Members of the Tuck community reflect on their goals, accomplishments, inspirations, and passions as part of the Many Voices, One Tuck series.
What accomplishment are you most proud of?
My proudest accomplishment has been founding Casa De Flores, a floral design company, and growing the business with my family. The inspiration for the company came from my mom. Every year, she would set up a tent on the main street of our town and sell roses for Valentine's Day. She always looked forward to it and seeing her work happily with fresh flowers warmed my heart. That is why when I was fifteen years old, I set out on a personal mission to create a floral company so that my mom could live her dream of being a florist.
Not a single day passed when I didn't think about the business and what I thought it could be. It took me ten years to make the leap, but I eventually committed to founding Casa De Flores in 2019 with only my small savings. I designed the company around what I wanted most for my mom: the ability to work with the rarest fresh flowers, artistic freedom, and flexibility. This led us to specializing in the niche market of luxury event flowers.
As beautiful as the end product is, large scale floral design is incredibly laborious and behind the scenes it is not so beautiful. In the beginning, we could not afford a team, so my mom and I hustled very hard to make a name for ourselves. Little by little, we saw results. You should have seen my mom's face the first time one of her creations was published … she was so happy.
However, the defining moment for me came earlier this year when the April issue of Florist's Review magazine arrived in the mail. The cover headline read: “The Top 50 Wedding Florists of The U.S and Canada.” I showed my mom and began to translate the article for her. Finally, I pointed at the list and said to her, “What does this say?” She paused and read, “Casa De Flores Design … That's us!” Cue the waterworks. My only regret was not getting that moment on camera, but you can imagine how amazing it felt. It was surreal to know we had made it so far. My mom is one of the world's most talented floral designers and I always knew it but now she knows the industry thinks so, too!
What keeps you busy? How do you like to spend your time outside of work?
I was fortunate to grow up in a small town where the people really care. I like to call the Brookshire/Pattison, Texas community “a community of volunteers.” Each year, the community rallies together at dozens of scholarship fundraisers to send our seniors off to college or trade school. I was fortunate to be one of those seniors back in the day and I have never stopped being grateful.
Though my schedule is pretty busy with work, I still try to find time to give back to this community and be involved. Lately, this has looked like serving on my local school board and working with city council. Though I expect my abilities to serve to evolve over time, I know that giving back to this community and making it a better place will continue to be a passion of mine.
Describe an ah-ha moment for you—a defining moment that changed the course of your life, career, or altered your way of thinking.
I have been very fortunate to have some incredible mentors in my life. One of the most influential ones is Robin Melton, who is a dear family friend. During a very busy Valentine’s Day weekend, Robin came to my flower studio to get some flowers for his wife. It was a busy day; the shop was full of customers and business was looking great. Looking around, Robin smiled at me and said, “Alright, Mariela. So what's next? Do I have to go buy you LSAT or GRE books now?” He knew that the flower business was something I had set out to do when I was really young and that the hard work I put in had finally paid off.
I had created the brand and built the reputation which would set my mom up for a bright future in her dream career. It was now time to find my own journey. It meant a lot to hear these words from Robin, the person who bought me my first picture book when I was just a little girl. And so soon after this conversation I thought deeply about what I really wanted for my life and acknowledged that there were still many ways in which I wanted to grow as a person and as a leader. These reflections led me to business school, and I chose Tuck because I knew it was the place where I could get that kind of transformative experience.
Who do you most admire and look up to? Who inspires you and why?
I have a deep admiration for my parents, and they have inspired me all my life. They are the most hardworking, loving, strong, and talented people I know.
My father came to America as a teen to find a better future and to be able to provide for his mom. He started his career in sports construction and would eventually start his own company. You could honestly write a book about my dad and it would be a tale of remarkable resilience, strength, grit, and perseverance. One of the most inspiring things he has done is that he built a schoolhouse for the children from his village back in Mexico. He is a generational trailblazer, and he has a created a legacy I hope to continue.
My mom was born with remarkable talent and an incredible work ethic. She has a natural ability to learn new skills quickly and somehow everything she does or makes turns out perfect even on the first try. This undoubtedly makes her a like a super heroine to me and I tell anyone who will listen about how cool she is. She is so humble and kind, and she gives her all for her family. She inspires me because she has taught me that anything can be accomplished if you prepare yourself and strive to do your best. Even through difficult times, my mom knows how to be positive and stay hopeful. Her warmth and her faith inspire me to never forget about the things that really matter in life and to have gratitude for all my blessings.
Mariela was born in Michoacán, Mexico but raised in the small town of Brookshire, Texas. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in horticulture science. Prior to business school, she worked in the commercial landscape industry and then later founded a family business, Casa De Flores Design, in 2019. From humble beginnings, Casa De Flores would flourish to eventually be known as “a top florist” and be featured on HBO Max and in publications worldwide.
Many Voices, One Tuck celebrates the stories of our vibrant and diverse community. What’s your story? Email DEI at Tuck if you’d like to contribute to the MVOT project.
Note: MVOT is open to members of the Tuck community, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, TEE and Tuck Bridge participants, and MHCDS graduates.
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