Today we’d like to introduce you to Hope White.
Hi Hope, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
My name is Hope. I grew up in Alcoa. I had a normal boring life went to school here and went away to TTU for college. I started working at Hartman’s Flowers in 2004. I had always dreamed of having a career where I could use my creativity to inspire and make myself and others happy. My Partner, Amy White, Didn’t grow up here, lived in Nashville, and had a great job there. She Gave up that great job to move to Maryville and start a business with me so that I could live my dream. Hartman’s Flowers was purchased in the 1960s by my dad’s father, and then my dad purchased it from him in the 1980s. I started working for my father in 2004 and took over in 2007 when my father left due to health issues. In 2015, Amy and I were able to purchase the business from my father and move the business to its current location. Flowers are a labor of love.
Running a florist is long hours, fast turnaround, short shelf life, and high costs. It is not easy and not for the faint of heart. People often say they would love to work at a flower shop “just for fun.” We giggle. Sometimes it pulls not just “all-nighters” but “all-weekers. “ A holiday like Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day is just a day to the Mere Mortal, but to a florist, it is a week of prep and then a week of design, so for one day, it may take up to two weeks to get one holiday out the door. We call it “Valentine’s Week” instead of a day.
Amy and I worked by ourselves for the first few years. We both answered the phones and took orders. I would design, and she would deliver. We worked 6 days a week and slowly worked our way up to where we could hire a driver and another inside person to help. My favorite part of the business is doing weddings. I love working with brides and making their ideas come to life. I am a very abstract and creative person. I love to design. Working with flowers is my happy place. We have created an amazing work environment, and with the help of our amazing employees, our business is blooming. We have grown from leasing to owning the space Hartman’s calls home and hope to continue growing as each new year passes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Since the economy fell and up to covid, the florist industry has been slowly declining. Because of the rising costs, flowers are a luxury, not a necessity. They have become special occasion items where they were once everyday items. A few times at the beginning of this adventure, we thought that ride was over. We thought we were going to have to close. But, This was my dream. I refused to give up, and Amy wouldn’t let me.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Artist/Business/Owner/Human I want to be known as a wedding designer. I am working on getting my name and our florist out there as such. Under the previous ownership, Hartman’s was never known for its outstanding wedding florals. They did many weddings, but they were not lavish and high-end. Hartman’s is known for its flowers, but I am known for my creative, funky designs. I want to do the wild and crazy ones. I want to be anything but normal. When customers call, they sometimes ask, “can you just tell Hope to do her thing?” That is when I know that they want something different. Something more modern, abstract. You can find something different from what is in our photos or website. They want something that is pictured on our Instagram or Facebook. They want me to create. I love doing these pieces.
I have been designing and running Hartman’s for almost 20 years. I can create arrangements quickly, run the computer programs, do the books, be the HR person and do this all with one leg tied behind my back. I tell everyone the owner’s manual is in my brain when something isn’t working correctly, and they need to know how to fix it. Even though I can do all these things, it takes a great partner and team to make it all work. I am lucky to have that. Being the owner of a small business like Hartman’s is not an easy thing. There will always be ups and downs to any business. We are blessed every day to have the doors open. We are grateful to our customers that see the value of our designs and talent and how hard we work.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I like that our city is still small and local but growing. Everyone still somewhat knows everyone, and it is a friendly environment. Everyone may not have the same religion, politics, or opinions, but we are all still lovely, kind, and friendly to each other. I wouldn’t say I like that it is growing rapidly. Growth is great for business, but I would hate to see it lose its small-city charm. Oh, and I dislike the humidity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hartmansflowers.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hartmans_flowers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hartmans_flowers
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/hartmansflowers
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/hartmansflowers
- Other: https://www.Pinterest.com/hartmansflowers, https://www.google.com/hartmansflowers
