The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan 571: No Funding, 104 Rejections & $411 Left in the Bank - How She made $65M+ on Flowers
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Jul 4, 2025 In this conversation, Christina Stembel, founder of Farmgirl Flowers, shares her incredible journey of turning a mere $411 into a $65M floral empire. She discusses the bold choice of entering a perishable product market during a recession, navigating through 104 VC rejections, and thriving without a marketing budget. Christina emphasizes the importance of bootstrapping, customer obsession, and strategic planning, offering invaluable lessons on logistics and seasonal management. Her story is a masterclass in grit and resourcefulness!
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Bootstrapping a Flower Disruption
- Christina Stembel started Farmgirl Flowers to disrupt the flower industry and build a scalable, bootstrap business.
- She chose flowers despite perishability challenges because it was the best idea out of thousands she had.
Starting From Dining Room
- Christina started Farmgirl Flowers with $49,000, using her dining room as the workshop with no prior floral experience.
- Early revenue was $56K in year one and $276K in year two with grassroots marketing like placing bouquets in coffee shops.
Grassroots Marketing Testing
- Test low-cost grassroots marketing strategies like placing product and cards in local spots to measure interest.
- Reinvest in locations with high engagement to maximize low-budget marketing effectiveness.