LOVE MISS M
www.lovemissm.com | Instagram | Facebook
If you love a good business startup back story then you have come to the right place! Love Miss M Floral Art Prints is a business born from a passion for flowers and helping to create beautiful spaces for children.
Minty Magazine chats to owner of Love Miss M Angela Zegir about life as an owner of 2 businesses. Angela is the definition of a ‘go-getter’. She has an entrepreneurial attitude to everything she does. Love Miss M has absolutely flourished since it began from Angela’s and her daughter Matilda’s love for floristry.
We have also collaborated with Love Miss M to give you the chance to win 1x Framed Print by Love Miss M valued at $150! Enter via our instagram giveaway post here.
If you miss out – don’t worry! We also have a 20% off discount code for all prints. Simply use the code 20MINTY at the checkout.
Love Miss M will also be at One Fine Baby on the 15th and 16th of September if you’re in Melbourne and you’d like to see the prints and meet Angela.
The back story to Love Miss M and how the business came to be is absolutely inspirational. Could you please tell us a little bit more about what motivated you to being Little Miss M?
‘For over 20 years I did the grown-up work thing and held down a successful career in Human Resources. The last 6 years were at Aesop as the Global GM of HR. The role was huge, challenging yet I enjoyed the experience. I was fortunate enough to travel overseas regularly which was great until the cracks started to appear.
At the same time as working part time (yeah as if it was really part time!!), I had three youngish children and my mother passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Two of the kids have special needs and one is a real challenge to parent. My health, family and friends were suffering. After a few health and stress issue I took some unplanned time off. After returning a few months later, I faced redundancy. Completely out of the blue.
After getting over the hurt, disappointment and then enjoying some much-needed time to soul search I decided to follow a long held dream to become a florist. Off to study I went, organised some great work experience with much admired florists I was on my way to floristry. I established Bespoke Botanics which has now been running for 3 years. It is a home-based florist studio and we specialise in event florals as well as a flower subscription service.
Along the way I enjoyed more time with the kids and my husband by being home more often. Our daughter Matilda who is 9 is on the Autism spectrum and has an intellectual disability. Many hours are spent with her each week helping her to keep up with school work and therapy.
Matilda loved being involved with my floristry, often as an early riser, she would come to the market with me. And she always had fresh flowers in her room and would get annoyed when they die. So the idea came to me to photograph the flowers and print them off for her.
The idea evolved to a bigger concept when I realised there was no one making simple and creative floral prints for young girls. Initially partnering with a friend who was a photographer we photographed a range of beautiful fresh flowers to preserve them as prints. My friend couldn’t commit to establishing the business, so I took it on fully and Love Miss M was born.
Our current range of prints are close ups showcasing the finer details of the blooms. Providing young curious minds, the opportunity to connect with nature in its simplicity. We are already working on our next range which will of course be flower focused but in another aspect.’
Angela, you are an entrepreneur, a business woman, photographer and mum. Is there anything you can’t do?! How do you manage such a busy and full lifestyle?
‘I’ve never been one to stop to much and dwell on how busy I am but I do tend to take on too much (according to my husband). I feel at my best when I am working on a few different things at once, hence the two businesses I now run. I have a very supportive husband who helps equally around the house.
I’m very motivated by success and seeing my business grow. But over the years since my corporate burn out I learnt that I do need more own time and each week I try and do a pilates class and also get a little down time to read a book. I also enjoy creating arrangements with the flowers just to explore and see how they behave and interact with different elements. Love Miss M’s first series is about showcasing the simplicity you can find in a single bloom.’
What is the process of planning and executing a new photographic series for you?
‘Our first series took the entire year to capture all my favorite blooms throughout the seasons. Now planning the second series I have a few different concepts and have been playing around with them. I have a studio set up at home and each time I go to the flower market if I see something special it makes it way to the studio.
What exciting new things does the future hold for Little Miss M?
‘As we have just started selling our prints I’m focused on sharing the art across Australia. We’ve had such a great start since launching and we are now in talks with some wholesalers. Next year we will release our second range, look at overseas markets as well as consider some different products in the range.’
Who are your go-to instagram accounts when you’re seeking design inspiration?
‘I spend way too much time on Instagram like most people, but there is so much creativity and laughter to be had. Some of my favorite accounts to browse are
@thelifeofaivax
@the.quinn.girls
@thesmallfolk
@ponderosa_and_thyme
@celestebarber (just for laughs)
What does you day-to-day schedule look like?
‘Two to three days a week I head to the market early (as in it could be 3am or 5.30am) to get flowers for my florist business, Bespoke Botanics. In between making up my orders for the day I help get the three kids off to school. From 9-3 I squeeze in as much work for both businesses as I can.
It can be a mix of photography, editing, speaking to wholesalers, designing my stand for market appearances etc. School pick up, afternoon tea prepped (I’d love to say its home baked cookies and organic apples – but the reality is its probably popcorn, cheese, fruit and a choc biscuit from a packet). Miss M has speech and occupational therapy regularly, so I try and get some of the “practice” in each day. I collapse on the couch most nights and do some social media scrolling whilst getting some 1:1 time with the boys in my house.’
3 keywords that describe your print style?
- Simplistic
- Stylish
- Comfort
What is the most rewarding thing about owning your business?
‘Knowing that all the effort, hours, success and fails are mine to own and be proud of. It is by far the hardest work I have done. You need to learn to be jack of all trades and I am proud of how much I’ve learnt. I love showing my kids that I can also build and have a successful career completely different to my corporate life. Whilst I love the flexibility, it’s rare to be able to fully switch off. I want to build Love Miss M to hand over to Miss M when she is ready. This is very much about her future.’
Your instagram feed is so beautifully curated and photographed. What are the secrets to keeping a cohesive and well presented insta feed?
‘Always learning, testing and responding. It never ceases to amaze me how much work it takes to keep it looking visually appealing with relevant content. Miss M loves being photographed so we’ve done several sessions in a studio which gives me a great supply of images. I spend Monday mornings each week scheduling the content and when brave enough do Instagram stories and behind the scenes. I’m not one for being in front of the camera.’
Anything else you’d like to add?
‘In today’s busy world when we do spend too much time on our screens, I really hope people, especially young girls can get a moment to enjoy their Love Miss M print. Gaze at the detail, consider the quotes and zone out at nature in its finest element. All that is real in our world is enough and we should be encouraging our children to explore the garden. We then bring it inside for them to enjoy in their bedrooms.’
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