Gabrielle Sorensen’s entrepreneurial journey has centered on blending creativity with meaningful client relationships. Sorensen, a 2019 BYU Marriott School of Business alumna, is the founder of her own floral design company, Fleur Gabrielle, where she strives to craft unforgettable experiences for her clients using the skills she gained as a student in the experience design and management (ExDM) program.
Fresh out of BYU Marriott, Sorensen was hired to plan fundraisers for a golf foundation in Napa, California. There she began to notice the area’s stunning landscapes and its abundance of high-end events, which sparked an idea: She could cater to similar events with a floral design business inspired by Napa’s natural beauty.
Sorensen had worked as an assistant floral designer during college and gained valuable insights from mentors who were self-starters in the industry. With this experience in her back pocket, she began designing arrangements for friends. Her business quickly grew through social media and word-of-mouth referrals until her designs began to be featured on national wedding blogs such as Southern California Bride, Amber & Muse, and Utah Valley Bride.
Sorensen credits her success to the principles she learned in the ExDM program, where she decided early that any business interaction had the potential to become a meaningful experience. “ExDM was such a great major for me because it opened my eyes to how you can cater a business to the consumer’s point of view,” she says.
She also attributes her entrepreneurial leadership skills to the self-assurance she developed in college as president of the BYU Cougarettes. Sorensen led her team to three national championships and one international title. “That experience grew my confidence as a dancer and an individual because I learned how to empower others,” she reflects.
Dance taught Sorensen how to be a creative problem-solver, a trait that has been critical to her designs. “In dance, I learned to improvise and get back on my feet in a beautiful way,” she explains. “And with flowers, there have been several events where the weather was so strong that I had to creatively rig the flowers to maintain my design.”
Where she once used creativity to connect with an audience, Sorensen now uses creativity as a tool to connect with clients. More than just knowing her client’s favorite colors or flowers, she strives to create immersive and memorable moments before, during, and after each event. “Because significant milestones often call for floral arrangements, it was important for me to make a business that is not just about the product, but the relationships I build with my clients,” she describes.
Whether she’s installing flowers for a wedding ceremony or holding client consultations, Sorensen finds creative ways to put people first in her business: “My business is not just about my profit, my offerings, or my creativity—it’s about the experience that I can provide for someone else.”
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Written by Kathryn Cragun
