Name: 

Lisa Waud

Title:

Owner

How long have you been in operation:

8 years!

What inspired you to start your business?

I believe being in business is one way to be involved with your community, and I’m thankful that my business provides a living for me being creative.

What are some struggles you faced when trying to achieve your goals?

I like to think I can do everything, so it took a while for me to be able to give up the parts of my business that I’m not good at. I’m not efficient with bookkeeping or legal documents, so I have really good accountants and lawyers. I always advise new business owners to hire out what they don’t excel at.

What is one of your most notable triumphs?

hands down, my greatest achievement is flower house, a floral art installation filling an abandoned detroit house with fresh flowers and living plants for one weekend. who does that? i’ve never felt more plucky.

What is one piece of advice you would give to those who want to be entrepreneurs?

Other than my advice above about finding help for tasks outside your wheelhouse, I would suggest visioning. this isn’t crystal ball gazing, it’s thinking long and hard about where you want your business to be in five or ten years and writing it down, in the present tense, in detail. it is an incredibly powerful tool.

Where do you envision your business and Detroit in 10 years?

Sounds like I need to do some 10-year visioning! I’d love to be balancing stunning, notable fresh floral design with extraordinary horticultural installations and organizing maker markets and other community events.

Finish this sentence: detroit needs…

More people! call your friend in san francisco, email your cousin in austin, we need mindful, creative, smart doers and makers.