Power Women: Barbara King

Twenty-one of the Main Line’s most successful and influential women share their secrets to success.

Photo by Jared CastaldiBarbara King was a toddler when her parents started Valley Forge Flowers 46 years ago. “I remember my father said that never once did he look at his watch and wonder when the day was over,” says King. “He loved what he was doing—and I feel the same exact way.”

At the start of her career, King apprenticed at the esteemed Robertson’s Flowers while attending night classes at Villanova University. “The people at Robertson’s really took me under their wing,” she says.

Soon after, she had clients of her own, including Main Line matriarch Dorrance “Dodo” Hamilton. “But the one thing we were missing was a Main Line storefront,” says King.

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Hamilton obliged, buying VFF from King’s parents 15 years ago and relocating it to the Eagle Village Shops, a property she owns. “Dodo has been one of my mentors,” says King. “She’s been a tremendous influence in my life.”

One of King’s biggest undertakings was the eco-friendly design of the new VFF building, unveiled last year. “It’s such a stay-awhile type of atmosphere,” she says.

King also travels all over with her team, creating lavish floral displays for weddings and events. And she’s working on a new line of home-and-garden décor for QVC that’s scheduled to debut next spring. “I believe in what I’m doing,” she says. “And in this business, that’s a great feeling.”
 

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