Notes on Freelancing
After a slow, drawn-out summer, the world came back to life in September. This month was filled with work across Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties.
As I jumped fully toward freelancing (and away from the regularity of a flower shop), a lesson I continue to learn is that I need to be in collaborative spaces. In the world of Human Design, my Environment – how I nourish myself from the outside in – is a Dry Kitchen. It is no wonder that helping others bring their jobs to life is just as fulfilling as realizing my own. I learn so much from my contemporaries and those who are further along the path.
The projects I assisted on were varied: product launches, a large-scale wedding, a women’s conference, a gala, regular weekly and monthly accounts, and a few catering jobs. There is no shortage of work, creativity, and inspiration to tap into in Los Angeles as a professional florist and hospitality enthusiast!
I featured Poppy on my August newsletter, highlighting her infectious personality and love for life itself. This month, we worked on florals for a product launch. When freelancing for Poppy, she gives me runway to be creative and interpret the inspiration based on the ingredients she’s selected. I always pause and ask for her feedback and re-direction, since she has the full context of client expectations. Time spent at PLF can barely be classified as “work”, it feels more like hanging out with an old friend.
FREELANCING TIP: Understand the scope and expectations of a job before committing. Helpful questions to guide a conversation: Are you doing market runs? Are you designing with/without a sample? How many pieces? Is your car needed for the job?
These Vanda orchids were my favorite ingredient of the purple color palette we used
Exceptionally talented Oregon-based designer, Madison Hartley, had a wedding this month in Santa Barbara. There were multiple events scheduled throughout the weekend, so the scale and quantity of the deliverables was no joke—there were a dozen freelancers for prep alone! Given the quality standard of the designs, it was nice to meet fellow designers from across Central and Southern California. The transactional nature of this job made me appreciate how many hands it takes to pull off what appears as effortless, artful pieces to event attendees.
FREELANCING TIP: Don’t be afraid to discuss compensation before taking a job.
LEMONS for a pool party. How fun--guests splashing around together before getting dressed up to dance!
24 CARROTS DESIGN & PRODUCTION
The California Lottery office neighbors my own California Lottery pick: 24 Carrots. I highlighted a few of the guys from here in my June newsletter. I love working with this team – there is a calm even in the storm of event days. Larrissa LeProux is an absolute master of her craft and knows how to build a team of talented designers with a sense of humor. This month, I worked on the two-day women’s summit hosted by a health network. We elevated the conference room to a luxury spa-like experience.
FREELANCING TIP: Try not to make hard plans after a freelancing job, you never know what time you will wrap up and you don’t want to rush away from what you’ve committed to – on either side!
Photo area for conference attendees
The queen of early market runs and polished designs. My first touchpoint with Karen happened when I was still in corporate America. I will always remember how encouraging and enthusiastic she was for me to make the jump. Fast forward a few years and we have had a lovely professional relationship. I have learned so much from her precision, which she has cultivated over 20 years as a florist. Her ability to anticipate is unmatched. This month we worked on a weekly house account and sweated our asses off on astroturf setting up 375 bud vases.
FREELANCING TIP: Ask yourself these questions: “What are you good at?” & “What do you like to do?” The answers will help you clarify and articulate your value for new working relationships.
Gorgeous garden sprays
In 2021 I picked up a job at Melody Wine Bar. A 12-minute* walk from my house (*15 if I stopped for a pack of gum at the nearby convenience store), I passed Amanda and Jess of A&J Flowers. They were working on an event in their garage studio and I stopped on the way to work and said hello before finding/following them on Instagram. Years went by and the business changed to Moon Bloom Flower Club where I re-met Amanda, and it felt like no time had passed. This month she tapped me to assist on weekly accounts, and I had the best time peeking into her world!
FREELANCING TIP: There is no need to rush, presence makes for great design. Speed comes with time and familiarity with products being used.
Powder room and large arrangement selfie
Elizabeth Heitner of malli is one-of-a-kind. She is inventive and intuitive. Her food looks as good as it tastes, and she does it all with grace. I look up to her commitment to quality – in her work and the folks she surrounds herself with. This month she served canapes that reflected a perfume brand’s newest release. She partnered with Shoshi Greenberg to complement food with reflective beverages.
FREELANCING TIP: Know the quantities available of what you’re serving. As a server, you will help pace an offering based on length of event and how popular it is among guests.
Guests were greeted with a nose sculpture
Yasmina Ksikes of lalla mina is more than a talented chef, she’s an embodied woman. Tapped to help with the Moroccan Office of Tourism event this month, I spent the afternoon helping with food prep -- mandolin-ing (!) onions and chopping carrots, zucchini, and butternut squash. The day of the event, I jumped in BOH prepping and cleaning + FOH serving.
FREELANCING TIP: Keep an undershirt handy to avoid sweating in a dress shirt during set-up.
Yasmina taking the stage to share her artful take on Moroccan cuisine
It is delightful to me that I can overlap my interests of events and hospitality through catering gigs. I love that both Elizabeth and Yasmina’s thriving culinary talents were originally inspired by their grandmothers. Their work is more than feeding the body, it certainly nourishes the soul.
No matter the gig, minimum qualities of a solid freelancing experience include timely communication, appreciation, and a sense of teamwork. Bonus: there is laughter and levity throughout.
THEN I GOT INTO SOME FUN
Speaking of liveliness, with all that work, I want to share some of the play, too. Between ocean dips and friend hangs, a highlight this month was attending the magazine release party for The Angel. Substack turned printed magazine, Emily Wilson and David Gurzhiev hosted their readers and friends at Silverlake Lounge. They spent their Los Angeles stint diving deep on the global food culture through writing and photography; which, based on the two ladies mentioned above, you can imagine the endless topics to explore within the LA food scene. It was truly a perfect soiree: a celebration of accomplishment and community as well as a farewell to the duo.
!!!!
Martinis, Modelo, and a MAGAZINE
