Big ideas and big leaps of faith are second nature to Mandy. As she was running her successful 500-square-foot shop, the Rusty Daisy Gift Co., she learned that the owners of the Home Hardware next to her shop had decided to retire. “Their family had owned the Home Hardware for 50-some-odd years. I was their neighbour for nine years and they were the best neighbours…” she says. “I was so sad to see them go.” That’s when her neighbours suggested she buy their retail space and expand her flower shop. Mandy thought about it. And thought about it some more. Then, it was all she could think about. That’s when she knew it was an opportunity that she couldn’t afford to miss. Just as she’d done nine years before when she bought the flower store, she jumped in headfirst. “Nine years later, during a global pandemic and life changes, I just decided to go for it again,” she says.

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The Rusty Daisy was this years recipient of the Collaboration Award from Flagstaff County.

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This category celebrates the incredible power of partnerships. This award highlights businesses that have not only excelled in their own right but have also gone above and beyond to form meaningful connections with other businesses, organizations, or community groups. We all know that when people come together with a shared vision, they can achieve so much more than they could alone. The businesses nominated for this award have proven that collaboration isn’t just beneficial — it’s transformative. By working together, they have created new opportunities, strengthened our community, and set a shining example of what’s possible when we join forces.

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