Inspiring Conversations with Sarah Donjuan of JJ’s Flower Shop

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Donjuan.

Hi Sarah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I started JJ’s almost eight years ago as a hobby. At the time, I was working a full-time marketing job and wanted a hobby that could also make me money. I had the idea for a flower truck in July, bought the truck in August, and opened in September, so everything came together very quickly.

We started as a mobile flower truck where guests could build their own bouquets by the stem. We popped up all around Atlanta at places like Ponce City Market and Avalon. Atlanta is such an incredible city for small businesses because people genuinely love supporting local shops and pop-ups.

About six months later, Ponce City Market was looking for a florist to open a permanent retail space, and they reached out and asked if we’d be interested. When opportunities like that come along, I think you have to say yes. I quit my full-time job and jumped headfirst into opening our first brick-and-mortar store.

Everything was bootstrapped. We figured out how to build a store, hire employees, create beautiful floral designs, and slowly evolve the brand from there. Today, nearly eight years later, we operate out of our Dunwoody shop with an incredible team of all-women. We still offer our signature build-your-own bouquet experience, along with daily deliveries, workshops, corporate events, and even nationwide shipping.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entrepreneurship is always a roller coaster. It’s what makes it exciting, but it’s certainly not easy.

We’ve navigated challenges like COVID, staffing shortages, tariffs, and an ever-changing economy. The business landscape looks very different today than it did in 2018 when we first started.

Some days are magical and remind us exactly why we do what we do, while other days make you question everything. But the good days always outweigh the hard ones, and that’s what keeps us going. Entrepreneurship is a wild ride, but it’s also what makes every day interesting.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
JJ’s is a modern floral brand creating flowers for every moment in life. Our goal has always been to disrupt what has traditionally been a very dated, antiquated floral industry.

Interestingly, I came into flowers from a marketing background, not floral design. I think that gave me fresh eyes and a different perspective on the industry. Instead of following tradition, we wanted to challenge it.

We love working with flowers people may not have seen before. We embrace unexpected color palettes, monochromatic designs, negative space, and airy, garden-inspired arrangements rather than tighter, more traditional styles. We truly see ourselves as artists, creating sculptures from living materials.

At the heart of everything we do, though, flowers aren’t just about flowers. They’re about helping people communicate meaningful messages. Whether someone is saying “I love you,” “Congratulations,” “Good luck,” or “I’m so sorry,” flowers become the vehicle for that message. While flowers themselves don’t last forever, the impact they leave often does, and we feel incredibly honored to play a small role in some of life’s most meaningful moments.

Today, we do a little bit of everything. Customers can visit our Dunwoody shop to build their own bouquets using fresh or preserved flowers, order daily deliveries, attend floral workshops, shop our bridal collections, commission custom wedding florals, or work with us on large-scale corporate and brand installations. We’ve also been fortunate to work with incredible brands including Delta, Louis Vuitton, Ferrari, Netflix, and Spotify, and we’re so grateful for those opportunities.

More than anything, though, I’m most proud of our team. JJ’s wouldn’t be what it is today without the incredible women who have helped build this business over the years. Creating a team culture that people genuinely want to be part of—and creating beautiful art together—is what I’m proudest of. Everything we’ve accomplished has been because of the people behind the brand.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
The floral industry is still incredibly traditional. Many flower shops have been doing things the same way for decades, and while floral design is an artistic field, much of what consumers see still feels dated.

I think the industry is ready to be disrupted by more modern, trend-forward floral brands that better reflect today’s design aesthetics.

It’s also interesting that there really isn’t a true national flower shop brand. Companies like 1-800-Flowers are fulfillment platforms that rely on local florists, but there isn’t a recognizable national retailer the way there is in so many other industries.

I’d love to see the floral world continue evolving with fresh ideas, modern branding, and innovative customer experiences. Hopefully, one day, JJ’s can be part of leading that evolution.

Pricing:

• Refer to website for pricing

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jjsflowershop.com/
• Instagram: @jjsflowershop