One year ago we saw a huge gap in the market for high-quality flower arrangements at an affordable price so we decided to join the startup world and offer a better solution. We launched Zinnia as a simple way to buy unique, affordable arrangements — and the response has been incredible. Fast-forward to now: we’ve built an amazing team, sold hundreds of arrangements and the demand continues to grow.
So who keeps things rollin’ at Zinnia? Today we wanted to give you a behind-the-scenes look at our team, and share a few things you probably didn’t know about us. Because after all, wouldn’t you like to know more about three guys who decided to start a flower business? 😉
A few things you probably didn’t know about Andy…
- I love to cook. If I ever sell Zinnia and become a quad-billionaire, I'd love to go to a local college that has a good culinary school and have a small catering business.
I love movies. I sometimes lead movie discussion groups at church. I could sit and talk about movies/film all day.
Nathan and I met at church, but we became fast friends when we realized we both had a borderline unhealthy obsession with Nebraska Cornhusker football. Nathan's obsession has since become healthier, but I fear my fanaticism is still pretty extreme.
A few things you probably didn’t know about Nathan…
- I also work at Flywheel in Omaha. Flywheel is a startup that hosts WordPress websites for agencies and freelancers. It is an AWESOME place to work, and I love being a part of a new and growing sales team.
I am a huge baseball fan - whether it's a Cubs game, a Husker game, the College World Series or my son's little league team that I coach: I love baseball. On most nights during the summer, my family and I are either watching a game at home while grilling out or at the ballpark cheering for our favorite teams.
The idea for Zinnia was born out of some poor experiences I had as an online flower buyer (guaranteed delivery by Mother's Day doesn't always happen from our competition), and from working with some other entrepreneurs during my time at PayPal.
A few things you probably didn’t know about Ben…
- I was classically trained as a pianist – and lead a local band called The Cavalier. We have a single available on NoiseTrade – and we’re working on an EP! Check it out: http://noisetrade.com/thecavalier
I grew up on a beach in Hawaii – at the mouth of Pearl Harbor. (We had plumeria and hibiscus flowers in our yard 😊 ).
My wife Meg and I started Fruitful, a small graphic design shop in benson, over 3 years ago.
As always, we want to thank everyone for their support and helping us reinvent the way flowers are purchased online and delivered!