Our Story
As told by our Co-Founder, Lyly Greca
"We're a bunch of ordinary people working together to make extraordinary things happen.
We believe in achieving the impossible, that’s why from day dot, Miei (formerly known as Miei Fiori) was conceived to act as a vehicle of change, with a 100%-net-profit-to-charity model. Our focus was on improving children’s lives and closing the poverty gap in Australia. Therefore, we simply created a business to help us achieve that goal.
Rob and I are often asked why we chose to set up our company in this way. Well, our family is fortunate enough to have a comfortable lifestyle from our hard-working years in the corporate world and our referrals-only wedding, event design and management business (but that’s a whole other story!). Additionally, as the parents of two healthy and happy children, we believe that all kids should be given an equal start to life. This means the basic rights to education, healthcare, safety and wellbeing we ourselves enjoyed as we were growing up.
We know our model is ambitious. We also know it’s realistic and rewarding because we are making it happen – every day.
Thank you for coming on this journey with us!"
Scroll down to discover our journey (so far!...)
May 2021
B Corp Re-Certified
We did it-again! As we learned back in 2018, the road to B-Corp certification is no easy feat. Our team worked tirelessly for over 12 months to ensure we are delivering on our commitment to meeting the highest standards of verified performance across everything from supply chains to our internal processes. After an exciting journey and taking note of where we want to go in the future, we're so proud to be B Corp certified once again!
Jan 2021
Winner of Real Leaders Impact Award
We were honoured to have been selected for the 2021 Real Leaders Impact Awards, recognising leading social and environmental impact businesses around the globe! We were so proud that our tiny business was invited to join an inspiring list of global change-makers.
Feb 2020
Finalist for 2020 Inside Retail Awards (In-Store Customer Service Initiative Of The Year)
We were blown away to be nominated, thanks to our 'Take Me Home’ repurposed flowers initiative. The award recognises unique, innovative in-store customer service initiatives that also offers a point of difference above industry standard. We were so proud to be nominated alongside huge names in the industry, and thankful to Inside Retail for the nomination!
Jun 2019
Acknowledged as Best For The World (Overall & Community)
We were so thankful to be named for a second time in B Lab’s Best For The World in Overall & Community categories. Showing we’re keeping to our mission & promise to deliver all the initiatives Miei Fiori was set up to achieve- such as protecting the planet, supporting communities & complete corporate transparency.
May 2019
Received 5th Place of Top 50 Small Business Leader
We were humbled to be awarded 5th place in the Top 50 Small Business Leaders from Inside Small Business. The awards are a celebration of the achievements Australia’s small-business owners and start-up entrepreneurs that highlights the dedication and never-say-die attitude required to turn an idea into a viable commercial enterprise.
Mar 2019
Moved into our new home!
We were so excited to be supported by Walker Corporation & Development Victoria to secure our brand new studio space in the Undercroft in Collins Square! The opening of our brand new 110 sqm studio & workshop marked a huge milestone in our business, as we now had a functional space create our beautiful arrangements and a space to serve, support and educate the community in person. The space also welcomed our newest sustainability initiative- The Take Me Home Corner.
Jun 2018
Acknowledged as Best For The World (Overall & Community)
Less than 6 months after being a Certified B Corporation; Miei Fiori was honoured as Best For The World in 2 categories “Overall and Community”, creating positive impact for Workers, Environment, Community. We were recognised for creating extraordinary positive impact as a business based on an independent, comprehensive assessment administered by the non profit B Lab.
Jan 2018
Bcorp Certified
We did it! We officially became B Corp Certified and joined a list of inspiring movers and shakers who meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit & purchase. We are proud that from our growers, to The Smith Family and our local community, B Corp Certification proves our business is meeting the highest standards of verified performance that goes above and beyond industry standard!
Oct 2017
On the way to B Corp Certification
Miei Fiori was created as a vehicle to have positive impact on our world, socially and economically. We know what we had launched was great, but we wanted to go through the process of being officially B Corp Certified. Going through the certification process, we found gaps for improvement, which was amazing and inspiring. Certified B Corporations meet rigorous standards in social and environmental performance – and compete not to be the best in the world, but for the world.
Sep 2017
First Miei Fiori Van
It might not seem like much, but getting a van makes life so much easier for a fast-growing business. It means we can easily transport tall floral arrangements and have fewer trips while servicing expanded order volumes (before that, we used much smaller sedan hatch vehicles). Around this time, we also started hatching plans to build our team with a mix of creative florists and business development managers. The ultimate aim – to support our plan of reaching our first 7 figures.
Aug 2017
Finalist AusMumpreneur “Social Impact” Award
I (Lyly) am a mum to 2 beautiful children. Also, I’m a business owner, so I guess that makes me a mumpreneur! When asked by the organisers what I loved about being a mumpreneur, I responded: “The ability to be a positive role model to our children that it is definitely possible to have it all. Running a successful business as a mother where I can be front and centre involved in my children’s lives and a happy marriage.” Of many submissions from across Australia, we become finalists.
Jun 2017
Crown Melbourne
Crown really loved our story and offered to support us where possible. They told us they appreciated our consistent quality and service, and transparent communications (we liked that about ourselves and in others too). We were delighted, as having them on board would further lift our public profile and support our growth.
May 2017
Nominated for the Telstra Business Women’s Awards
I (Lyly) was surprised to have been nominated for this award. I entered with a bare-all submission in the Purpose and Social Enterprise category. I ended up revealing the tiniest details of my life (including that I love books, ballroom dancing and board games). I also threw in some impressive terms like ‘acquisition’ and ‘retention and growth strategy channels’, not to mention the entire Miei Fiori vision. For a business that had only been trading for 12 months, this was a very humbling recognition from our customers.
Feb 2017
Sodexo & PWC Melbourne
Having the support of several big clients gave us the confidence to open up conversations with other dealers and industries. Using our skill, sass and experience in everything we’d ever done in the business world, we tirelessly started to pursue new connections. Our mission was to increase conversions and make the most of any available opportunities. We focused on building strong relationships and articulating our unique offering to the world. As a small social enterprise with a big heart, we captured the attention of two more high-profile brands, Sodexo and PWC.
Jul 2016
First Hotel Client (WestWaters)
WestWaters Hotel was the first major hotel to give us their backing. The hotel is dedicated to supporting local suppliers and charities. While we weren’t local, they really loved what we did and what we stood for (especially our personal service and attention to quality), so making the switch from their existing florist was a no brainer.
May 2016
First Client (Mazda Brighton)
So we had an inspirational, ground-breaking business model. The clients would come knocking, right? It took a bit more than that to get into the swing of things. Our quest to bring the big players on board involved countless interstate meetings, too many knock backs and failing to get through to the key decision makers. Happily, we secured Mazda, our first big client. We took their brand ethos, high ceilings, crisp white walls and interiors into consideration when doing their floral design, a service they’d never before experienced.
Feb 2016
Launch
After 6 months in the making, and with the support of many wonderful people, we got Miei Fiori off the ground. We officially launched at the Monash Children’s Hospital’s first charity gala, which we were heavily involved in organising and which actually gave us the idea for MF in the first place! Despite facing a number of setbacks and delays (think e-commerce functionalities on our website), our persistence paid off. We were chuffed. Our dream of creating a business as a vehicle to impact social justice had come true.