Ep 31 | Seema Bansal

Written By Yasmin Nouri
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How a Bad Valentine's Day Sparked a Multi-Million Dollar Business Idea

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Seema Bansal is the co-founder of Venus ET Fleur, the company behind Eternity Roses, which are real roses that stay fresh for a full year, an invention that has permanently transformed the billion-dollar floral industry. 

Seema never set out to start a company in the floral business. In 2015, Seema was in a long distance relationship with her now husband and business partner, Sunny. He sent her flowers on Valentine's Day and they looked horrible despite the large price tag he paid. This sparked their idea of creating a better experience and luxury flowers that actually looked great for a longer period of time. As their relationship began to bloom, so did their idea of transforming the online floral industry and that’s when their business was born.  

At the time, both Seema and Sunny were working for their family businesses and decided to leave to embark on a new journey together despite having no experience in the floral industry. Good thing they did, very early into their launch - their signature Eternity Roses became Instagram's most coveted bouquet after the Kardashians posted about the brand in 2016. Their multi-million dollar business has developed a loyal customer base which includes celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Oprah, Drake, Cardi B, and many more. 

We’ll chat with Seema about the skills she learned in her family plumbing business that have helped her as an entrepreneur, how social media was a game-changer when launching their brand, and the importance of prioritizing your mental health when being a leader of a high growth business.

Show Notes

  • Seema discusses her upbringing with Indian parents who immigrated to Canada to create a new life for themselves [3:14]

  • Seema shares her involvement in the family business from a young age & how its impacted her business acumen today [7:34]

  • Why Seema decided to chart her own path with her business and start Venus Et Fleur with her then-boyfriend, now-husband, and co-founder, Sunny [12:56]

  • Seema talks about the early days of the business and why she decided to leave the family business to chart her own path [16:47]

  • How the company transitioned from a classic flower delivery service to shipping luxury flowers that lasted for a year [18:36]

  • As the key driver for all brand and marketing, Seema shares the challenges she faced early in the business when trying to gain awareness and traction with the messaging [23:58]

  • How influencer marketing and a shout out from the Kardashians completely changed the trajectory of the business [25:41]

  • Seema shares tips on how to think about business partnerships & opens up about what it’s like to work with her husband [33:21]

  • How COVID impacted the business and the changes they made to support the new environment we’re in [37:05]

  • Seema shares tips on how she stays inspired both in life and business [41:25]

  • How Seema handles burnout and shifts she’s made in her life as a leader to help create more balance [45:07]

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Yasmin Nouri
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