Meet Manayra Gonzalez-Nwokolo Don de Fleurs: Miami’s First Specialty Flower Boutique Company

“Budding South Florida Business Offers Luxurious, Long-Lasting Arrangements”

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Miami based husband and wife duo Samuel Nwokolo and Manayra Gonzalez-Nwokolo of Don de Fleurs. While on a romantic European getaway to celebrate their wedding anniversary, the couple came across an intricate window display consisting of roses in a hatbox. In awe of the beauty and unable to find a similar arrangement upon their return, a seed was planted. With exquisiteness, uniqueness, luxury and beauty in mind, Don de Fleurs was born.

Don de Fleurs is breathing new life into the floral industry, one stylish stem at a time. With luxurious bouquets that are superior in quality, size, color, and longevity, Don de Fleurs specialty floral service is designed to celebrate the recipient’s unique character while delivering true elegance that lasts. The elevated floral brand offers one-of-a-kind, luxurious fresh flower and preserved rose arrangements in stunning signature hatboxes nationwide.

Thank you so much for joining us!

What is your “backstory?

My love for flowers has always been instilled in me since I was a little girl. Born to Hispanic parents, my father would bring home flowers for my mother every week, and I always adored how glad she was each time she received her lovely bouquet. During my high school years, I used to work part-time at a realtor’s office. Next door to our building was a small flower shop, and the owner was a wonderful elderly lady who had been a floral designer for many years. After leaving my shift at my current job, I would pass by to assist the owner of the flower shop with whatever she needed at the time. In no time, I was given the responsibility of sweeping and cleaning up after she completed all her floral arrangements for the day.

As time passed, she would teach me different techniques and methods while giving me advice on the different types of flowers, exotic plants, and many other florals. Seeing the joy on her customer’s faces when they picked up their floral arrangements was very impactful and emotional for me, and this quickly deepened my affection on the true meaning of the gifting of flowers. Fast forward years later, I got married in 2008 and soon became unemployed that same year. It was a very difficult time for my husband and me, as I could not find a new job that I was pleased with at the time. So, I decided to make the best out of my situation and keep myself somewhat busy by helping my closest friends with their floral arrangements whenever they had an event or special occasion. Once they saw my work, the type of designs I was able to create astonished them, and unbeknown to them, they realized that I had a special talent. They would begin to encourage me and say that I should really consider getting into the flower business to showcase my work.

During the summer of 2015, my husband and I took a romantic trip to Europe to celebrate our 7thwedding anniversary. There, on the streets of London, I stumbled upon a beautiful, luxurious, and unique hat boutique. Immediately captivated, I glanced through the display window and noticed a hatbox with beautifully intricate flowers arranged with artistic aesthetics. With my knowledge and passion for flowers, I was truly in awe of how beautiful these flowers were curated and couldn’t help but think how unique it was to showcase these floral arrangements in hatboxes! The memory of this moment was forever planted in my mind, and when I returned home, I searched the floral industry endlessly to find an impeccable floral arrangement designed in a hatbox or something equally as creative. This venture was not successful; however, it gave me the ultimate inspiration to create a different approach to gifting flowers. With exquisiteness, uniqueness, luxury, and beauty in mind, the idea for Don de Fleurs® — the “Gift of Flowers” — was born.

Is your career path a lifelong dream?

My personal, lifelong dreams have always related mostly to traveling throughout different parts of the world to experience the beautiful sights of nature. Our first focus is growing a company that utilizes its services to bring joy and happiness to the world. There is a growing need for flowers, whether it’s for an event, a wedding, birthday celebration, or simply just because. Right now, the floral industry is changing so rapidly with new concepts such as innovative preservation techniques of natural roses that last up to one year. Our preserved roses in a box do not need any water or daily maintenance. I look forward to developing our company’s success and becoming a top-performer in the floral industry. I’m also very excited to take on additional responsibilities to continue to grow and develop in this career field to see where the future takes me.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?

It was 2016, during our first Valentine’s Day. We had to deliver a very special bouquet of 300 roses in a box to an important client, and at the time, my husband oversaw all the deliveries. Upon arriving at the hotel, the entire arrangement of roses collapsed. So, he decided to make the best out the situation by handing out all 300 rose stems to guests and staff at the hotel since it was the day of love. It was an embarrassing situation but rewarding at the same time, as we were able to spread the love to many different people on this very special day.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Inspiration is all around us. It starts out small in everything we see and do and experience, and it builds as the story builds — sometimes, my inspiration comes from reading different floral books such as Preston Bailey and Jeff Leatham, but Mother Nature is an inspiration herself.

What is your greatest accomplishment professionally and personally?

