Meet Kristen Bullard of Full Bloom

I grew up in Newport, Arkansas, a small town in Northeast, Arkansas. There was a reputable florist in our town named Purdy’s that always gave excellent customer service. I watched how the owner, Mr. John Purdy, would say, “I will personally see to it your order is taken care of.” When he said that, it made me feel like he appreciated my business and I was important. I have always remembered that and use it frequently now because every customer deserves excellent service and every customer IS very important to me.

I also had two classmates,twins, that had a successful florist. In 2012 one of the twins passed away suddenly. I wanted to help my friend, the surviving twin, Shelly, keep the business open so I did the research and created a business plan, however, it just wasn’t a viable option with me living seven hours away. It stayed with me though. I was at home for a few more years raising my stepkids, Taylor and Dawson. My husband and I felt it was important for me to be available for them, so I gladly put my career on hold to be there for them.

My background had been in consulting small and medium-sized businesses and also running a mortgage company, so it was a natural next step to own my own business. I still researched and tweaked the business plan I had created in 2012, then the day came… I tried to order a corsage for my stepsons Jr. Prom. I called several places and they either were no longer taking orders or were very expensive (to be fair, he decided to go two weeks before the event!)

Nonetheless, I saw a need and decided it was time to put my plan into action. It took six months to find a location in Celina, but I had made up my mind I was moving forward and we opened in December 2018 on the Celina Square. We outgrew our space and relocated to Frisco and are very excited for Full Bloom’s future! We are now in a warehouse/office space, which allows us to serve our customers much, much better!

There have been struggles. One week before I was finally able to secure the lease for the new space, I fell and experienced a compound fracture to my ankle and had to undergo three surgeries as a result. I couldn’t walk or drive for the first two months Full Bloom was open and the first Valentine’s week, I could only stand for a short time. I was in a significant amount of pain, but my drive was greater than the pain!

Of course, in the normal course of the first year, there have been as many tears as there has been laughter. I’ve been as nervous as I have been excited throughout the first year. Hearing my dad’s voice reminding me, “hard work pays off” and “do your very best and go the extra mile” gets me through the rough spots every time. I also call my mom every morning on my way to the studio. She helps me talk through various things and I couldn’t imagine not being able to get her input. I am truly surrounded by the best people and that is priceless!

The other struggle has been growing organically. My husband, Rodney, has been very supportive. However, he also kept me on a very tight budget, so my advertising dollars are extremely sparse. I’m thankful today that he did oversee a strict budget, but the downside is slower growth. I have powered through that and am stronger for it.

Full Bloom is known for top quality flowers and first-class service. We specialize in daily orders for every occasion and we do large events very well. We do a lot of weddings and corporate events. Whether it’s an intimate dinner or a large Gala, I have the staff in place to handle events with confidence. We customize each event to fit every individual’s needs, which is another nod to our level of customer service. We also have a competitive weekly Subscription Program for businesses that want fresh flowers weekly. I was thrilled to do the flowers for the Frisco Chamber of Commerce Gala in February. It was a wonderful way for business owners to see our work and know Full Bloom is now in Frisco.

I am fortunate and extremely proud to have a staff that values excellent customer service the way I do. Everyone at Full Bloom has a passion for making sure every customer has a wonderful experience, every time. I am very fortunate to have them! I also look forward to adding more employees that will share the same mindset.

For me, my personal success is measured by the ratio of my talents used to talents received. Am I everything I can be with what I have to work with? If I am using the majority of my talents and continuing to grow, I am successful.
I also measure success in smiles. Whatever the occasion, sympathy, a wedding, or weekly corporate flowers, a smile is the natural reaction to receiving flowers. However, this is a success I will always be chasing, because there is no such thing as too many smiles! Success is also joy and I find a tremendous amount of joy in serving as a conduit for creating smiles with our flowers and service.