Flower Friend Spotlight - Diane @ Fat Cat Flowers

If you didn’t already know, I rent co-op space from Diane of Fat Cat Flowers. A few years ago when I was looking for a new studio to set up my work, Diane approached me about renting space from her. Flash forward three years, and I’m still at Diane’s! We’ve found that the coworking space is so ideal with an abundance of perks working side by side with one another. We bounce ideas off each other, we share flowers, have a joint inventory of hardgoods, and just an overall camaraderie that has been so unexpected and refreshing. What started as a temporary situation has pretty much become permanent.  

Diane is a true example of “Community over Competition.” She hosts workshops with other florists, rents her space to traveling florists, and is always willing to share her knowledge and advice about any subject. I can personally attest that she has some great advice. If any of you have questions about payroll and florist software, be sure to reach out to her! 

I sat down with Diane and asked her a bunch of questions. I think you guys will love her answers!

How did you decide to co-op your space? What are some of the benefits, both expected and unexpected you have noticed?

I began by inviting 'celebrity florists' to host their workshops in my space. It was a great way for me to meet some of my flower crushes - and to keep my design skills fresh as well as meet other florists in the New Orleans community. My studio is really set up ideally for this, and I have hosted Sarah Campbell, Francoise Weeks, and Katie Davis from Ponderosa and Thyme. I just love the energy of meeting and having other florists in the space. As a master designer, I am always looking for new tips and tricks to improve my craft, and I always learn something when I have guests in the studio - even if it is how not to do something!

You are such an inspiration with your ability to remain calm during busy weeks. How do you remain calm...I know all of my flower friends want to know! 

Haha. There are times when I only appear calm! But I am a compulsive over organizer. I plan and schedule and systematize everything that I can. But most importantly, I surround myself with real, reliable talent. My staff makes me look good week after week!

You were able to hire staff during the height of the pandemic. How did you do that?

It was totally a fear-based decision! Like many other event florists, I did not make any money in 2020, so I knew 2021 would have to be epic.  I did not sit home quietly during the pandemic,  I updated my website, worked on branding and social media, and I sold weddings.  I sold and sold and sold.  It is a terrible long-term business model to live on your deposits, but I was committed to keeping and paying my staff through the pandemic, and to being able to say yes to my brides that had to reschedule during the pandemic. I could see a tidal wave of weddings in 2021, so I brought in a full-time apprentice for 2021 - Michelle West.  In exchange for working her really really hard - I agreed to teach her everything!  Business - design, marketing - and all those systems that make me successful.  I prefer to work with my full-time staff, and Michelle was a perfect fit for us; she is tremendously talented.  When our workload exceeded what we could handle, I also used freelancer Jessica from Greaux - she is a workhorse and saved me many a late night!  

Let's chat about Flower Fest! You were instrumental in starting the fest last year. How did you decide to start the festival and what you are looking forward to with this year's festival?

Flower Fest was another wild covid idea - the brainchild of Amy from Clover Creative. She called in January 2020 and wanted to know if I wanted to throw a huge Flower Fest, and the answer was absolutely yes! I am still shocked and thrilled by the success of our first year - a truly successful event that raised over $27k for St Judes. It was a wonderful way to elevate the idea of floral design in Louisiana, and a huge boost for the flower community. We made lots of flower friends! We had just a few months to plan last year, and we are taking the lessons learned and expanding this year's fest to include additional categories for competition like Floral Couture and Table Design.

Do you have any upcoming workshops on the calendar?

I love having friends in the studio! This year I hope to have The Flower Guy Bron (one of my favorite humans!) and the fab mother-daughter combo that make up Aniska Creations out of Miami. I have great admiration for them and their design skills, and I think the Latino market is really underserved in New Orleans, Aniska is going to blow their minds!

You do a lot of work for the film industry. How did you get into that and what do you find most fun and interesting about it? 

I started a little randomly - I bet it was fifteen years ago that my neighbor Tim Cohen turned out to be a set director. He asked me for a few things here and there and apparently if you are willing to deliver a few funeral arrangements to a dark and scary cemetery at about 4 in the morning you get a reputation. Other set designers - movies and tv would call, and ask us to do equally odd things. Honestly, it is a nice departure from a wedding! I think stepping outside of your day-to-day work is a great way to keep fresh. The flowers may be historic (Green Book) or futuristic (Hot Tub Time Machine 3) or for Kiano Reeves (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure 3)! Right now we are working on Interview with a Vampire - a new AMC mini-series. It is a period piece, so we researched flowers and design, to make sure we are on point! It can be a bit challenging when we get a big project but I love the energy!

Do you have a favorite flower? Or two or three?!

I try not to pick favorites because I don't want to hurt their feelings! I do have a stable of flowers that are my go-to flowers - like roses, hydrangea, snapdragons, and ranunculus, and from there I try to work with what is in season to give me the depth and texture that I need to pull off my look. I try to go to the local farmers for that, lisianthus, zinnias, little wildflowers, and funky foliages that you can't really buy from your traditional wholesaler. I work closely with Molly Fay Flower Farm, Covey Rise (more known for their delicious veggies, but their flowers are glorious too), and Baby T Rex, and I am always looking for ways to expand my local options. 

I hope you loved learning about Diane of Fat Cat Flowers. Learn about my other Flower Friends here. To learn more about The Flower Fest, check out their info here: www.theflowerfest.com and @theflowerfestla