Today we’d like to introduce you to Kerri Abrams.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in the floral industry. Some of my most cherished memories are sitting on a workbench watching my mother design. I loved watching how her hands did the thinking and how her art was able to draw such powerful emotion from her clients. After attending law school and entering legal practice, I would often find myself moonlighting as a designer in the studio for weekend events.
A few years passed and with the birth of my daughter, I decided it was time for a change. I felt unfulfilled in my career as a litigation attorney. I wanted to create art and inspire others through floral design. When the opportunity presented itself, I closed my eyes and took a giant leap. Actually, to be completely accurate, my brother helped by giving me the good shove I needed, encouraging the pursuit of happiness over convention.
With his help and the help of our beautiful family and friends, I opened our design studio in 2011. We named it Kinship to honor our family bond. We operate today as a full service retail florist specializing in weddings and events. It truly is a dream job.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
D.H. Lawrence said it best, “there is no smooth road into the future”. He couldn’t have been more right. I thought few things could compare to the stress of being an attorney, turns out owning your own retail business is one of them. It is a different kind of stress though. It’s just as rewarding, as it is challenging.
For the most part, your art is commissioned. You are an interpreter, picking the client’s vision out of their head and bringing it to life. You do this all while managing their expectations of what florals are actually capable of within a certain budget. For our brides particularly, we bear the awesome responsibility of designing for their wedding day.
We take this honor extremely seriously and constantly strive for perfection. There is only one moment to get it right for them.
Like most business owners, I think the first year was the hardest. You can take everything you “know” and just throw that out the window. To make it through year one, it takes pure grit and the unconditional love of those around you.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Kinship Floral story. Tell us more about the business.
Kinship is a Boston based floral studio specializing in wedding and event floral design. We are known for our innovative designs with a highly personalized touch. We are client-focused, intuitive and intricately involved in every aspect of wedding décor planning.
What sets us apart is we listen… We truly listen to our clients during their wedding planning process. We know how exciting, yet stress this time can be. We strive not only to make beautiful designs for them, but we want our clients to leave us trusting we have executed their vision with careful and thoughtful consideration. We pride ourselves in creating a stunning representative of their love through our designs for their wedding day.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
My Irish mum may ground me for saying so, but I think you make your own luck. In both life and business, if you want Lady Luck to smile upon you, you have to be on the lookout for it. Put yourself in the right situations, take advantage of the right opportunities and accomplish your goals through a lot of hard work. And… while you are at it, help others make their own luck too.
Contact Info:
- Address: 137 Lewis Wharf, Boston, MA 02110
245 Revere Street, Revere, MA 02151 - Website: www.kinshipfloral.com
- Phone: (781) 629-1056
- Email: kinshipfloral@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinshipfloral/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KinshipFloral/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kinshipfloral?lang=en
- Other: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/kinship-boston-ma-832243
Image Credit:
Lea St. Germain Photography
Elizabeth Laduca Photography
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