Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Rainbolt.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been obsessed with flowers, and with a degree in Graphic Design and nine years of experience as a graphic and website designer, I’ve always loved creating things that are both beautiful and meaningful.
But my love for pressed flower preservation started with something much more personal: my own mountaintop elopement with my husband. I pressed my bridal bouquet as my very first project, never really knowing that it would turn into something I’d fall so deeply in love with.
There was something so special about taking the flowers from one of the happiest days of my life and giving them a new life in a way I could keep forever. That’s what drew me into this work. Whether it’s a wedding bouquet, flowers from an anniversary, a graduation, or a memorial, there’s usually a story and so much meaning behind the flowers. Being able to preserve a little piece of those memories for someone is what makes this work so special to me.
I started Rosepress about a year ago, but I’ve really dove into it over the last couple of months, and since then, it’s been pretty much nonstop pressing and designing! It’s been so exciting to see this little passion project grow into something bigger than I ever expected.
The name Rosepress is especially meaningful to me. Rose is the middle name my daughter and I share, and it originally came from my Grandma Rose. I wanted the name to carry a piece of my family with it, just like I hope each piece I create carries a piece of someone else’s story.
My goal is for every piece to feel personal to the person it belongs to. I want to capture not just the beauty of the flowers, but a little of what it felt like when they were fresh and full of life, and what that moment meant to you. At the end of the day, I’m just someone who loves flowers, loves creating, and feels incredibly lucky to help people hold onto the moments that matter most.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a FULLY smooth road, but I think that’s part of what makes building something of your own so rewarding! I’m learning so much as I go, from running a business, finding clients, and figuring out how to balance it all.
One of the biggest challenges has been balancing Rosepress with my full-time career in design while trying to grow something I’m genuinely passionate about. There’s so much that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t always see, and with flower preservation, every bouquet is different. There’s a lot of trial and error, problem-solving, and learning to trust the process, especially when you’re working with flowers that hold so much meaning for someone.
I’ve also had to learn that growth takes time, and that building a business doesn’t happen overnight. But seeing people trust me with something as sentimental as their wedding bouquet or flowers from a loved one makes all of the hard work worth it.
I’m still learning every day, and while it hasn’t always been easy, I’m so grateful for how much Rosepress has grown already. I’m excited to keep learning, improving, and creating pieces that people get to cherish for years to come.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I own Rosepress Studio, a floral preservation business in the Kansas City area specializing in hand-pressed flowers and custom-framed floral artwork. While I primarily work with wedding bouquets, I also preserve flowers from anniversaries, graduations, memorials, and other meaningful moments.
With a degree in Graphic Design and nine years of experience in graphic and website design, I bring a strong eye for color, composition, and detail to every piece I create. I love thoughtfully arranging each flower to create something that feels like both a beautiful piece of art and a meaningful reminder of a special moment.
I am so proud of is seeing Rosepress grow from a personal passion project into something that allows me to be part of so many other people’s stories. What I’m most proud of though, is building something my kids can look at and see their mom chasing her dreams, taking a chance on herself, and creating something meaningful from the ground up.
I think what sets me apart is the combination of my design background and the personal meaning behind my work, and the why behind what I do. I care just as much about how each piece looks as I do about what it represents. To me, these aren’t just flowers in a frame; they’re memories people want to hold onto, and I feel incredibly lucky to help them do that.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I’ve always believed that if you don’t believe in yourself and bet on yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to do it for you. That doesn’t mean you won’t have doubts or moments when things feel uncertain, but I think your mindset has so much to do with how far you’re willing to go.
Starting Rosepress has been a risk in a lot of ways. I’m building something from the ground up while balancing a career, a family, and all the responsibilities that come with both. Putting yourself out there is vulnerable, especially when you’re creating something so personal. Not everyone will connect with your work, not everyone will choose you, and not everyone will understand your vision. But I’ve learned that you can’t let someone else’s opinion determine how you see yourself or what you believe you’re capable of.
I think some of the biggest risks are the ones you take before you have any proof that things will work out. You have to be willing to keep showing up, even when the inquiries are slow, the opportunities don’t come through, or you feel like no one is noticing what you’re building. You have to believe that what you’re doing has value before the rest of the world catches on.
For me, risk-taking isn’t necessarily about being fearless. It’s about deciding that the possibility of failure is worth the possibility of building something you truly love. I want my kids to see me chase my dreams, take chances on myself, and keep going even when things are hard. At the end of the day, I would rather try something and learn from it than look back and wonder what could have happened if I had just believed in myself a little more.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rosepressstudio.com
- Instagram: @rosepress.studio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosepress.studio/
