Florist Life

It's simple, ask these questions when selling your floral creations, and you will be on the path to sending the most appropriate designs for your customer. Also, sometimes we get caught up in trying too hard and over embellishing... let's take time to edit our work and our retail shop to be a more convincing florist and designer. Don't put a bird on it. Thank you all for your loyalty & listenership... FLP lives on in season 3 coming soon!  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

There is a definite correlation between our comfort level and our creativity. Often, we find ourselves being our most creative when we are under pressure. It seems that our creative drive comes from a lack of comfort. Being the mastermind in pole position allows us to relax to the point of losing our creative vigor. This is what I consider the florist "autopilot".  Additionally, thanks to a listener inquiry, I discuss my overview and insight on the good & bad of having your own website (vs a wire service website) and how social media platforms stack up to them. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

There comes a time when we realize that short-cuts or cutting corners end up making a fool of us. In hopes of efficiency, we end up with the short end of the stick. Cutting corners is a kind way of describing laziness. Whether you are cutting corners or finding short-cuts, you're really just biting yourself in the ass, (in the end). True efficiency is taking the time to complete your necessary tasks properly from the beginning. Sometimes that takes longer, but by the end you'll have the best result because you took the time to do it right.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

It's a new year... Positive energy and good vibes are what we all need to start it off.  What better way than to begin with your own attitude?  Turning that frown upside down is the beginning to spreading the love and getting a fantastic & energetic start. Your good vibes will return to you once you set them on their voyage into the world. Put out the energy you want returned to you. Also, houseplants? We all love them... sometimes they respond well to meticulous care and attention...and sometimes they want to be left alone. Pick your battles and find a happy medium that works for you and your clients. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Measure up: to meet a particular requirement, standard or expectation.  Depending on the perception your client has of the design work you offer, and the expectation they have of the work, do you measure up? Being in the floral industry is a highly judgmental environment. The judgement comes from clients, colleagues, competitors and, of course, yourself.  Measuring up doesn't have to be about comparing yourself to your competitors... make some changes in your repertoire so that they CAN'T compare you. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

This episode, my 25th, revisits my first episode titled "Inspiration" as a rejuvenation and explores a few new avenues. I talk about how nature around me and you can inspire and direct us to create our most beautiful designs. By taking our cues from nature, we are able to create designs that are not only appealing but also have the aesthetics to prove that nature is the driving force that makes things beautiful. Also, Fibonacci and the way his mathematics and principles have directed so many of our designs, easy as 1-1-2-3. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Thanksgiving is upon us, and it made me think... why do people always move the flower arrangement off the table during dinner?  I am no dummy... I understand that the bird needs room on the table, but by default, it seems our flowers are passed off as expendable in the moment when dinner is served. What can you do to create something so intriguing that they don't move it from the table? This is when ordinary won't work and evocative is the way to go when styling flowers. Give them something to talk about.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

