Member Spotlight: Sarah Rice of JJ's Flower Shop + Truck
Hey ladies! With over 1200 Members in Atlanta, we’re constantly inspired by each and every boss babe in the Gang. So, we decided to start a blog series that spotlighted our members and their inspiring journeys. Welcome to: Member Spotlight, which will feature our members — influencers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, and girl bosses alike!
First up: Sarah Rice, Founder of JJ’s Flower Truck + Shop. If you’ve lived near or around Atlanta for the past year, you’ve probably heard of JJ’s Flower Truck by now!
Read on to learn about how Sarah got started, how she stays motivated and more!
Q: Tell us a little bit about you, girl!
A: Hey gals! I am Sarah Rice - a 25 year old entrepreneur and Kennesaw State University grad. I live in Atlanta with my Golden-Doodle puppy and am getting married to my best friend this fall! I started JJ’s Flower Truck as a hobby and have absolutely loved growing this little biz. If I’m not selling flowers at the truck, you can probably catch me at the Chattahoochee River with my pup, exploring Atlanta with my friends and family, or catching up on episodes of The Bachelorette. I always saw myself as running my own business one day, but never thought it would come so soon!
Q: What inspired you to turn your passion into a business?
A: I was working an office job and not feeling fulfilled in my work. I had this great job, made great money, got to travel for work, and had a cush schedule. But I knew I wanted to do something different. I first started JJ’s as a side hustle, but I quickly saw that it could grow to something much bigger! Sure, I had roadblocks and speed-bumps along the way, but I have felt that this is what I am supposed to do and everything has truly come together better than I thought possible.
Q: How do you stay motivated through challenging times in your career?
A: Challenging times definitely happen in entrepreneurship. I tend to set very high standards for myself and sometimes things don’t happen exactly like I wanted them to. I tend to beat myself up over it and it’s easy to get in the dumps. ‘I can’t do this.’ ‘My business is going to fail.’ ‘I don’t know what I am doing.’ ‘I should sell the truck’ are absolutely thoughts that come. But my friends and family are there for me to pick me up, dust me off, and tell me to keep going. Everything always works out and allowing doubt to creep in is not helping you reach your dreams. Keep grinding girl! You got this! Don’t let them keep you down! Keep trusting! Keep dreaming! Those words were just as much for you as they are for me. We all need the reminder sometimes.
Q: What advice do you have for women wanting to start their own business?
A: Go for it. Freaking go for it! It is so fun and challenging and rewarding and scary and exciting and so worth it! I always told myself that if things don’t work out with JJ’s, just the experience of starting and trying would be worth it. I have learned so much about myself and business in general. A few practical tips in starting your own business would be to:
a. Find a business mentor. Your old teachers or professors. Your co-workers or old boss. Your parents colleagues. Seriously anyone in your life who has business experience and is willing to listen.
b. Make a business plan. I know, they suck! But they are so helpful (I would even say crucial) in running your business.
c. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound. And then smash those goals.
d. Surround yourself with other like-minded individuals who can cheer you on, keep you accountable, have your back, and support you. For me, this has been other female entrepreneurs who I have met through ATL Girl Gang. Coffee dates, networking events, and classes have turned strangers into my girl tribe. Couldn’t do it without them!
Q: What was the journey like of turning your dream into a reality? What was your inspiration?
A: It’s been super fun but also a ton of hard work! I was chatting with my mom about this a few weeks ago and she was asking if it is everything I thought it was. It’s for sure a lot more work, accounting, permitting, emailing, branding, and so much more than I thought it would be. If I knew everything it would take, I may have been scared to start it. Sometimes I laugh and say ‘good thing I was ignorant!’ But it truly has been so fun and rewarding. I am so lucky to work for myself full-time and grow my dream business.
Q: What is the most challenging part of being a mobile business? Most rewarding?
A: I'd say dealing with the weather is one of the biggest challenges! I guess I never really thought about how challenging it could be, but you really have to consider heat, cold, wind, and rain, for the customers, staff, and the flowers.
Q: Where do you see your industry going in the future? How do you see it evolving?
A: We live in a world where customization is everything. People want to feel like what they are buying was created by and for them. We have been able to introduce a new way of buying flowers to the city of Atlanta by offering people a chance to build their own bouquet. We hope to continue to grow our business and be able to serve more people in Atlanta and beyond.
Q: So, what’s next for you and JJ’s Flower Truck?
A: Lots of exciting things! We recently debuted JJ’s 2.0 - an adorable flower cart! Check out some images of it on our Instagram - @jjsflowershop. We will also be opening a shop at Ponce City Market at the end of July! Our official grand opening will be Saturday, July 27th @ 11. Follow us on Instagram for more details and to stay in the know! We think you will absolutely love it!
THERE YOU HAVE IT, LADIES
A little insight into Sarah’s incredible journey to success. We still remember meeting with Sarah at Girl Gang HQ before she even received her truck and look at her now! We’re incredibly proud to have her in the Gang.
See you at the JJ’s Flower Shop Grand Opening this Saturday! Of course, be sure to continue following Sarah’s journey: @jjsflowershop.
Who should we spotlight next?! Leave a comment below!
Photos By: @xxiiiphoto