Amy McCord Jones – An entrepreneurial mind with superhuman magic

Feeling under-appreciated as an employee, a nonexistent work-life balance, financial struggles, getting out of bad relationships – these are the most common triggers that push women to become entrepreneurs. Tell us about your trigger?

How did you come up with your business idea?

I was at a Tony Robbins conference and…OMG JK. The decision was super practical. I had already been a wedding planner and florist for 8 years and was experiencing serious burnout from the weekend-wedding grind. I knew I would struggle to scale on a local level, so I thought about how I could reimagine the part of my job that I loved most: flowers.

Also, I quickly realized I could not afford the floral services I was hawking to my own brides, so cost became a compelling driver of the business model.  

After a box or two of wine, Flower Moxie was born – a humble but infinitely scalable diy flower concept that has served over xxx couples. We cost half as much as a traditional florist and deliver double the bragging rights.

Have you had support from someone, even if just encouragement? Who was that and how did it help you?

My family is mob-level loyal. But my biggest support system has been Alisha Zwirtz, one of my very best friends with all the no-nonsense qualities of Octavia Spencer. 

Alisha WILL NOT CODDLE YOU. She asks the hard questions that most people blow off, yet just as quickly, she fills you back up when you’re losing steam. 

The most impactful thing she taught me was the term GETMO: Good Enough To Move On. I would notoriously try to perfect a concept and she would cut the bologna by saying “Amy, quit dinking around and put it online already. You’ll have a totally new perspective within 6 months anyway.” She was right.

Female entrepreneurs are often underestimated and overlooked. Have you ever felt at a disadvantage?

I’ve been an underdog since birth, so I don’t associate being overlooked with being a woman. It’s my entire world view! And it’s the secret sauce that emboldens me to do big, important things. 

Being a woman is such a gift – I never feel stunted, less-than, or like a victim in a male-dominated society. Sure, dudes may get better opportunities and pay statistically, but they will never know the superhuman magic of a lady brain that can solve 872 problems at once.

Some say it’s hard work, others say it’s talent and resourcefulness that play a crucial role for success in entrepreneurship? Which traits have been instrumental for your success so far? And why?

In order to be successful, you’re going to need a bit of all of those qualities.  However, the most crucial elements, from my perspective, is dogged determination, strong gut instinct, financial savvy, and a tolerance for pain.  I’ve seen many folks who are more talented than me flop time and time again in their business endeavors simply because they had thin skin and made poor financial decisions. 

What excites you the most about being an entrepreneur?

Putting something new into the world that wasn’t there before – and seeing if it sticks. It’s an addictive high: all the studying, research and hours of thinking, followed by obsessively refreshing the browser to see if people are feeling it.  And ‘feeling it’ is proven by sales. 

Share with us some of the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

“Go big or go home.” It is lame, misguided, macho-tryhard advice. Please do not start a business this way. Test the waters before you blow your kid’s college funds.

You’ve got a high stake investment opportunity. Pitch your business in 150 words.

When people do something they’re proud of, they tell everyone. Our diy flower business model relies completely on word-of-mouth advertising – our customers sell us to everyone, and some even go on to become florists! We haven’t had to sell our soul on retargeting ads to get people to notice and love us. So you’re putting your money in fertile ground vs tired turf. There’s no tryhard with Flower Moxie – we’ve increased annual sales by around 65% entirely organically.

What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to inspire aspiring entrepreneurs?

Find a problem that your product or service is going to fix. If you can’t come up with an issue, you don’t have a case for a relevant company. Next, make sure the topic is something you’re actually interested in – if you’re going to fill a void long-term, you need to care. Lastly, intern, intern, intern. Everyone wants to be the big boss, but dabbling on someone else’s dime is INVALUABLE to figure out what it’s really all about.

What are your goals for the upcoming year?

We are branching into an entirely new part of the flower world that is outside of DIY weddings. I’ll leave you with this: If titty vases interest you, 2021 is your year.

Any final words to end this interview?

I want to see more femmes in leadership positions without those positions being a sub-segment of the business world. I defer to Kristin Scott Thomas’s infamous speech in Fleabag: “It’s infantilising bollocks,” she says of a woman in leadership accolade. “It’s ghettoising. It’s a subsection of success. It’s the f*cking children’s table of awards.” Preach! Let’s just let excellence be excellence. 

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