By ASHLEY WORLEY/Staff Contributor and ISABELLA PIERCE/Contributor
When she was 15 years old, Lou Ann Green’s high school teacher told her to pick a different career. Lou Ann’s dream of becoming a florist, she’d said, would be just too difficult to achieve.
40 years later, that dream is in full bloom.
In the heart of East Texas, just off South Beckham Avenue, sits one of the largest and longest-lasting flower shops in Tyler: Flowers by Lou Ann. A community staple since 1997, Lou Ann serves a diverse array of customers and occasions. But the shop’s growth began long before its doors first opened.
After graduating high school, Lou Ann began working in the flower department of a local Brookshire’s store. For 10 years, she gained experience in the floral industry, all the while saving money to open her shop.
Lou Ann loved interacting with customers, but never lost sight of her long-term goal. While she enjoyed her job, she “wanted to have the freedom to create and make a larger variety of arrangements.”
“I was tired of being restrained,” she said. “I wanted to work for myself and make my own decisions.”
Eight thousand dollars in savings later, in the spring of 1997, Flowers by Lou Ann was born. Lou Ann was 27 years old.
“I give all the credit to my success to God,” said Lou Ann. “He continues to provide reliable employees, gifted designers and wonderful customers.”
According to her employees, that appreciation for others is at the heart of the shop’s charm. After 27 years in business, Lou Ann purportedly “remembers everyone’s names and stories,” and strives to create a welcoming environment for her customers.
“She became not only a boss but a lifelong and trusted friend,” said Flowers by Lou Ann manager and designer Lisa Pierce. “I feel like we can depend on each other for anything.”
Even after 27 years, Pierce still loves the work.
“Every day is completely different, with different customer needs… and creativity that we, as designers, get to pull from,” she said. “It is very challenging, fast paced and fun. We laugh a lot, and I am so thankful that I get to come work at Flowers by Lou Ann.”
Just like every flower starts with a seed, every business starts with a dream; and with time and care, Lou Ann saw her dream sprout into reality. Pierce summed up the feel of Flowers by Lou Ann in two quick sentences.
“It doesn’t feel like a job,” said Pierce. “It feels like a home.”
