We also did some kind of creative ways, you know, of how to spread it out so the prices go up for about a week-and-a-half period of time, and we blended it out over a month. Stembel: Absolutely. You just get to pick the size you want. Two years later, in 2019, Stembel was on a buying trip in Ecuador when she discovered the deep need for work among the countrys people. We bought nicer cars. (Image credit: Courtesy of Christina Stembel), Gucci 2016 Striped Tiger Intarsia Sweater, Fans Are Wondering If There Will Be a 'Firefly Lane' Season 3, I'm Crazy About Quiet LuxuryBanana Republic's Huge Sale Includes These 10 Must-Have Basics, Fashion Test Drive: Isabel Marant's Oskan Moon Bag, The Making of Ariana DeBose's Custom Versace Gown, What I Wear to Work: Silvia and Sofia Tcherassi, What Khlo Kardashian and Kris Jenner Wear to Work, Fashion Test Drive: Bottega Veneta's Andiamo Bag, A post shared by farmgirlflowers (@farmgirlflowers). Adams: When did you expand deliveries beyond San Francisco, and why? Stembel: Digital. Why do that when so many startups use contract workers? Fortunately, just as the situation became dire, she got an unexpected sign that things were about to turn around. Christina Stembel didn't start Farmgirl Flowers because she loved flowers. We had to hustle back to work with jet lag, says Amy. Farmgirl Flowers is on track to bring in $32 million in revenue in 2019, Stembel tells CNBC Make It. Adams: Why do you think your competitors were able to raise money? Your alma maters alumni network is one potential source of mentors. They have so many options and the owner doesnt know what people are going to order so the flowers go bad. Pay off high-cost debt. Ideally, youll put down as little of your own money as you can, borrow the rest and charge enough rent to pay the loan. "Instead of having hundreds of options, we offer a few curated daily arrangements," she says. Time and compounding interest are an investors best friends. Once she had $49,000 in the bank to start her business, she quit her job as the director of alumni relations and campaign outreach at Stanford Law School in June of 2010. The flowers were all arranged by Stembel in her apartment until her landlord caught on to her business. When she started her firm, in McLean, Va., she had about $40 million in assets from clients she brought with her from a wealth management firm; today, she manages about $200 million. She is undeterred, however, choosing to focus her energies on expanding her business where she can.