Community Highlights: Meet Amy Osaba of Amy Osaba Designs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Osaba.

Amy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Flowers have always been a part of my life. Every summer I would visit my grandmother in Arkansas, and she had a beautiful garden. I helped with planting, planning, weeding, and watering. I fell in love with the beautiful variety of flowers she grew, and I remember we would always have a fresh bouquet on the table at dinnertime. My mother, an avid gardener and painter, also encouraged the creative process. At 18, I moved to New York City to pursue a career in ballet. Over the next 10 years, I danced for the Joffrey Ballet, the Atlanta Ballet, the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, and then I retired. My strong theatrical background and eye for movement, color, and texture (gleaned from my years as a ballerina) set the stage for my floral and event design company.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Isn’t it a founder’s dream to have a smooth, paved road laid out for us before we take that leap into the unknown? Sadly NO… It was not a smooth road at all in the beginning. In fact, it was a very rocky, unpaved, uphill – a barely visible path with boulders seemingly coming down all around me. The first 5 years or so, I was just making things up, throwing anything at the proverbial wall to see what would stick. I was in full-on survival mode. I learned to do florals by copying images on the internet – this was BEFORE Pinterest or Instagram, guys… I was the only floral designer on this side of the country doing this new “organic” wildflower look, so things took off very quickly. My designs were different, unique, and full of movement; A stark change from the days of the rounded hydrangeas, especially here in the South. So if you liked the wildflower look, I was your girl. It was a whirlwind, so many opportunities. I made a name for myself pretty quickly; incredible opportunities came knocking, I was so grateful and said yes to everything that came my way (not so much anymore). I had no idea what I was doing – I had no formal floral training ever, not even a workshop or apprenticing at a floral shop. I definitely did not have any business sense either-other than that I knew I needed to show up, work hard, underpromise and overdeliver. The business kind of began as a fluke, honestly, friends asking me to do flowers for this and that, but I often say – the universe knew I was going to need this business, so all of the things that needed to align… did. Somehow out of nothing came this beautiful business, career, and life that I had not envisioned. When I began this journey, I was going through a very difficult divorce with 3 little boys under the age of 8. I knew how to hustle and make things happen, but I was in pure survival mode. I was charging way too little and spending way too much. I had become the sole provider for my family, and I had no choice but to make this business work. Eventually, a wonderful financial and business mentor came into my life who single-handedly changed the trajectory of my business and my life. When she arrived, I had been told by more than one businessman and some bankers that I was basically bankrupt, and I should pack it up and call it quits. Well, that simply was not an option.

Shanna Skidmore taught me how to run a successful business, how to grow it, and how to be profitable. Within the first year she was with me, the business had a 400% profit margin jump (if that tells you anything about where I was). From that moment on, the business continued to grow in ways I never could have imagined. We traveled all around the country and the world, taking our pretty flowers with us. I will forever be grateful to my dear friend for teaching me invaluable lessons on how to have an incredible business and life.

As you know, we’re big fans of Amy Osaba Designs . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
While our emphasis is on designing lush florals with lots of movement and depth, we are also a full event design studio and delight in bringing our clients’ entire vision to life. From designing your invitation suite to selecting the perfect linens to creating the right atmosphere through lighting, no detail is forgotten. In fact, our entire team has extensive experience planning, designing, and executing events from start to finish. My style has grown and developed over the last 22 years, but the core is the same. As artists grow, we learn more about the mediums we use. 20 years ago, I think that my style was a bit more traditional than it is now; however, it was still very different from most styles of flowers that existed in the south/southeast. I think part of why I stood out was because there was no one else on the East Coast doing what I was doing, so naturally I created a niche in the wedding industry that wasn’t there before. It really allowed me to stand out, which helped me attract the clients that I wanted – ones that appreciated a more artistic approach and liked what I was doing. I think we became known as the go-to design house if you want a unique, incredibly personal, and unforgettable event.

It may be nice for your readers to know that I have just recently come back from a 2-year sabbatical. After 20 years of events and raising 3 handsome, incredible boys, this mama needed a little R+R. I think a lot of folks thought I just up and quietly quit, but I was just regrouping and getting re-inspired for my next chapter.

Speaking of…we have been churning our little wheels over here, working on something super exciting behind the scenes at AOD. While I don’t want to share too much right now, I can say, however, that it is a natural evolution of so many things that I have created, learned, and been inspired by over the past 22 years. It’s something that brings the artistry and emotion of an AOD experience into an entirely new form—one that I hope will make beautiful, intentional design more accessible in a very personal way. We are keeping the details close for now, but keep checking our socials, as it will make its BIG debut before the end of the year, and I cannot wait to finally share it with you all!

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I do love a good podcast. I LOVE the Morbid gals; they are hilarious and tell some amazing stories. Books I read are usually about business, raising boys, or a good thriller.

Well, I can admit it, I don’t think I would like to live without Pinterest. It is a love-hate relationship, but I would be so sad if it were gone.

Pricing:

• In Atlanta, our minimum starts at $20,000
• Available for travel worldwide, inquire for pricing

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amyosaba.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyosabadesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amyosabaevents/
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/amyosabadesign/