an interview with
Lana Elie

This international womens day, we reached out to the founder of Floom, Lana Elie-Meyers. We wanted to chat with Lana about starting her business, and what international women's day means to her.

Hi Lana, what is Floom and what made you decide to start your business?

Floom is an online flower marketplace in the UK and US. It was born out of the many wasted hours spent looking for florists when I sent flowers in the past (both personally and professionally), and my frustration that many of the great ones are still unknown to most. I wanted to build something that simplified this discovery and purchasing process, but without just building an online floristry website where I controlled the supply, I specifically wanted it to be built around supporting independents and their unique skills. 

Were there complications in the early days? If so, how did you continue to find the inspiration and motivation to overcome teething problems?

In the infamous words of Notorious B.I.G 'Mo Money Mo Problems.' Granted he may not have been talking about startups but it absolutely still applies. The more we raised and the bigger the company grew, the more complications arise - if anything that's what keeps it exciting. I think the types of personalities who are attracted to becoming founders are also excited and motivated by problem-solving. So finding the motivation to keep going when issues come up isn't the tough part, it's the energy that keeps you pushing.

What advice do you have for someone starting a new business, or wanting to start a business but being unsure where to begin?

Starting and running a business is a deeply personal experience, and it's not easy by any means - be prepared for that. But also know that (at least I've personally found) those same things will make it one of the most addictive and rewarding things you'll ever do. For me, as with any big project, getting started was daunting but ultimately it just took making a big list of things that needed to be done to get to launch and then hacking away at them in smaller pieces. Once you get through the first 20% of those tasks (which hopefully included figuring out your market opportunity size) you'll know if that company feels right and then you'll feel an immense pressure to speed up before anyone else gets wind of this great idea you have ;)

What does international women's day mean to you?

Whilst I agree with the sentiment that we shouldn't need just one day to notice and celebrate women's achievements, I still find it valuable to have a global moment to reflect on the women making strides around us. For me personally, it won't be the only day where I stop to tell my female friends they inspire me, but I appreciate that it might be less front of mind for others, and therefore a global unified moment bringing these women to light is super valuable.

Which women inspire you in life? 

There are so many! But I'll use it to call out some of my founder friends who are an incredible inspiration and always deserve a shout-out:

Jules Miller - The Nue Co.
Ashleigh Hinde - Waldo
Michelle Lu - Semaine
Jessica Walsh - Formula Fig
Éva Goicochea - Maude
Nadya Okamoto - August

We want to thank Lana for taking the time to speak to us, and for giving us insight into starting a business, including the challenges and triumphs that come with this. Check out Floom here.