Carol Ruffin insists that everyone in her floral design classes learns to tie a fancy bow. Ah, but bow-making can be a botheration.
“I absolutely hate it,” says Brittany Shelby, laughing. “She makes it look so easy. It is not.”
Bows notwithstanding, the 36-year-old kindergarten teacher from Lincoln Heights has eagerly soaked up every ounce of knowledge and skill that Carol shares in her Blossoms Floral Academy classes, which are funded by United Way’s Black Empowerment Works (BEW) grant program.
“When I’m around her, I feel like there’s so much more to learn,” Brittany says. “She has high expectations for me, and I hope I’m meeting them.”
Carol’s hopes and expectations are rooted in her desire to see more Black-owned floral shops in Greater Cincinnati. Only three exist, including her business, Blossoms Florist in Reading. Nearing retirement, Carol sought BEW funding to address the underrepresentation of Black professionals in the floral design field.
Brittany enrolled in the classes at the suggestion of Carol’s daughter Nici, who has been a close friend since they were students at the University of Cincinnati.
The first time Carol met her, she noticed Brittany had flower-identification books in her purse. “That’s when I knew she had a love of flowers like I do,” Carol says.
In Blossoms Floral Academy classes, Brittany has learned to create many types of arrangements, from holiday wreaths to bouquets to flower crowns and headbands. Some she gave to her students and fellow teachers. Some to family and friends.
A turning point came when people began paying Brittany for her arrangements. Last February, for Valentine’s Day, she received orders for “heart-shaped flower boxes, I-love-you boxes, and many different arrangements. I couldn’t believe everyone supported me.”
Buoyed by such demand, she decided to start a limited liability company, Blooming Blossoms LLC, and showcase her work on Instagram (@ bloomingblossoms513). This past Mother’s Day, last-minute orders came rolling in.
“I ended up making 70 arrangements,” Brittany says. “I made myself stop at 6 p.m.,” which allowed her to spend part of the day with her mother, daughter and grandmother.
That’s not all– a referral from Carol led to Brittany being hired to create arrangements for the VIP tables at Black Wine Fest. She also made centerpieces for a bank’s event downtown.
All the floral work happens in the house Brittany rents. That’s not particularly unusual. Carol, after all, started her business in a garage.
Brittany is undecided about whether to open a floral shop. She knows it would mean more expenses, including the purchase of a needed flower cooler.
But this much is clear: In flowers, she has found a fulfilling and profitable way to bring joy to others.
“I love the feeling I get when I receive flowers,” she says, “and I love when someone purchases from me so they can give someone else that feeling. You never know what somebody is going through. Flowers are a small gesture that can turn somebody’s day completely around.”
That mindset is among the reasons Carol sees great potential in Brittany as a florist. “She’s very ambitious. She loves people. She’s very creative. And she’s willing to try things. That really defeats a lot of fear, just being unafraid to try something different.”
But is anyone else at Blossoms Floral Academy willing to step outside their comfort zone?
This story is part of a five-part series by United Way of Greater Cincinnati about Carol Ruffin, the owner of Blossoms Florist.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 10, 2024.