Meet Anielisa Lora and Melanie Zaid | Founders

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anielisa Lora and Melanie Zaid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anielisa and Melanie, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Flowers are a wonderful source of energy and inspiration in our lives, but too often we get caught up in our fast-paced routines and getting fresh flowers becomes a hassle instead. We dreamed of receiving a beautiful pink box of fresh flowers at our doorstep every month, hassle-free. So we decided to develop a flower subscription service in the Miami area, offering the best quality flowers sourced from farms in Latin America. A question we get asked a lot is, why My Tuileries? If you’ve ever had the incredible opportunity of taking it all in at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris, you understand the power of nature’s beauty to energize, refresh, and clear our minds. With our hand-picked flower bouquets, we ensure that your home becomes your sanctuary – a place of enchantment, a place to loosen up; a place to be unapologetically you.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
When buying flowers at the supermarket, you can’t tell how long it’s been since they left the farm. So it’s a bit of a coin toss – you might get fresh flowers or you might not. Our goal was to offer guaranteed long-lasting, top quality flowers in our subscription boxes, but it sure was no easy task. One of the challenges we faced was finding the right flower providers. After many months of testing different farms (and building business relationships), we finally selected our current providers from various farms in Latin America. We are proud to offer the best quality and longevity in all three of our products – roses, cymbidium orchids, and birds of paradise. Our advice is simple: research (a lot), test, and connect. We are also a local business, serving only the South Florida area, so we understand our customers and our community. We aim for an unboxing experience like no other, offering unique perks of the month by partnering with other brands for exclusive discounts.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Melanie: Friday calls for brewery hopping in Wynwood, with a key stop at the Star Wars themed J. Wakefield Brewery (don’t miss the sriracha chile lime popcorn). For dinner, we’d head to Mandolin for the best Greek food and al fresco dining ambiance, or to my favorite hidden gem, Café Roval. Saturdays are for brunch (with bottomless rosé), beach and pool at Soho Beach House, ending our day with live music and good wine at Lagniappe. I’m a huge sports fan, so on Sunday we’d probably tailgate at the Hard Rock Stadium and catch the Miami Dolphins football game. Anie: Other than hitting the beach, which is a no-brainer, a week guided by me in Miami would definitely include the bolognese pasta at Cecconi’s, Casa Tua, Pub Belly, or CVI.CHE 105 for lunch. We would spend the afternoon strolling through the Design District, being sure to explore all the design and creative spaces that have been developed. Their stores’ motifs are some of my favorite things to look for and appreciate. For a spa day, we’d head to the Standard, and have lunch at The Lido overlooking the water. Then move on to oysters and wine at Amara at Paraiso’s outdoor dining. We can enjoy some iconic pizza at Lucali, order half the menu at KYU, or even grab the truffle pasta and great seafood at Sapore di Mare, in Coconut Grove. One night, we could go for drinks and dinner at Komodo, and then head to their third level for some reggaeton. I’m no expert on the party scene, but I could take anyone dancing to some Latin music at La Victoria. To end the night we stop by the Big Pink on Miami Beach for some late night cravings. Boat day is a must, grilling picanha and watching the sun set on the Miami skyline would be a highlight. I would not allow us to miss VOUS CHURCH’s first service on Sunday, and then brunch at Zuma, or Quinto la Huella with a little live music, and yes, of course, bottomless mimosas!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Melanie: After working for five years at a marketing agency in Miami, I felt I was ready to dive into the entrepreneurship roller coaster and start a project of my own. My confidence to make the leap was built up during my times at Agency Marketing Machine when I was working with John and Natalia Tate. Their leadership, tireless commitment, and positive energy demonstrated what hard word and dedication can achieve. I am forever grateful for the opportunity to work with the Tates and, more than anything, I will forever cherish their friendship and guidance. Anie: Besides receiving more than enough love and encouragement from my family, my shoutout goes to three people who, indirectly, have inspired me in three very different ways to be who and where I am today. They are siblings, my cousins: Fausto, Jorge and Lissette Lendeborg. Lissette is a published writer. Besides the fact that she is only 20, what has impressed me is how confident she was from so early in her life; confident in her talent and being able to name herself for what she is: a writer. I struggled for many years to call myself a creative, because my talents are shaped differently from how I thought they should be. Her confidence is contagious and to be honest, it has made mine grow. For that, I thank her. Jorge is an actor; moved to Los Angeles after graduating high school, landed a lead role in his first year in the industry, and since then has been in movies such as Bumble Bee, Spiderman, and Love, Simon. His journey has encouraged me to not be afraid of going after what’s in my heart and allow passions to be more than just a hobby. After all, it’s what we were born to do. A year ago, when I felt stuck at my 9 to 5, I thought of him. Fausto has co-founded companies and has built cloud security products, that have led to acquisition, now he is a CEO of his own cloud security company in Miami. To be blunt: he believes in me more than I believe in myself. For the last 7 years, maybe once a year, I receive a random phone call from him with the sole purpose of pushing me forward. It’s a compliment to have someone who is so driven, smart, and accomplished, to liken themselves to you in all the best ways. Someone who knowingly comes to you believing that you will surpass their expectations. It may seem coincidence, although I like to believe it’s just our strong connection, when I’m facing a big challenge or am in need of some mentoring, I get a call from him.

Website: https://www.mytuileries.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mytuileriesco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mytuileries/