“Do you want flowers?” Erica Dias asks me firstly of our phone interview.

This catches me off-guard, as I’m used to posing the questions—but I took a beat, leaned back in my computer chair, and smiled as an honest answer popped into my head. “Yes. They remind me of sunshine.”

That right there, is why Helen Florals is so vital.

Dias launched the flower brand back within the spring of 2020 as she—like the remainder of the world—was trying to take care of her sanity. “I discovered myself embarking on this spiritual journey where I needed to return to what sparked joy in my life,” Dias shared. “The 2 things that kept coming to mind was my grandmother…and her flowers.”

Growing up Dias said she was extremely close with each her grandparents, but grandma Helen, was the sunshine of Dias’s world.

“As slightly girl I’d really watch her in awe,” Dias said.

A talented gardener, Dias’s grandfather had transformed his family home right into a cornucopia of greenery that included vegetables, shrubbery, and lovely flowers. This was where his wife would come alive. “Every Sunday, my grandmother, before she went to church, my grandfather, he would say, okay, ‘come on, Mrs. Dias. Come and take your pictures within the front house. And he would take pictures where the garden was, and my grandmother would placed on her Sunday best. And she or he would just glow.”

After noticing his granddaughter’s keen interest in gardening, Dias’s grandfather taught her all of his green thumb techniques.

“He gave me that early knowledge of differing types flowers, patience, care, all of that. And my grandmother taught me the right way to truly enjoy them. Throughout the pandemic I had the space to keep in mind that that brought me a lot joy because, like most of us, my work life had gotten in the best way of some that core happiness,” she said, sharing she’d spent a few years focused on constructing her successful PR practice The B Firm.

While revisiting her love of flowers, she picked up floral arranging as a hobby and realized she desired to take it more seriously. What began as a fast escape changed into a business idea.

“I discovered myself taking botany classes in Dubai and doing deep research on the science behind the art. I actually loved it” she said. “Then…my grandmother died.”

Dias shared the death took its toll and led her to lean on her love of florals even more, mainly as a lifeline that connected her to Helen.

Over time, her floral arrangements caught the eye of her PR clients and led to them commissioning her for his or her special events, including R&B sensation Summer Walker’s baby shower. Within the span of months, Dias’s clientele grew to incorporate Bravo’s Real Housewives of Atlanta amongst many other notables.

Helen Florals now offers bespoke services for all the pieces from birthdays, weddings and funerals. One stand-out product is the eternity arrangement, which may last as long as two years.

While she’s humbled by the success of each businesses (that are generating hundreds of thousands), Dias said she’s most grateful for the spiritual growth her recent company has led to.

“Every stem I touch, there’s a jolt of pleasure that runs through me, and I realize it’s because my grandma is chatting with me through the plants, ?”

“What’s God saying?” I ask.

“Continue to grow.”