When it comes to entering the world of floral design, a college degree is not typically part of the path. However, for Falyn Cordeiro ’23, owner of Falyn’s Flowers & Gifts in downtown Gentry, Arkansas, it has proven its worth. Combining her knowledge of the floral industry with a business degree from JBU has enabled her to successfully open and operate her own floral shop.
Her journey as a florist began in high school, when she participated in Future Farmers of America. Cordeiro found she enjoyed the floriculture events where they made corsages and boutonnieres.
“I really enjoyed it. I just kind of did it to fill that gap with the people that needed one more score,” Cordeiro said. “I ended up being pretty good at it.”
After graduating from high school, she decided to pursue a degree in nursing at JBU while working at Siloam Flowers & Gifts to further develop her floral skills.
But taking cell biology made Cordeiro realize that the medical field was not for her.
She switched from nursing to business to help her with a future career in the floral industry. She knew the next two years would be challenging, as she worked to balance her job with heavy class loads that helped her graduate a year early. She credits the influences of Melanie Peddicord, D.B.A., professor of accounting, and Gerald Reimer, associate professor of accounting.
“Both of them, Peddicord specifically, knew that some of their classes were areas that I struggled with, and they were not my high-grade classes,” said Cordeiro. “They would both stay after and help me get through, one-on-one. It was a sink-or-swim class, and they did not let me sink. I was very thankful that they took me over the finish line.”
After graduation, Cordeiro spent the next year continuing to work under Melanie Pentecost, owner of Siloam Flowers & Gifts, while earning her Arkansas Master Florist Certificate.
“Melanie has been a big supporter of mine. She helped push me to go to the Arkansas Master Florist classes,” Cordeiro said. “She let me work through college when I had the worst timing ever, as I was in and out of classes. For her to be able to put up with my demanding college schedule meant a lot. She was very patient.”
On March 25, 2024, Cordeiro opened the doors of her own business, Falyn’s Flowers & Gifts, where she creates beautiful arrangements for weddings, funerals, holidays and special gifts.
“I do everything bookwork-wise. The biggest help I ever had through JBU was my spreadsheet analytics. That’s been most beneficial,” Cordeiro said. “I use spreadsheets every day. Also, experience in being able to meet deadlines has helped. Knowing that I had six, seven or eight assignments due in one night, and now I have four weddings this weekend. It’s different, but it has the same ‘meet your deadlines’ mindset.”
In September, Cordeiro attended her biggest floral design competition to date, the Arkansas Florists Association Mid-America Cup, where she won not just the “flowers to wear” category but the top prize.
Long-term, Cordeiro hopes to expand her business to serve more people and share her joy and love for flowers with people who need it the most. She said it’s good to see that her profession is something that can bring happiness to people and that her staff can pray for them.
“We deal a lot with funerals, and that’s a side of things a lot of people don’t really realize we see,” she said. “I’m in a funeral home just as much as I’m here, and we see the grieving process. We see families that need all the prayer they can get and all the uplifting they need. We’re always here to pray for families through the grieving process.”