Today we’d like to introduce you to Sophie Sikora.
Sophie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always had a passion for flowers, the wonder of nature, and a well-told story.
My love of flowers started at a very young age. Born & raised in Los Angeles, I grew up playing make-believe in our garden and exploring the verdant pathways of the Angeles National Forest right in my backyard. It was my own personal Wonderland, and I imagined myself as Alice traversing the Garden of Live Flowers, and took particular pains trying to make the flowers my friends. I became obsessed with learning everything about them and crafting stories with their textures and colors.
My passion for telling stories grew as well, and this took me to Hollywood where I spent almost a decade as a creative producer, shaping narratives and bringing entertainment to millions the globe over on some of the most successful films in the world. Yet I always longed to connect my passions & be the master of my own destiny, so applying my experience as a producer I decided to take the leap & start my own company.
As an LA native now living in the Arts District, I’ve watched this city transform. In the same way that we’ve turned a neighborhood of old warehouses and factories into a booming creative haven, I wanted to bring a floral presence and a love of nature to this area. From this vision, Arts District Florals blossomed. Through floral artistry and botanical design, I’ve found a whole new way to entertain the senses & curate a theater of nature, again, right in my own back yard.
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?
Every new endeavor has its challenges – especially starting your own business. As they say – “If it was easy, everyone would do it!”
My background as a producer has definitely come in handy. Starting and owning your own business effectively means you will need to problem solve every day, and that’s essentially the job of a producer as well. Working in Hollywood you are constantly putting out one fire after another and you quickly learn that “I don’t know” or “I can’t” is never the right answer, and you just have to find a way.
Every day I’m presented with new challenges to push my business forward and I heavily rely on my can-do attitude to figure things out. Whether it’s sourcing the flowers a client wants when they’re out of season to anticipating how much extra help we’ll need with certain events or holidays, there’s always a solution, even if it means calling in reinforcements! I’m very fortunate to have a great network of people around me who I can reach out to for business advice, an extra set of hands, or when we need to move heaven & earth so we can fulfill all of our client’s needs. All in a day’s work!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Arts District Florals story. Tell us more about the business.
Arts District Florals is a botanical design studio specializing in exquisite floral creations & stunning botanical experiences.
We offer full service floral coordination – whether for the home, a commercial space or an event, our primary focus is on closely collaborating with our clients to curate a botanical palette that enhances, elevates & emotionally resonates, so that each project compliments our client’s personal style and aesthetic. We specialize in bespoke arrangements and botanical experiences, and offer weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthy & monthly floral subscriptions for the home and office, & of course, create florals for events of all types. We hand-select the best blossoms sourced from the best growers in the world, and set out to create a floral experience that transcends, telling a story of color, harmony & floral symbolism.
To us, working with flowers is a sacred way of connecting with the natural beauty of our world, serving as a reminder to delight in the present & never take anything for granted. Each season and the blossoms that come with it tells a story, and through our gorgeous creations we translate this spectacular theater of nature into our own language, and we love sharing this passion with our clients.
Personally, my favorite part of the job, aside from being surrounded by gorgeous flowers every day, is spreading joy. Seeing a client’s eyes light up when they receive one of our arrangements or hearing the excited gasps when they step into a space transformed with our florals is the best feeling ever. Their happiness is the ultimate testament to a job well done.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
When I was a kid, a family friend said to me: “The only way to predict the future is to create it” – and that statement has had a huge influence throughout my life. It really shifted my perspective so that I’ve come to know that there’s always a way to make it happen even if everyone around you doesn’t believe & the deck is stacked against you.
When things don’t go exactly as planned, I always try to find a way to turn that obstacle into an opportunity, always focusing on the end goal. I’m incredibly persistent & a bit stubborn once I’ve gotten something into my head, and once I do, I go after it with fierce determination! That said, I feel beyond lucky to have such an incredible network of family & friends – without their love & support, the journey would be a lot less fun!
Pricing:
- Floral arrangements start at $75
- Home/Corporate Floral Consultations start at $100
Contact Info:
- Address: 130. South Hewitt Street,
Los Angeles CA 90012 - Website: www.ArtsDistrictFlorals.com
- Phone: 8184221175
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @artsdistrictflorals
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtsDistrictFlorals/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ArtsDistFlorals
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/arts-district-florals-los-angeles
Image Credit:
Claire Cali
Marissa Maharaj
Betsey Rosenberg
Melissa Mathewson
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.
