I first featured Nichole last February around Valentine’s Day - I continue to visit Wild Fig on weekly basis and Nichole never seems to stop working! Read below to hear her own story and journey from finance to flowers!
Women of the Week Newsletter | Flodesk
It’s hard to resist stopping when passing by WildFig Floral in the village of Katonah. Everything from the vintage “open” sign and bar cart with mason jars filled with brightly colored floral arrangements to lush green vines woven with fresh branches crawling up the storefront, beckons passerbyers to peek inside. Drawing inspiration from trips to Paris, that’s exactly what Nichole Wilder had in mind when she envisioned her floral shop.
Nichole, originally from South Florida, often visited family in the area and while her career in business brought her to New York on a regular basis, it was Katonah’s access to so many neighboring villages, the short train ride to the city, wonderful schools and fabulous village that she decided to settle here.
Having always dreamed of owning a business and specifically a flower shop, it was a friend/neighbor that kept asking Nichole that key question, “When is the perfect time? What exactly are you waiting for?” that gave her the confidence to know her passion would be a success. And that’s exactly the piece of advice Nichole would bestow on women today thinking of launching their own business, “there is never the perfect time."
Nichole knows this more than anyone, having launched her business in the fall of 2019 just as the world of events and celebrations would come to a halt. She was forced to change everything about WildFig, turning it into a curbside pick up and delivery business. But as Nichole sees it, she feels “blessed to have been part of so many re-arranged celebrations.”
Now, Nichole is busier than ever having launched WildFig Floral Subscriptions just in time for Valentine’s Day, read below our conversation and don’t forget to place your holiday flower orders before the end of the week!
Let's hear from Nichole…
Did you always dream of owning your own business? What inspired or motivated you to take the leap to do so? Yes, I have always dreamed of owning my own business. And specifically a flower shop. I was inspired to take the first step when a friend/neighbor asked me a simple question, “When is the perfect time? What exactly are you waiting for?” This resonated with me. I continued to ask myself this question, and realized that there really was nothing holding me back. It was a passion, and I believed it would be a great success.
You’ve mentioned that you had a background in business before opening WildFig, how did your past experiences prepare you to open the flower shop? Yes, my career before opening WildFig was in finance. I worked for an institutional research company at a very exciting time. It was hard work, competitive, and a very self driven environment. I believe these experiences helped to lay a foundation for the understanding of the financials involved in opening a business, and what it takes to operate and keep it going!
You are a graduate of the Flower School of New York and many people looking to make career pivots often look to additional education to give them the confidence to do so. Can you talk about your decision to further your education and how that played into opening your shop? Sure! The Flower School New York is a wonderful program which allows you to take your passion for flowers to whatever level you wish. Their various programs in floral design and courses in how to run a flower shop were an important foundation to my first steps. I believe we are never too old, or past any point in our lives for more education. It is so important to do the research and find a group or school or community that will enhance your creative idea to reality.
Your floral arrangements look almost like pieces of artwork, and walking into your shop is like a tiny museum. How do you approach floral design in terms of color palette, texture and overall aesthetic? Thank you! I approach each design differently. Depending on the client, the event, the occasion, it's all very personal. I source the beautiful varieties, allowing for each design to be individual. We want every customer and every event to feel as though they have just commissioned a floral arrangement(s) that is absolutely unique..Which it is.
Not to give away any secrets, but where and how far do you have to go to source such beautiful flowers? I source my flowers from amazing wholesalers in New York City, Norwalk, CT and Campbell Hall, NY. I also take part in the auction, buying direct from Holland.
Are there special places that you have traveled that have provided inspiration for the shop and your arrangements? Yes! I have been very blessed to have traveled all over the world, and that has been a huge inspiration to me. Of course the flower shops in Paris are a direct inspiration for me now. I have always wanted to recreate that experience where I live. I believe it is so important to give the customer the experience. I want people to walk into my shop and feel transported. To feel like they don't want to leave. To feel like they want to bring it ALL home. When I travel to other countries, I always want to bring something home with me, mostly the experience. This is something I strive to recreate in my own backyard.
