We invite you to a celebration of the women who've established deep roots in the floral industry. Today, we're joined by the trailblazing Valerie Christosimo of Black Girl Florist, Teresa Colucci, AIFD president and owner of Meadowscent, and Amy Marella, owner of The Hidden Garden, who share their personal transformations from other realms into the world of floristry. These women have not only crafted their own success but have also sown seeds of inspiration, creating spaces for collaboration and mentorship and actively reshaping the landscape to be inclusive and supportive of all aspiring florists.
We honor the enduring legacies of Susan Bates and Frankie Shelton, whose dedication to the art of floristry has forged a path from competitive isolation to a flourishing community. These pioneers have fostered an environment where education, the sharing of knowledge, and mutual support.are the rich soil in which new talent can grow. Their stories remind us that the whole field of floristry flourishes when we lift each other up.
Lastly, we discuss work-life balance, a challenge familiar to working mothers everywhere, with a candid look at how the women of this industry have intertwined their careers with the demands of family life. It's a testament to the resilient spirit of mothers who manage to flourish professionally while also nurturing the next generation. Join us as we celebrate the unity, dedication, and love that fuels the world's most passionate floral professionals.
Host: Nita Robertson, AIFD, CFD – Publisher, Florists’ Review
Guests:
Theresa Culucci, current President of A.I.F.D and owner of Meadowscent in Gardiner, N.Y. meadowscent.com
Valerie Christostomo, CEO and President of Black Girl Florists blackgirlflorists.com
Amy Marella, owner of The Hidden Garden hiddengardenflowers.com
FloristsReview.com | @florists_review
Florists' Review has served the floral industry since 1897. Join our tribe of floral professionals🌺 Subscribe to our print magazines and join our social communities for creative inspiration and floristry business education.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to today's episode of the Flower Hour with
Florist Review.
I'm very excited to have aroundtable of fabulous women in
the floral industry and we'rehere to share their stories.
So I would like to introduceValerie Christosimo, who is the
CEO and president of Black GirlFlorist, and she's just an
amazing inspiration in ourindustry.
(00:22):
I've been noticing you more inthe last few years, just seeing
you out at events and doingwonderful things for our
industry.
So welcome Valerie.
Valerie, if you could just tellus a little bit about how
you're involved in the floralindustry and what you do, we'd
love to hear.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Sure thing.
Thank you so much for having me.
I absolutely love flowers inevery capacity.
I've been working with flowersfor about seven years and a
couple of years ago in 2020, Iwas looking for more florists
who look like me and I was like,well, where are we?
So I started a list so peoplecould shop black for their
flowers and then from therestarted a whole organization and
(00:57):
it's made quite an impact inthe industry.
It sure has.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You should be proud of yourself.
I'm proud, that's awesome.
And so how many people are inyour group?
Tell us a little bit about theBlack Florist movement and
what's going on there.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Sure, sure.
So I'll start by saying that asBlack Florists, we make up
about 2% of the total industry.
So that's 2%, that's Blackwomen and Black men.
So you can imagine it's a lowerpercentage for just women.
And I wanted to be able tofocus on celebrating and
promoting our work, because alot of times we don't have the
same access as our Caucasianpeers in this industry, and it's
(01:33):
been so amazing and sobeautiful to connect with
different organizations and seethe support that has been given
and poured out to ourorganization.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I love that, and what is your background with flowers
?
Do you have a flower shop?
Are you an event florist?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Oh man, I work with flowers in multiple capacities,
I would say right now I prettymuch do a little bit of
everything.
I am an event planner by tradeand I went to Florida State
University to study hospitality.
Once I got my event business up, one of my brides was like hey,
can you do flowers?
And I was like Once I got myevent business up, one of my
brides was like hey, can you doflowers?
(02:08):
And I was like, yeah, I thinkso.
So I started by doing a lot oflike pop-up events and working
with some brides doing smallerevents, and I was like I think I
can do this and I really loveit.
So then went from eventplanning to do a floral work and
now primarily manage BGF, and Ialso opened a floral co-work
space in Atlanta for florists tocome and be able to work on
(02:29):
their designs and meet withtheir clients.
So we have about 5,000 squarespace, basically space they can
work in, and then we also have a10 by 10 cooler and a full
kitchen and it's literally myfavorite place in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Oh, that sounds like a great collaboration.
I love that space.
That sounds fabulous, valerie.
Well, we sure are glad to haveyou in our industry and I just I
think you are a powerhouse asfar as a woman role model being
out there and bringing peopletogether, and I thank you for
that.
Thank you, yeah, of course, Iwould love to introduce our next
(03:03):
guest, who is Teresa Colucci,aifd.
She is the current president ofthe American Institute of
Floral Design, as well as aflower shop owner, so we welcome
you, teresa.
Thank you, Teresa.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Go ahead and tell us a little bit about your floral
journey and who you are and howyou're involved in the industry.
