Rooted in Joy

Christy Tehven ’10
Majors: Communication-Public Relations, Business-Marketing

Tell us about yourself.

I’m a born and raised North Dakotan who could eat pizza for every meal. I love to run and I’m grateful for my incredible friends and family who keep me going each day. I live just south of downtown Fargo with my husband, Greg, our 1-year-old daughter, Harper, and welcomed our son, Alexander, in May.

How did Love Always Floral develop? Can you tell us about that journey and your current role in the company?

Love Always was born from my passion of spreading joy to others. I was lucky to work for some wonderful companies directly out of college in advertising and corporate event planning. However, these places never quite felt like they were the right fit for me. While still working my corporate job, I was able to take a week off and read “Fire Starter Sessions” by Danielle LaPorte. After reading this book, it became clear that Love Always was something I needed to try.

I am the founder/owner of Love Always Floral, a company with a mission to deliver unique and stunning floral design. It’s a place where I get to work with an incredible group of women in spreading joy through daily deliveries, weddings, and corporate events. My time is spent mostly communicating with clients and couples, loving our team, and leading strategy for the company. 

What is the best part of your job?

Two things immediately come to mind:

1. The team. We have an absolutely inspiring group of eight women who share a love for flowers and the mission of our company. Watching them grow in the company while loving our clients makes me just explode with happiness.

2. The stories. As part of our job, we get to celebrate alongside customers in some of life’s most precious moments. From engagements, to weddings and anniversaries, to birthdays and promotions, we have the opportunity to play a small part in some incredible moments.

What are you most proud of in your business?

I am proud of the team of women whom I have the pleasure of spending my days with. These women provide a place of support, laughter, and positive energy in making a difference in our own lives as well as our customers’. The projects that this team accomplishes never cease to amaze me – from huge installations to tiny yet beautiful infant floral crowns, our projects are hardly ever the same. I am lucky to be a part of their lives and the fact that these women choose to spend their time with Love Always.

What skills are necessary for success in your industry?

Flexibility, creativity and empathy. We want our customers to know how much we value their support, and we show this appreciation by trying our best to go above and beyond for them.

What do you wish you knew in college that you know now?

I wish I had known that your career may take you in a completely different direction than you originally thought and that’s OK. Be open to adventure and the opportunities that present themselves because you never know where they may lead.

How did your time at Concordia prepare you for your current work?

The downtown environment I get to work in each day reminds me of Concordia.  Concordia helped me realize the value of a tight-knit and supportive community to help you accomplish big goals, which gave me the confidence to take the leap into Love Always. 

Where do you foresee the direction of Fargo’s culture going and what are you most excited for in the years to come?

It’s been so much fun to watch downtown Fargo grow in the last few years! As a result of the amount of people moving into the urban environment, more and more individuals are spending time in this area of town. I see downtown continuing to grow as a cultural and creative environment where people want to live, work and relax. On the business side, downtown Fargo is wonderful to be a part of because of the growing energy and excitement. People are alive and thriving and it’s contagious! At Love Always, we hope we can keep adding to the atmosphere of our community and supporting the businesses within it.

^{Published August 2019}