Community Highlights: Meet Megan Hoelle of Bloom Boom

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Hoelle.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up around flowers. My grandmother was an avid gardener and my mom always had flowers in the house. Flowers were stenciled on the walls, on the fabric of my bedspread and painted on the china we ate from. My grandmother’s favorite mug, the one she used every day I knew her, has mini pink carnations all over it. In my family, everyone referred to plants by their names. At Easter we checked the Dogwood Tree for hidden eggs high up in its branches, our backyard picnics were next to the big Rhododendron bush, and my grandpa paid me a penny for each Dandelion I dug from the yard.

In high school, I would come over to my grandparents’ house and find floral design books all over the dining room table. My grandma, a member of the Portland Garden Club, was studying to become a judge of flower arrangements. She traveled around to county and state fairs in the summer judging competitions and handing out ribbons for outstanding compositions.

2020 found me in Los Angeles, with three little boys under 5 and a software consulting business I ran with my husband. When the pandemic hit and all the schools closed, I was forced to step away from the business and shepherd my kids through the nightmare of zoom kindergarten, endless days playing inside and the mental drain of creating a schedule of activities aimed at preserving normalcy in a time that was anything but.

I needed something to combat the burn out. After the kids were asleep, I would lay out all the flowers I’d gotten from Trader Joes and just make arrangements. I found that touching the stems, smelling the blooms, getting lost in the colors provided the escape and reset really needed. I started putting flowers in every room of the house and talking to the kids about their names. In a time of extreme loneliness, it helped to bring some of the outside world to us.

Time chugged on and eventually the schools reopened and I could go back to work. Business was booming and we were eventually able to sell our company. I told my husband that when the time was right, I was going to open a flower shop with some of the money we’d gotten from the sale and create a place where people could gather to make flower arrangements and spend time basking in the same warm, creative flower energy that had gotten me through the pandemic. And from the moment I stepped into the magic of Bloom Boom, I knew it was just the place I’d been looking for. I’m thrilled to be the new owner and continue to build upon what the previous owner started.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I became owner of Bloom Boom in June and have been focusing on getting to know the business and starting the community workshops. There are definitely challenges to running a business, but everything feels a little more manageable now that this is my second time as a business owner. When my husband and I were growing our consulting company, everything was new and the learning curve was steep. As an entrepreneur you wear so many hats. We poured so much money and time into that business and as with any business, you don’t know if you will be successful. We learned and adapted and kept growing, all while growing our family and juggling three kids. I’m proud of what we built and while it was difficult to walk away and start fresh, I’m thrilled to have left tech consulting behind and to be in the much more creative world of flowers.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Bloom Boom is a magical space. Situated in West Hollywood on La Cienega and Melrose, this charming flower boutique is a serene escape in the middle of the city. As a full service flower shop, we provide stunning arrangements for everyday gifting, as well as event florals, flower bars and monthly flower arranging classes that are open to the community. We also rent out the space for private parties and brand activations.

My personal mission is to be creative, build community and give back. I’m very excited about our monthly flower arranging classes because it brings people together from the community to do something creative. People really need more opportunities to meet people and do something that radiates positivity and inclusiveness. Flowers provide an invitation to slow down, look closer, breath deep and immerse yourself in beauty. We also give back to the community by bringing event florals to assisted living communities after events, donating arrangements to the children’s hospitals and partner with nonprofits on fundraisers.

In terms of what we’re known for, we do a petal reflexing technique that increases the size of the rose and lets you see the full vibrancy of the color. Most people haven’t seen something like that before. We also have an architectural style that focuses on creating space between the flowers so you can really see each one and it allows for movement in the arrangement which makes it feel very whimsical and romantic. But we also love to partner with our clients and create bespoke arrangements based on their vision and inspiration.

What does success mean to you?
I define success as being able to do what you love every day and make a difference in peoples lives. One of the things I love most about being a floral designer is getting to intersect people in their special moments. It might be a moment of celebration or grief, and you get to be there, connecting with them and creating something together. One of my favorite moments so far was when someone came in and wanted a custom arrangement because their favorite restaurant in Los Angeles was closing and they wanted to bring something to the owner on her last night in business. He told me all about the restaurant, what it had meant to him, what the vibe was like and we created something together. I felt so happy to learn more about my beloved city and to be able to be a part of that restaurants’ last night, even though i’d never been there.

I also feel successful every time someone creates a beautiful arrangement in one of my classes and has that moment of surprise, where they realize they could do something they didn’t know they could and are impressed with what they made. I love it when people say, “I’m going to start doing this more!” I love that I can contribute to these self care moments.

Of course, the ultimate success for me is getting to share what I love with my boys. They come in the shop and help clean flowers and are starting to get into the fun of giving flowers to people and seeing them light up. And of course, teaching them the names of flowers. The other day my 5 year old was riding in the car with me and he called out, “Hey Mom, I see the bougainvillea!” I know that would make my grandma smile to see her love for plants passing to the new generation. And that, for me, is the ultimate win.

Pricing:

• We rent out our shop for between $175-$250 an hour depending on the season
• Our monthly flower arranging workshops are $150 per class and are typically on Thursdays. Schedule on the website.
• Most of our signature collection is between $175 and $250 but we can always work with people around their desired budgets.
• Our signature flower bar experience for up to 35 guests starts at $1,500 for two hours and includes 5-8 stem bouquets per guest.
• Corporate classes offsite for team building or brand activation are available, inquire for pricing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bloom-boom.shop/
• Instagram: bloomboom_shop
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bloom-boom-west-hollywood?osq=bloom+boom

Image Credits
Nectar Digital Collaborative, Nina Zacuto Photography, Jessica Garcia and Chelsea Knott