You know I feel like I was.
Really I had to jump on thingsbecause I always knew that I
loved flowers.
I kind of thought, leaving highschool when I was in high
school I got a job in a flowershop and leaving high school I
was either going to go tocollege for restaurant
management I loved cooking andrestaurant management or I was
(03:43):
going to go into the floralindustry.
At that time I didn't know howbig the floral industry actually
was.
I wound up going to college forhotel restaurant management and
worked in a flower shop for mypart-time job and it just kind
of rolled from there.
When I left college I wasmaking more money working in a
(04:03):
flower shop than an entry-levelhotel job, so I stuck with that
because I had to pay the rentand it just rolled from there.
I opened my own shop and fromthat point is when I really
discovered what AIFD was.
I was in a small town for along, long time.
I was reading my trademagazines, wanted to know what
(04:25):
these addendums were behindpeople's names, the
certifications, and went to myfirst convention in 2001.
And that's when I was like whoaI am surrounded by people that
are as passionate about flowersas I am and started my journey
with AIFT.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I love that.
That's how I started my journeytoo, and I I think there is
something about being in a roomfull of people who share your
passion.
You know, I mean, my familyloves me.
I know they know I love flowers, but they don't have that same
passion.
When I talk about flowers, youknow, and when I'm with my, my
flower friends, there just issomething that just you know,
(05:05):
just it, just with my, my flowerfriends, there just is
something that just you know,just it just makes you feel full
and you learn so much from eachother and you inspire each
other, and you know it's.
You know, the education is onepart of it, but there also is
about the collaboration and thefriendships that we make and how
it really does help us alongour way, along our journeys,
whatever that may be.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Totally, whether you're in AIFD or not, you know,
along our journeys, whateverthat may be Totally, whether
you're in AIFD or not, all thewomen on this panel today all
share this great passion forflowers and it connects us and
we have so much to share witheach other.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I love that.
I love that.
So how long have you had yourshop, Teresa?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I started my shop in 1987.
Wow, and what is?
It called and where are youlocated?
So it's called Meadow Scent andI am in the Hudson Valley of
New York, so we're about an hourand a half north of the city.
Gotcha.
Yeah, right in the mountains, abig tourist area for anyone in
Manhattan.
(05:59):
I love it.
Yeah, the getaway from the city?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, yeah.
I love it, Teresa.
Well, thank you for all you dofor industry.
I think that you are also agreat role model and just I love
seeing a woman in the lead ofAIFD right now and you're doing
a great job.
You're just, you're a wonderfulleader and I think that
inspires many and hope itinspires the young people, the
new people, so we can get theminto the industry, Because I
(06:24):
know that that's a big goal ofours.
Thank you.
I would love to introduce ourthird guest today, who is Amy
Marella, and she is from LA andshe is a more, I would say, like
an event florist.
But we would love to hear aboutyour floral journey, Amy, and
where you're located and whatyou do for the floral industry.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Honored to be here, especially with these ladies.
So it's always fun to heareveryone's stories in different
parts of the country.
So I started my company 24years ago and I had zero floral
background.
I never worked in a flower shop.
I wanted to work in a flowershop.
I had called to like try andwork at one and they kept saying
, no, you don't have experience,you don't have experience.
(07:02):
And I was like, oh, okay.
So then I started making flowersout of my apartment and at the
time was in the music business,and so all of our friends in the
music industry were like, willyou make this for me, will you
make that for me?
And before you know, at myapartment was filled with flies
and it was 60 degrees and wecouldn't eat out of the kitchen.
And my husband now, butboyfriend at the time was like
(07:30):
you need to move, this isn'tworking out.
So I opened a flower shop, notknowing what I was doing, and my
dad was my delivery driver.
He was retired and I was like,okay, let's give this a shot.
And you know that was 24 yearsago, so I had nothing to lose at
that time and then I just Ijust plugged away.
I mean, I cried myself to sleepfor five years because it was so
hard.
But little by little, I justlike learned, you know, the
lessons, and I'd go to theflower market and I'd like talk
(07:52):
to people and be like what aboutthis, and how do you do that
and who's this?
And you know, and as Icontinued to grow, like looking
now, 24 years later, we have 30full-time employees.
So it's, you know, we just kindof kept packing on, like okay,
now we need someone that can dothis, and now I, so I've done
every person's job, you know,from driving the van to picking
(08:13):
up at the market, to selling, toanswering the phones, you know.
So we've just, as I've like,released parts of the business
to people.
It's like that's how I continueto grow, and then just finding
good people that were able tofill those roles, you know, and
knowing like, okay, that's my,not my strength, let's get
someone to do that and let's getsomeone to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
See that that's so important.
What you just said, I think, asa business woman, is, for some
of us, it is hard to let go attimes, especially when we've
started our business and we'vedone every job or I'm doing all
the jobs you know, right andthen it's like, okay, I can't do
this all alone if I want tokeep growing, and you know.
