A 27-year-old woman quits her job and starts a business that generates $175,000 a year: “I started telling people I was a florist”
The discomfort in her daily professional life that pushed her to seek a change. A risk that paid off for this New York florist.
Colleen McCarthy wasn’t thrilled with her day job. So the American entrepreneur took a leap of faith and started arranging flowers in her spare time. In an interview with CNBC, she shared how that side hobby eventually grew into a business earning her more than $165,000 a year.
High-profile clients
Her floral work has gained major visibility, thanks in part to collaborations with well‑known artists like Sabrina Carpenter, all through her business, Colleen Rose Florals.
McCarthy studied environmental science and communications at Fordham University, but after graduating in 2020, she struggled to find stable work. She eventually landed a job at a public‑relations agency — a role she always knew was temporary while she figured out what she truly wanted to do.
As time passed and she remained stuck in the same place, she hit an existential crossroads. “What do I like? What have I always liked? What am I actually good at?” she asked herself.
The answer came quickly: flowers. “I was always the one in my apartment who bought grocery‑store flowers and arranged them carefully,” she says.
A turning point
So in late 2022, she enrolled in an introductory course at Flower School New York, a well‑known floral‑design institution. Classes cost around $165, according to the school’s website.
“I remember the instructor coming over and asking, ‘Is this your first class?’ I told her yes, and she said, ‘It doesn’t look like it. You seem to have a natural talent for this,’” McCarthy recalls.
Hearing those words changed everything. From that moment on, she knew she wanted to pursue floral design seriously. She began buying flowers, practicing arrangements, and sharing her progress on Instagram, TikTok, and local Facebook groups.
“I started telling people I was a florist, even though I wasn’t fully established yet,” she says.
Her social‑media presence helped her gain visibility — and in March 2023, she landed her first paid job. “I was so excited that someone actually wanted to pay for my work,” she says.
Two months later, she officially registered Colleen Rose Florals as a business. The process was expensive, but she insists it was worth every penny.
A six‑figure floral career
In 2024, she finally quit her job for good. Last year marked her first full year working exclusively as a floral designer — and she brought in more than $165,000.
Today, her custom arrangements start at about $230. Small events typically run around $900, while small‑to‑mid‑size weddings range from $4,600 to $9,200.
She’s created floral arrangements for the dressing rooms of major artists, including Katy Perry, Lainey Wilson, Haim, and Reneé Rapp.
But one of the most meaningful moments of her career came in October 2025, when she worked with Sabrina Carpenter. “It was incredibly exciting and validating that someone trusted me to create something for such a major artist,” she says.
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