Girl Crushing It | Malori Maeva

Dear Blogshop,

Thank you for introducing me to Malori Maeva because she is freaking cool. Por ejemplo: she quit her day job and started her own floral business. It’s like my dream…only, you know, if I had a sustainable idea for a business. Segundo: she’s got a great blog (which Ginger readers may recognize from a list of my favorite reads). Most of all, she’s my kind of girls’ girl – not too frilly and willing to embrace the messy.

If you’re not already, be sure to check out the renegade florist (tell me that’s not the greatest job title you’ve ever heard) on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or her business (Hoot & Holler) Twitter. If you’re in Arizona and looking for a florist or want to learn how to make a romantic flower crown, call Mal!

If you were a stripper, what would your signature song be?

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When someone asks you what you do, what do you tell them?

I am an entrepreneur. I’ve always wanted to own my own company so for me, being a business owner is pretty much the cats pajamas. I am a renegade florist, a marketing/branding consultant, and a part owner of a clothing company with a really cool mission/message (papercloudsapparel.com).

What’s your favorite lipstick?

My newest fave is Ilia Wild Child. It’s all natural and is a moisturizer as well as being a lipstick. It rocks so hard.

What item can you not travel without?

My computer. I tried it once in a moment of hipster-influenced insanity and regretted it the whole trip. Yelping shit exclusively from your phone is miserable.

If you could go back in time, what would you tell a teenage you?

I’d tell me that following the traditional path (high school → college → find a man → get a job) is dramatically overrated and underwhelming. There is no traditional path in life so just chase your heart.

How do you deal with disappointment?

I’m a big fan of feeling my feelings. I think as women our emotions are discounted or written off as hormones and that’s not always the case. I give myself time to cry then I move on. Better to deal with things one at a time than bottling them all up and exploding.

When do you feel the most beautiful?

Red lips, curly hair, simple makeup, and wearing a simple dress with some heels. I know the right answer to this question is something cheesy like “Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin’ with no makeup on” but there’s just something really great about getting all dressed up.

How do you get over a low self-esteem day?

Most of my low-self esteem days are triggered by something I come across on the internet/in a magazine/on tv so my first step is to unplug from all that media reminding me that my life isn’t 100% together. Then, I put on some red lipstick, listen to Beyoncé, and try to be productive. I feel good when I’m creating so I try to do something that fuels that.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

The best advice I’ve ever received is to fake it till you make it. I never would have had the gall to jump into this scary world of business ownership if I had worried about being an expert before I started. The big secret no one tells you is that no one knows what they’re doing. We’re all just figuring it out as we go. So if you’re passionate about doing something, take a chance on yourself.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve given?

My life’s work seems to revolve around reminding people of their worth. I think everyone has something pretty stellar up their sleeve but the world is always telling you that you aren’t fill-in-the-blank enough to pursue it. So my favorite advice is essentially… fuck ‘em. You do you.

When do you feel most like yourself?

I love when I have days that mirror the way I want to live my life. Those days when I get up early, cross real projects off my never-ending to-do list, cook a yummy dinner, make funny jokes with friends, create the perfect cocktail, and go to yoga. They are few and far between but I love when my dream life is my real life.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love the Kardashians so much. The guiltiest of pleasures.