MEET BLOOM COLLECTIVE
FOUNDED BY
HEATHER WOLFENDEN AND SAVANNAH BARKLEY
LOCATION: Massachusetts
@wearebloomcollective
THE INTERVIEW
Written by Boston Women’s Market
Boston Women’s Market: Can you tell us a bit about what lead you to the launch your business? What are you aHa! moment?
Heather: Absolutely! Savannah and I hit it off right away and quickly became not just instant friends but instant business partners after a successful pizza date. We shared a common desire to create opportunities for entrepreneurs like ourselves. We each own our own businesses outside of Bloom that we’ve found success in and wanted to help our community to do the same. Our journey kicked off with hosting pop-up events in Providence and Boston, collaborating with hundreds of small businesses to showcase their products in a retail setting. While the idea of regaining physical retail space isn't off the table, our focus has shifted towards providing essential foundational support for local businesses. The turning point? It came after countless inquiries from those businesses about licensing, taxes, content production, marketing and the like. We realized that our true calling was to offer comprehensive foundational support for all parts of the entrepreneurial journey.
Savannah: Heather said a great bit about our instant business-friendship and for me it was finding someone like minded with the guts to jump wholeheartedly into starting something new and exciting. Having a partner in this entrepreneurial journey became priceless and it felt much easier to try out new things with someone to solve the hard puzzles with. After our first pop-up Bloom quickly became a community space where connections blossomed amongst so many small business owners - ourselves included. Like Heather mentioned, this new wave of Bloom came out of listening to our community's needs and our desire to see such creative folks not only survive but succeed.
BWM: For many women starting out in the entrepreneurial world, there can be a lot of self-doubt. Do you have any personal stories about how you conquered self-doubt? What guidance would you give to others?
Heather: Personally, I've always had an arguably unhealthy dose of self-confidence. I've never shied away from taking risks and pursuing my passions. But, once I dove into full-time entrepreneurship, doubt started creeping in. You always wonder if your decisions are the right ones or if a single move could spell trouble. What's helped me is reminding myself: "I am my best navigator." No one knows your business and your capabilities better than you do - trust that! And remember, making mistakes is part of the journey. Every mistake is an opportunity for personal and professional growth. It's a cliché, but it's true!
Savannah: I have always been 'she's got a mind of her own' kind of woman to the point where my parents wouldn't try to tell me what to do and they let me learn by trial and error and hard work. Despite this I was always quiet, hated public speaking (to this day) but somehow have found that this part of my personality has helped me find new ways of approach in my entrepreneurial journey. I think the key is to really lean into your strengths and let them guide you in your decision making - and not to get decision paralysis, it really is putting one foot in front of another and when you look up from where you were to where you are now it will be something of true beauty.
Find what excites you, what you excel at, and how you can turn that into a livelihood.
BWM: A mentor can play an integral role in someone’s career progression and personal growth. Did you have a mentor that influenced where you are today?
Heather: I'm incredibly grateful to have been influenced by a number of amazing people. I was fortunate to have had exceptional bosses, teachers, and a supportive network of family and friends throughout my life. While I wouldn't say I had a single designated mentor, I certainly didn't get here on my own.
Savannah: For me personally, a culmination of great educational experiences that I sought out have helped me get to where I was going. As an artist turned entrepreneur I began my creative journey in my youth which turned into community college and then with some hard work I ended up RISD. I began my first business Sir Milky Quartz while still at school and after graduating was a sponge to any entrepreneurial program/grants I could get my hands on. I graduated from both DesignXRI's Catalyst Program and most recently Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program where my mentor Sandra helped me through some of the most challenging business growth I have had to date.
BWM: Many women begin their small business journey as a way to seek fulfillment they may not be getting in their 9-5 job. Others aren't sure where to begin and need help "digging deeper" to find what it is that fills their cup. What are some steps someone can take today to begin that journey of discovery?
Heather: I feel like the first step in embarking on this journey should always involve exploring or declaring what you're truly passionate about. I feel like it’s personally challenging to stay enthusiastic about your work if it doesn't align with your passions. Find what excites you, what you excel at, and how you can turn that into a livelihood. There's a Japanese concept called Ikigai that perfectly encapsulates this. Ikigai is discovered at the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
Savannah: It's tough to put a finger on one magic method - as beginning a business is in its own way a journey of discovery just like anything in life. I do think that paying attention to what you personally gravitate towards or skills you may already have is a good place to start. If you see someone doing something one day and go - " Wow that looks amazing I really wish I could do that for a career." I would ask yourself why you think you can't and make steps towards having your own version of that. Next would be defining what success is for you and what you need your business to do for you and your lifestyle for it to be fulfilling and a little bit of calculated risk taking!
BWM: Do you have a favorite moment so far with Bloom Collective? Where you really felt like you were on the right path?
Heather: It's tough to define a single moment that was my favorite with Bloom. Truthfully every time a business tells us how much we've helped them feels incredible. It's a constant reminder that we're making a positive impact, and it motivates us to keep going. We're trying to build a real community of like-minded business owners to help build each other up. I found a serious friendship in Savannah through Bloom. I feel like I have a personal and professional confidant I can speak to candidly and get advice I can trust. That was something I didn’t have as a solo-preneur. I really hope we can foster those types of friendships via Bloom for other business owners too.
Savannah: Since starting Bloom and adding another business to our already full entrepreneurial plate we have been in a world of quick turnarounds and gut decision making. Things pass by so fast that you cherish moments that pull you into the bird's eye view of all that you have accomplished. Like the opening night of our first pop-up event where the community came out to support the over 100 local businesses in our shop at the height of COVID. I think a lot of Bloom's strength comes from the conversations Heather mentioned - when we have worked way too long and late and envision the future of what we are building together and that each time we talk about it the more it becomes reality.
BWM: If our community wants to dive deeper into empowering their own journey, what resources do you offer?
Bloom currently offers a selection of tailored services designed for small business - anything from a web refresh or rebrand, an audit and upgrade to your pop-up or tradeshow display, assistance with wholesale strategy, product packaging, photography and more. We are here for it all but specialize in helping businesses build strong and sustainable foundations. We want to look at the big picture with you so you can succeed in the right direction and be supported in that journey. Our services are part of a larger goal of offering educational courses and networking opportunities where we can really tap into the strengths of our small business community.
More information can be found at wearebloomcollective.com
PROGRAMS WE LOVE
Make-it, Map-it, Market-ing! Workshop Series
Boston Women's Market is partnering with Bloom Collective to present a three-part series: Make-it, Map-it, Market-ing! Throughout three dynamic workshops, presented in three sequential classes, we'll lead you on a journey to becoming a marketing maven.
Connect with The Bloom Collective
Bringing thoughtfully tailored BIG services to SMALL businesses.