In our bi-weekly series, we ask female executives, founders, CEOs - basically boss ladies - about the "power suits" - the effortless outfits they wear every day to conquer any job.

Our favorite entrepreneurs are disruptors of their industry, whether they jumped into it by accident or actively sought opportunities to make a difference; Farmgirl Flowers (opens in new tab) founder Christina Stembel (opens in new tab) is the latter and quit her full-time job at Stanford University to start a flower delivery business with $49,000 in savings.

"I started the business with intention. I came up with 4,000 ideas before I launched Farm Girl Flowers. I didn't want to take somebody else's idea and tweak it. I wanted to innovate," she says.

Stembel was dissatisfied with the floral arrangements available in the world and had a hard time finding the kind of arrangement she had envisioned in her head. Furthermore, back in 2010, when she was brainstorming, the entire flower delivery process was old-fashioned and unexceptional. Then came Farm Girl Flowers, which offered perfectly designed arrangements of seasonal peonies, tulips, roses, anemones, and more for Instagram, and Stembel embarked on a journey that still finds fulfillment and joy 10 years later.

The journey itself had its ups and downs. For Stembel, who grew up on a farm in rural Indiana and never attended college, the floral industry was entirely self-taught through books and videos, from learning the names of varieties to understanding techniques such as flower processing. "What do you mean," she explains, "I saw a YouTube video and thought, 'Oh, it's all about leaf removal.'"

Stembel says she initially had no budget for marketing. Instead, she placed bouquets of flowers in coffee shops around San Francisco, along with a small marketing card. She says, "I made sure that those bouquets were placed in different neighborhoods and on the actual bars where people would get their coffee." We would count how many cards were taken [after a few weeks]. If there were 40 or 50 cards, we would put out another arrangement. The bouquet cost me $20."

All the flowers were arranged by Stenvell in her own apartment until her landlord discovered her business. Eventually, she began setting up store at the San Francisco Flower Market. Attention to detail - the burlap that wrapped Stembel's bouquets became her signature, plus guerrilla marketing at coffee shops paid off. Fans began spreading the word about Farm Girl Flowers to family and friends.

According to Stembel, what sets the brand apart from other DTC floral companies is Farm Girl's customer experience and commitment to flowers. All arrangements are expertly designed and even come with their own vase. To add to this, Stembel's entrepreneurial story itself has resonated with many fans and given her brand popularity. Stenvell, the founder of the company, says she is on track to generate $60 million in sales this year without the help of investors. (Stembel says she tried to raise capital but was unsuccessful.)

But she is undeterred and has chosen to focus on expanding her business where she can. Over the past year, she has decentralized her flower delivery system, opening delivery centers all over the world, from Ecuador to Miami. And with Christmas coming up, another critical time for the company's business, Stenvell is looking to finish the year strong.

Before we get into that, we'll discuss how the founder dresses for work and what kind of attire makes her feel empowered when faced with difficult decisions.

"My morning routine has definitely changed (with COVID-19). Before, I always left the house. I often work late at night, so I get more sleep because I no longer have to get up and drive to the distribution center. One thing I have always done, though, is to put hot rollers in my hair. I used to drive with the hot rollers in, but now I do it in the morning while I make coffee. It takes me six minutes to set my hair. I don't have the habit of showering in the morning, so I do it at night, and thanks to Zoom's auto-correct, I only wear a little makeup."

"At home, it depends on the call. If it's in-house, I'll wear a sweater and stretch pants. If it's more formal, I wear a nice blazer and shirt. I go to Ecuador a lot for work, and I spent two and a half weeks there in October. However, I have to go directly to Ecuador again in January for the growing season.

I dress differently that day. Since we are going to a muddy farm, I will wear work boots, jeans, and a sweater. Depending on the weather, it rains a lot, so I will wear a Stella McCartney rain jacket that goes with everything. [Warehouses are sometimes refrigerated, so you need warm clothes."

"I love clothes too much. I love sweaters and jeans; Moussy, Rag & Bone, and Mother are my three jean brands. I also love Naked Cashmere sweaters and Stella McCartney sweaters. In my DIY tutorials, people always ask me where I buy my sweaters, and most of them are from The RealReal. Gucci is always my favorite. [I have a lot of Stella McCartney and Zadig & Voltaire and wear a nice shirt underneath. Jeans and a blazer make you look put together and sophisticated. If you're not wearing stretch pants, now is the time.

I actually just gave myself a divorce gift this year. I bought myself that Chanel necklace I've always wanted. I have a Gucci tiger print cardigan and a ring that I've been dying to get my hands on. Especially when I have to attend a tough meeting. I used to have a $30 bull necklace that led me down the Gucci tiger path. Whenever I'm negotiating a contract, I always wear something with an animal on it. For jewelry, I love Jennifer Baer and Marni. Statement jewelry is what I wear when I want to feel powerful, otherwise I wear something understated."

"Intense, strong, powerful."

"Don't worry about what people think of you. And as Maya Angelou said, "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or what you did.