WOMAN WHO INSPIRES

WENDY ROCKCASTLE

PHOTOS BY MICHELE ASHLEE

Tell us a little about yourself and your business, Rockcastle Florist.

Rockcastle Florist began in 1951 and was started by my husband Keith’s parents Donald and Eleanor Rockcastle. Keith and I began running the business in 1995. While Keith focused on the technology, accounting and delivery areas; I provided creative vision and retail management to the equation.

What made you decide to get into the family business that was started in 1951?

I have a pretty diverse background, from studying athletic training in college, to retail management, to loving all things creative: art, fashion, interior design. Before Keith and I were married, I would often help at the holidays and I was hooked!! The Floral Industry offered me a creative workplace with the challenge of a retail setting.

What or who inspires you?

I am inspired by most creative professionals from musical artists, fashion design and DIY professionals. I find inspiration in seeing other professionals’ creative process. I love a good documentary that really pulls the curtain back on an artist’s approach to their end product. There is a great one on Netflix about “Lady Gaga”. I loved the synergy she has with other artists, while knowing what her strengths and weaknesses are. I especially appreciate lifestyle pros who have successfully married creativity and business. For example Joanna Gaines and Martha Stewart

What does success mean to you?

Great Question! Success to me is a series of ingredients that = Success. Profitability, Being able to support the families and people who are working for the business, Respect within the community and Industry, Loyal Customer following, Producing a brand you can be proud of.

What made you decide to expand and open more locations?

With the original Rockcastle Florist in Greece, NY, the decision to expand to Canandaigua was made before Keith and I were involved in the business. Originally it was owned by Eleonor and Keith’s brother and it featured greenhouses. When it was no longer profitable to grow in this area. The business became strictly a Florist Shop. Keith and I became owners of the Canandaigua business about 15 years ago. It now resides at 100 South Main Street in Canandaigua.

What do you feel sets you apart from other florist shops/companies?

About 5 years ago we dramatically changed and improved our business by acquiring a Design Center location in the city of Rochester. While outgrowing our westside location and often feeling like we needed to be in 2 locations at once. We studied this concept in Dallas Texas with a well respected Florist on a national level, called Dr. Delphinium. The owner was gracious about how this centralized approach to his design labor, storage and delivery benefited his business that also had two retail locations.

Our Design Center is in a large warehouse where our creative team designs, we receive flower shipments, a phone sales team, photography and marketing, web development and delivery is housed. It has been the perfect solution, especially during COVID. The added space allows us to take on more volume and widen our delivery services.. When we moved our delivery and design staffing to the Design Center, we had just enough space to sublet to a local bakery. Our Greece location is now a shared space for Special T Cakes and Rockcastle Florist. Along with floral deliveries

“Rockcastle Florist began in 1951 and was started by my husband, Keith’s parents Donald and Eleanor Rockcastle. ”

deliveries you can include cakes and bakery items. We also partner with a local chocolatier, Hedonist and offer their candy on our website. We are currently working with a partner business in our Canandaigua location too (stay tuned). Through this growth and local partnerships we can offer more unique and diverse products to a larger market.

How have you brought change into the business since taking it over? The biggest changes would be the following: Developed a well performing website and treated it like another storefront. We were one of the first Florists in the area to offer a website to our customers and the first order came in from Australia!

- Centralized our Design and Delivery departments to a Design Center

- Continually work on branding key products that are unique and central to our business

- Committed to Digital Marketing, Social Media and online platforms

- Joined a Peer Group of 10 other non compete Florists from around the country, who we brainstorm regularly with about marketing, websites, product development and sourcing, hiring, Covid regulations and so much more. I like to think of them as our Board of Directors and vice versa. Together we have all impacted each other’s business and the Industry in such a positive way.

What service do you provide that is your favorite and why?

I don’t have a favorite, but I love anything we can do that provides a smile or comfort to someone who needs it.

What have you found to be the most successful in marketing your business?

Hands down, social media and email marketing. We are fortunate that we offer a visual product. People love to see what we are doing and new products that we have to offer. Email marketing offers benefits and convenient shopping on our website. Not only does our website produce the volume of another storefront, it also provides people with a catalog of our designs. Before websites we had to describe to people over the phone what a design would look like, now they can peruse them all online.