I have several notable accomplishments in my career. Probably the most notable accomplishment was taking the leap of establishing my flower business in 2015. What made it notable for me was that I had no past business experience, no extensive capital, and very little knowledge of how to run a successful business, but so far, I’ve been very thankful with the direction the company is headed.

My greatest accomplishment personally is being actively involved in various animal charities. As an animal lover, I’ve always tried to find ways to give back and help abused and neglected animals. I choose to assist by donating money to various charities such as the Humane Society of Miami, Urgent Dogs of Miami, New York Bully Crew, and Rescue Dogs Rock NYC. This has brought great joy to me knowing my donations have helped so many animals in need.

Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?

I have certainly learned from my family, and friends, but I believe my greatest teachers have been my parents. They brought me into this world, and without them, no one else in life could make such an impact. I grew up in a middle-class Hispanic family and seeing them work hard every day taught me that life itself is very tough and nothing is handed to you on a silver platter. They taught me countless lessons about life…determination…risk-taking…forgiveness…perseverance… love and achieving my goals. I feel so incredibly blessed.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Are you working on any meaningful or exciting non-profit projects?

Since Don de Fleurs was founded in 2015, we have had the privilege of bringing so many people together with our beautiful roses in a box arrangement. It’s been said, themost popular gift all over the world is the gift of flowers.The popularity of our flower arrangements is their ability to bring good cheer and convey the right message with their language and meanings. Flowers appeal to all our senses, brighten up our lives and our hearts. It is a sure way to convey a warm feeling to a loved one.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

My husband Sam! He’s the backbone to this company. We started this business together with our own capital, and we are still a self-funded company. In the very beginning, he always believed in me and to this day, he constantly reassures me that our work speaks for itself and if I continue to pursue my passion, good things will eventually come. This really gives me the strength and courage to stay positive even when times are tough.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Do Not Procrastinate- Procrastination is a killer! It’sa trap that many of us fall into and is one of my weaknesses. I’ve learned that If you believe in an idea, act fast on it and don’t wait because you will most likely regret it at the end.

2. Making Mistakes is OK- I’m a perfectionist, and I need to do things right the first time. Making mistakes is part of your growing process, so it’s ok to make A LOT of mistakes. If a new product does not work out well in the E-Commerce business, then find another way to tweak it and make it better for consumers to catch on.

3. Big Things Take Time- When I started this business, I thought the roses in a box concept would pick up quickly since the most common way of gifting flowers has always been with a traditional glass vase. It took a while for people to catch on to this new innovative concept of gifting flowers to their loved ones. Fast-forward 3 years later, people have now gravitated towards this concept, and it has gained massive popularity and has become one of the hottest floral gift trends to date.

4. Just Relax- I stress out very easily — even on little things. But stress kills, and I constantly remind myself that I cannot worry about certain things that are out of my control, so sometimes you just must let it go!

5. Stay Positive- Staying positive is a challenge. Success doesn’t come overnight. It could take days, months, or even years, but you just have to keep on going and remind yourself that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.🙂

If I could start a movement, I would want to influence people to help take care of and appreciate our environment more. Simple things such as recycling or just simply keeping your neighborhood clean, it’s a big help.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”?

“Pursue what catches your heart, not what catches your eyes.”- Roy T. Bennett.

“Do something you love and don’t do it just because you see it as a great money -making opportunity. Do it because you have a passion for it.”

Some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this :-)

I would love to meet Marcia Clark, the lead prosecutor of the OJ Simpson case. I recently enjoyed the Netflix series, and it was very intriguing how much scrutiny she received in male-dominating profession. No matter what came her way, she stood her ground and she never gave up.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Our passion, customer service, and attention to details are our biggest strengths. We want our customers to receive an unforgettable experience with us. We hand pick the finest flowers used in the design process, and every arrangement is custom made to order and fresh. A fun fact I can share with you is that I’m the one that puts the finishing touches on every arrangement before it leaves our studio.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Continue to do what makes you happy and to remind yourself every day that success does not come overnight, hard work and determination are what pays off at the end.

Are you working on any exciting projects now?

We’re working on several new exciting products that we cannot wait to share. We believe these new products will have a big impact on how flowers are gifted and will be one of the new hottest floral trends for 2018.

How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? What charities or organizations are nearest to your heart?

Animals are my sob story. Seeing them hurt or in pain breaks my heart! I donate a great deal to the New York Bully Group and Humane Society based in Miami.

Do you have a favorite book that made a deep impact on your life? Can you share a story?

The “Year of Yes” by Shonda Rhimes! This memoir made me step out of my comfort zone and do things that I would normally say NO to. This book makes you transform your life by saying one small word: YES!

As the sky’s the limit, what does the future hold for you?

We would love to expand our operations by opening a luxury flower boutique in different cities, introducing Don de Fleurs to the world.