Each bouquet from Hello Flowers has a secret — job training for people who need it most.

Lori White
Fri, 20 May 2016 20:33:14 +0000
Women, Business, Entrepreneurs, Facebook, Women in business, #shemeansbusiness, Hello flowers, Social good, Social business, Business owner

By simply following her bliss, Annie Cheong found an entirely new calling in life.

All images via Hello Flowers, used with permission.

Annie always enjoyed taking floral arranging classes as a hobby away from her job in social work.

But one day it hit her: What if she combined the two?

She was passionate about both, and knowing a fellow social worker who trained low-income women in floral arrangement gave her the final push to see what would happen if she tried. She decided she was going to pursue a career that combined the good-for-the-world vibes of social work with her passion for flowers. So she started her own flower-arranging business.

Annie founded Hello Flowers, which partners with social service agencies and volunteer groups to provide on-the-job training and ad-hoc employment to people who need it.

The results have been amazing.

Scrolling through images of weddings, you'd have no idea this came from a company that's helping and empowering their employees in such a cool way. But each of these bouquets has an amazing story of helping people in need find a flexible way to get back to work.

From a seemingly small pursuit, Annie's personal passion for flower arranging was about to become a business. Not just any business, but a business with a purpose. A business that made money (of course!) but that also made its community just a little bit better.

The Hello Flowers Facebook page shows just how huge an impact she's had on others — both in her business and for the social good of her community.

Hello Flowers has been tagged and featured on multiple wedding posts. It's so amazing to see these gorgeous wedding bouquets and know that HelloFlowers' bouquets have such an amazing backstory.

Additionally, they're not shy about how much community outreach matters to them. This past Mother's Day, their proceeds went toward just that.

"By giving your best in everything that you have committed to at any point of time, then you should have no regrets," Annie told Asian Entrepreneur.

It's safe to say Annie's not only giving her best, but she's bringing out the best in others.