And to open our Verbena 2020 collection season, we decided to interview our CEO, Mirelly Vieira de Moraes, and asked her to tell us a little about her inspirations, trajectory and her tips when it comes to receiving.
Tell us a little about your career before Verbena.
I graduated in Business Administration at FGV, in São Paulo. During college, I loved entrepreneurship and new business subjects. But I ended up going to work in the financial market, where I stayed for almost 10 years. Even though I grew up and learned a lot, I didn't have any passion for what I did! I started talking to entrepreneurs and people who were starting their own businesses. And so the invitation to be part of the creation of Verbena came about. I knew almost nothing about flowers, but we saw an opportunity in the market, as there was no online flower company in the premium segment.
And today I am completely passionate about what I do! I love the challenge of entrepreneurship, creating new products, thinking about how to surprise our customers and grow the Verbena brand. And I also see the impact we create in the lives of our customers. I often say that we don't sell flowers, but the convenience of bringing love, affection, presence. We are always spreading love around!
On the business side, we grew 79% in 2019. We started 2020 with 4 physical stores, we want to increase our presence in the online market, open more physical stores and franchises.
Favorite flowers?
Hard question. I have a lot! As I live this universe of flowers every day, I have phases. But I love simple arrangements, with just one type of flower, assembled with very natural and light foliage (I love the pitanga leaf), and with that “I made it” look.
What type of flower/arrangement do you like to give when you gift someone?
It depends a lot on the life stage of the person I'm giving the gift to. Arrangements with white and green flowers are always pleasing. Everybody Loves. And I'm also in love with our Hat Boxes, which are wonderful and always surprise.
What are the flowers like in your house?
I love flowers at home. I have a little bit of everything. But as I have two daughters (2 and 4 years old), in some environments I place more resistant plants, as girls always tend to "play" with flowers. In the family room, for example, I place plants like ferns, palm trees and mini parasols.
In the dining room and living room, I always have orchids planted, which last a long time and require less maintenance.
In the entrance hall, in the bathroom and in my bedroom, I like cut flowers. The colors depend on whether we are going to receive it at home or not. For a meeting with friends, for example, I love shades of pink. For more serious situations, I like yellow, or even mixtures in more earthy or colorful tones.
How do you start your day?
I live in Palo Alto, California, and play Verbena remotely. I go to Brazil every 45 days. Due to the time difference, I am always 5 hours behind Brazil. I wake up very early and start the day by checking my messages from Verbena's Whatsapp groups, of which there are many! lol I take my daughters to school and go back to work. New suppliers, payments, customers, partnerships, finances, I handle everything from here. I am very grateful to my team and to all the technology that exists in this world, allowing me to live these two realities.
How do you end your day?
I usually do my exercises at the end of the day. I like to put the girls to bed early, so I have time to enjoy my husband, have some wine and still get back to work.
Do you have any rituals when you receive people at home?
The first thing I do is always check the bathroom. I always like to have a candle lit. And I'm completely in love with our new VERBENA candle, which is called Jardinière. Even after erasing, the smell still lingers for days!
Favorite restaurant?
I love different and exotic foods. I cook some Indian dishes and also some types of curries. I'm in love with Ramen and Japanese Shabu Shabu. In São Paulo I love the Korean Komah.
Who are the people who inspire you?
Entrepreneurial women inspire me! Here in the USA I love Aerin Lauder, Lauren Santo Domingo, Carolyne Roehm, Sheryl Sandberg. They are strong women, with a lot of vision and business sense, and at the same time they are delicate, feminine and kind.
I am also inspired by all the strong and courageous women in my family and my husband's family. I love their stories, their examples and I see how they were fundamental to the success of their families. And I love working with women. We are so much stronger than we sometimes believe we are.