A staccato of short-sounding clips punctuated the air as Andrea Beyer snipped off the undesirable thorns from a red rose. “You want to maybe get me a couple of roses?” Andrea asked her mother, Fran Owens, who is also Andrea’s business partner at Shooting Star Florist, a full-scale designer of floral bouquets, plants, stuffed animal and balloon arrangements.

“I like being a floral designer, because I love to be creative. I also really enjoy helping customers out with all of their floral needs,” said Andrea. “As a floral designer, I’m there for every aspect of a person’s life, whether it be a new baby, a death, a marriage, a prom, a homecoming, a ‘just because’ arrangement. I really like being a part of people’s lives.”

When it comes to her favorite flowers, Andrea says she does not play favorites.

“My favorite flower is any flower that is bright and colorful,” stated Andrea. “I like bright colors because they’re nice and cheerful and they brighten my day.”

A florist blooms to life

Andrea’s passion for floral design runs deep, growing up in the family’s nursery and garden business.

“I have quite a bit of experience working with flowers,” explained Andrea. “Mom and dad opened our first flower shop when I was around seven years old. My grandmother on my dad’s side had a flower shop before I was even born, so I think it’s in my blood. But I learned from my mom, and I learned from several other floral designers that we had, throughout the years. They were always really creative, and I really enjoyed working with them.”

Andrea’s decision to open a floral design store in Bloomington was born out of a shared passion for nature and beauty with her mother and their profound personal loss. Andrea’s father, Richard, died in 2011.

“When mom and I decided to open up our own shop back in 2012, we had the hardest time coming up with the name,” recalled Andrea as her face brightened with a loving smile. “At the time for that whole year, we were seeing shooting stars in the sky, and we knew that this was meant to be, and this is what dad wanted us to do. Finally, I thought of the name, and I mentioned it to mom. She loved it.”

Flowers and business are blooming

The team at Shooting Star Florist brings more than 65 years of combined expertise to their business. Andrea’s beloved Pomeranian, Loki, is also considered a trusted friend at the shop.

“Mom and I have worked together for so many years, we really can’t imagine it any other way, because it’s just a joy to come in every day and see each other. We get to spend time with each other and that’s not something that a lot of mothers and daughters get to do.”

Andrea says her mother plays an important role at the store with her wisdom and her professional eye for beauty. “Mom is always my critic,” Andrea explained. “If you have a parent, you know that they are your critic. So, mom will say, ‘that doesn’t look good, or you need another flower here’. She always keeps things balanced.”

This collaborative dynamic seems to foster a healthy retail experience for the diverse clientele at Shooting Star Florist, with Fran and Andrea each relating to different customers in their own unique way.

Bloomington/Normal is the headquarters of State Farm Insurance and the home of Illinois State University, and so there is also no shortage of customers in this thriving community.

“Keeping up with the trends these days means keeping up with the different styles of the flowers, of wedding bouquets, and keeping up with the different colors of dresses that are in season,” explained Andrea about her craft.

Andrea also takes immense pride in the level of service provided to customers.

“My unique talent and why I think people should use us as a flower shop is because of our unparalleled service,” Andrea said with a smile. “We really, strive to make every customer happy. I might be biased here, but I think we have the best bouquets.”

Delivery of each order is a key to the success of Shooting Star, since many customers make their purchases from out of town over the internet or over the phone. Because customers are dependent on the on-time delivery of their bouquets, Shooting Star’s delivery process is of paramount importance to the retail success of this business.

“We do all of our deliveries ourselves,” explained Andrea. “We feel that way we can control the end product. So, from the minute the person calls or comes in and we take their order, to the minute it is delivered to the house or picked up by the customer, we have full range of control there.”

“We are pretty darn fast. But there are times where you have a big crunch, like holidays. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and especially during those busy times that we might need help, with deliveries,” added Andrea. “Usually, we are recruiting a family member like my husband or my niece who drives, and I have a second niece that’s about to drive. They’re a godsend.”

Andrea stresses that she understands that her industry is always changing. There is always something new, she said, when it comes to floral styles or customer preferences.

“We’ve seen a lot of change in the floral industry over the years,” said Andrea. “During COVID, we saw a huge shift in the floral industry during 2020 and a couple of years after that, because there were no funerals, there were no weddings, there were no parties. So, the floral industry definitely had this shift, and now that we’re kind of through that. We are definitely seeing a big increase (in business) back in the floral industry.”

Despite increased access to flowers arrangements almost everywhere and for everyone, whether it be a gas station or a grocery store, Shooting Star stands out as a local retailer offering expertise and personal touches that garden variety flower sellers do not provide.

“Your friendly neighborhood florist is still needed because we are the professionals,” said Andrea with a confident tone. “We know how to design. We know how to arrange. We know how to take care of flowers from the minute we get them to the minute they go out the door, so that they have a long-lasting effect for the customer.”

“Florists are definitely needed because a lot of times a person wants the order to be delivered, especially when it goes to work,” Andrea added. “Receiving flowers at your workplace just really adds an excitement to your day. People also call from out of state, and they’re not here. They’re not local. They can’t just go pick up something when they’re out and about. So, they rely on us to make something that is special for them. We always send a picture to all of our customers, so that they can see what the bouquet is that they’re sending.”

Planting the right seeds

“I love being a retailer because you have control over your own life,” Andrea stressed with a wide smile. “I am making money for myself, for my family. I’m helping out our community by providing services. I have flexibility and I get to bring my little dog (Loki) to work every day. It’s been a wonderful career for me.”

Andrea seems to value her professional pathway for the meaningful connections she creates and for helping people express their sentiments.

“There’s nothing better than when a customer either comes in to pick up their order, or we deliver it to the person. Seeing that smile on their face, and hearing, oh, how beautiful, because you just know that that brightened their day.”