This story appears in the February issue of Utah Business. Subscribe.
When Orchid Dynasty opened its doors nearly 25 years ago, it was done in the best possible way: by being fearless.
My husband Clint and I were young co-owners, still in our mid-20s, and thought we could do it all. So much happened at once that those initial six months were tricky. We didn’t think we’d make it most of the time.
But if there’s a lesson I’ve learned and relearned over two-and-a-half decades of trying, failing and always trying again, it is learning how to pivot. That’s how you make the seemingly impossible possible.
Growing the dynasty
Flowers weren’t always my dream.
After graduating from high school, I wanted to be a fashion designer, so I moved to Los Angeles to learn how to be one. No one told me just how expensive schooling would be, and my adventure was short-lived. When I couldn’t afford my classes anymore, I dropped out.
Back then, going to school remotely didn’t exist. You moved to wherever the school was to gain your education. As the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who raised me in West Valley City, Utah, moving to California was a hardship for all of us. I changed my direction entirely when I was hired for the only job I could get: working in a flower shop.
It wasn’t anything extraordinary at first — helping with billing and office work — but I gradually wanted to become more involved. I learned the names of the flowers we were selling. I saw designers come through our doors to buy our flowers and wanted to do what they did. On the side, I even started providing flowers for friends getting married.
My passion for the industry grew slowly. This sparked an idea, and I decided to take a chance and bet on myself. Orchid Dynasty was born.
When my husband and I started, there was no YouTube, no how-to videos. Everything we learned was the result of trial and error. Mistakes were teachers that pushed us to become resourceful problem solvers. Every challenge required a solution, and we became adept at asking, “How do we fix this? How can we make it better?”
Those questions evolved into bigger ones, including: “How can we be profitable? How can we save time and reduce costs? How do we create a space that people want to return to?”
We did that by balancing the business with the experience we wanted to offer. It wasn’t only about having products on shelves but creating an environment that made people feel welcome and connected to the community we fostered. Every detail — from our curated products to the ambiance we provided — reflected our commitment to making it a place people wanted to revisit. We learned by doing, a hands-on approach that shaped us into who and what we became. It’s what makes Orchid Dynasty feel like home.
Talents in bloom
Clint has always been curious about the natural world. He’s drawn to unique shapes and structures. What started as a simple plant hobby turned into an obsession, especially with orchids. Their incredible evolution and intricate details pulled him in.
But growing orchids meant figuring out how to maintain the perfect humidity, light and temperature. He created microclimates in the greenhouse, balancing the needs of orchids that thrive in high-light conditions — like Vandas and Cattleyas — with those requiring tropical, shaded environments. Some species grow at 10,000 feet elevation, needing high levels of rainfall and humidity, while others thrive at sea level with periods of extreme dryness. Replicating these conditions was no small feat, but Clint’s dedication and fascination drove him to make it work. Hands-on learning and problem-solving turned passion into expertise.
Even though I’d left fashion behind, working with flowers allowed me to be an artist in a new way. While my husband gravitated toward plants and orchids, design and florals became my forte. Our shop allowed us to marry those worlds.
We grew in various ways in our early years, offering much more than standard wedding and funeral flowers. Art installations became as common as providing bouquets. I could design dresses made entirely of flowers — something nobody was doing — and it got us noticed.
Over a decade ago, I was approached to donate flowers for a fashion show, and I had a wild idea: What if I designed floral blooms on real-life models as they walked the runway?
The Art Meets Fashion show was magical. A few images I shared online gained so much attention that a shopping mall in Hong Kong contacted me and flew me out for their Mother’s Day promotion, where I designed full floral dresses for their display. Similar shows followed, including one in Shanghai. I traveled around the country and the world, either coaching budding flower artists or putting on exhibitions. Events with $150,000 price tags were not uncommon. Whatever was asked for, we always provided.
The power of two
For the first few years, Orchid Dynasty’s sole purpose was to pay our bills. We had two tiny babies and needed health insurance. Clint worked at Costco in the evenings before we finally agreed he didn’t have to do that anymore. It was small then, and our staff was the two of us. I answered every phone call and took all the orders while Clint helped with deliveries.
