Meet Teneka Williams: Florist & Certified Informationista (Librarian)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Teneka Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Teneka, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to open a flower shop in Southwest Atlanta to help the neighborhood get reacquainted with beauty. Fresh flowers represent romance to me so I wanted to offer a place for men to stop and pick up a fresh bouquet. I wanted ladies to call me and talk through their holiday centerpiece ideas. I started doing fresh bouquets every Sunday to set the the tone for the week. Over the years, my family has gotten used to this and look forward to my weekly designs. This is what I wanted for other families. A bouquet represents all the beauty in variety all around us everyday, we just have to look for it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am professionally train licensed Librarian. I have worked for the Library of the Blind for the last fifteen years and am an advocate for Accessibility and Inclusivity. I worked to get the first black library Director in Georgia recognized in 2019, Mr. Leroy Childs. My career as a Librarian has proven to be a rewarding chapter in my life. My journey into the world of flowers is a natural progression for me. All the variety of stories that exist in the world are a literary bouquet of sorts. These stories that exist to show us who we are, guiding us through the life through the lens of someone else. Flowers are just the same. Bouquets bringing different stems together to culminate in an aesthetic statement. I want the brand of Royal Petals ATL to be known for the visual stories we tell.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Atlanta is a great city to eat. Can’t let anyone leave without taking them to Poor Calvin’s on Piedmont. There are so many funky AirBnb’s in the city like the treehouse in Buckhead, the cute lil’ tiny house resort in East Point, and the Chanel Barbie Paradise Loft (all pink errythang). Of course for me, the Westside is the best side and we can enjoy the latest drafts at Monday Night Garage. A bike ride on the Adair Park corridor stopping for selfies in front of some dope artwork honoring Atlanta’s local heroes, known and unknown. We going to Busy Bee for the fried chicken and mac & cheese, and Harold’s on Old National in Collipark for the hot chicken. Nobody does chicken like Atlanta okay, it’s 5011 variations and we have them all. But we can eat clean too and grab some Kale wraps from Tassilli’s Raw Reality on Abernathy or grab some caribbean infused vegan from Healthfull Essence, Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank my husband for encouraging me to keep learning and trying new things. Watching him turn his thought process into a non-profit, Adult Learning Institute, has inspired me to explore all my talents. As adults we should never stop seeking to reach our highest limits of creativity and continued learning to better ourselves and the world around us.

Website: www.royalpetalsatl.com

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