There have been days when Julie Upchurch has stood in the middle of her Gambrills flower shop and asked, “Why am I doing this?”
Five years ago, she never would have dreamed of posing such a question. She left her stable job as a corporate recruiter for a major transportation company and bought the Little House of Flowers, determined to make it as a small-business owner.
Business started fine, as she delighted in putting together fresh bouquets of locally-grown flowers and delivering them to moms, grandparents and lucky spouses.
Then the Great Recession hit, and business withered like an unwatered daisy. It has yet to rebound.
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As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
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