When it comes to our contracts and our floral offerings, we often have disruption in what we have promised our client due to the recent issues with the supply chain of our industry. We want to provide the best service and highest quality product we can, but are often faced with a big red "NO" buzzer. What to do in these scenarios?.... going forward, set your designs and offerings as stylings rather than recipes. It may seem like a cop-out, but to be perfectly honest and transparent about it.... the industry is having a hard time getting product. Be up front about it with your client by letting them know you are working in their best interest and will go to great lengths to get what they want.  Giving yourself "Wiggle Room" will help you get your customer exactly what they want.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Umami; the essence of deliciousness. Why do we so often feel the urge to "eat our flowers" out of the pure longing of their beauty. Sometimes our designs are so gorgeous that we say things like "I wanna eat those flowers". Why should the notion of "umami" only apply to food when flowers are such a feast for the eyes. A beautiful phrase in French, (Je ne sais quoi) translates to "I do not know what", which is often the key to what beauty lies in our floral arrangements. You or your customer may not be able to identify, or put their finger on what is so appealing about your floral work, but they know they love it. The mystery is often the the key to a fabulous design. Also in this episode, fame or infamy... what are you known for? Happy Birthday, Dad ~ 10/31/32 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The Comfort Zone is that place you end up when you stop challenging yourself or pushing your limits as a florist or designer. Things seem to "work", so why change them? The reason you change them is because you are a creative person, and being that person means you need stimulation of your creative muscle. The same old, same old just won't do anymore. Autumn is an ideal season to break into some fresh ideas that will help you transition into a more creative and adventurous designer... all of those textures, foliages, pods, cones and branches! Grab some and start your fresh new journey.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We feel like we plan down to the second for the wedding day of THEIR dreams. Then the inevitable happens.... a lost linen, a rain storm, no Dahlias! It is ultra stressful when you have promised something to a couple, and your/their dreams are vanquished.  Tired of the stress and sleepless nights over these events? We all are. Be prepared and be ready for ANYTHING. Get in the buffer zone and alleviate some of your stress of wedding day.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We must take the time to respect our flowers. As a florist, we take so much time convincing our customers of the quality and longevity of our flowers we sell, but do we spend enough time respecting those very blooms that we sell?  I have spent a lot of time researching, learning & studying the nuances of each flower I sell, and how the vase life is affected by the care I give them. A cut flower is a flower in the final stage of its life, by our knife... respect them, and they will return the favor.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Looking forward to a new season of Florist Life Podcast... It's coming in late summer... keep an eye out! 

The floral industry has developed so many incredible tools to help us design with more convenience and ease over the last few decades. Often, I find that designers seem to be unaware of the origins of how floral design came to be. In the modern day floral world, we have gotten so used to design conveniences, that the origins of technique in design have been lost. In that loss, we have created a problem, which is our use of an endless supply of non-sustainable materials. What is your role as a florist in the implementation of sustainability in your every day floral designs. Will you contribute, or keep things convenient?  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

I hear so often, "what should I charge for that?".  There is no real mystery of the markups and margins of the retail world.  If we examine closely how we can use our intuition, creativity, and logic... we will find new ways to price our products and services that make more sense in the modern world. Throw away old thinking and dated retail practices. Now is the time to get what you need while exploring new ideas in the weird world of floristry.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Creating and curating your own niche doesn't need to be complicated.  The simple way to create your own is to identify the client you are interested in serving and identifying your own strengths.  By combining these simple ideas, you can truly create a niche that works for both you, and your client.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We dread the moments at weddings when we realize we have either bought way too much product or not enough product for our event we are working on.... We feel so vulnerable or even like we have lost our mojo. The panic settles in and we usually can figure out what to do, but wouldn't it be nice if we had a better plan... and a recipe that told us what we need? Here are some tips and trick on how you can become better at your wedding formulas and how to buy correctly for them. I also discuss how to "shoot the moon"...and throw away your fears of selling high priced items and events. Stop selling as if YOU'RE buying.  You'll thank yourself in the end.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We all have been through it... Covid 19 took the industry for a wild ride. The effects are still lingering, and they will be for a while, but we will persevere. The idea that we have constant control over what happens in our floral life is a bit of a farce. You and I have the strength to push though, and be aware of our true ability to adapt to what we are not able to control. Awareness of our own ability and skill will help us continue to break through to the other side, and will prove to be the necessary tool to complete our metamorphosis. Spread your wings. This is a new beginning.  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Sympathy work is somewhat of an art form. As a florist, you must blend, with grace, the consultation with the implementation of the design in a short period of time. The consultation is often the most difficult part, being that you are faced with a bereaved client and the constraints of time. How will you cope, while your client is coping with loss? There is a nuance there, and you will achieve it with some effort... and in the end, you will save the day. Remember, "You can listen as well as you hear".  --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

