Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Cohn.
Elizabeth, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started 24 years ago at flower kiosk in a mall in Boston. That led to jobs as a wedding florist and designing event venues and interiors in downtown Boston and Newport, Rhode Island. With that came job plants-caping interior and exterior gardens and holiday installations in Boston proper for high-end hotels and Fortune 500 companies.
I moved out of California to work alongside some of the most premier event florists in L.A. I then met my husband and moved to Ojai. We bought a flower shop and with that, I was able to merge my two passions: floral and interior design.
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?
Hell no! I was a very young, single mother, raising two children during all of this…and a floral designer isn’t the most steady income. I fought long and hard to keep doing what I love and to keep my passion as my work instead of caving to the pressures of working a steady-salaried office job. I moved across the country to establish who I was in the industry and earn my keep in a very large and intimidating industry that is loaded with talent.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Forage Ojai story. Tell us more about the business.
Forage Ojai does daily floral arrangements, weddings and events. We are known for our unique and resourceful style–blending and merging tradition with wild and being purveyors of exotic goods from my travels around the world. My husband travels for a living and I’m often able to join him and bring back things like tiles from Fez, Morocco, hats, blankets and hand-woven bags from South America, textiles from South Africa and dried floral husks from Amsterdam.
I’m the most proud of the quality we put into our work, which is what I believe sets me apart from others. Finding perfection in every detail. Forage is the sum of my experiences and what I offer is singular and bespoke. I’m also very proud that we source from local farmers.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe you get what you work for. Obstacles only exist to make you better and push you forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: forageojai.com
- Phone: 805-561-9613
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: forageojai
- Facebook: Forage Ojai
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