Hannah Henry of Northern Denver on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Hannah Henry shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hannah, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I think most of us struggle with a combination of pride and insecurity. They can be so tightly woven together that it can be difficult to distinguish one from the other. Am I proud? Am I insecure? I’m kind of both!
Let me give you an example of what runs through my head. ‘I am really talented. I can make anything beautiful. But can I make it as beautiful as my customer wants it? What if they find out that I’ve never done this style before? What if they find out that I don’t really know what I’m doing… that I’m figuring it out as I go? I hope they hire me. I’m definitely worth the money I’m charging.’ And round and round it goes…
Here is the truth that I always come back to. This truth is rooted in my faith and combats both my pride and insecurity. I am made in the image of God. God made me to love flowers and beauty and has given me the talent and ability to create beautiful things. My pride is in God the ultimate creator, who uses me as an instrument to share beauty with others. And because my gift is given from Him, I know my insecurities are unfounded. I can be secure knowing my purpose is to both create beauty and to love others with the things I make.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Hannah Henry and I’m the owner/ lead designer for Dragonfly Floral Company, a wedding and event business in Thornton Colorado. I am a florist because I love flowers and I love creating for others. It’s such a thrill to dream up something new and gorgeous for each customer.

I’m inspired by color and more recently by using seasonal flowers. I’ve had the privilege these past few years to learn a lot about growing flowers as I’ve worked on a flower farm in Niwot, Colorado called Slupik Mini Farm. It became my goal to grow as many cut flowers as I can in my modest garden space. I’ve also had close friends offer up their yards for my use. So cool!!!! It is so rewarding to use flowers from both the farm and my garden in my floral creations.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I was a late bloomer. Like really late. Have you ever heard the term ‘painfully shy’? I can relate to both the painfully and the shy! I struggled with Selective Mutism as a child, which means I had the inability to speak in certain social settings, but could speak at home. I didn’t break out of this shell until I went to a smaller school in my tween years and had some very outgoing friends adopt me as their quiet friend lol.
I didn’t want to be shy. I wanted to get to know people and feel ‘normal’. I decided I had to be brave and make myself talk. Soon enough I was able to omit the painful part from the shy. I also learned that I have a voice. I have something valuable to say. It’s funny because I must talk in what feels like an unnaturally loud volume to get the attention of others. But once I have their attention they listen. I have found that the benefit to being the quieter person in the group is that the less often you speak the more likely you are to be heard.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
You are exactly who you are supposed to be.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I love people and I value community. I believe that life is empty without letting others into our lives. I think my friends would agree that these relationships with family and friends are what matter to me the most.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would forgive better and love harder. I would do more hard things, even if failure was imminent. I would hold less grudges, be less annoyed about the little things and I would definitely bake more cookies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dragonflyfloralcompany.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dragonflyfloralcompany/

Image Credits
Christian Huerta