Meet Sammy Michaels | Modern & Bespoke Floral Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sammy Michaels and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Sammy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I had been working in the floral industry for a few years before I designed an event totally on my own. I was “officially” a business owner for a few months before the fact. It was my best friend’s wedding, she trusted me completely and it was such an honor! The part of having my own business that I appreciate the most is knowing that people reach out to me so that they can gather around something beautiful. I really love the challenge of starting the design from scratch – being there in the very beginning of planning, reviewing concepts, being part of a team, right down to being one of the very last people onsite after all the fun was had. Not everyone is thrilled to “see how the sausage gets made”, but I think it’s fascinating to know how much hard work goes into something creative. I take pride in knowing that I can take a small part in making someone’s day really fun and beautiful!
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I can’t say my journey has been necessarily easy or hard – I can speak to it being challenging and yet very natural. I try to present myself as a very neighborly businessperson – I’m not interested in coming off as intimidating or unapproachable (mostly because I’m not like that in any part of my life). I have known event planning to be very stressful and I strive to be a comforting and supportive vendor.
My greatest challenge has been pushing past my “imposter syndrome”. I used to be really nervous that there wouldn’t be a spot for me creative spaces. No formal training, no specified schooling. I went to college and got my degree, so my assumption was that I had to “pay my dues”. I’d work in a field that I didn’t want to be in so that MAYBE (if I’m special enough) I could make a living doing something life-giving later on. I had a conversation with a family member years ago when I still had that expectation for myself and she responded by asking “why would you wait for something like that?” She almost sounds irritated with me when she said that, as if that was just a dumb way to go about a career. For me, it was pretty dumb. That question completely changed the way I thought about my own plans for my life.
Humility is the biggest lesson I’ve learned in the past few years of designing. Ask for help in areas where you struggle and don’t act like you know more than you really do. Be supportive, be kind, respect your own boundaries and those of the people around you.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
MUSEUMS! I love love love visiting art & history museums. The Museum of Biblical Art is my all-time favorite. Catching live music at any of the little venues in town would definitely be on my list. Bishop Arts is always a good idea for food and drinks, Oak Cliff restaurants are a sure-fire hit. We’d be going for a stone fruit martini & fries at Hudson House in Highland Park, no doubt. The Trinity River Audubon is a venue I’ve worked at several times, and their visitor center/nature trail is gorgeous! Marcel Market on Bishop Ave usually has some of my flowers in the windows and it’s a sweet little spot to grab some French import goodies! I love the Dallas fine arts organizations too so the opera, the ballet, the theatre… Dallas is an underrated neighborhood for fine arts.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have Nancy Meyers movies, West Texas highways, and my childhood backyard to credit for my love of flowers! My mom and grandmother have always been into gardening, so I grew up sticking my hands in the dirt, drinking from the hose, and patiently waiting for the flowerbed to start blooming. Then I started going back and forth between Dallas and Abilene for college and I saw the land just completely explode with flowers and it would touch my heart deeply. Spring is my absolute favorite time of year just because of the flowers. I remember something a friend said to me during a time when I was struggling, “spring is proof that God can bring dead things back to life”. I always think of her when I drive around Texas during the springtime – I see the proof of faith in the flowers because of her words.
All of the designers that I’ve worked with in the past (and present) who have helped guide my design style – they are my HEROES! They took me from a person who would pull up wildflowers from the side of the road with the roots still attached and stick them in a red solo cup and helped me become a little more *polished*.
And of course, my mom! She’s a creative as well and has helped me SO much the past few years. She saw all of the “behind the scenes” work that it takes to pull off a successful floral business and decided to jump in to help carry the load. She’s my superstar.
Instagram: @herbandsprawl
Other: website coming soon 🙂
Image Credits
Open Ended Exposition Photography
Lauren Marie Photo
Two Fish Weddings
The Mason Dallas
Ma Maison Venue
Jess & Doz Photography & Videography
Reigh Walker Photography