May 15, 2017

Meet Dawn Schillinger of Earthbaby Flowers in Sherman Oaks

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Schillinger.

Dawn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Earthbaby Flowers 2 years ago on Mother’s Day in a parking lot of a gas station… I sold out in two hours and haven’t looked back since! #nofucksgiven. It half started when I was going to nursing school and couldn’t find a damn job to save my life (that fit with my crazy schedule) and flowers always came naturally to me. It first started when I was a baby Dawn… I would jack bloomies from neighbors yards and put them on other neighbors doorsteps (had to mix it up, or they’d be on to me 😉 I would ring the doorbell and run away (My Grandma would laugh through admonishment). Kinda sweet, right? Maybe even a little serendipitous, too. Anyway- I decided a couple of years into my nursing education to drop it and do what made my heart beat fast. None of it was easy- I scared a lot of people by quitting something I had worked so hard to achieve (that was fun!), and I had to hustle my butt off and work 12-14 hour days for about 7 months straight, just to get it off the ground on my own. I have never worked harder, nor have I ever been more satisfied with what I do. Flowers are something that I have always been drawn to and now I operate a company that specializes in treating everyone like they’re our sweet grandma, while creating kickass blooms for events, floral deliveries and everything in between! I wouldn’t change it for the world and am so grateful for every day… I get to play with flowers and meet some of the most amazing people in Los Angeles.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
OMG, no. The road has not been smooth at all…. well, I guess it depends on which way you look at it. In the beginning, I literally started from nothing and was freaking out about how to pay my bills but it was a blessing in disguise, because it lit a fire of motivation under my a**… I hustled on every level: I went to networking events, I created samples free samples to churn out to local businesses everywhere, I joined the Chamber of Commerce, I managed my social media like it was my life force, I promoted, I literally did everything I could… this is just the tip of the iceberg! And guess what? It was RISKY business…but it has paid off significantly. I remember moments (especially in the first few months) where I had approximately $0.14 cents in my bank account and was wondering how I would pay rent… and then miraculously I would be called on for an event. Countless close-calls… never one. close enough to put me on my butt, but that’s where the importance of hard-work comes in. Now some of our clients include Google, NYX Cosmetics, Spiritual Gangster, and so many more… If you dream big, take care of people (your customers + your employees), stay organized, delivery quality products and exemplary customer service, the payoff will be invaluable!

We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a unique floral delivery + event design company. We do everything from pre-made event design, customizable event design, florals for shoots, local floral delivery, custom gift baskets, floral crown classes, recurring floral deliveries for homes and businesses… literally everything and anything pertaining to florals. We LOVE florals and take every opportunity to play with them and have fun! We are unique because we try to keep it real while being super mindful of our clients and the level of quality of our products. We have 5 stars on Yelp and cannot stress the importance of customer service. We never let anyone walk away unsatisfied… if anyone is ever disappointed, we do everything in our power to turn the customer experience into a positive one. Primarily, we are different because:

– Our style is totally organic
– Our vibe is young and fresh, and we do our best to stay current
– And, we send out photo confirmations with all of our floral deliveries so the customer knows exactly what they’re paying for as well as when it’s delivered.

… just to name a few. I think the readers will grasp the Earthbaby Flowers Vibe by checking us out on our social media platforms… and also our start-up story. We started in the parking lot of a gas station and now we have employees and big clients! Like, how cool is that?!

What were you like growing up?
Wild + Curious.

I’m a Colorado native and I grew up exploring nature and being outside… that was my constant escape. Although I’m a transplant to LA now (10+ years) I still find everyday solace and much happiness in nature and botany. I love the natural order of growth… I appreciate the slow birth of all creations and really admire the magic of how a system is fully developed. Nature is always true to its nature and beyond beautiful… we can learn a lot from flora…

Anyway- I’ve always been known to ask lots of questions (probably to a point of being annoying), to pursuit creative endeavors, and to go with the flow and really maintain a level of openness and honesty with both myself and my surroundings. I always speak my mind, make efforts to me mindful of the needs of those around me… I guess if my friends and family could describe me they would probably say quirky, sweet, tenacious and fun. ,… I honestly feel like I’m tooting my horn right now, so I think that’s enough about me. 😉

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