of
weaknesses you need
to confront. Look for
opportunities, and
always be prepared
for potential threats.
Learn to flower arrange like a pro and reap the happiness benefits by joining
Kally at the Zest Happiness Masterclass on 6 October (£85, 020 7312 3767)
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