“Family, faith, friends, and flowers” is KATIE FORD’s mantra. After being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder with intrusive thoughts, her doctor encouraged her to slow down the pace of life and do more things that she loves. “Flowers have always brought me so much joy that I began to play with them more and more, until finally, my husband nudged me to turn it into a business,” Ford says. “It truly fills my heart to create a beautiful arrangement.” Soon after, she started Flowers by Katie Ford in her basement in 2017. In addition to being a business owner, Ford is also a mental health advocate. “One of my favorite things is talking about flowers and how they are proven to support your mental health,” she says. “It has been incredible to intertwine these two things that mean so much to me. I usually open my workshops by sharing how there had been this dark time in my life and I was saved by seeking help and working with flowers.” Ford’s compassionate nature isn’t new. Before becoming a florist, she was a reading teacher and private tutor, having received a BA in elementary education from Wake Forest University and a MA in learning disabilities from Northwestern. Ford lives her life trying to be open, kind, generous, and real. “I’ve found that being vulnerable can be empowering,” she says. “It was fate and faith that lead me to the flowers. If I hadn’t gone through what I did, I may have never found myself where I am today.” As it turns out, flowers were just what the doctor ordered.

Flowers by Katie Ford is located at 49 Sherwood Terrace, Suite P, in Lake Bluff. For more information, call 847-235-2243, or visit flowersbykatieford.com, or on Instagram @flowersbykatieford.