Kim Kardashian and Eva Longoria were among some of the more famous names on Inc. magazine’s recently published Female Founders 200 list — but there was another name on the list that’s well known to the floral industry: Corrine Heck, PFCI, founder and CEO of Details Flowers Software in Ormond Beach, Florida.

Heck is described as a trailblazer on Inc.’s annual list, which recognizes women who push boundaries and pave their own paths. After working as an event floral designer and building processes to overcome frustrations and keep her from feeling “frazzled and stressed at the end of every event,” Heck, in 2015, turned those processes into a software for event florists. Since then, the business has grown to include thousands of clients across the world, she says.

In addition to the Inc. magazine honor, the business was also named one of GrowFL’s top 50 companies to watch in Florida, and next week Heck will be awarded the Gator100, which honors the 100 fastest-growing businesses established by University of Florida alumni.

In this Q&A, SAF NOW talked with Heck about her journey as a female entrepreneur.

SAF NOW: What were your biggest challenges in bringing Details to fruition — and then to market? How did you overcome those obstacles?

Heck: Time is my biggest challenge, then and now. The idea for Details software existed for an entire decade before officially launching. The first big challenge was believing in the vision enough to risk everything to see it come together.  My husband and I were young parents with minimal funds to get development off the ground, so money was a significant challenge for sure. During that time, I feared that another company would come along and “scoop up” my big idea before we launched, so I was fearful to talk about the concept with just anybody. But with patience, education, good counsel and perfect timing, we launched our beta and haven’t looked back. After 20 years of startup experience, I can attest that building something really does take at least five times more time and money than originally anticipated.

SAF NOW: Success rarely comes without failure or setbacks. What failures or setbacks did you experience in your entrepreneurial journey, and how did you handle those?

Heck: Most of my setbacks turned into beautiful opportunities. My reaction to setbacks is to re-group and re-strategize, never giving up. I’ve witnessed many successful entrepreneurs regroup after their shortfalls, and they turned them into amazing opportunities.  If you face your fears with optimism, good energy and grace, the results will often be positive too, and you will have an even more remarkable story.

SAF NOW: What’s been the key to the continued growth of your business?

Heck: Some key drivers to our success have been to know our customers, prove our value, keep accurate data, and have a good team. We are constantly listening to our customers and taking action to make their lives easier. We wouldn’t be here without them, so they are the reason behind all we do. We find ways to prove our value to them and improve our value as a company daily. We also think that the growth of our business is only actual when we track key performance metrics. These data analytics often influence our strategy, new partnerships, and methods for every aspect of our daily business goals. Another key to our success is the professional development of our team and the creation of great company culture. I’m happy to work alongside a fantastic team that interprets my intentions and helps me grow as a leader, while they help our clients along their floral journey — all while growing their business acumen and professional skills. It’s a beautiful thing!

SAF NOW: What would you tell a younger version of yourself who was just starting to build Details?

Heck: Not to be so hard on myself!  Take action early, keep hustling, know that relationships are the key to future success — and smile!  I would also remind my younger self that there are no stupid questions and that the only way to solve a problem is to ask the right questions.

 SAF NOW: What do you say to encourage other female entrepreneurs?

Heck: I would tell other female entrepreneurs that there is room for you at any table and to sit tall. I would ask them about their biggest fear and then tell them to do that first because sometimes knocking the most challenging thing off the list first makes the rest of the things more manageable. I would also remind these fantastic women that they are not alone; the powerful women who went before them are cheering them on. I’d also tell them to dream big, and then dream bigger.

Amanda Jedlinsky is the managing editor of SAF NOW.