Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Lajoie.
Anne, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey to the floral industry came a bit unconventionally. This became a second career for me after spending 20+ years in real estate accounting. I was going through a divorce in the late 1990’s when a friend bought a small floral shop. I would help her periodically, taking vacation from my job as a controller with a property management company to help her during holidays. Over the years I came to love working with flowers. Eventually, I came to long for a shop of my own. I’d always had a love for creative activities – my Mom taught me to sew when I was 10, I designed gift baskets in my early 20’s, and developed a love for gardening in my 30’s. In 2003, I took the plunge and sold my townhouse, moved to Laguna Beach, quit my job and took a part time job working for my friend in her flower shop. Two years later, in 2005, I opened my own shop in Mission Viejo. For three years I ran a retail location, mostly by myself. In 2008, I closed my retail location and started operating from home. It was touch and go in 2009 and 2010 and I took a part-time job doing some accounting work for a real estate agent. But, I was quite determined to keep Hydrangea Bleu going. Over the years I have mostly focused on providing flowers for daily deliveries with weddings and events as a part of my business. In the last few years I’ve been focusing more and more on weddings, which I love. I’m always honored and excited to have the opportunity to contribute to such an important day.
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?
I think that business, like life in general, always has struggles. The recession certainly created great challenges. After all, when people are concerned about their jobs, necessities come first. Flowers, of course, are generally perceived as a luxury item and if it’s a choice of food on the table or a vase of flowers, well, flowers aren’t going to be on the top of the list. 🙂
So, I felt the loss in business during the recession. I was very lucky in that I had a lot of loyal customers who continued to honor me with their business.
I also had a couple of broken bones along the way: broke my left wrist (thank goodness, I’m right handed) and fractured my left tibia trying to chase down an escaping sweet lab named Sydney. That incident left me in a wheelchair for a couple of months and I had to temporarily close for daily deliveries.
The take away there is don’t try to chase a dog while running in clogs!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Hydrangea Bleu story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a florist. Hydrangea Bleu has been my baby since 2005. I offer flowers for all occasions and deliver to all of southern Orange County.
I also design flowers for weddings and events. I generally work by myself and love what I do. I work from home and have overtaken the garage as my studio. I have a nice big floral refrigerator (a holdover from when I had my retail shop) and it allows my flexibility to store flowers and keep them fresh. My designs tend to be pretty textural and I love unexpected color combinations. I love to try new techniques and work hard to stay current with trends. I’m also a big lover/believer in educating my clients, especially in the wedding flowers area.
For many brides, their first real exposure to flowers is when they are planning their wedding. I like to be a resource for them and am more than happy to help guide them so that they find the best choice for them.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’ve been very lucky to have a family that has supported me and my business. One of my sisters has been beyond generous with her time in helping me with wedding set up. Other family members have helped with deliveries over the years and with some of my bigger wedding set-ups.
I’ve also been blessed with clients who have stayed with me for years and recommended me to their friends. I am forever grateful to them for their continued support.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hydrangeableuevents.com and www.hydrangeableu.com
- Phone: 949-454-9041
- Email: anne@hydrangeableu.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/HydrangeaBleu
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/HydrangeaBleu
- Yelp: www.yelp.com/HydrangeaBleu
Image Credit:
Hydrangea Bleu
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