06/04/2026
This went out in our June Newsletter. We thought we would share how CJ Blooms came to be. If you want to receive our newsletter head over to www.cjbloomsil.com and sign up.
JUNE! It finally feels like summer is arriving after a very unpredictable spring.
This month, I thought I would share the story of how CJ Blooms came to be.
Many of you know me through flowers, but what you may not know is that I also have a full-time career. For the past 26 years, I have worked as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. For the last 17 years, my work has focused on supporting law enforcement officers, first responders, healthcare providers, military service members, and their families.
Like so many people, COVID changed a lot for me.
When the world shut down, there wasn't much to do and nowhere to go, so I worked. I spent my days, evenings, and weekends providing telehealth sessions. Over time, the constant pace left me—and many other healthcare workers I knew—completely burned out. For the first time in my career, I began to wonder if I should leave a profession that I truly believe is my calling.
As I wrestled with that feeling, I found myself asking the same question I had asked so many clients over the years:
What brings you joy?
The answer didn't come quickly.
As a wife, a mother of three girls, and someone working full-time, I wasn't used to putting myself on the list of people to care for. For nearly two years, I sat with that question. Eventually it evolved into:
What makes me feel alive?
What doesn't feel like work?
What would I love doing if I didn't have to?
Three themes kept appearing: learning, creativity, and beauty.
So I started learning everything I could about growing flowers and floral design.
That first year, I told my husband I simply wanted to see if I could grow anything at all. By midsummer, our house was overflowing with mason jars full of flowers. They covered countertops, tables, and windowsills. Everywhere I looked, there was beauty.
I found myself waking up early just to spend time in the garden before work and wandering through it again every evening until sunset. What started as a simple hobby became something much more meaningful.
Flowers bookended my days, and somewhere along the way, they helped me reconnect with joy.
Growing flowers gave me balance. It gave me a place to learn, to create, and to recharge. My days were still spent helping people navigate some of the hardest moments of their lives, but now they were balanced with beauty, wonder, and growth.
The truth is, CJ Blooms didn't start as a business plan.
It started because I needed something that helped me come back to myself.
The fact that I now get to share that experience with others is something I never take for granted.
So, if you've visited our stand, purchased flowers, shared a kind word, or supported us in any way—thank you.
Thank you for appreciating beauty.
Thank you for supporting local dreams.
Thank you for helping CJ Blooms become more than just a hobby.
I have no idea exactly where this journey will lead over the next few years, but for now, we're having an incredible time, and we're so grateful you're along for the ride.
Until next time.........
Cory and Jori
