We had the good fortune of connecting with Tina Toro Evans and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Tina, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Our business is extremely community-focused and we work hard to find ways to give back. We have donated $800 worth of silk floral bouquets and centerpieces this year to Tucson non-profits who work directly with people in need of joy and happiness. $800 was our goal for 2024 and our donation goal for next year is $1000.
Outside of floral donations to our community we are also making it a priority to create promotions on our new website that inspire community empowerment and inspiration. Currently, we are running a promotion for anyone who visits our website and purchases our “Resilient Rose Bouquet” and has it sent to someone who has been impacted by a lay off from work. These rose bouquets include a short letter of inspiration for the receiver, they can be sent to anyone in the United States and the sender will only need to spend $10 (+tax). We are covering $5 of each rose bouquet purchase and we are covering the shipping costs as well. This is just one of many promotions we have planned as a way to give back to people in need.
It’s important to us to also highlight how silk/artificial flowers are a fantastic eco-friendly alternative to fresh flowers and we offer floral rentals to save our community individuals and businesses significant money on their event florals!
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets us apart from others and what I am most proud of when it comes to my art of Silk Floral Design happen to be the same thing.
I take immense pride in customizing every detail of my client’s orders. Whether they want a different type or color of flower, or a different floral filler and greenery, or even different sizing. They have the ability to submit their customization requests while placing their order online or they can share these wishes with us via phone or email, whichever they prefer most. Any preference our clients have, we are always happy to say yes!
I am very proud as well of how we are now shipping our custom floral designs to anywhere in the United States!
What also sets us apart is that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If a client is not completely happy with the end result for their order, we will happily recreate it for them.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve loved taking family/friends to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum so they can learn about all the wonderful facts of the Sonoran desert and the beauty of Southern AZ.
El Charro is always a must for food and our favorite family restaurant/bar is on the SE side of Tucson – 2 Hermanos Taqueria (aka Dos Hermanos)! The owners and staff are the best in Tucson.
Sonoita wineries, 4th Ave Shops, Gates Pass, Mt. Lemmon and A Mountain top the list too!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I love this question! There are a few people and a group who have made it so I wouldn’t be where I am in this business without their support and guidance.
People:
My husband has been my #1 supporter and even on my hardest of days as a new business owner, he encourages me to not doubt myself and my abilities. There aren’t many people that would agree to opening a business with their spouse while they are deployed over 8,000 miles away, but he did. He owns our business with me, we work together to make the best possible decisions for our business and he supports all of my goals and dreams with our business.
My dear friend and hair stylist, Sydney Encinas, was my very first cheerleader with this business. I remember being terrified to start this business, and not only did she inspire me to take this huge leap of faith, she’s cheered me on ever since. She even helped me come up with our business name, Malama ia!
There are also several very close family members and friends who have not only encouraged and inspired me to keep going with this business, but they have also connected me to some of my most important clients and business partnerships! They know who they all are and their support has been magical!
Groups who have made a great impact on our business:
Tucson IDA & Avanza HUUB
Startup Tucson
Tucson Young Professionals
Tucson Business Networking
Website: https://www.malamaiafloraldesign.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/malama_ia?igsh=NXAxZmdkeXVjcHQ2&utm_source=qr
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tina-toro-evans-82428a14ati
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Image Credits
Candice Eaton Photography
RC Photo Studio