What challenges have you faced being part of a family business?

Time management is a big one, we can always find something else at work that needs our attention.

My husband and I struggle with not bringing our work home and discussing it in off hours. Work/ Home life balance is always an issue. Finding enough family members that are interested in working in the business is always a challenge.

What do you do for motivation?

I love to travel to tour shops around the country. Along with that I attend as many Industry conferences that I can get to. I joke that you get your best ideas sitting at the bar with other Florists:)

I am especially motivated by the next generation of young professionals that are entering the Florist Trade. The ones who are really putting forth the effort are spending time with the more established generations seeking mentorship and information. I can think of a few from around the country who are so savvy that I have consulted with them on occasion!

What would you say truly excites you about what you do and encourages you to keep moving forward?

I love collaborating with other creative professionals. That could be anything from a photo shoot with other wedding vendors to creating new designs for our website. When given creative freedom we can really dig deep into the talent reserves and produce something spectacular. I look at other trends to forecast products for our business, such as fashion, interiors and color trends.

For instance, years ago I started working on a sub Brand of Rockcastle Florist called BloomGal, a flower subscription service. The concept started with the help of a friend and marketing specialist. Lack of time caused me to table the project. When our Daughter came on board to focus on our marketing and web development we resurrected the idea and established the brand and website. It’s exciting to see a concept brought to life and become established.

“This is not a one person show, and we hope to cultivate several family members as future operators of this growing business.”

How did you persevere through the tough times of Covid and stay positive and keep your business running?

I like to say that working during COVID was like a master class in business and still is!

Not knowing what the next day or week would bring at the onset of COVID, we layed off all of our staff and my husband Keith, daughter Mary and I tried to go it alone. We closed our two retail shops as mandated by the state and filled the website and phone orders as they came in at our Design Center. That lasted about a week and we were exhausted and pleasantly surprised that there was a growing demand for floral and cake deliveries. When you consider that there was no place to go for a celebration, our being able to offer celebratory gifts with no contact delivery was a much needed service.

The struggle then was bringing back as many employees as needed.. Many had concerns about being out in public in the first few months of the pandemic, so were grateful for those who came back and helped carry the load until the rest were available to join us. The shifting demands and needs of the pandemic taught us to react quickly to changes. We have been able to introduce many changes in our business since the pandemic started, all for the better. We were fortunate in that we never had to completely shut down our business and through all the ups and downs we are stronger than ever.

What were the things that most surprised you along the way since

taking over the family business?

The amount of physical labor and time that it requires to successfully run a family business. We are hands on, Owner-Operators and it feels like one or both of us is always at work. Flower shops are a production, retail and delivery site, so there are many moving parts on a given day. I never understood why my Mother In Law never fully decorated her Christmas Tree…well now I understand, especially at the busy holiday periods, there’s not enough energy or creative juice left at the end of the day to decorate your own home. My husband likes to say that like the shoemaker’s children never have new shoes, you can imagine that the Florist has many unfinished creative projects at home :) On the flip side, I never realized how much joy you can bring to people by delivering flowers. With flowers we deliver emotions. From weddings, funerals, proms, new babies, birthdays etc, we love being a part of the important moments in people’s lives.

What is one element of your business that you can not do without?

We simply could not run this business without our talented and loyal team! Most of our staff members have been with us for quite a while and they are not only highly skilled but also like family, as we spend so much time together.

What do you want to achieve

next?

We are committed to a successful transition of Rockcastle Florist to the next generation of family. This is not a one person show, and we hope to cultivate several family members as future operators of this growing business.

“I never realized how much joy you can bring to people by delivering flowers. With flowers we deliver emotions.”

On a personal level, I hope to at least partially retire at a reasonable age, but continue to work in the Industry by consulting with other Florists around the country in the areas of branding and marketing .

How do you balance family and your business successfully?

I don’t think you can ever achieve a work/home balance when you own a business. We have one daughter and joke that the business is our other child. It also required attention, nurturing etc. Weekends are a busy time for us, so we may miss out on family events here and there. Our daughter will tell you that she grew up in the flower shop and she did spend time here when we couldn’t break away, but owning a business also offers flexibility. We can usually “duck out” if we need to be somewhere with our daughter or other family members. Our Niece, Jennifer recently came back into the business and we are thrilled to have another family member helping to grow the business and the infrastructure that supports it.

