BloomThis Turns Five: 5 Lessons from #BossBabe

The year 2020 has been full of surprises and challenges, and we’re not even half-way there! In the midst of all that is going on in the world now, we turned FIVE on April 9, which was also the 23rd day of Malaysia’s Movement Control Order. It has been surreal.

The team has been hustling harder than ever, the daily grinds have gotten crazier than before and we’re faced with mounted challenges like never before. Yet, in the midst of these, I am grateful that we continue to believe in what we do. As I look back at our milestones, I reflected on some important lessons that have shaped our journey so far. So, here’s celebrating our fifth birthday with five lessons that I hope you will find some inspiration to sprinkle along your own journey. 

Lesson #1: “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child”

Christmas Dinner 2019 with the #bloomsquad

This African Proverb says it all. Year on year as we grow, I can never say enough how immensely grateful we are for the amazing people who have been journeying with us and continue to do so today. It is impossible to have had 5 wonderful years on our own efforts alone. We can’t thank everyone enough - our customers, staff members, clients, partners, suppliers, other entrepreneur friends, drivers, riders and the list is endless.

So in our small way, we want to say Thank You to each and every one of you with our Anniversary Sale happening until April 30! Go on and cheer someone (or yourself up) during this stay-at-home period. 

Lesson #2: Growth Is A Journey Of Discoveries

Production shoot for Valentine's Campaign 2020

BloomThis is (and will always be) my firstborn. I became a mother recently (literally) to a cheeky baby girl and she is now turning 2. I think any parent would agree that toddler years are highly challenging! Today, BloomThis has passed its teething toddler years and is growing up fast with its own set of processes, challenges and even personality!

But the journey to maturing is still a long way to go and there are many more values to be shaped, improvements to be experimented and discoveries to be made. So, it is important to keep an open mind to embracing change and constantly fine tune to make things better. It has never been more true during these uncertain times, and possibly towards a ‘new world’ post-Covid19.

Lesson #3: Go Far Together With A Clear Vision

#bloomsquad team building - always striving for the best in work & fun

A vision is not something vague, it is anchored on real efforts with real results to take us to where we want to go. A clear vision inspires actions and as leaders, it is only fair that we get people to come on board to achieve something good and impactful together. For us, it is about creating moments of happiness through gifting and we do it best with flowers.

This has been our motivation to keep pushing forward with different ways of doing things and constantly challenging ourselves to try something new. I think that if each one of my team is motivated and aligned with our vision, it makes it easier that we are all building towards a common goal.

Lesson #4: Practice Integrity Daily

Final quality checks being done before handing out the flowers for delivery

Integrity is a value that almost every employer looks for and every brand shouts about. For us at BloomThis, integrity is not only found in the grand scheme of things but an everyday mindfulness in how we do things. Right from the quality of each stalk of flower a florist puts into a bouquet to our dealings with our suppliers - so you could say that integrity is what one does when no one is looking.

These ripple effects of small everyday things have the power to become evidently powerful collectively. And today in a struggling time for almost all industries, the integrity we have been practicing have brought us great blessings from our supporters. They continue to trust us and help our business stay afloat. This is the price of integrity for a brand in times of need.

Lesson #5: Take Courage To Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable

BTS of one our biggest production shoot, learning from and with each other

From day 1 in choosing to embark on the entrepreneurial life, I have been thrown off my comfort zones and it has been such a learning curve! I had to learn to navigate through unfamiliar terrains from hiring to product development to communicating as a leader. And I’m an introvert! *shudders

The biggest lesson for me is to have courage to be uncomfortable, especially when we need to communicate what could sometimes be an inconvenient truth or make an unpopular decision. And during trying times, take courage to keep a positive spirit and always try to find solutions to keep moving forward.

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These are definitely extraordinary times we live in, both exciting yet unnerving. I am still grappling with my own tangled realities daily but I believe that if we choose to be agile, adaptable and accepting of the changes a situation brings, we can all pull through together.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the movie Mulan released last month, “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all”. Do you know which flower is that? Here’s a little trivia for you to google ;)

Until our next birthday and many more birthdays to come, stay strong, healthy and keep blooming! May we all be that rare flower that blooms in adversity.

Love,
Penny