Meet Colleen Maney | Entrepreneur & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Colleen Maney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Colleen, alright, let’s jump in with a deep one – what’s you’re definition for success?
I define success as living in alignment with my values and making a positive impact on my community. I want to be remembered as a kind and courageous person who lived an intentional life fostering connection in those around me and challenging the traditional and expected path. I’ve found that people (myself included) feel the need for permission to be the truest version of themselves, and I’d love to be that permission for someone.

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.
I created my pressed flower art business ‘Floraleen’ in July 2022 as a creative outlet while working in high tech consulting. My career path at the time left me feeling burnt out and disconnected from my community, nature, and the physical world around me, and Floraleen has reconnected me to all of these things in a meaningful way. I took the leap to run my business full time in 2023, and I cherish being able to create a lasting memory for clients that entrust me with flowers from the most impactful moments in their lives from weddings to memorials. I accept any sentimental bouquets, press the flowers, then arrange and frame them into a piece of art.

In terms of the art itself, I have always craved the flow state I experience when I’m working with my hands to create something beautiful. When I went through mental health struggles a few years back, flowers were the tangible example I held onto of beauty and freedom of expression, so it only made sense to incorporate them into my art. I love the symbolism behind creating art from nature because it is already perfectly imperfect.

The biggest challenge I’ve faced along the way is comparison to others, both to others that stayed on a more traditional path and to others that are making similar art in a different way. I don’t know who the quote is attributed to, but I love the saying “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” This is what I come back to when this feeling inevitably arises.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A few thoughts –
– Morning walk around the Denver Botanic Gardens followed by a picnic sourced from Trader Joe’s in Cheeseman park
– Day trip up to Frisco for a boat day on Lake Dillon with our pups then hanging at Outer Range Brewing Co.
– If we were feeling a little fancy for an evening, we’d go for cocktails at Forget Me Not, dinner at Restaurant Olivia, and dancing at Blush & Blu.
– Bike ride up the Cherry Creek Trail to downtown.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am so thankful to my incredible support system of friends and colleagues who have encouraged me to take the leap of faith to bet on myself. There are too many to name individually, but I appreciate every person who has listened, validated, or offered advice when I shared my desire to create my own path and stray from the “safe” route. Most of all, I have to thank my husband for his unwavering love and support, and occasionally his free labor.

Website: https://www.floraleen.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/floraleenllc

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-maney/

Image Credits
N/A