June’s – ‘The Beauty Issue’ – Download Now
Founder of Go Flower, Benn Davey discusses the beauty of simplicity.
What do the first 30 mins of the day look like, your morning routine?
For me, these precious minutes can make or break the day. I’m lucky enough to wake up next to fresh flowers most mornings and currently, it is Peonies. On a good day, I’ll have a glass of water and a coffee, followed by a brisk walk with my dogs Hugo and Cooper. A morning stroll before the sun rises sets the tone for the day and helps to focus on priorities for GO FLOWER. This can include preparing for events for one of the beautiful brands we work with or planning our next collection. We drop a new collection every month and May has welcomed THE NUDE, JUNGLE FEVER and DESERT ROSE. On a bad day, I’ll reach for my phone as soon as I open my eyes, and a “quick scroll” can eat up those 30 minutes.
How did you initially enter floristry?
I could see the industry needed to be disrupted and felt there was room to offer a new kind of elegance in flowers. I found premium single variety flowers offered more elegance and sophistication than a traditional mixed flower bouquet, and often purchasing single variety flowers from a florist was either not possible or very expensive.
Tell us about Go Flower DNA and how you launched the business?
GO FLOWER was started to disrupt the traditional flower industry. We are proud to say that our flowers are days fresher than those which can be purchased in a shop or supermarket. Our flowers are delivered within hours of landing in the UAE and our customers get to enjoy the flowers from bud to bloom over a much longer period of time than what is usually possible.
What have been the biggest challenges to date since launching and how did you overcome them?
Being focused on the longevity of fresh flowers whilst needing to deliver perishable goods comes with its challenges as you may expect. When we started the business, it was challenging to balance wasting flowers that were past our days fresher guarantee. We overcame this by gifting our regular customers thank you flowers when we had any surplus. We try to focus on zero waste so this was a great way to make our customers happy and reduce any waste.
Have you had any mentors in business?
The UAE has a very supportive and inspirational community of entrepreneurs with great values that have really inspired me, I’m amazed at how generous people are in the UAE with sharing their journeys, lessons and values. So, although, I don’t have a mentor my business is certainly influenced by those around me whether that be people I follow on Instagram or friends and clients.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve received?
I think it’s important to have an idea of what you are trying to achieve personally when starting a business. Are you looking for a lifestyle business that pays you a salary or are you looking to build a global brand for example? If it is the latter you need to be prepared to make sacrifices on your personal time and be happy in doing so to benefit your business.
Where do you take inspiration from and how do you select flowers?
My inspiration is led by Interiors and what will look beautiful in any home. I’ve always wanted GO FLOWER florals to integrate into the home environment, unlike a bouquet that is a lovely surprise at the door but then looks out of place in the home. So, if it does not look simply perfect and elegant in an interior setting we will not select it for one of our collections.
Which flowers are the hardiest in this environment of heat and air-conditioning?
Flowers are hardier than you think and a flower that may look wilted actually just needs a little love and care. Caring for your flowers is so important for long life in any conditions and will allow you to enjoy them for as long as possible.
Protea, Celusia, Anthurium, Lisianthus are some of the hardiest flowers we sell on go flower.ae currently and will last you at least ten days.
Have you created any bespoke pieces for clients or events to date?
Wow, where do I start? We’ve been so lucky to be embraced by the fashion and lifestyle community. I think this has come from the need of better quality and elegance at an affordable price. A recent event saw GO FLOWER create an Italian garden at Concrete in Alserkal Avenue for a Luxury Italian Brand. We craned in 300-year-old 7 meters Olive trees and created beautiful wildflower arrangements. The team worked so hard and we reached new heights with what was possible with event flowers.
What’s the best bouquet to send that suits everyone?
The seasons best will always bring you the best quality and beauty. Currently, Peonies are the season’s best and are an absolute show stopper, we have four colours; Flamant, Fraise, Frambois and Blanche with next month bringing Hydrangeas from Holland.
Which accounts do you follow on Instagram for inspiration?
@SteveCordony an Australian Interior Designer who uses single variety flowers grown in his garden.
So many incredible women; @rimazahran @Miriamabadi @roseminsworld @omairaofficial @raniaelkhatib @ruthbradley to name only a few but wow there are some incredible women in the UAE with some incredible life lessons so lean in and follow.
This is ‘The Beauty Issue’ – what does beauty mean to you?
I see beauty in love. When someone is loving, is loved, or loves something. That is what beauty means to me.
June’s – ‘The Beauty Issue’ – Download Now
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