Nicole Doyle: alumni profile

You graduated in 2011, what have you been doing since leaving CCGS?

When I finished school, I didn’t really know what career path I wanted. There were so many options, so I picked the safest bet and completed a qualification in Business Administration. After securing an entry level admin job, I progressed in the company and ended up in a marketing manager role. Throw in some overseas travelling in the mix and another career change and here I am today working as a florist! 

You’ve recently established Acacia Floral Designs. Where did your passion for floral design come from?

Firstly, I just want to address the elephant in the room as while my business name is Acacia Floral Designs, I was a proud ‘Grevillean’ while at CCGS!

My passion for floristry came from a need to express myself creatively. After working in an office and building experience in administration and marketing, I wanted to explore my own talents and see where the road would lead to.

What’s involved in running your own business?

It’s challenging to get started and to establish a presence in the market, something, to be honest, I am still trying to achieve as my business is only 1 year old. In terms of the administration side of things, I try to keep everything organised so that nothing gets lost! It’s imperative to keep records of everything, which is tedious at times but worth it in order to achieve the end goal.

What are your dreams for Acacia Floral Designs?

I’m aspiring to build a strong market name in the wedding industry. It would be great to see more weddings booked for the next financial year and to continue to grow a presence in the floristry sector.

Outside of work what are you passionate about?

I have recently become engaged which has been an exciting time! We are having so much fun planning the wedding and can’t wait to tie the knot.

When you were a teenager what did you imagine you’d be doing post school?

When I was a teenager I thought I would own a house, be married and have traveled the world by 22…oh how naive I was! 

What is you favourite memory of your CCGS years?

I always looked forward to the Camps each year. They were always fun and there was always that one person who would sneak enough lollies in their bag to feed an entire village.

What is one piece of advice you would give to your high school self?

Live and let live!