Meet Whitney VandenBos | Floral Designer and Owner of Indigo Stems

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

Hi Whitney, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I went to school for business and chose the marketing avenue thinking it would allow me to exercise both my business acumen and creative problem solving skills. After about four years in different advertising roles, I realized I wasn’t able to be as creative as I was itching to be and that the typical Monday-Friday, 9-5pm in an office was not the best fit for my personality type or work style. My sister-in-law does some wedding planning work, and I helped her with a photo shoot when I was visiting home and watched a florist at work for the first time. I remember thinking through the creative license she was given and the work schedule she must have with various wedding and event work. When I got back to Denver, I reached out to several local florists for coffee just to hear more about what their jobs are really like and to pick their brains about how they got started. I took workshops and watched lots of videos and began apprenticing with a few floral designers. The more I learned and worked with flowers, I became more and more confident in my own artistic ability as well as the business savvy needed to do well in this industry. It has been a great balance of creative expression, interpersonal relationships and challenge in building a business that is fulfilling and financially viable. It’s so exciting to build something that is my own and determine the different processes and ways I plan to do things. I feel incredibly blessed for the people I have met and the amount of favor I feel over my business. I have big dreams for Indigo Stems and the impact it could have on the community both in bringing joy through flowers and providing jobs for certain segments of people that are often overlooked in the job hunting process. Looking forward to whatever is to come!

Please tell us more about your business. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. 
My design style is definitely evolving and a work in progress but I tend to create floral arrangements that are bursting with color and movement. I love a more garden style design that causes the eye to bounce from one flower to the next.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many things I love about Denver! One of my favorite things about living here is the weather and being outside so the weekend would definitely involve a hike in the mountains or a walk around Sloan’s Lake or Jazz in the Park at City Park. I try to take friends to all the different neighborhoods while they are here to see all the pockets of the city. Eating and getting drinks is a great way to show off this place. Some of my favorites include Mimosas in Five Points, Vital Root in the Highlands, Denver Central Market downtown, Bonnie Brae toward Wash Park and Hudson Hill in Cap Hill. Friend visits always include lots of walks and lots of ice cream!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d love to shout out Bethany Siekmeier, owner of Keep Floral for taking me under her wing and for both her friendship and mentoring! I’d also love to shout out Jenna Rice, owner of Honeycomb & Co for giving me the opportunity to work at her shop and opening my eyes to the retail side of flowers. The whole floral community of Denver has been so encouraging, helpful and a blast to work with!

Instagram: @indigostems