An Entreprenuer to the Core.
Hi there! I'm Tammy Myers. With nearly 20 years of experience in sales, marketing and ecommerce, I've spent the last eleven years owning my own business on Seattle's Eastside. Before that, I worked at Expedia, Inc. in media and online sales, and Intrepid Learning Solutions in manufacturing training for the Boeing Company. Before that, I was an elementary school teacher in both WA and CA. Yes, diverse, I know!
It's been a fantastic, and sometimes difficult, journey of self-discovery and perspective! Continuously learning and developing a passion for business, I'm an entrepreneur to the core.
It started with flowers.
In 2013, I left my corporate career from a case of burnout and to re-evaluate my direction. Soon after, I enrolled at the University of Washington to earn a Professional Certification in Marketing. Midway through the class, I decided I wanted to start a small business in flowers.
Working out of my tiny kitchen, I started selling flowers throughout the Greater Seattle area. Weddings, events, holidays, restaurants, pop-ups, workshops, I did it all. Those first couple years were hard, but I managed to stay afloat. In time, I learned to focus on just a few product offerings. It's here where the losses started turning into profit.
In case you were wondering...
The last eleven years of my business has been in the floral industry. In that time, I built two brands. My original floral business, First & Bloom and a second brand, Lora Bloom. First & Bloom has always been about selling flowers, but Lora Bloom didn't start out as a consulting business.
-
In 2018...
Demand for eco-friendly, conscious consumers wanting to purchase florals from local and sustainably florists spiked. With online retail lacking a truly online floral marketplace dedicated to sourcing only sustainable florals, I took a massive risk, investing thousands of dollars into unknown territory to build a mobile app known as LORA Bloom. While the app was never fully built, I did build a prototype marketplace on Shopify which launched in early 2020 just days before Covid-19 hit the U.S.
-
All of 2020...
I pressed forward with building the LORA Bloom brand. It wasn't easy, but with clever marketing and sales strategies, plus having several strong local partnerships, LORA Bloom earned enough to keep the lights on. That year, I even made the cover of 425 Business Magazine and landed the largest single sale in business history. But, by the spring of 2021, it became clear LORA Bloom was running out of steam. With the shutdown of the economy, consumers were shopping local more than ever and First & Bloom resumed business again.
-
2022 was booming...
With First & Bloom taking off again, LORA Bloom took a back sit. I focused solely on local floral delivery. No more weddings or events. Operating at 50-60% profit on local delivery alone for all of 2022 with plans to expand in 2023, I was taking a salary, had money in the bank, and very tired. I worked the business entirely by myself. It was running me! I absolutely loved the space I had worked so hard to reach for so many years. By the end of the year, I had big plans for expansion which included hiring an employee. But, life had other plans for me.
In tragedy, new opportunities can bloom.
Early in January of 2023, I experienced a personal tragedy changing the course of my life forever. My neighbor was killed by a tree on our property. I was the first one on the scene.
It destroyed me.
Struggling mentally for most of the year, I lost my passion for selling flowers. With professional help and time to heal, I made some very difficult but necessary decisions. I decided to permanently close First & Bloom, my identity for 10 years. It wasn't easy.
I spent much of 2024 trying to find myself, the new me, post-accident. PTSD is very real. While it still creeps up from time to time, I discovered I like helping other small businesses to thrive. Within a month of making the announcement, I had my first client who is still with me today.
Looking forward, 2025 has been about developing my brand in small business consulting. My client list is slowly growing, and I love seeing their success and sense of accomplishment.
I love a good business story.
Selling and promoting products I love, has always come natural to me. When I come across a brand I like, I want to share that with other people.
Are you a small business owner and have a product or service you are trying to market and sell? I'd love an opportunity to help. My marketing expertise stretches far beyond flowers. I've marketed many brands over my 15+ years of business experience.