FOUNDER OF FLORISTRY business Flowerpop, Heather Condren, founded her business ‘by accident’ during the Covid-19 pandemic by making a handful of wreaths. She now has a shop in Dublin 8, a separate production unit, and works with well known brands including Guinness and Tanqueray. Heather talks to Ruth O’Connor about flowers, family and streamlining her blooming business as it grows.
What inspired you to start your business?
My business came about due to the pandemic. I had trained to be a florist but I was still working in my ‘real job’. Floristry seemed like a distant dream but then my circumstances changed like everybody’s did. I wanted to create really lovely colourful flower arrangements that people could send to the people they loved when we couldn’t see each other in person.
What do you do at Flowerpop? We like to think of flowers as the salt and pepper seasoning to an event – whether that is a wedding, a brand activation or someone’s birthday. We take sympathy work really seriously and try to put our heart and soul into everything we do. We try to create really unforgettable florals that suit the moment perfectly.
How has your business evolved over time? It started with me making a wreath in my house when I was pregnant with my son. I had bought in enough materials to make 10 wreaths and I was freaking out that no one would buy them. Roll on one year later and we were doing 150 wreaths. Now it’s wreaths, bouquets, workshops, brand activations, weddings… I’ve gone from working on the floor in my house to having two locations in Dublin.
I’m a bit of an unexpected business owner. I’m a creative person who turned her hobby into a business. The business side of things is constantly evolving and I am constantly learning.
Describe your workspace
Our workspace is chaotic but fun. I have a brilliant team who’ve been with me for a long time. There’s always good music on and we love a DipDab to keep us going through the afternoon slump. Sometimes it can feel stressful but then we check ourselves and remind ourselves that our job is to make beautiful things with flowers.
What did you do before you started Flowerpop?
I was a social care worker and also worked in PR for Sadie’s Kitchen when it was a start-up. It was just myself and founder Sarah Kiely at the beginning and I worked with her for three years. I was on the ground with her as her company went into a growth period and Sarah was very generous with her knowledge. Little did I know that it was a start-your-own-business apprenticeship as well as a PR internship.
How important is teamwork to your business?
I have a brilliant team of talented florists and we are all really good at different things. I’m a big believer in letting people who are better than you at things do those things. We work really well together and I couldn’t do it without the women I work with.
Describe a typical working day
One of my favourite things about the business is that there is no typical working day. One day we could be in the shop making bouquets, the next we could be on site doing a brand activation or a recce for a wedding.
For the most part, it starts with me dropping my kid to creche and going to my wholesalers. I try to shop as sustainably as possible and keep my waste to a minimum so sometimes that means doing a 6am run. I’ll head to the studio and get the team set up but honestly I can be anywhere at any time of the week.
If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?
Years ago I went to college and was going to train to either be a nurse or be a teacher. I did a degree in English and Anthropology with the aim of teaching. There’s always a little regret that I didn’t pursue the nursing route. I think I would have loved A&E nursing – I have ADHD and I love high-paced, fast-changing, chaotic environments, which is probably why floristry sits well with me, but there will always be a little part of me that wishes I had been an A&E nurse.
What has been your proudest achievement in business to date?
We have done quite a bit of work with Tanqueray this year and are currently collaborating with them on a bottle bouquet. I really love it because the team is so creative and getting to work with such a world class brand so early into our business is also massive.
The brand is also linked to Diageo who we’ve worked with quite a lot this year too. My dad worked in Guinness and so did his dad and his dad before him. I love that I now have my own work connections with Diageo – even more so since my lovely Dad passed away in February this year. I live beside the Guinness Storehouse, and my kid goes to school near there, so it makes me feel very connected to my dad. Guinness invited me to be part of an exhibition there, and to share our story, and my dad’s photograph is in a photo of me on permanent display, so I feel proud to be working alongside Guinness professionally as well as personally.
What’s next for you and your business?
The business officially launched in November 2021 and the expansion in that time has been immense. I found out that I was pregnant the same week that I got the keys and have worked through the birth of two children and my very dear dad passing away.
In 2025, I want to expand our dried flower range and our workshops to include professional training. Our business is growing rapidly, so I want to focus on the customer experience, get everything down to a tee, take a breath and then think about the next growth step if that’s what’s right for Flowerpop.
Flowerpop is hosting on-going floral and martini masterclasses with Tanqueray No.10 and their bottle bouquets will be available as a free gift for consumers in select Dunnes Stores during December. Find out more about Flowerpop at www.flowerpop.ie or visit Flowerpop on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
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