Afia Bayayi is vibrant and spirited, and so are the flowers. Her arrangements have dressed everything from intimate weddings to a store launch for Adidas, all of them loud with color. But before the flowers, Afia was a teacher, and it took her own wedding to change that. She did the floral design herself, a DIY job at eighteen, and something clicked. “Seeing the fruition of a design I envisioned was immensely gratifying,” she says. “Throughout my years of education I never quite identified as a creative, so taking on my own wedding arrangements was an awesome challenge.” That challenge became AFMENA.
The classroom, then the business
Word spread. Afia became the designated florist for friends and family gatherings while teaching full-time, and it was during maternity leave, after her first son, that the spark caught. “Inspired to create a home-based career, I decided to formalize my passion and register it as a business.” She kept teaching and building at once, using each maternity leave as a runway. By the time her daughter arrived, two years and three children later, she made the call to commit fully. “I’ve never looked back.”
The classroom did not leave empty-handed. “So many skills turned out to be transferable. Engaging with people, whether clients, vendors, or staff, comes from the interpersonal skills you build teaching. Communication is the cornerstone of the classroom, and it translates straight into customer service. And teachers have to be exceptionally organized.” Running a household with three homeschooling children while running a business, she says, made that last one non-negotiable.
What she learned the hard way
Going it alone meant learning business the expensive way. “Financial missteps were common, which led to wasted resources,” she admits. In the early days she would get so absorbed in bringing a design to life that she forgot to check whether it made money. “I now recognize the importance of ensuring each endeavor is financially viable, and of monitoring the profitability of a project from the outset.” The absence of a partner to share the load taught her the value of a team; today she hands ownership to whoever’s strengths fit. “I trust the creative judgment of my team, and it pushes them to excel.”
The harder lesson was visibility. Grappling with imposter syndrome, particularly as a Black business owner, she shied away from being the face of her brand. “I came to realize that personal connection plays a pivotal role. By not stepping into that role, I was inadvertently hindering my own growth. Now I understand the importance of being authentically present as the face behind the brand.”
Afia stopped hiding from her own brand. Personal connection was the growth she’d been leaving on the table.
Bold is beautiful
That presence is the whole point. “I’m your red lip, afro-wearing, fabulous-earrings-always type of girl,” she says, “and I want my work to speak the same way.” Her arrangements aim for clean and bold at once, vibrant color and played-up texture, and she is known for offering mixed florals, fresh and silk together, a contemporary and more sustainable choice. Her advice to anyone starting out is the one thing she wishes she had done sooner: pick a niche. “Discover your distinct style and stay consistent. Avoid trying to cater to everyone. It makes it far easier for the right clients to find you.” If she were a flower, she says, she would be an anthurium. She loves the tropical vibe.
AFMENA Events is at afmena.co.uk and @byafmena.