What advice do they have for other entrepreneurs?

Look for mentors and friends in your Industry to help you navigate the demands of your business. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, for every mis-step there is a valuable lesson to be learned. Owning a business is never what it seems from an outsider looking in. Make sure you are doing what you love, because if you are doing it right, you will want to devote a lot of time to it!

YOU ARE ENOUGH. JOHANNA FRAPPIER

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO BY TAMMY VREELAND

Recently, I get the pleasure of interviewing Johanna Frappier. Johanna is an extraordinary entrepreneur! A very hard-working woman determined to get her art out to you.

Johanna’s circuit is in a variety of locations and events. Eventually you are bound to run into her yourself, but until then, why not learn more about this amazing woman through her interview?

Tammy: Johanna, a pleasure as always in getting to spend time with you! I find myself seeking you out whenever I attend an event. Your energy and radiant smile are truly addictive! Let’s start off with, how did you come up with the name of your company - Forest Haunt?

Johanna: I’m a ghost hunter from way back. I am all about that study. Lots of my images have trees, moons, stars. I was tempted to name the company something with the word Halcyon in it because that’s my favorite word - it’s so beautiful.

Tammy: Halcyon denotes a period of time in the past that was happy and peaceful. That’s exactly what your art portrays! The art process you use for your product, what is it?

Johanna: I use stencils and diluted bleach to create images on T-shirts, hoodies, beanies, kimonos, dresses, handkerchiefs and other cloth. I draw on mylar stencil product and cut out the image with an X-Acto blade. did it because you can clearly see they are not heat transfers. What inspires you to create the designs you have?

Johanna: I’ve done work on colored T-shirts, but mostly I work on black. I love the way the images appear. Especially when I do a moon or some stars, it never gets old. For me, it’s literally a magical manifestation.

Tammy: It’s truly amazing how talented you are to make such beautiful designs! How long does it take to create your T-shirts?

Johanna: Each T-shirt goes through multiple processes over several days. The more images on the piece, the longer it takes. Not only do I bleach the shirts, I also give them a vinegar bath which stops the bleaching process, and makes the cloth softer. I could do layered bleaching all in one day, but it’s a completely different look. It really turns out amazing when you take the time to bleach one piece over several different days.

Tammy: I honestly had never seen shirts done like this before. They truly are beautiful! What types of shirts do you sell? How about sizes?

Johanna: I will bleach anything that’s cotton, but it’s easier to do flat items. I did some baseball caps but have since abandoned those. Working on a curve gets a different blurred effect. I like my images to be sharper. I’ve had requests for extra extra small up to 5X and try to work with everyone. enough but often times I see you set up your elaborate set up on your own. How do you do it and how long does it take for you to set up and take down?

Johanna:: Set up and take down is hard work and I almost never notice it since I’m filled with so much adrenaline. This really is the happiest career I’ve had in my life and I’ve had lots of them. I have a storage unit with cases and cases of product that I have to move to my car. Including hanging racks, portable dolly, tables, chairs, and energy source. I put all the hangers in the shirts and all the hangers out at the end of the show because if you leave the hangers in, they will dent the shoulders. I get so excited to see my friends (like you!), and to make new friends. There’s a positive energy at events that’s addictive. I absolutely feed off of it. I admit I am an energy vampire.

Tammy: Aha! The truth comes out! I’m going to have to watch my energy during the show, I seem to run low as it is! Or could it have been you all along? Joking aside, you always seem so energized, I feel as if I feed off your energy! In fact, I’ve happened to be around you when you sold your art to the stars at the con. That in itself is exciting! Do you find yourself energized by those sales?

Johanna: It’s absolutely amazing to sell to celebrities! The first celebrity I sold to was Grant Wilson at a paranormal event. I did not know who he was, my friend had to tell me. She was very excited. Grant was excited to be at the event as well. He was literally hopping

“Johanna is an extraordinary entrepreneur! A very hard-working woman determined to get her art out to you.”

around telling me how much he loves Godzilla and I was like, “yeah man, awesome!” then I started bouncing around!!

