BY HANNAH GOLDFINGER
HGOLDFINGER@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM
AUBURN — Brianna Bowers was looking to combine her passion for florals with the need for a business that was flexible to also being a student.
Bowers is a senior at Auburn University graduating in December in international studies.
She has been involved with florals since she was in high school — helping a local business in Opp, Alabama, with the flower arrangements it would do for bigger events.
“I fell in love with it, I love doing it, [the owner] was really good to teach me and just [got] my feet wet in the business,” she said.
When she moved to Auburn, Bowers said she wanted to continue working with flowers, so she took a job with Flowersmith’s in downtown Auburn. Although this business is now closed, it gave Bowers a chance to continue working in the field she enjoyed.
“I was able to work a lot more, I got into some funeral work, I was able to do corsages, boutonnieres, things for proms and homecoming stuff and my passion just kind of grew from there,” she said.
At times, Bowers would also travel back to Opp to help with events, too.
Now in her senior year, Bowers was struggling with work because of the schedule of classes she had to take.
“I was like, ‘Well you have the skill, you might as well use it,’” she said. “So, I put a post out on the ‘What’s Happening in Auburn [and Opelika]’ and a couple other community Facebook groups and that really kickstarted it,” she said.
Suddenly Bowers had her own clients.
“It really blew up faster than I expected,” she said.
Now, she’s handling enough events to pay her bills.
“If I can do this, it gives me more of a freedom to have my own schedule; I’m writing capstone papers for graduation, so it really gives me flexibility to stay on top of my schoolwork and still be involved with football games and club things,” Bowers said. “So, it really ended up being exactly what I needed for this time in my life and I love doing it. It doesn’t feel like work. I love talking to people and making those connections and creating things that people love.
“It just kind of happened out of necessity and then ended up being bigger than I expected it to be.”
Her first client and event was a baby shower.
“She had her specific things that she wanted but she gave me creative freedom to kind of do what I thought that I needed to do,” Bowers said.
Bowers said she has loved making connections between clients — word of mouth is one of the biggest supporters of her business.
One of Bowers’ biggest upcoming projects is a wedding that will take place in a little over a year.
“That’s a big deal, it’s a big event,” she said.
The people, however, are what Bowers said she enjoys the most about this business.
“I moved here a couple years ago, and I didn’t know anyone, and I wasn’t familiar with the area,” she said. “I love getting to know people and getting to know what they love, and that is reflected in the flowers that I make for them. It is a representation of their event or of their personality.”
Bowers can be reached on her Facebook page @Briannabowers or her cell phone number, (334) 208-7250.
