A native of south Alabama, DeJuan first came to love flowers while gardening with his parents and his grandmother. He gained technical knowledge of flower arranging while working in a flower shop when he was in high school. After graduating from college with a marketing degree, he married his high school sweetheart, Debra, and moved to New Orleans to work as a stockbroker for three years. In 1985
his company moved him to the New York area, and he worked on Wall Street in compliance and securities law for ten years. During his time on Wall Street, DeJuan indulged his love of flowers and design by helping friends and local charities with weddings and parties. Inspired by the books of several European florists, he made numerous trips to Paris to investigate the possibility of an alliance with one of the florists so that he could combine his business knowledge with his interest in the flower and event industry. Although an alliance with a European florist proved to be impractical, during this period DeJuan added to his design knowledge and began developing his own style. In 1996, he left Wall Street, and with Debra, his wife, started an event design business, DeJuan Stroud, Inc., which is located in Tribeca in New York City. DeJuan has been featured as an entertaining expert on Martha Stewart Radio, CBS, NBC, WE, and Oxygen Network. Articles about his work have appeared in the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, Southern Accents, Modern Bride, House Beautiful, House and Garden, Grace Ormond Wedding Style, New York Magazine, Elegant Bride and People Magazine. His client list includes Fortune 500 companies, celebrities and notable New Yorkers in society and politics.