It was the summer of 2020. The world felt uncertain, and so did I.
Most days, you could find me in my kitchen, gently melting butters, blending seed oils, stirring beeswax into balms, and inhaling essential oils like they were medicine for my nervous system. Creating became my refuge. Working with natural ingredients grounded me. The ritual of scent soothed something deep inside me.
One quiet afternoon, while blending oils at the stove, a name floated into my mind: Florra.
I didn’t know then what it would become. I simply tucked the name into my heart and returned to my life, unaware that the years ahead would unravel everything I thought I knew, only to lead me back to that moment.
The years that followed were the most challenging years of my life. I faced endings I never imagined and had to let go of what no longer aligned with who I was becoming. It wasn’t easy, but every challenge I endured forged me into the woman strong enough to walk the unfamiliar path of building a life and business rooted in heart, soul, and authenticity.
Fast forward to March 3rd, 2023. I’m standing in a room filled beyond what I imagined. I was surrounded by my family, close friends, the Mayor of Campbell, and what felt like the entire Campbell community gathered inside these walls. I hadn’t expected the grand opening to draw such a crowd. I thought it would be a sweet, modest beginning. Instead, the town showed up. They showed up in celebration and support, perhaps a little curious to see the woman who had left everything familiar behind to build something entirely new.
In that moment, I realized Florra was no longer just a name I once whispered to myself in my kitchen. It had become something shared, something the community was ready to embrace.
After the excitement of the grand opening settled, reality set in. I was left with a store I deeply loved, and the very real responsibility of making it work. I was new to retail and completely new to running a brick-and-mortar business. Very quickly, I felt the weight of rent, payroll, inventory, and operating expenses, all within a retail landscape that never fully recovered after Covid. The dream had opened the doors, but now, I had to learn how to keep them open.
I made the best of that first year by keeping the space alive. I invited local businesses, creatives, and artists into Florra to host workshops and gatherings. The store began to take on a rhythm, filled with conversation, laughter, and the warmth of community returning again and again. It became clear that Florra was never meant to be just a retail store. It was meant to be a space that holds joy, connection, and shared experiences.
And even though what I had built felt beautiful beyond words, the weight of sustaining the business was constant. From the outside, I was a woman following her dreams and creating beautiful moments for the community. On the inside, though, anxiety and doubt often took over. Had I naively pursued something that was beautiful in theory, but unsustainable in practice?
Then in 2024, when that weight felt like something I could no longer hold, a spark of possibility arrived. During a conversation with a team member and friend who had been dreaming alongside me, an idea began to take shape. What if we created something more interactive? Something immersive. A reason for people not just to shop, but to stay and create. That conversation sparked what would later become The Scent Bar.
Of course, it centered around scent: essential oils, natural ingredients, and the ritual of blending. This wasn’t something new I had just discovered; it came from years of exploring self-care and working with oils, from a deep place in my heart and soul. And that’s why it felt so significant.
The dream that first visited me in 2020 had never really left. It had been living quietly in my heart, waiting for the moment I was ready to bring it forward again. When I finally said yes to it, Florra began becoming the place it was always meant to be.
We launched The Scent Bar in September 2024. At first, it was slow. A few appointments here and there. Some curious walk-ins. I didn’t know what to expect, and if I’m honest, I was watching closely to see if it would really work. But then more people started coming. And even more after that.
Customers weren’t just buying something and leaving. They were sitting down, taking their time, smelling, blending, talking. Friends booked together. Couples came on dates. Daughters brought their mothers. And most beautifully, they were spending birthdays, anniversaries, and their most special moments with us.
It reminded me of the energy our workshops used to bring, except now, that feeling lived in the store every week. It wasn’t something we had to plan for occasionally. It was part of Florra’s everyday rhythm. And that changed everything.
So on this day that marks our 3-year anniversary, I wanted to share my story of loss, challenges, strength, resilience, and transformation, and how the power of scent has been woven through it all—from the uncertain days in my kitchen to now being a part of your special moments and, ultimately, a ritual you take home with you.
The three years of building Florra have been by far the most challenging, formative, and growth-inducing years of my life. From the outside, business ownership can look like a straight line of growth, but in reality, it is far from that. There were long days of balancing rent, payroll, and inventory. Moments when I questioned whether following my dream was naïve or impractical. Days when the weight of responsibility felt overwhelming, and I had to remind myself again and again, why I started.
This is my why.
Because now I can say that a beautiful space exists—one that captures moments of joy, connection, and laughter—because I saw a vision, took steps to build it, and didn’t give up when things were hard.
Because I get to share rituals of scent and beauty that played such a big part in my own healing with the hundreds of people who walk through our doors each week.
Because I have the privilege of leading a team of amazing and talented young women who I know will create beauty in the world in their own ways.
Because life is too short not to step in the direction of what feels most beautiful and true.
My gratitude runs deep, for the community, for the Florra family, and for everyone who has touched my life in one way or another over these past years. And for my children, who did not choose this journey but bravely walked alongside me anyway. They are my true why.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for being part of this journey with me. It means the world to me.
Love, Thuy
3 Years of Florra: How My Scent Story Became Yours
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