Today we’d like to introduce you to Meagan Welch.
Hi Meagan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I fell in love with gardening about 10 years ago, and little did I know at the time that it would eventually grow into one of my greatest passions—and ultimately, my business.
It all started when I found myself wanting to preserve the flowers I grew because, quite simply, their life expectancy was far too short for my liking! I began experimenting with different ways to dry and press them, and let me tell you, it was SUCH a trial-and-error process. But just shy of two years later, I can wholeheartedly say I finally figured it out. Somewhere along the way, my love for gardening and my lifelong passion for art came together, and MayBay Designs was born.
Entrepreneurship and creativity have always been close to home for me. About 20 years ago, my mother, Donna Bayliss, started her own small business, By The Bay Needleart, which continues to be successful today. Growing up watching her turn her creativity into something of her own definitely inspired me to follow in her footsteps and take a chance on something I loved.
I debuted MayBay Designs at a local market in my hometown of York, Maine, and after receiving such an encouraging response, I knew I wanted to keep building. This past June, I took another leap and brought my work into York Corner Mercantile, where I was incredibly fortunate to become one of their top-performing vendors. A few months later, things came full circle when my mom and I decided to collaborate, expanding into a larger shared space at the shop where MayBay Designs and By The Bay Needleart could be showcased together. Now, I get to share that space with not only the woman who inspired me to pursue my creativity, but also one of my favorite people.
Of everything this business has become, one of the most meaningful parts for me is working with clients to preserve their special-occasion flowers. Whether it’s a bride’s wedding bouquet, flowers celebrating an important milestone, or an arrangement honoring the memory of a loved one, every piece carries a story.
There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking flowers that might otherwise last only a matter of days and transforming them into a piece of art someone can hold onto for years to come. Seeing someone genuinely love something I created with my own hands is a feeling that’s hard to put into words. Those are the moments when it all feels full circle—and I can only hope to continue creating more of them.
What started with a love of gardening and a reluctance to let beautiful flowers fade has grown into something I never could have imagined. And I’m excited to see where MayBay Designs grows from here.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It certainly hasn’t been easy. The trial & error or “learning” process of teaching myself a new form of art was tough but building a following & marketing has to be one of the toughest! Especially in this day & age because it feels as if everyone’s doing like things such as building a following. So to find the right clientele can be difficult, but just like that learning process, I haven’t given up.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I really take into consideration what the client is looking for and I try to give them exactly that. With asking a lot of questions you’ve learned a lot about someone if you truly listen and listening as a big part of my work because without it, I just be making what I want to make not making with a clients truly looking for and learning about all of my clients can truly inspire oneself.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Fun fact about me is I actually love skydiving so risktaking isn’t all that scary for me but risktaking in business can be more so. I have a small family so when it comes to putting financials on the line, it’s never an easy decision. Getting into the shop and having to pay rent as well as expanding, and that rent going up was definitely a big risk factor but if I wouldn’t have taken it, I wouldn’t have had this success that I have today.
Pricing:
- Personally, I don’t price an item that I don’t feel willing to pay for myself.
- I always put into consideration what the client wants and can afford so more people can have a chance to turn one of their special moments into an everlasting memory. So I give lots of options when it comes to supplies in framework as well.
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