This success story begins long before Nicole Bronson registered her small business, Anointed Florist & Gift Shop. It starts with a 12‑year‑old girl sweeping floors in a Miami flower shop after school, learning all about a floral arranging business she didn’t yet know would become her life’s calling.
“I enjoyed it,” says Bronson, who continued to work in florist businesses until she launched her own business. “I learned by watching, but really, what inspired me was the customers.” When someone recognized that she had taken their order, handled their arrangement, and made sure it arrived beautifully, their excitement lit something in her. “That made me keep going.”
With just $100, Bronson officially launched Anointed Florist & Gift Shop LLC in 2009. Her business name came to her in church, during a sermon about purpose. “When God anoints you, He appoints you,” her pastor said. Nicole felt the words lift her spirit. “I said, that’s it. The name of my florist is Anointed Florist.”
Working from her home, this single mother of four began building a client base. She purchased flowers, treated them, designed them, and delivered them. “I was a one‑man show,” she says, and she catered to all occasions. Eventually Bronson moved into a tiny suite and then secured warehouse space with the help of BAC Funding Corporation, a local funding organization that believed in her drive and enabled her to install commercial coolers and hire her first delivery staff.
By 2017, she diversified her business model by launching a companion online business, The Miami Florist, to capture the growing e-commerce market. And by 2019, she took another leap, securing her own storefront on NW 27th Avenue. She renovated and designed it, preparing for a grand opening – and then the pandemic hit. Bronson couldn’t open for business, but she used her storefront to help an overwhelmed COVID testing site across the street, and she temporarily returned to working from home. Fortunately, doing arrangements for funeral homes, which was always a significant part of her business, kept her afloat.
Seeking guidance from Florida SBDC at FIU
In 2021, Bronson started working with Florida SBDC at FIU, the small business development center within Florida International University’s College of Business. The center provides no-cost business consulting and training to small businesses in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties.
She also took part in the Miami-Dade Business Navigator (MDBN) program, which was led by by FSBDC at FIU and six community partners. In that program, she not only gained knowledge but won an award and was able to access funding for her business. A couple of years later, she also entered and placed high in pitch competitions, winning grants from the YWCA and the Miami-Dade Economic Advocacy Trust for over $10,000. “That boosted my confidence,” she says.
Before meeting with consultants at FSBDC at FIU, “I was playing business,” Bronson admits candidly. Over the years, Bronson worked with multiple FSBDC at FIU consultants, each helping her strengthen a different part of her business. That’s one of the key strengths of FSBDC at FIU, which has 19 business consultants that together cover all the areas of expertise.
For example, Consultant Mark Mungenast “got my brain rolling. He opened my mind to opportunities,” Bronson says. Myrtha Wroy and Jesus Padilla guided her through certification eligibility and how to take full advantage of opportunities like the MDBN program. Lilian Urbandt connected her with financial resources and helped her correct back-office issues; Roslyn Rice helped Bronson understand pricing and merchandising value. Most recently, Adriana Madrinan has been helping Bronson with business strategy, which includes a new location with a larger mission. [Pictured above: Nicole Bronson, at right, is presented an award by Myrtha Wroy of Florida SBDC at FIU.]
Over the years, FSBDC at FIU’s team provided assistance in financial management, access to capital, marketing, government contracting and business strategy. Their support kept her moving forward through the pandemic and through other setbacks when giving up might have been easier. “They kept me focused,” Bronson said. “They really showed passion in me striving and making it.”
“What inspires me most about Nicole is her ability to rebuild,” says Madrinan. “Even after the pandemic forced her to leave her storefront and return to working from home, she found the strength to rise again and open a new location. It has been a privilege to support Nicole through both the difficult moments and the moments of growth. Watching her business bloom again has been incredibly rewarding.”
Rice agrees. “Even on the tough days of being an owner, Nicole stayed committed to her consulting sessions. She joined accelerator programs. She wanted to improve her business acumen,” Rice says. “Nicole is resilient, determined, and possesses a strong work ethic. She has built strong roots in her community with her floral business. She wants this wealth to transfer to the next generation of her family. Nicole is a lifelong learner willing to adapt as the marketplace changes. She’s also a visionary – not willing to take no for an answer.”
What’s next for Anointed Florist?
Bronson, who employs three people, secured an 800-square-foot location in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood for her floral business – but with a larger vision. Her new space will be a floral studio and a community classroom.
Madrinan has helped Bronson develop a slate of offerings, including wellness classes, social floral experiences, couples sessions, senior-friendly workshops, and multi‑week floral design courses for aspiring florists. The new business location, at 801 NW 3rd Ave., Suite 103, will become in essence a community hub. She is planning a soft opening for July 9th.
The classes could also help address one of Bronson’s biggest business challenges: finding skilled floral designers. “I’m looking for my protégé,” she said. “I want someone I can teach, walk alongside and eventually help become a partner.”
Nicole Bronson’s advice to other entrepreneurs: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” she said. “Don’t be afraid not to know.”
She encourages every aspiring business owner to take advantage of Florida SBDC at FIU and its network of experienced consultants. “They’ve picked phenomenal leaders in different areas,” Bronson says. “You have to be willing to put in the work … but they’re out there to help you grow.”