Tammy: This is why I love these events! Everyone gets so swept away during our interaction with each other! How long have you been doing this? Do you find your reputation precedes itself with repeat customers throughout the years?

Johanna: I have been doing this since 2013. I always have repeat customers when I attend the same event year after year. One woman likens my product to collectibles since each item is unique. This year in Salem, I met a woman who said she came up from Florida and couldn’t wait to meet me based on the advertising she saw. Wow, it does the heart good when you hear things like this!

Tammy: I completely agree! Unfortunately, the economy has hit all of us hard. Let alone the pandemic limiting us with events. Have you had any trouble getting your supplies? Are you set up online?

Johanna: I definitely have had supply issues, but I am quick to communicate with people on Etsy orders. They understand that I absolutely want to get them their piece as soon as possible. I have been lucky to have fantastic customers that have been very understanding when there have been delays. Tammy:: When I see you with your product, you always seem very proud of what you have to offer. Owning your own business can be very stressful. What is the key for you to get as much enjoyment out of it as you do?

Johanna: My key enjoyment and the reason I’ve been doing this for so long comes from doing exactly what I want

to do. I get lots of advice from people and lots of suggestions, most of which I don’t take.

Lots of people tell me to do more children’s pieces but I try to let people know doing children’s pieces takes just as much time and energy as adult clothing but most people don’t want to pay as much for a child’s piece. People suggest I do sports themes, because that’s so popular. People also suggest I do other colors besides black or other themes, but that’s just not me. I’m only doing this to bring joy into my life.

Tammy: See to me this is where being a true artist comes into effect. Your pieces are unique and not mass produced. Where you can retain control over what makes you happy.

Where can we find you on Social Media? Are there any shout outs you like to give to ones who have helped you along the way?

Johanna: You can find me on Facebook Etsy and Instagram. http://foresthaunt.etsy.com

Anthony Muzikar approached me at my very first event ever and said my products were awesome and suggested the Connecticut Horrorfest to me. That venue has since become one of my number one events. I absolutely appreciate and love the organizers! I will forever be in debt to Anthony and grateful to him. He continues to help me. He’s an amazing person! https:// metaldogz.bigcartel.com/

Also, I met Heather Weikel of Skully Kouture maybe two years in and she has become one of the best friends I’ve ever had. She is a kind, upbeat, caring woman. There is no one that doesn’t love her instantly. I’m so proud of her every day. https://skully-kouture.myshopify. com/password

“My key enjoyment and the reason I’ve been doing this for so long comes from doing exactly what I want to do.”

I would also like to thank my children, Lily Frappier and Gwen Frappier for helping me. Especially at events like Salem, which is a beast. I can’t do it without them. I love those girls to the moon and beyond!

Johanna, you have quite a list of upcoming events! I will list below, but I have to say it’s quite impressive! Plenty of different events for our readers to see your beautiful art up close and personal. And perhaps, even a chance to hop around with you when you get excited talking about your art, letting them share in the energy that surrounds you!

It has been such an honor to interview you. Thank you, Johanna! I wanted people to see what it takes to create your art. The determination and struggles of getting your art out there for others. But most importantly, the satisfaction and enjoyment your art has given you.

That although owning your own business can be difficult and not easy, it also can be rewarding and worth it! May you continue to share your work with us. You truly are an inspiration to us all!

MARCH

12-13 WinterCon NYC

https://nywintercon.com/

24-27 The Magickal Marketplace & Psychic Faire, Boxborough MA

https://themagickalmarketplace.com/?

