While many of us have dreams of an alternative career that we are truly passionate about, practical considerations and a demanding day job often force us to shelf those thoughts.
However, freelance florist Yeow Huiling of Fleur De Ling shows us how that is a middle ground between fantasy and reality – only those determined enough can have the best of both worlds.
Huiling, who is a Compliance Officer during the work week, is definitely not your average Office Lady.
Busting the stereotype that those who chose the corporate life are uncreative, she has a vested interest in flowers and floral design.
She picked up floral art on the side since quitting her job to pursue her passion would cause uncertainty and stress.
While this meant that she had to use her free time in the evenings and weekends to hone her skills, it was a sacrifice she was willing to make.
After a year of classes at an online floral shop, she now has a thriving freelance business.
From crafting custom bouquets to hosting relaxing floral workshops, she has managed to weave her love for working with flowers into her busy days.
We take a peek into her packed but fulfilling double life.
Planting The Seed Of Interest
Huiling was interested in flowers as a child. A few years ago, she decided to try her hand at creating floral arrangements.
“At a young age, I watched my Mother attend the floral classes at the community centre. I have always loved flowers for their beauty.”
“In 2016, I used my Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) credits to sign up for a basic bouquet class. My interest grew and I decided to take more courses. However, the lessons only taught me theories and techniques.”
She soon discovered that she was not content to remain as a floral hobbyist.
“To hone and improve my skills, I knew I needed more practice and experience. I started to work at an online floral shop during my weekends to learn how a floral shop operates, various designs and get tips from the senior florists.”
Armed with an open mind and diligence, Huiling’s sacrificed her weekends—after a busy week at the bank—to learn the ropes.
Eventually, she gained enough expertise and confidence to strike out on her own as a freelance florist.
Overcoming Obstacles
The process of learning any new skill can be tough and tiring. However, Huiling made the best of it.
“The learning process was enjoyable, as it wasn’t seen as work for me. Rather, it was a form of relaxation on my weekends. Knowing that my creations will make the recipient happy makes it worthwhile.”
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Even so, Huiling has her own struggles as well – she suffers from fatigue and long hours.
“The challenges include physical endurance because I have to stand for long hours and suffer from a backache.”
Another challenge that she had to face was learning how to handle customer relations.
As the floral business is essentially about pleasing the person who is receiving the flowers, it is important that she pay close attention to requests and execute them to the best of her abilities.
“Sometimes, unclear instructions may result in undesirable outcomes so I have to start from scratch again. Now, I try to understand what is the customer looking for and their personality before proposing the design.”
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Huiling is also constantly looking for ways to improve her designs.
She gathers feedback from friends and family, and actively researches the latest trends in floral design so that her work will remain relevant.
“To improve my designs, I try to tie in floral courses during my holidays. Recently I went to South Korea and took a Korean style class. This is to keep up with the latest designs and also learn from other experienced florists.”
Inspiring Others
The demand for short creative courses has grown over the last few years, as more are becoming keen to develop their creative side.
Ever astute, Huiling understood that this trend presented a good opportunity for her freelance floral business. She managed to get her friend, a cafe owner, to partner with her on this venture.
“In September, my long time friend Justin Loh suggested that I conduct a floral workshop alongside his tea/coffee business, Parchmen&Co. His partner, Dave Lim is the owner of Sun Ray Cafe.”
“They rented a shophouse for workshops on coffee/tea art. We thought it was a good idea to combine floral class with tea pairing and dessert.”
Floral workshops in the market often come with high fees. However, Huiling wanted to keep her workshops affordable so that more people would be able to participate in them.
“I aim to keep the atmosphere in my floral class relaxing and lively, so that strangers can turn into friends. In terms of pricing, my classes are below $100, making it affordable for anyone.”
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“We even have guys joining in the classes, so that they can make a bouquet for their loved ones. It’s a great way for people to create something with love.”
Balancing Priorities
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With a demanding day job, the fixed structure of a weekly workshop is a great way for Huiling to find balance as she is able to plan ahead and find ways to accommodate her duties.
“Due to the hectic nature of my day job, I cannot take on ad-hoc orders. Hence, the idea of monthly floral workshops was wonderful as it does not clash with my work schedule.”
“For customised orders, customers place their order in advance and collection are usually on weekends. Therefore, I am able to balance my work on weekdays and hobby on weekends.”
A Bright Future
Huiling’s plans for her freelance floral business in the near future are modest – she reveals that she has something special planned for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.
“I will continue to work on more upcoming floral workshops in the coming months. For Valentines Day, I have partnered with some friends to collaborate on a booth selling flowers for lovebirds.”
Find out more about Fleur De Ling’s floral services and classes on her Instagram page!