New Jersey woman pivots during pandemic to follow her dreams of floristry
MONTCLAIR, N.J. -- CBS2 has been spotlighting local business owners who pivoted during the pandemic.
Last month, we introduced a man who left a corporate job to open a bagel shop. Now, we meet a woman with a similar story.
Amy Gofton's love for flowers is in her roots. The owner of Studio Nectar in Montclair told CBS2's John Dias her mother, grandmother and even great grandmother all loved to garden.
"The way the petals connect, the slight variants in the color, it's a sensory experience," said Gofton. "Some of them smell incredibly rich. I don't feel like I am working any given day. It's, I love it."
Which is why it may be hard to believe owning the floral shop wasn't always her job. Before this, she was in fashion for almost 25 years. Most recently, working to design hand bags at Kate Spade.
"I kind of got away from the hands on design part as you get further and further along in the corporate ladder," said Gofton. "I was missing putting my hands on products and building something from scratch."
So, like her flower, she as a person continued to grown when the world shut down during the COVID pandemic. She found herself exploring what makes her truly happy: flowers and being at home more, closer to her husband and their two sons.
"I was missing my kids growing up," said Gofton. "I felt like the reason I loved fashion was no longer my job."
So she quit. She started her next adventure small, designing bouquets and arrangements for people in a closed studio, and then just three months ago, opened her storefront on Bellevue Avenue.
What sets Studio Nectar apart is their focus on sustainability and getting locally sourced flowers.
"During the growing season, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to find things that are really unusual and really fresh," said Gofton.
Now, she's making her customers as happy as she is, and says she has no regrets with the career change.
"The tradeoffs that were more important to me when I was younger, that I grew out of and didn't realize I wouldn't miss," said Gofton.
Proving your true direction in life can bloom when you least expect it.
According to a survey done by Prudential, since the start of the COVID Pandemic, 20% of workers have changed careers. "Work-life balance" was a top reason.
