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From Burnout to Blooms: How Karla Smith-Brown Built Her Dream Career in Floral Design
09/14/2025
From Burnout to Blooms: How Karla Smith-Brown Built Her Dream Career in Floral Design
Join Sujean in the studio for a conversation with Karla Smith-Brown, a floral artist celebrated for stunning and sustainable arrangements. Karla is the founder of OLIVEE Floral, a Brooklyn-based design studio grounded in seasonality and the wild beauty of nature. Her clients include Vogue, GQ, Google, Dior, and Sotheby’s, among many others. OLIVEE also holds a floral residency at the acclaimed restaurant Tatiana by Kwame Onwuachi at Lincoln Center. Karla draws inspiration from her Jamaican roots and the lush landscape of Saint Elizabeth Parish; her studio is named after her great-grandmother, Medorah Olivee Wright. In search of greater purpose, Karla left a career in PR and communications to pursue her true passion, discovering flowers as her medium for storytelling, connection, and joy. In this episode of Alchemy Social, Karla and Sujean chat about: How burnout let Karla to reimagine her career, and build OLIVEE Floral from the ground up; The art and science of floral arrangements, and why flowers are the ultimate natural mood booster; The challenges of balancing growth, freedom, and sustainability as a creative entrepreneur; What it’s like to collaborate with luxury brands and celebrity tastemakers to create immersive experiences; and Practical tips to transform your space (and your mood) with flowers. Whether you’re an aspiring creative, in search of a more intentional life, or simply curious about elevating your physical space, this episode will leave you inspired. Follow Karla and OLIVEE Floral: Karla on Instagram – OLIVEE on Instagram – Follow Sujean and Alchemy Social: Instagram – LinkedIn – Subscribe to the Newsletter - Watch the video on YouTube – Thanks for being here. I’d love to stay connected, so please subscribe, and share this episode with a friend who gets excited about creative careers. Yours, Sujean
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