Meet Chantal Dodson of Garden Florist in Westlake Village and Malibu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chantal Dodson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Chantal. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in the heart of Hollywood and had a pretty rough childhood. I’ve always loved flowers and as a little girl would buy bouquets of flowers and design them. It was my escape.

When I was 24 I took over an existing flower shop in LA. It was a small corner shop but I felt it had a ton of potential and it did. I learned the business of floral designing and I was lucky enough to have some of the best designers and flower shop owners take me under their wings. The flower shop became so big and busy that I took on 2 business partners and after I started a family, I moved out of LA and sold my shares to them.

I left the industry for 7 years, took a 9-5 job and raised my kids. One day I decided that I couldn’t work behind a desk any more, it wasn’t for me and went full time back into the business of being a florist. I bought a small shop in Westlake Village. I went to work, cleaning up the business, the websites, working on getting accounts and connections.

I am a true believer that if you do what you love and do it with compassion, good things will happen, and they did. Don’t cut corners to make a buck, do it right, and treat all your clients like gold. Whether they choose to spend $50 or $500, they are the same.

The clients just started flooding in by word of mouth! Garden Florist now services clients from Westlake to Malibu and even in Beverly Hills. We just kept growing to the point that my husband left the Financial Industry to come work as my partner full time. It was a scary decision but well worth it. It was the best decision we ever made.

Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, there are always rough patches when you first start up a business, but you learn and move on. Once you make a mistake, you learn your lesson and don’t make it again.

The truth is, if you think you know everything about what you do, you have no room for growth. I’m always looking to learn new techniques and form. You should never stop learning your trade. That’s the difference of making you average compared to great.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Garden Florist – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I love what we do and I love making people happy! Flowers are a form of communication and very personal, so you want to make sure you get what the sender is trying to express to the recipient. It’s NOT just about taking an order, it’s an expression of feelings.

Garden Florist is a local florist specializing in unique, custom designed, fresh flower arrangements for all occasions, with outstanding customer service.

We serve the communities of Malibu, Westlake Village, Thousand Oaks, Calabasas, Agoura Hills, Oak Park, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Camarillo, and Los Angeles.

Whether you are looking for a one-time delivery or are in need of flowers for an upcoming event we look forward to helping you make your occasion special.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love So Cal. I love Malibu and Westlake and I don’t see myself ever leaving.

Pricing:

• Floral arrangments start at 50.00

Contact Info:

• Address: 31320 Via Colinas #104 Westlake Village, CA 91362
• Website: Gardenflorists.com | Malibugardenflorist.com
• Phone: Westlake 805 832 6607 or Malibu 310 894 6721
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: Garden_Florist
• Facebook: Garden Florist
• Yelp: Garden Florist in Westlake and Malibu Garden Florist in Malibu

Image Credit:
Alloria Winter Photography – Personal photo
Chantal Dodson

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.