Enhance classic git workflow to include qa

Hello, I am in the process of coming up with a git work flow for the company.

I have been looking at the classic example of a successful git strategy:  https://nvie.com/posts/a-successful-git-branching-model/

I have two questions:
1. I first wanted to confirm how everything gets started.  I take it, an empty master repository would first be created and the develop would be branched from that master branch?
2. If the company wants a QA branch in addition to all the other branches recommended in the model, my question is how is that best included so it creates less issues down the line?
 - should the qa branch be cut from the master and then develop branch cut from qa?
- should both the qa branch and the develop branches be cut from the master, with merges taking place from develop to qa as needed?

Please note, the reason they don’t prefer to have a qa branch, is to allow cherry picking of the features included in the branch from the develop branch.

Thanks for any direction you can provide..