You opened WildFig in the fall of 2019, a few months before the world of event planning and celebrations pretty much came to a halt. What parts of your business plan were you forced to change and what helped you survive those dark days of the pandemic? We were forced to change just about everything. While everyone was home, in lockdown I was at the shop, creating. Everything was different, where I was getting flowers from, the quality of flowers, the price of flowers. All while the demand for flowers took off. Immediately, people started to reach out to me about delivering flowers to those that were sick, or depressed, or lonely, or simply needed a pick-me up. My whole business transitioned to curbside pick up and delivery. I lost the aspect of the experience in my shop, and was forced to be a delivery floral service. Events became very personal and small. Lots of backyard weddings which were absolutely lovely. Everything really was simply beautiful. I feel blessed to have been a part of so many re-arranged celebrations. This was a beautiful outcome of covid, we transitioned and it was just as beautiful, intimate, and meaningful.
Walking the streets of Katonah it appears there is a strong sense of community and supportive spirit amongst small business owners, especially women. Were there women that helped mentor or guide you through the process of starting and running your business? Yes, the women in my life have all helped pave the way for me. My mother is by far the most powerful wind in my sail. She is a retired labor and delivery nurse, who worked the night shift when I was growing up. Her passion for family and hard work were recognized very early on for me. I also have a beautiful circle of sisters (although really childhood friends) who endlessly support me, fill in for carpools, help at the shop when needed, and listen to all my moments of worry. The business owners in Katonah are the most supportive community. I am so proud to share the title of business owner with so many fabulous women. Katonah is a village where you can get everything you need, and it's really something that most businesses are women owned. Katonah is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, and create a business. It takes a village, and Katonah Village is nothing short of the best!
What advice did you find most helpful prior to opening WildFig and what would you tell others thinking about launching a business today? I was told so many times, “there is never the perfect time.” I heard this over and over but it was not until I really repeated that to myself. It really is a lesson of listening to yourself. There really is never a perfect time, there will always be something that comes up but if your dream or passion still comes though as the answer then you have your next move.
Lightning Round:
Favorite unexpected flower combination: Hmmm, this is a tough one. For color, gray tulips and yellow flowers. For variety, sweet peas and spirea. Where do you find the greatest inspiration for your flowers? My garden or nature. We have so much to learn from nature and how gardens grow. Not having the time to tend to my garden these days has allowed me to watch my garden go to seed, run wild and be what it is. There is so much to take from this, nature's design is beautiful. Dream tablescape: flowers, food and guests: Flowers would be colorful and abundant and wild, food would be mediterranean, guests would be my closest and dearest friends and family. Business you’d most like to see open in our towns: Bakery, Reflexology, Jazz Lounge/Bar
What we're reading
What we can learn from the women of Iceland, this review of a new book written by Iceland's First Lady, Eliza Reid, on the accomplishments of women in one of the most gender equal countries.
After hearing the news that “ladies'” figure skating would be rebranded as “women’s” at the Olympics this week, 2021 U.S. champion Mariah Bell, who made her Olympic debut in Beijing said, “Ladies are great, but women are empowered and mature.”
This profile of Leondra R. Kruger, one of the women on President Biden’s short-list for Supreme Court Justice nominees known for being a real consensus builder.
What we're listening to
Amanda Liptack makes the case for engaging with politics at the local level on this episode of The Ezra Klein Show
Local Events
Mark your calendars we're hosting another Women Making Waves Dinner on March 2nd! The dinner will be limited to the first 15 women that sign up, event details will be sent out in the next week. In the meantime let me know if you’re interested in attending these types of events as I'm thinking about scheduling one per month going forward.
And keep sending me your news/announcements/events or other items you would like shared with our network!
