Stepping inside the Dogpatch HQ of floral delivery darling BloomThat, where the overwhelming aroma of flowers wafts out of the large warehouse loading dock on a nondescript block of Minnesota Street, would be a dream for anyone with even a slight twinge of florimania.
We had the pleasure of touring BloomThat's bustling office, which now houses 50 staffers, and sat down for a quick chat with founders David Bladow, Matthew Schwab and Chad Powell as they prepared for one of their busiest days of the year, Mother's Day.
Ibby Clifford: Tell us a little bit about BloomThat and what you guys are trying to achieve?
BloomThat is all about celebrating the little things by creating the most fun experience around giving and receiving blooms. We also go beyond flowers, and we’re always teaming up with local brands to create playful, timely curations, like our SoulCycle Shortie for the SoMa studio opening, our glitter bomb for April Fool’s Day, or our Edoughable cookie dough and Blue Bottle New Orleans iced coffee duet (just because). We envision a world where BloomThat is the go-to destination for sending some love for any occasion.
IC: How would you describe the culture?
We’re a passionate team of bloom enthusiasts on a mission to change the way people give and receive flowers. We take our work seriously, but always find time to stop and smell the roses. Literally.
IC: What was the inspiration behind the office's design?
It was important for us to have a space that encouraged collaboration, whether it be designing blooms, holding team meetings, getting hands on with production, or discussing the latest over lunch at the picnic tables.
IC: What have you guys done to the space to make it work for your needs?
Our setup is very dynamic so we can move things around based on what we have going on, whether it’s rolling racks of blooms ready to go out, tables lined up for production, whiteboards on wheels to discuss the game plan, or buckets of blooms for special event prep. We’re learning everyday to improve our service for our customers, so our space must be flexible to meet our fast-paced, ever-evolving needs.
IC: Where does everyone eat lunch?
We like to eat together a few times a week at the picnic tables downstairs. We’ll also go on team field trips down the street to the new Philz...usually multiple times a day. We're a startup, so shut-eye is a rarity!
IC: Anything special planned for Mother’s Day?
We have a limited-edition promotion running with Benefit Cosmetics and Woodblock Chocolate. Also look out for the Perry, our newly created bouquet inspired by our most popular offering, The Pixley.
IC: If you could give one piece of advice to anyone out there who has a good idea but is too worried to take the leap into entrepreneurship, what would it be?
Embrace the unexpected. Sometimes the best ideas come from unlikely people or places. Always stay true to your passion, like the three dudes who started a flower business out of a backyard.
