HUNTER SMITH/THE EXPRESS Sweeney’s Floral Shop, owned by Emily Singh, is located at 126 Bellefonte Ave., Lock Haven.

LOCK HAVEN — Sweeney’s Floral Shop and Greenhouse has been dedicated to providing unique arrangements and gifts for all occasions in the Lock Haven area for over 40 years.

For recent owner Emily Singh, the flower business is an opportunity to grow her own way.

Before taking ownership of Sweeney’s in 2023, Singh was a nurse with UPMC for several years before the loss of her husband.

Following this loss several years back, Singh chose to prioritize time with her daughter, Stella, for her mental health and well-being.

“I didn’t really know what to do,” she said. “I didn’t want to go back to nursing with 12 hour shifts while taking care of our baby and myself and my family.”

After leaving nursing in 2022, Singh said she spent a few months enjoying life with her daughter and learning how to slow down.

“I had to figure out what this new part of my life was going to look like,” Singh said.

During that time off, Singh soon found herself at Lucky 7 Truck Stop, working alongside family.

“My husband’s family owns Lucky 7 Truck Stop, so I went over there and I was selling cigarettes and stocking the beer cooler, but it was fun,” Singh said. “It gave me the space and time to be able to take care of myself and that’s when I realized I’m actually really good at business.”

After building more business experience at the truck stop, Singh was offered the opportunity to become the new owner of Sweeney’s

“In 2023, (Sweeney’s) went up for sale and my father-in-law was looking for investment places,” she said. “He knew I wasn’t a truck stop girl so he asked me ‘Do you think you could run a flower shop?'”

She laughed and joked that after helping run Lucky 7, she could run the world.

Singh and her father-in-law worked together to close on the business in February 2023, opening shortly after to continue creating beautiful arrangements for customers.

“I knew how to work QuickBooks and I knew I liked flowers, so I dove head first and learned everything I could,” she said. “My time was consumed with YouTube video tutorials, Instagram pages, Pinterest boards and a lot of hands-on work.”

Singh shared her gratitude towards her in-laws as they continue to support her and her business.

“They were exactly what I needed. They gave me shelter and took care of me and let me find my space and peace,” she said.

Taking over an existing business has had its challenges according to Singh, but each challenge comes with a learning opportunity and a chance to improve.

“I messed up a lot my first year because I really didn’t know what I was doing but it’s my second year and I already have eight weddings this year,” she said.

As she continues to build a new legacy around Sweeney’s. Singh shared the most important lessons she has learned as a business owner over the years.

“It took me a while to be comfortable with my ideas because I was putting myself in this box,” she started. “I was taking over a legacy business and I kept asking myself ‘What does everyone want?’ ‘How can I do things that honor the history of this place?’ but I kept failing.”

Singh, feeling unable to fill the shoes before her, emphasized the importance of learning that it is okay to change paths when something is not working out.

“About nine months ago, I decided to do it the way I like it,” she said. “If they like what I make, they’ll come back, but if they don’t, it’s okay. It just means I’m not the girl for them and that’s okay.”

Singh shared she has learned a lot over the years as a woman running her own business, especially one in a smaller town.

“As a girl in my early 20s, I kept trying to make myself smaller to be more palatable for everyone and figuring out what it meant for me to be a woman, but now being 32, I think finding my voice and being confident in that voice and not wavering in my decisions or choices has been a great lesson,” she said.

Singh credits her success in part to social media as well.

“I’ve been around since MySpace,” said Singh. “I think that’s how people have gotten to know me because they can see me.”

Now, Singh has used social media to promote past arrangements and connect with a larger clientele in the Lock Haven area.

“Sometimes I’ll get a call about an arrangement I posted online from, say, April 29th asking if I can make the same thing again and we can always use that photo as inspiration to create something wonderful for you,” she said.

Singh is looking forward to creating more arrangements this year with the help of her crew that includes Avery Shaffer, Joslynne Mutchler and Devany Jones.

Sweeney’s Floral Shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You can learn more about what services they offer by visiting www.sweeneysfloralshop.com.