Our first location had no compartments or doors and a lot of open space. We added more employees as we grew, eventually moving from the Foothill area of Salt Lake City to the 9th and 9th business district. Business boomed. We operated out of a converted bungalow and added a greenhouse, but it was still such a dark space to work in.
These days, we have anywhere from 10 to 15 employees working with us on any given day, and — joy of joys — all that darkness we once had has been replaced with plenty of natural light. We are now in our third and final location in the Granary District, with an even bigger greenhouse and retail space.
“Even though I’d left fashion behind, working with flowers allowed me to be an artist in a new way. While my husband gravitated toward plants and orchids, design and florals became my forte. Our shop allowed us to marry those worlds.”
— Shelly Huynh
One strength in our business is the contrast between how Clint and I approach work, creativity and personality. I’m a dreamer and see opportunities everywhere, while Clint is often the grounding force. As a florist, I’ve learned to improvise through challenges — creativity on demand and finding solutions using whatever is on hand. We’re both incredibly passionate about our work, which is a blessing and sometimes a challenge.
Collaborating in both work and marriage can be demanding. It requires compromise, and sometimes the louder voice wins. Other times, feelings get hurt, and we’re reminded of the importance of separating personal and business matters. But this contrast — our different viewpoints and strengths — makes us dynamic and resilient. It’s an ongoing lesson in balance that brings richness to our business and life.
Working alongside your spouse for a quarter of a century is no joke. It often feels like we’ve been married for 45 years, which is double the time we’ve actually been together. Figuring out the idiosyncrasies of our relationship as newlyweds was a challenge, and raising young babies spilled into the stress of growing a successful exotic orchid company together. Still, we found a way to not only do it but do it well.
We learned to give one another adequate space. While Clint tends to his orchids, I have my area in the back of the shop. Having that slight separation helps us both. We’ve also understood that work remains work, and home will always be home.
“Success” is a funny word. We are growing, but I wonder if that always counts. It might be because of my family’s background of moving here from another country, but part of me feels like I have to keep going because of what might happen if we slow down. There are often unresolved questions in my mind: “Are we there yet? Can we pay our bills? Are we OK?”
I compare our experience with Orchid Dynasty to my daughter, now 22. I was pregnant with her when we started. Her growth parallels the growth of our company. As she has become an adult, so has our flower shop. We are now in the adulthood stage of our business. What’s left for us to do or try? Like so much else, that’s being figured out.
Once I arrive at the shop, I’m met with many familiar faces throughout the day. I see people I’ve known for over 20 years. We’ve developed friendships that started when they got married. I did their wedding flowers, and now I’m doing flowers for their children’s homecoming and graduation celebrations. It has been amazing to have those kinds of relationships and to see them evolve over the years.
A life spent in flowers
Orchid Dynasty is a full-service flower shop where we design floral arrangements, plants, orchids and gifts for everyday occasions, weddings, funerals and corporate events.
From the start, we have wanted to keep that classic flower shop feel but do it differently, elevating it with a more luxurious vibe, using the highest-quality blooms, paying attention to packaging, and creating a unique environment. When we bought our building in the Granary District, it allowed us to expand our greenhouse. We could start offering even more specialty orchids, many of which we’d grown since the start. It led to shipping orchids all over the country. Now, we ship to all 48 contiguous states and do daily deliveries locally from Farmington to Park City.
I love everything about flowers, but I am fond of what is in season: peonies, ranunculus, hyacinths in the spring; dahlias and celosia in the fall; amaryllis in the winter. Naturally fragrant flowers like gardenias, freesias and tuberose all add enchanting touches as well.
As we look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary in 2026, Clint and I reflect on how far we’ve come and all we want to do next. Because we have invested in our infrastructure, building, vehicles and website, constantly expanding our knowledge, we’ve ensured that we are strong enough to handle the next steps. Balancing a small shop feel with the ability to scale is our ultimate goal, and we’re doing it by committing to our people, shop and technology.
Success is the realization that Clint and I have built an entity that didn’t exist before, and it brings real value to people’s lives. It serves our customers while providing a livelihood for our employees, allowing them to grow and feel proud of all they do. Each year, we’re reminded of how lucky and grateful we are to still be on this journey.
Ultimately, we’re just two kids from the west side who took a chance and built something that’s become far more than either of us ever imagined.