As a florist, do you help support your industry?  Think of how many people you know in the floral world. Would it not make sense to think of them as allies or colleagues, rather than competitors? Don't miss out on the opportunity to make more friends and less enemies in our industry. Be an advocate for the floral industry! Be part of the big picture that is your industry, and support it. No one is so rich as to throw away a friend. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Many people are unaware of the grueling effort it takes to get flowers from the farm to their home. The mystery can be chalked up to misconception, ignorance or just disinterest. As a florist, it is important to justify what you charge for the products you sell. For some reason, people think we all grow our own flowers... we all know that is rarely true.  The conversation should not end there... take time to qualify what you charge and to what lengths we will go to get the customer what they want. Whether an Anthurium from Hawaii or a Rose from Ecuador, often the public is unaware of our outreach and how it works... and that sometimes will be enough for them to appreciate and respect the flowers as we do. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Why so serious? It's time we lighten up. The floral business is a surreal comedy show, and we are the stars. As florists, we have to try to find the humor in what is happening around us every day.  The complexities of Florist Life seem like we are often part of an industry that is a cross section of a three ring circus and an asylum. As a professional, you have the ability to make light of situations & ease the tension of a seemingly un-solvable problem. Everybody comes to you with a problem...and, "Yo, you'll solve it". Take your job seriously, but sometimes you can take yourself less seriously. Lighten up. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Who is your customer? How do they see what you do and what you sell as valuable?  There is a definite distinction between people looking for quality over quantity, and vice versa. Does your client see the value in your talents or do they simply find value in convenience? Ask yourself.  Also, have you delved into the world of subscriptions with your floral business?... If not, it is an ideal time to start. Get a plan in the works... you'll be happy you did.  Insta: @floristlifepodast Email: FloristLifePodcast@Gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The irate customer conflict is a scene we would rather avoid. As florists, we are embedded in the service industry and will surely encounter them, and often at the worst time. Be prepared, and know that you can take this situation and convert it from a negative into a positive reflection of your business. Don't become a bad yelp review. Make somebody's day... don't make somebody's day bad... including yourself. (Take care of you). --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Trends can be wonderful in showing us what "the world" is asking for... but often, trends can be roadblocks in a designer's world. What is stopping you from being a Trend Setter?  Your small town may be calling out to you for guidance on what is hip and in-fashion. Be the one they can turn to. START the trend. You are capable of creating & crafting a local trend.. who knows where it will lead? --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

As florists, there are times that our value comes into question as a professional. We hear that being a florist is a hobby, rather than a "real job".  Offering insight into your floral world will help your customers, as well as the pubic, realize that floristry is a real profession and we are here to help them as professionals. When someone says to me they want to be a florist and play with flowers all day like me... I tell them I want the job they think I have.  Join me in the conversation Email; FloristLifePodcast@gmail.com Instagram; @FloristLifePodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Utilizing Instagram is a great way to spread the word about your floral designs or floral shop. This episode will showcase the Dos & Don'ts that will help you be a better Instagrammer for your business. Following a few rules will not only give you a new platform to advertise for free, but it will also enhance your ability to communicate with your clientele efficiently.  If you have a subject you would like to hear about please email me at FloristLifePodcast@Gmail.com Check out my instagram, too! ~ @FloristLifePodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Expanding your knowledge base of the science of horticulture will help you be a better florist and will translate into clientele loyalty. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Send inquiries to FloristLifePodcast@Gmail.com Follow my Instagram Page @FloristLifePodcast

Adaptability is a quality we must adopt as florists. As creative people, we have so much ability to morph and work with our surroundings. So many things have changed our lives over the last year and we are here to face that challenge. This is Florist Life. Email me with suggestions or comments FloristLifePodcast@gmail.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

People often ask me what my favorite flower is. I will tell you...It is not the Carnation... but that does not mean I don't have affection for them. Be part of the discussion... email me to let me know a subject you may be interested in hearing about...Floristlifepodcast@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

What does inspiration mean to you? How do you define it, and how do you find it? Sometimes, you have to look forward, sometimes back, and sometimes it is right in your lap. Being a florist can be so complex and stressful that we forget why we love what we do. I hope this episode helps us all remember the times we have been inspired and why we love what we do. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app