Dana Maize shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Dana, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I love this question! I’m a frequent hiker, and I appreciate both the clear path and the wandering. If you had asked me this question several years ago, I would have said that I was walking a path toward something specific. At that time, it was my career path. My floral design business was doing really well, with consistent wedding bookings, solid vendor connections, and steady provision for my family. I felt confident I’d continue on that career path into retirement. At the height of it all, I was gifted an opportunity to move to Costa Rica with two of my kids, and manage a small boutique hotel owned by my friend. It was an opportunity I couldn’t say no to! After spending nearly a year there, I will always consider that one of the best decisions I ever made. Upon returning to the US, I would say I entered – and am currently in – a season of wandering. I am once again working in the wedding floral industry, but for now it takes the form of freelancing and learning from other florists and creatives. Also, I’ve discovered a talent for painting, and am exploring growth in that area. My kids are now adults and as a new empty nester, I am enjoying some solo travel. My dad is restoring for me a 1968 Ford Econoline, which is just begging for cool new opportunities. Each of those things feels like a fun unexplored wandering off of a curated path. It’s pretty exciting.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a floral design school grad who worked in the flower industry for a few years and then took a super long break to raise four kids! When we moved to Spring Hill in 2012, they were all in school, and I was able to work again part time at a local flower shop. Upon diving back in, I was astonished to see how innovative the floral industry had become. As I started posting my designs on Instagram, friends and family encouraged me to pursue it further, and after freelancing a few times to test it out, I started forging my own way into the wedding industry. I found my unique voice and design style, which tends to be loose and organic, like flowers gathered from the garden, with foraged wild vines and textural surprises that pop up with the current season.
After six years of growing and loving my own business, I took a sabbatical and moved to Costa Rica for a year! Now that I’ve returned to Tennessee, I am enjoying the role of freelancer for a time. I’m able to learn from multiple people in the trade. It allows me to practice new design styles, improve my skills, and gather knowledge from multiple creatives in the industry. I am currently designing in-house florals for a Nashville catering company and working alongside other close flower friends. My goal for 2026 is to gain insight of travel and sourcing logistics that come with destination weddings, and to freelance for florists in other areas of the US.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
I have my Dad to thank for instilling in me not only a strong work ethic, but also the conviction to be integrous in all of my interactions. He was an entrepreneur himself, and when I was in third grade, he moved his mechanic business out to our small Kansas farm so he could be close to us. That meant that beyond the values he verbally taught me, I was able to watch him interact with people, develop trust with clients (who then became faithful customers), and spend long days and sometimes nights on the farm, doing what needed to be done. He taught me to return something borrowed in better condition than before, go above and beyond the expected value of my work, pay attention to the details, and be honest when no one is watching. Today I practice each one of these principles in my life and my work, and I’m so grateful he passed on to me those wholesome midwest values.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Even though it happened over ten years ago, divorce is still my greatest wound. As the marriage declined, I was met with betrayal, poverty and emotional abuse, but for a long time, I stayed in the hopes of keeping my family together. Eventually, through the help of my therapist and family and friends, I envisioned a different life for myself and gave myself the freedom to leave. I hired a divorce lawyer, found a way to provide for my family, and created a new life for myself and my kids. The healing came by removing myself from an unhealthy relationship and reclaiming my autonomy. Naturally it was challenging raising four kids as a single mom, but with each new decision I made, I felt more empowered. I celebrated each success and just kept moving forward. Sometimes a wave of grief will still pass through, because loss is loss, but I love my life and who I have become through the process. I am eternally grateful for family and friends who held us, and my kids who are now healthy, resilient adults.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief you used to hold tightly but now think was naive or wrong?
I used to believe in the hustle and grind. When I was growing my business, I consumed a lot of podcasts by successful women in business, to inspire me and give me a framework for growth. That in itself wasn’t a bad move, there’s wisdom and insight to be gained there. Unfortunately, I adopted some high-energy hustle mentality that wasn’t sustainable for me, and by year five of owning my business, I was heading toward burnout. Now I take a more gentle, curious approach to my work and my life, and I listen to voices who promote things like noting my body’s somatic response to an idea, keeping social media in check, and focusing on what is genuine rather than polished.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What will you regret not doing?
Well, there is a solid chance I will regret not wearing sunscreen! But seriously, I know that if I don’t take every opportunity I can to travel, whether internationally or a couple hours in any direction, I will regret not having those adventures. At the end of my life, I want to be flipping through pages of fully stamped passports, reflecting on all of the places and people I’ve encountered, and how they influenced my mind. Exposure to new cultures, languages, and beliefs is a gift that brings me into the best version of myself. Finding common ground with someone who at first seems unrelatable does something to my soul that I can’t put into words. And it’s not even necessary to leave the country. Opening your eyes to others’ points of view is something you can do in your own neighborhood. If I can inspire another person to have an open heart toward a stranger, or better yet, a perceived enemy, I’ll be proud of that. The more I travel, the more I become a student of the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://onewildflowerdesigns.com
- Instagram: @onewildflowerdesigns
Image Credits
Personal Photo: Mandy Liz Photography
Others in order of upload: Lexi Samples, Brigette Billups, Juice Beats Photo, Hunter Berry Photography, ChettaratPhotography, Holcomb and Co, The Honey and The Bee Photography, (final photo is personal photo)
