Spotlight On: Andy Cunningham
Welcome to the last installment of "Spotlight On", this month’s series where I showcase the stories of remarkable small businesses that inspire me. In the past three editions, I have uncovered the passion, determination, and creativity that propel these small but mighty ventures to thrive.
To round off this series, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Andy Cunningham, who happens to be one of my all-time favourite florists and human beings. You're probably familiar with my enthusiastic ramblings of the stunning flower arrangements from Auction Direct Flowers. Now that they've rebranded as Make Everyday Bloom, it's the ideal moment to chat with Andy and discuss his incredible journey of establishing this business from the very beginning.
How was "Make Everyday Bloom" born?
I am originally from Essex and the youngest of six children. I really struggled at school, found conforming very difficult, and left with only one O-level. I quietly took real pride in the six U's I had on my exam results letter! The 80s were so different, and although I had no qualifications, getting a job proved to be quite easy. From 16 to 19, I worked in Temple as a barrister's clerk. Two of my three brothers worked in the city, and the lure of the money they were earning proved too much, so I started as a money broker in 1988.
I was very lucky to have two amazing jobs in my time as a broker in the city, both of which ended due to my very obvious problem with alcohol and drugs. I got sober in 1993, which changed my life. AA and the 12 steps literally saved me. I moved to New York in 1994 to stay with my brother, who had built an incredible career for a broking firm in the World Trade Center. Through sobriety, I restarted a career in finance. The three years spent with him and his beautiful wife, Teresa, are something I will always be grateful for. He sadly passed away in the Trade Center on September 11th, 2001.
After working in Sydney, Zurich, and New York again after 9/11, and having two beautiful children along the way, I finally left the city in 2009 to start a career with flowers. I ran a flower stall in Chelsea, which proved to be a great apprenticeship, and started Auction Direct Flowers in 2012. Sourcing different flowers from growers around the world has been an amazing experience and is something I never dreamed I would do and be good at! Supplying hotels, shops, and events led to a thriving wholesale flower business.
Covid was devastating to so many industries, and the flower business suffered very badly. The wholesale side of the business has never recovered, but being able to diversify has meant the birth of a retail business, delivering beautiful flowers to homes for as reasonable a price as possible. Covid also led me to eventually meet the absolute love of my life, Cher, and I am so proud to have started a new flower business with her. Cher has always had a passion for flowers, and to work with someone so inspiring and creative has been an amazing experience. We have such high hopes for the future of Make Everyday Bloom. Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and our new subscriptions will be available online very soon.
If you had a crystal ball to predict the future, what advice do you think your future self would give to your current self about your business journey?
Keep trusting. If you're working hard and have a dream, keep going and don't listen to those negative thoughts.
In the early days of your business, what kept you motivated and inspired, even when faced with challenges?
The belief that a different path was possible was so motivating. Losing my brother so suddenly has always helped me face fears and challenges along the way. Life is so short, and ultimately, what is the worst that can happen?
Imagine you're having coffee with someone who dreams of starting their own small business. What three pieces of advice would you offer them, and why are they crucial?
1. Believe. Don't listen to the voice that says you can't do it.
2. Face the fear. Mistakes along the way are inevitable, but if you don't try, you will never know.
3. Don't settle for something that makes you unhappy. Working in the city felt so crushing to my spirit at times, and I knew it wasn't my destiny. If you have an idea, try it; you never know where it might lead.
If your business were a book or movie, what would the title be?
"Florist Gump". You really never do know what might happen next.
Can you describe a moment when you realised your business was truly making a positive impact on your community or industry?
As Covid began, it was just before Mother's Day, and a lot of orders were canceled, meaning we had a large amount of flowers that would have to be thrown away. We decided to give them away to my sister's friends rather than let them go to waste. The requests for weekly flowers that followed literally saved the business, which we were sure would have to fold. Sending out flowers each week as Covid and the lockdown fully kicked in and seeing how appreciated they were was amazing. To contribute in a small way to help people continue to lead as normal a life as possible was so rewarding.
Stefano Gabbana famously once said: “To me, flowers are happiness” and I cannot think of a better quote to conclude this chat with Andy; his passion, drive and dedication to sprinkle happiness around the homes of London and beyond. From daisies to daffodils and sunflowers to sweet peas, Make Everyday Bloom certainly fills my house with happiness week in and week out. And it just fills my heart with happiness to know that Andy has found such a love in my beautiful friend, Cher.
Purchase Andy and Cher’s beautiful flowers here
Follow Make Every Day Bloom here
I genuinely hope you loved reading these interviews as much as I loved giving them, and that there have been a few snippets and pieces of advice that truly inspired you to take 2024 by the horns.
Love,
Lisa xx