q=about

APRIL

9th Wicked ComiCon, Boston MA

https://www.wickedcomiccon.com/

22-24 Bangor Comic & Toy Con, Maine https://www.bangorcomicandtoycon.com/

MAY

TBD Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market, New Jersey

http://www.trentonprfm.com/events

JUNE

TBD Salem Arts Festival, Salem MA

JULY

27-28 PARACONN, Ansonia CT

https://paraconn. wordpress.com/

23rd NJ Paraunity Expo, Woodbridge NJ

https://www. newjerseyparaunityexpo. com/

YOU ARE ENOUGH. MS. PRETTY KURVZ

BY NICOLE HEROUX WILLIAMS I PHOTOS BY NSP STUDIO BY SATHYA CALLENDER

Turjemia is a fashion influencer, author, and entrepreneur. She’s a southern soul, born and raised in Arkansas and later moved to Atlanta Georgia to further pursue business goals. She began her plus-size modeling journey in 2018. She wanted to inspire and encourage women of plus sizes. It was also a boost towards her confidence to represent unique fashion at its finest. She felt that women and girls of larger sizes should also be considered as beauty standards in society. She wanted to change the perspective of the fashion industry and wanted to add a little razzle-dazzle to it.

With an altered name, Pretty Kurvz, her social media presence would go viral. She used the name for business purposes. Her primary focus was to become a professional model. Her viral moments allowed her to work with several fashion brands. Those companies offered most sizes for everyone of all shapes. It was important to her to represent all women who were uniquely shaped with natural hips and curves on the fuller side.

As a teenager, she remembered how difficult it was to go shopping. “At times, it felt like I was the only one who had to wear mature-looking (old lady) clothes to school because it was the only ones left in all of the stores. I come from a small town and there were not many places to shop.” She says.

In April of 2021, she decided to launch her fashion line. She named it; “Pretty Kurvz Boutique.” Its title was inspired by her popular social

media name, “Pretty Kurvz.” She wanted to build a brand that was also energetic and fun. Her boutique is currently an online store. It carries trendy and urban clothing attire for any occasion. It doesn’t matter if it’s business, date night, or simply casual. Her brand was created for leisure and fun as well as luxuriousness on the softer side. She became the face of her brand to make it more personable for the buyer. She financed her own business without much support and it has been very successful, thus far.

“I used to dread going shopping because it was not any fun when I was in high school. The plus size clothes were kind of boring and they were a bit old ladyish!” She laughed. “I was a teenager with full hips and there were not many girls who attended my school and had a curvy shape like me. I knew that one day I was going to change the world’s perspective on the clothes that were created for plus sizes. As big girls, we should not feel forced to wear big and loose clothing that also looks like we are wearing huge sheets and curtains. I wanted to change that.”

Not only is she an entrepreneur but she is also a natural-born writer. She started writing poetry at the age of twelve. As a child, she used to write her feelings on paper because it was easier for her to express herself. She wrote her words in a poetic and rhythmic style and later published her book in 2014. It was titled, “Betraying Ayanna.”

“The story was written in fiction with characters. I changed the names, however, it was inspired by true-life events. It was hard to write it as a biography or a memoir. I published it and it sold a few copies. It was

“At times, it felt like I was the only one who had to wear mature-looking (old lady) clothes to school because it was the only ones left in all of the stores. I come from a small town and there were not many places to shop.”

“She’s a southern soul, born and raised in Arkansas and later moved to Atlanta Georgia to further pursue business goals.”

hard to write it as a biography or a memoir. I published it and it sold a few copies. It was doing pretty well, but I pulled it off the market. It was difficult to write at first because I was pouring my heart into words on paper.” She explained.

“I’m currently writing a new book as we speak, it’s going to be called, ‘When Love Ain’t Enough,’ it is a completely different story from the last book I wrote. It’s about a woman who can’t seem to escape from her abusive lover. I’ve been touched in my heart to write compelling stories that are not only realistic but relatable. I can’t wait to complete and publish it to share with my readers.” She shared.

Turjemia continues to elevate in her business endeavors by networking with other like-minded individuals and also building her visibility and social media presence. She currently has over 150,000 followers on Facebook and Instagram. Her photos and videos have been shared worldwide and reposted by celebrities such as R&B songwriter and superstar, Avant. One of her posts was noticed by songstress Keke Wyatt as well. She’s been featured on the Curvy Fashion blogs and sites. She recently joined Tiktok as @prettykurvz2 and has already accumulated over 80,000 views on several of her videos.

You can find her on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/prettykurvz

Instagram: @prettykurvz.

Her business page is Pretty Kurvz Boutique on both platforms.

Shop online at Pretty Kurvz Boutique website: www.prettykurvzboutique. com