When Colleen McCarthy first started arranging flowers in her tiny apartment, she never imagined she would one day design bouquets for Hollywood celebrities like Sabrina Carpenter and Drew Barrymore. Yet her journey from unfulfilling corporate job to thriving floral design business is a testament to following one's passion and trusting natural talent.

McCarthy, a 27-year-old Ridgefield, Connecticut native, graduated from Fordham University in 2020 with degrees in environmental studies and communications. Despite holding a PR agency job, she felt consistently underwhelmed, describing her role as a "temporary thing" while searching for her true professional calling. Her breakthrough came during what she candidly calls a "mini quarter-life crisis" - a moment of deep self-reflection about her career trajectory.

Her love for flowers wasn't new; McCarthy had always been the friend who meticulously arranged grocery store blooms in her apartment. In late 2022, she took an introductory class at Flower School New York, where an instructor immediately recognized her innate skill. "It doesn't seem like it's your first class. You seem to have a natural talent for this," the instructor told her - words that became a pivotal moment of validation and inspiration.

While maintaining her full-time job, McCarthy began practicing floral design and strategically sharing her work on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Her approach was refreshingly bold: "I just started telling people I was a florist, even though I wasn't really that established," she recalls. This confident self-positioning, combined with consistent skill-building, led to her first official sale in March 2023 - a moment she describes as incredibly validating.

By May 2023, McCarthy officially registered Colleen Rose Florals as an LLC, investing in her entrepreneurial dream despite the associated costs. Her business quickly gained momentum, working with event planners and booking her first wedding by the end of that year. The turning point came when she realized she was consistently turning down flower jobs due to her nine-to-five commitments.

In December 2024, McCarthy made the bold decision to leave her corporate job and focus entirely on Colleen Rose Florals. Her confidence was unwavering: "I kind of was pretty confident that I would be successful," she says. That belief paid off dramatically - in 2025, her first full year as a dedicated entrepreneur, the business generated over $175,000.

Today, McCarthy's client list includes high-profile celebrities and brands, a far cry from her initial grocery store flower arrangements. She acknowledges the challenges, particularly the high cost of quality blooms, noting there's "a disconnect between what the average consumer thinks flowers cost, and what flowers actually cost." Her story isn't just about financial success, but about the courage to transform a passion into a thriving professional reality.

For aspiring entrepreneurs, McCarthy's journey offers a powerful message: sometimes, the most beautiful opportunities bloom when you're willing to step outside your comfort zone and nurture your natural talents.