The Fresh Bunch
The Fresh Bunch (formerly '2 Fat Guys Talking Flowers') is your all-access pass into the wild and wonderful world of flowers. Hosted by Michael Black, Mimi Pacheco, Ryan Black, and producer, Joel, keeping us sounding fresh—we bring you unfiltered conversations about the good, the bad, and the ugly of the floral industry’s trends, challenges, and characters. From flower fails to petal-powered success stories, each episode blends laughs, insights, and special guests from all corners of the flower world. It’s part podcast, part therapy, and all fresh—welcome to The Fresh Bunch - a Jet Fresh Flowers podcast.
Episodes
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we're exploring the powerful topic of Legacy.
In light of the recent loss felt throughout the floral industry & Ortega family, we invited several friends and industry leaders to share their perspectives, experiences, and reflections.
Willie Armellini opens up about the unique pressures and responsibilities that come with being part of a legacy family. Cameron Pappas of Norton&apo...
This week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch is a very special tribute to one of our original hosts and a beloved part of the Jet Fresh Flowers family, Fern “The Fern Show” Ortega.
Known for his unforgettable intros, contagious laugh, incredible energy, and surprise rap and song moments, Fern brought joy and personality to every episode and to everyone around him. More than a podcast host, he was a friend, a teammate, a fa...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, the crew welcomes floral powerhouse Amy McCord AIFD, CFD, founder and CEO of Flower Moxie and now author of the visually stunning new book, Blooms Everyday: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging.
Amy joins Jimi, Pinky, Ryan, Mimi and Joel to talk flowers, creativity, confidence and the journey behind creating a floral book designed for both flower lovers and floral pros alike. From “Flower ...
This is a very special Mother’s Day episode of the Fresh Bunch. Full of laughs, flowers and behind-the-scenes floral chaos. Jimi’s jokes are back, Mimi grabs the reporter jacket and microphone, and there may even be a surprise appearance from Mike… you’ll have to tune in to find out.
We hear from all kinds of Fresh customers sharing what Mother’s Day looks like from their side of the floral world as the industry gea...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re covering ground from Washington, D.C. to Doral. We discuss a few events that happened in the floral industry in April. But first, we get some motivation from Head Coach Mike, who breaks down big floral holidays the best way he knows how—through sports analogies and classic movie-style monologues. It’s how his sales team stays focused when the pressure’s on.
Jimi heads to D.C. for...
Sweet ears of the podcast realm—this week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re casting with the incredibly talented Jessica Rauls, founder of Gather Flower Studio and curator of beautiful floral varieties. Full of giggles, stories, and floral stardom, this episode blooms from Jessica’s “florally viral” Powder Puff Rose reel that first connected her with Mike. Mimi had to challenge Powder Puff with her all-time favorite, Crysta...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by Rebecca Merritt, Founder & CEO of Beyond Merritt Events. Rebecca’s firm delivers creative direction, strategy, interior design, branding, room planning, and extraordinary florals for corporate, agency, and private clients across the country.
Ryan first met Rebecca at the Orchid Dinner at the New York Botanical Garden, where the two instantly connected over d...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by the one and only Floral Wizard, David Kaplan of Above All Flowers. With decades of experience and a global network of growers, David truly has his finger on the pulse of the floral industry.
David shares what’s happening across the world’s growing regions—from wrapping up the Catkins (pussywillow) season to the highly anticipated start of Peony season. After shipping more...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we welcome two very special guests — Valentina Armellini, the new Marketing Manager at Chrysal USA, and Kyle Armellini, Terminal Manager at Atlanta Armellini.
The married couple shares the story of how they met and how they each navigate the unique challenges of today’s floral industry from two different sides of the business. From logistics and transportation to floral spray colors and ...
On this week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re joined by Paul and Tony Guerrie, cofounders of Flower Buddy. The two brothers share how they went from working in tech to building a business together in the floral industry.
