Life & Work with Andrea Lepsky

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Lepsky. 

Hi Andrea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In 2020 I was planning our wedding & came across floral preservation. It seemed really interesting to me and at the time, I was looking for a creative outlet as I had a very technical job, and the stresses of the year & wedding planning were taking their toll. I ordered a couple of very small molds, the smallest amount of resin I could buy, and started experimenting! I fell in love with the process and the beauty of preserving flowers. 

After our wedding in 2021, my husband encouraged me to put myself out there more & start taking orders. He saw something I was too nervous to see, because quickly after opening myself to orders, I had bouquets coming to me every week from newly married brides. I quickly had to learn the business side of floral preservation, and definitely felt the growing pains, but was having a blast doing it! I’m very thankful for the nudge my husband gave me & his confidence in me throughout this process. 

Now, I’m taking orders from all around the country, as well as local orders for bridal bouquets and memorial preservations. I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my process, how I interact with my customers, how I tackle social media and everything else that comes with being a small business owner. I’m learning & growing every day and enjoying the process. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road! I’ve had to navigate selling platforms, creating a website, designing marketing material, running my social media channels, and more – all in addition to creating the actual piece of artwork for my customers! Something I think a lot of people don’t realize about small businesses, especially as they get started, is that EVERYTHING is done by the small business owner. I am a one-woman show, so if you see it happening under the Calm Mind Creative name, I’m doing it! 

I also didn’t inherently know how to run a business; I’ve had to learn along the way. Things like taxes, algorithms, engagement, customer relationship management softwares, etc., aren’t things you think about when you are just sharing your art with the world. In the end, the fun part is creating beautiful pieces to preserve my customer’s memories, but there is a lot of work that leads up to the finished product arriving at their door. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I preserve special occasion flowers – mostly bridal bouquets & memorial arrangements – in resin. 

I have customers from around the United States send me their special flowers, then I’ll dry them, preserving the color & shape of the flower, arrange them in the shape chosen by the customer & encase them in the resin. The entire process normally takes about 10 weeks! 

I am currently preserving flowers in squares, hexagons, trays, hearts & more! Each piece is unique & holds special meaning to the customer. I love that I get to interact with their flowers & help them freeze a memory in time! 

I’m most proud of how I’ve grown as a person through Calm Mind Creative. It has pushed me outside of my comfort zone, caused me to take risks, trust in myself and learn from my mistakes. I’ve grown so much over the last year of preserving people’s memories & I’m so excited to see the lives I’ll touch in the future! 

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First and foremost, I have to give my husband, Chris Lepsky, huge credit. Without him, I would not have started taking custom orders, put my business on social media, or trusted that I was doing something special. He believes in me & sees the potential when I am too nervous about the potential outcomes to take the risk. He provides me with endless support, confidence & pushes me to chase my dreams. 

I also want to give credit to my parents (Marty & Peggy Studer) and grandparents (Tom & Sharon Studer). As my brother, Joe, and I were growing up, we watched them all work hard growing their own businesses, so my entrepreneurial spirit comes from them. They have always taught me that if I want something, I have to put in the work & that anything is possible when I put my mind to it. They provide me with the best support system and I am eternally thankful for them! 

Contact Info:

• Email: calmmindcreative@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.cmcfloralpreservation.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calmmindcreative/

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