Ericka Barreto

About Ericka Barreto

I spent years waiting for someone to take a chance on me. I knew I had leadership skills, a drive to succeed & the tenacity to truly empower a company or brand when I believed in it. I worked under countless leaders who saw me as more of a threat than an asset & that was most of my twenties. Fast forward to 2018 when a friend encouraged me to take my hobby (florals) and help her do a wedding at Green Acres Campus Point! I remember setting up the arch, a hexagon, with so many florals I certainly didn’t make any money, and getting a message from the rental company that it was the most beautiful florals they had ever seen grace their arch. It was the most fun & satisfying thing I had ever done! The next three years, I continued working full time while playing with my brand on the side, never truly knowing how I could turn it into a career! I built my own website, I managed all of my own accounting, I spent money on networking events & pop ups with pure enjoyment in this “side hustle”. Fast forward to 2020 when I was laid off from my full time job & had the time to truly pause and focus on what I really wanted to do with my life. This side hustle was fun & exhilarating, but not enough to dive into full time so I started looking at other opportunities. Do I open a brick and mortar? Do I look for a career in hospitality? Do I find someone in the floral industry & apprentice under them while collecting unemployment? Then one day I was connected with a fellow florist who went the “I bought a business” route and it changed the trajectory of my career. She helped me find Hartworks Floral. Frankie Hartwell started Hartworks floral back in 1986. It started as a silk floral business & soon turned into so much more. Servicing weddings & events all throughout San Diego & beyond - the history runs deep. In February of 2021 I officially took over the company which included a 1600 sq ft studio, a work van, floor to ceiling inventory and supplies, connections to industry professionals, clients & connections that would have taken years to build. Now? Hartworks floral has fully rebranded & grown more than I could ever have imagined. We are on over 25 venue lists throughout San Diego, being apart of NACE, Weddings of Distinction, Refined by Suher, Societe & more. We service close to 100 events annually & sales have continued to grow each year. What do we offer? Full service floral & event design, curated workshops & holiday decor. We are passionate about partnering with industry leaders to create unique and memorable designs. Thanks for listening! Xoxo Ericka

Experience

1. Owner & Lead Designer

   Hartworks Floral

   Feb 2021 — Present · San Diego, CA, US

   I acquired the 34 year old wedding and event floral business & studio called Hartworks Floral, February 1, 2021 after a year of the pandemic Covid 19. I am excited to take on the clientele and connections the previous owner has built as I continue on her legacy over the next 34 years.

Education

• Point Loma Nazarene University

  Bachelor of Art, Interior Design

  2008 — 2012

• American InterContinental University

  Study Abroad, Interior Design

  2011 — 2011