The conversation goes beyond flowers and into what it really looks like to start and grow something from the ground up—especially when you’re doing it with family and bringing an outsider’s perspe...
This week, The Fresh Bunch hits the road for one of the most iconic events in horticulture—the Philadelphia Flower Show, “Rooted.” 2026
Joined by Freshie Christine Guenther of Wild Flower MD, Mike and Mimi share highlights from their unforgettable trip, diving into the creativity, passion, and stories behind the nation’s largest and longest-running indoor flower and garden show.
We toured the show with Bill Schaffer a...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we sit down with visual interdisciplinary artist Maurice Harris of Bloom & Plume.
Maurice Harris is a Los Angeles–based artist. Recognized from his TV projects “Centerpiece” and “Full Bloom”on HBO Max, he pushes boundaries beyond his floral art.
His photography transports viewers through vibrant color and bold composition, while his popular social series—Capitalism Doesn’t Care Abou...
We've had a busy 2 weeks here at Jet Fresh. SAF's Next Gen Live in Raleigh, NC, the New York Botanical Garden's annual Orchid Dinner in NYC, Fleurs de Villes latest show unveiled in Miami, and the WFFSA (Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association) conference all fell within the same 2 weeks. So the team divided and conquered to make sure each event was a success.
Join Jimi the Tulip, Mimi, R...
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re Talking Tulips with the incredible team from Bloomia.
With Ryan, Joel, and Casey away at SAF NEXT GEN, Mimi jumps on the 1’s & 2’s and does her best to keep the tech running, while Mike and Jimi the Tulip help deliver an episode packed with energy, insight, and big floral news.
We’re joined by Werner Jansen;CEO of Bloomia and Bill Prescott,Sales Manager, one of the largest produ...
In this episode of Fresh Bunch, we sit down with Adam Havrilla, Creative Director of Elite Flower; accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD); Chairperson of Professional Floral Communicators – International(PFCI); and an Illinois Certified Floral Designer with more than 20 years of experience in professional floral artistry.
Known for his original, artistic designs and commitment to excel...
Happy Valentine’s Eve, Freshies ❤️
This week on The Fresh Bunch, News Anchor Mimi is back reporting live from Jet Fresh Cash & Carry, chatting with local Miami floral pros about the real story behind Valentine’s Day. We’re talking about how V-Day steals birthday thunder for florists, why burgundies and darker, moodier tones are dominating this year’s designs, and how to to work with the VIP Choco Wax Roses from J...
The Fresh Bunch is officially in full V-Day Countdown mode. The Freshies are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, and Mike introduces Fun & Fresh—a two-week, daily activity series created to ease the holiday stress and keep the energy high for customers and employees alike. Ryan, Joel, Jimi, and Mimi walk through the full schedule for both weeks, plus we hear directly from Fresh customers along the way. From singing ...
Snow Days & School Days: SAF Next Gen 2026 Edition
This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re talking all things winter and NEXT GEN with SAF President Lori Wheat, AAF, third-generation owner of Lafayette Florist in Colorado, and Eileen Weber, AAF, second-generation florist and co-owner of Lake Forest Flowers in Illinois—both speakers at the upcoming SAF Next Gen Conference in Raleigh, NC.
These floral pros kick off the ...
On this episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re excited to welcome the incredible team from Choice Farms for a high-energy conversation centered around WFFSA and the future of the floral industry. We’re joined by Freddy Melero, Director of Sales and Procurement at Choice Farms and current President of WFFSA (Wholesale Florist & Florist Supplier Association), who shares how stepping into this role has been an inspirin...
WELCOME TO EPISODE 200 OF THE FRESH BUNCH PODCAST!
This is a massive milestone for us, and just like our 100th episode, we’re celebrating with a special video podcast you can finally watch on YouTube!
Episode 200 is all about the rebrand, the listeners, and the incredible flower community that has supported The Fresh Bunch this year. This episode is dedicated to YOU — our Freshies
Join Mike, Ryan, Mimi, Joel, Jimi, and...
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