Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasey Kruft.
Hi Kasey, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started working at Sweet Peas Flowers here in Ventura, CA when I was 15 years old. I started working here because my friend Melanie worked here and I thought she was cool! If she worked at Jiffy Lube, I would have got a job at Jiffy Lube. I just wanted to work with my friend. I started off watering plants and cleaning up. That worked into processing flowers and eventually designing. Skip ahead 13 years later and the previous owner told me that the shop was for sale. I said “I’ll buy it” and she said “You can have it” and the rest is history. That was on a Friday and by Monday we were doing the paperwork and gathering the funds. I have owned it now for 23 years. When I started at the shop you always think as an employee that you can do it better than the owner. You have your own opinions and ways you would do things if it was yours. You think the owner has it easy. They can come and go when they want. They get all the money and have all the perks. That is so far from the truth! You do not just “do things like you want” You have to pay for all the things you want to do! You are the first one in and the last one out. You get paid last, assuming there is any money left! Your responsibility level is HUGE. Not only is it my life I am responsible for but also for my employees. Employees can leave at any time. They can call in sick or quit.. that is not the case as the owner. The business owns you. At least at first. It took years of trial and error but we finally found our rhythm and what worked for us. I am comfortable and confident with myself and the product we proudly put out. I have an incredible team. I love coming to work every day.
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?
Smooth is a strong word! People think owning a flower shop must be so fun. We are told constantly “You get to play with flowers all day!” That is the farthest thing from the truth. Designing flowers is only one small part of what we do. We stand at a metal table for 10 hours a day (minimum) – we are constantly wet, cold, cut and dealing with a perishable product. We take orders for people’s happiest of occasions and for the absolute worst times in their lives. We are washing buckets and sweeping the floor constantly. Processing flowers and keeping supplies stocked. Playing with flowers is a big myth. With that being said.. we are very blessed to be a busy shop and happy to be doing what we do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We pride ourselves on customer service first and foremost. We love our customers and appreciate their business. We work hard to convey that with every phone call or interaction we have with them. There are a lot of florists to choose from and we are grateful they have chosen us. We have an incredibly talented staff that can design most anything you’re looking for. We are the exclusive wedding florist out at Wedgewood Sterling Hills in Camarillo. And they keep us quite busy. Weddings are a constant for us and we love this venue and being part of the Wedgewood team. Funeral work is a large part of our industry and we definitely pride ourselves on our funeral work. It is an honor to do the final flowers for someone and we take that to heart. We would want someone to take good care of our loved. We make sure each piece is special. The previous owners of Sweet Peas were both very active in our industry. Both had degrees in Floral Design and both were incredible teachers. Every day was like being in a classroom and I have been able to pass that knowledge and education on to my crew. I feel that our skill and education sets us apart from a lot of other shops. There is a lot more to it than just putting flowers in a vase. We are very proud of the product we put out.
What makes you happy?
Being the florist for our friends, family and our incredible community is what makes me happy. I was born and raised in this town and it will always be my home. Seeing people out in public and having them comment that we made something beautiful for their birthday or for a party they had.. or that we helped with something meaningful when their loved one died.. that means the world to me. We are so honored to be trusted with people’s special occasions and love to hear how we made a special event even more special.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Sweetpeasflowersandgifts.net
- Instagram: sweetpeasflowersandgifts
