It’s hard to tell where this journey really began, owning a flower shop and becoming a business owner.

I’m sitting in my shop as I write this, the light flickering on the walls and the plants, people coming and going on the street. But as I look back at how I got here, I can clearly see that each previous job, my education, my relationships, and all my lived experiences have helped me get here. Each lesson I’ve learned and each experience I’ve had, becoming a flagstone on the path of my life.

The first stone began with some of my first steps. Growing up in the small community of Barnes, I was surrounded by nature. This is where my deep love for the natural world began. Playing in the woods behind my house, picking flowers in my grandmother’s garden, and swimming in the Tionesta creek; being embraced by this beauty deeply impacted me and made me feel connected to something greater than myself.

My academic career led me to some of my most meaningful relationships. I began majoring in environmental science, and then, during junior year, I switched to art. I started exploring my own art forms and discovering what inspired me. From different designs, artists, and mediums, I explored and expressed myself and grew to know myself better.

After college I served in AmeriCorps for a year, working with middle schoolers in the Pittsburgh school system. There, I learned the significance of play, the profound importance of compassion, and how mental health should be fostered from an early age.

After graduating, I worked in a fast-paced coffee shop in the Pittsburgh and next door was a flower shop. I was lucky enough to get a job there and I soaked up as much knowledge as possible. Something clicked for me. I had found my medium, combining nature and art.

Working in the service industry for many years taught me some of life’s hardest lessons and helped me grow the most important skill for owning a business: customer experience. This is where I learned that how you treat your customers, and what their experience is like with your business, can make or break it. I also learned how to multitask, how to be efficient, and how to deeply listen even when there’s a million things going on around you.

After moving back home to Warren and meeting my husband Dan, I knew I wanted to continue my journey with flowers. We began to make plans to start a small-scale flower farm. We cleared half an acre on our property, bought a tractor, and started planting. We grew and sold our flowers at the Warren Farmer’s market for three years. I loved this time; experimenting and growing different kinds of flowers. But I slowly realized that what I loved more than growing, was the creative outlet of designing a floral arrangement.

Kate Fenstermacher | Bough and Bend Floral | 338 Pennsylvania Ave W, Warren, PA 16365

Opening a storefront has always been in the back of my mind. I didn’t know what it would look like exactly, whether it would be a shop for vintage items, a bookshop, or a coffee shop. But I knew I wanted it to be a place that sparked joy, felt warm and welcoming, and made a positive impact on my community.

I visualize my journey to owning a shop like a large vase with a spout. For years I’d been filling it with knowledge, experiences, relationships, failures, and successes. And in 2024, I began to open that spout and create something. My vase was full, and it was time to do something about my dream. Even if I felt that I didn’t know everything or was completely ready.