When I first started dreaming about this podcast, I knew I wanted conversations that felt honest, grounding, and deeply rooted in real life - and this conversation with Nicole is exactly that.
Nicole is the founder of Headwaters Farm, nestled in Acme, Washington, where she grows a curated selection of fresh and everlasting flowers for local retail customers, florists, and the community around her. But what I love most about her story isn’t just what she’s building… it’s how she’s building it.
In this episode, we sat down to talk about where it all began, what the early years really looked like, and how her business has grown over time - and it’s such a beautiful reminder that growth doesn’t always happen all at once.
Connect with Nicole
Headwaters Farm: https://www.
Instagram: @headwatersfarm_wa
North Sound Flower Cooperative: 112 Ohio St. Suite 117, Bellingham, WA
Open Wednesdays 9am-12pm
Rooted in Family History
Nicole’s story begins long before Headwaters Farm.
Growing up, she spent time in her dad’s flower shop in South Florida - a shop that was itself inspired by her grandmother, who also owned a flower shop. Flowers were part of her world from the very beginning, even if she didn’t always imagine that would become her path too.
When Nicole and her husband moved to their farm property in Acme, they were looking for a way to build a life that aligned with their values, their family rhythms, and the kind of day-to-day life they wanted to create.
And eventually, flowers became the obvious choice.
Not because there was some perfect master plan.
Not because every next step was clear.
But because it felt familiar.
Meaningful.
And worth growing into.
The Early Days of Building
Headwaters Farm didn’t begin overnight.
Nicole shared that they had lived on their property for years before the business really took shape, and that the process was slow - shaped by starting a family, learning how to grow, and figuring out what kind of business made sense for their life.
Like so many creative and product-based businesses, a lot of the early years looked like experimenting.
Trying different markets.
Exploring different products.
Learning through experience.
Figuring out what people responded to.
She started by focusing heavily on dried flowers, especially because that was something she didn’t see much of in the local market. Over time, that expanded into fresh flowers, retail relationships, pop-ups, and wholesale.
And one of my favorite parts of her story is that you can hear how much of it was built simply by starting, paying attention, and learning as she went.
Motherhood and Entrepreneurship at the Same Time
One of the most honest parts of this conversation was hearing Nicole talk about what it looked like to grow a business while raising young kids.
She shared that this part of the journey was one of the hardest - especially in the years when her business was growing and her children were still little. There were deliveries, events, markets, field work, and all the constant moving pieces of motherhood happening right alongside it.
And I think that’s what made this conversation feel so relatable.
Because building something meaningful doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
It happens while you’re tired.
While you’re juggling.
While you’re trying to be present for your family and faithful to the work you’re growing.
Consistency Builds Trust
Another theme that really stood out in this conversation was consistency.
When I asked Nicole what advice she’d give to someone building a product-based business, she talked about the importance of finding your core customers and showing up for them consistently.
That means bringing the products people count on.
Showing up where you say you’ll be.
Becoming a trusted part of someone’s routine.
And I loved that perspective because it’s such a simple thing, but it matters so much.
In a world where everyone is looking for the next strategy or shortcut, Nicole’s answer was a reminder that trust is often built in the steady, repeated ways you show up over time.
The Power of Community
One of the most surprising and exciting parts of Nicole’s story is where her business has grown.
What began with flowers, markets, and retail relationships eventually expanded into wholesale - and even more recently, into something bigger than just her own business.
Nicole is a founding member of the North Sound Flower Cooperative, a new cooperative flower market where local growers, florists, and the public can connect around seasonal blooms.
What started as flower growers gathering to share ideas, pricing, challenges, and support eventually became something more collaborative and formalized. Now, the cooperative offers a shared space and marketplace for local flowers in a way that supports both growers and buyers.
And honestly, it’s such a beautiful picture of what can happen when small businesses come together.
Because yes, building something on your own takes courage.
But building alongside others?
That changes everything.
Growth, Season by Season
If there’s one takeaway from this episode, it’s this:
Meaningful growth often happens season by season.
Not all at once.
Not in a perfectly straight line.
Not according to someone else’s timeline.
Nicole’s story is such a beautiful reminder that businesses can grow slowly, thoughtfully, and in ways that genuinely reflect your values and your life.
She’s building something beautiful.
Something practical.
Something rooted in place, family, and community.
And that kind of growth feels worth paying attention to.
Connect with Nicole
Headwaters Farm: https://www.
Instagram: @headwatersfarm_wa
North Sound Flower Cooperative: 112 Ohio St. Suite 117, Bellingham, WA
Open Wednesdays 9am-12pm
