What began as a way out of an unfulfilling teaching job has blossomed into a thriving floral and event design business. Jasmine Griffin left the classroom behind to follow her passion for flowers, creativity, and celebration, turning backyard gatherings into high-profile events, including a courtside dinner for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In this conversation with our CEO, David Litwak, she shares how therapy sparked her leap into entrepreneurship, the highs and lows of client work, and why she still wakes up every day feeling lucky to bring beauty and joy to life through her craft. Let’s get started.

David Litwak: How did you start your business?

Jasmine Griffin: This business really started out of desperation, and honestly, from being pretty miserable in the job I had before. I was a teacher. And I do love children, I loved the job in many ways, but it wasn’t the right fit anymore. I remember mourning that, thinking, I can’t believe this isn’t going to be my life forever. It stressed me out so much that I found myself searching for something new, something that would actually make me feel better.

At the time, I was always buying flowers whenever I could, and I started playing with arrangements, enjoying the process. I was also the friend who always threw backyard parties, I was known as the host. One day, talking with my therapist, she asked me, If you could do anything to get out of this rut, what would it be? And I said, Honestly? I’d throw parties for a living. She told me to try. So I did. And now here we are, almost four years in.

David Litwak: So are you mostly party planning, or floral design, or both?

Jasmine Griffin: The lines are pretty blurry. People come to us not just for flowers, but because we see the whole event as a complete experience. We’re always thinking, How can we make this better? Sometimes it’s floral and event design, sometimes it’s branding, and other times we’re simply the florist. We love it either way.

David Litwak: What was the event you did with Maxwell?

Jasmine Griffin: We worked on the Amazon Books event. That one was really fun; we collaborated with the chef, who was incredible. He designed dishes inspired by featured book titles, and we layered in florals that tied everything together visually. So the food, the flowers, and the storytelling all came to life in the space.

David Litwak: I remember that night. Chef Matt actually told me that it was one of his favorite events because of the creative brief. He got to design food inspired by books, which he loved. But I’m curious, what’s been your favorite event that you’ve done over the past four years?

Jasmine Griffin: This year has been really cool. We got to do the courtside dinner for the Knicks; it was in partnership with Chase Sapphire, Infatuation, and one of our friends who owns a restaurant, which was the featured host. The scale of it was just incredible. I never thought I’d be on the floor of Madison Square Garden doing flowers. It was surreal, and so much fun.

And on top of that, I brought in my family to help. They all live in Texas, but my big brother flew in to be part of it. Having him there was such an encouragement. And it happened to fall on my birthday, which made it even more special. At first, I thought, Oh no, I’ll be working on my birthday. But my brother said, I’m down, I’m booking the flight, we’re on our way. That turned it into one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had.

David Litwak: Last question: What do you enjoy most about your job?

Jasmine Griffin: I love that it’s different every single day. I never have the same thing twice. Even if it’s the same type of event, it always comes with fresh energy.

And I love that I get to be creative. Honestly, I’m really attuned to how special it is to even work in hospitality. I love this industry. My mom owned a restaurant when I was growing up, with her friends, so I got to watch her be an entrepreneur. That stuck with me.

And it’s funny, because I think it was always in me, just quiet until it had its turn. I really do feel like it’s a privilege to use my brain and creativity to make things beautiful. That feels rare.

Even on the mornings when I’m exhausted, I catch myself thinking, Wow, I’m so lucky that this is my job. That people come to me for ideas, that I get to contribute to making something celebratory, fresh, and meaningful, it still amazes me.

I’m just a girl from Texas. I’ve been in New York for 13 years, but I didn’t move here with the intention of starting a flower or events business. It just kind of unfolded, and somehow I’ve found myself with this little success story. I feel incredibly grateful; that’s really everything to me.

David Litwak: That’s a wonderful note to end on. Jasmine, thank you so much for your time. I really appreciate you sharing your story with us today.

Jasmine Griffin: Thanks a lot, David. Cheers.Bye.