Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in floristry but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Emily Shellenberger, owner of Live Bee, or Die Farm, located in New Boston, NH, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Live Bee or Die Farm is a small cut flower farm and apiary in southern New Hampshire. We specialize in sustainably grown cut flowers and herbs, wedding and event design, custom bouquets, as well as our roadside self-serve cart and self-serve farm store.

We have wonderful customers! Over the past five years, we have received so much support from our immediate community, as well as surrounding towns. It is a great honor to be able to design for special moments - including those treat yourself ones! A lot of love and patience goes into growing these flowers, and it brings me great joy to spread them into our community.

Tell us about yourself

In 2015, my family and I decided to start a pollinator project after they had purchased an old plot of commercial farmland in my hometown for their business. That year, we sectioned off and tilled a piece of the land and planted over 500 sunflowers and other native pollinating plants. In addition to that plot, we also made a small cutting garden. The intentions were to sell the bouquets off of our little roadside stand and use the profits to continue to expand the gardens and pollinator habitats.

During this time, I began to fall in love with gardening and working with flowers. I grew more and more interested in learning about native pollinator species and ended up taking bee-keeping courses with my dad so we could start our own apiary on the land. By 2016, I decided to delve right in, creating a business and registering as a farm under Live Bee, or Die Farm.

Over the years, it has continued to grow. We are now working 2 acres of land. I grow almost 90% of our seedlings here on the property, focusing on pollinator-friendly varieties and continuing to use sustainable practices. We do not use pesticides and are focused on creating a permaculture environment. It is amazing to watch the land come back to life, as we are not only creating a safe environment for pollinators but are welcoming many bird species which are nesting on the edges of our land.

As much as I enjoy the farming side of things, my creative side is greatly satisfied by designing with the flowers that are grown here. The flower cart has expanded and features our smaller bouquets. We also have a self-serve farm store on the property for custom order pick up and larger bouquets. For the past three years, I have also expanded into designing for weddings and events and have continued learning new floral design techniques.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I would say the biggest accomplishment is that growing this business has been all self-taught. I had only taken a few marketing and business courses before jumping in. I had no previous experience with farming or floral design. It has taken a lot of time, research, successes, and failures to get to this point, but the key is consistency and continuing to learn as much as you possibly can.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

For me personally, the hardest thing is time management and trying to keep up with wearing multiple hats. When you own your own business, it's not a typical 9 to 5. You don't have someone instructing you on what to do; you have to create that for yourself. Somedays, it can be extremely overwhelming if you are trying to juggle multiple things (answering emails/texts/phone calls, managing the gardens and harvesting, ordering supplies, keeping things stocked...etc.) One of my goals this year is to work on my schedule more so I don't suffer from burnout.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Research, research, research! Depending on what type of business you are planning to start, you need to know all of the laws, regulations, insurance, and so much more before you can even begin. This is an extremely important part and will save you headaches in the long run.
  2. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you are unsure of something.
  3. Time management. It can be harder than you think. Try to create a schedule to stick to and learn to set boundaries. (Ex. I won't answer anything work-related after 6:00 pm)

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I would like to give a special shout-out to my family and friends who have helped and supported me along this journey. They have been my rocks many times and never fail to encourage me if I get discouraged.

I would also like to thank my customers for their support throughout the years; I have made and continue to make wonderful connections (and friends!) along the way. If you are new to us, please give us a follow-on Facebook or Instagram to learn more!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.livebeeordiefarm.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiveBeeorDieFarm/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/livebeeordiefarm/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.