And then to also realize like,okay, I'm maybe I'm not the best
(08:53):
at this and I can hand this off, you know, and you know just
listening to other people andgetting different ideas.
So I'm sure that that's been abig success for for you, for
part of your business.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Yeah.
So it's probably the biggestpart of the business, just as
allowing you know people to dothings that they're better at
than maybe me, or just knowingthat we need to have more people
to do those things you know.
So we I started off justwanting to do flower
arrangements like happy birthday, I love you, anniversary, and
then that turned into oh,there's this thing called the
(09:24):
wedding business and I was likewhat's that you know?
And then we got that.
And then about 12 years ago wegot into the event business, or
into the hotel side of thebusiness.
So we do five of the majorhotels in Beverly Hills, we do
all the lobby florals, and thenwe built into the more of the
event side, so the corporate andsocial side of it.
So we kind of have our hands inall pockets of flowers.
(09:45):
So I would say we're dividedinto kind of four buckets.
So we have our daily business,our hotel business, our wedding
business and our social eventbusiness.
So it's definitely challenging,but we've got a great team of
people.
So that's how it works.
Otherwise I would never sleep.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I think that's so neat.
So you do have like a retailshop for every day.
You know arrangements.
Can people go in, or is it justdeliveries or you could come in
here.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
It is set up like there's a receptionist that you
could walk into to you know, tospeak with, but it's definitely
set up like a warehouse.
You know studio space, officesare upstairs, design floors
downstairs.
You can definitely do that.
Most of our business.
I would say maybe like four orfive times a day someone walks
in but for the most part it'sonline on the phone, handled
that way.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That's great, though I mean I think that's neat that
you are handling that part ofthe business and have kept it as
well as the event business,where some people you know
separate that and say I can onlyconcentrate on one or whatever
you know.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
The good part about it for us just in LA is there, I
think there's it's a great ebbsand flow to.
You know, when one bucket ofthe business is down, another
bucket could pick up, which isreally great.
So we kind of don't rely.
And then sometimes all fourbuckets are super full and it's
like, oh my gosh.
But it definitely, you know,allows us to kind of like move,
move through the slow periods,then that another side will pick
(11:08):
up and be busy, which is whichis nice, but it is.
It is challenging.
There are days where it'sextremely overwhelming.
But again, team, you gotta havea good team.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You gotta have a good team.
Yeah, I totally agree.
Well, I just love that.
I think that's.
That's so exciting.
You do a great job.
Tell us the name of your shopand where you're located so that
people know.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
No problem, it's called the Hidden Garden and
we're in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Awesome, are you like on it?
I mean, I figure all of LA isbusy, but are you like in the?
Speaker 5 (11:36):
you know, we're in the middle of what we would call
West LA, so we're off the 405and Pico, so we're centrally
located.
For us like to get to all ofour cause.
Our hotels were there so manytimes a day, so for us it's with
traffic you need to.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
I was going to say that it's a quick jump, yeah, so
it might be five miles away,but it's going to take you an
hour, yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
Not going to lie today.
It took me almost two hours toget to work today.
It was just so dangerous.
So yeah, so yeah, you just haveto be prepared.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So yeah, we do stay centrally located so that we can
get to, you know, all of ourclients pretty easily.
That's a huge, huge thing.
I'm sure even just deliveringflowers in LA is, you know, a
lot more challenging than asmall town.
You know, yeah, yes, yeah, it'sdefinitely a challenge, but,
yeah, so that's where we're in,we're in the middle of it.
How exciting, how exciting.
Well, I am just so thrilled tohave these three ladies here
this month is, you know,international Women's Day was
(12:33):
just the other day and we're soexcited to celebrate women and
hear their stories and theiraccomplishments and, you know,
hopefully inspire other women.
So I did want to ask each ofyou a few questions regarding,
you know, international Women'sDay.
Teresa, I had a question foryou.
I wondered if there were anyfemale pioneers or role models
in the industry who haveinspired you and how they've
(12:55):
influenced your work, becauseyou have been around and it
sounds like you've been on quitea journey.
I am just curious, you know, ifit was a mentor in the
beginning or whoever comes toyour mind as someone, a woman,
who has been a role model foryou know where you, where you
are today.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
So my boss in in Boston, susan Bates.
She had this little tiny shopon the bottom of Beacon Hill and
she was definitely inspiringbecause I couldn't.
She was the number two shop inBoston and I didn't even know
that when I went in to get a jobthere how busy this shop was.
But it was pretty mind blowinghow she handled everything.
(13:33):
But if I had to say, like apioneer in the industry, frankie
Shelton was the first personthat I ever took a class from
and I didn't even know what AIFDwas at that point.
I was just taking aneducational class on design and
it wasn't even so much about thedesign, it was the information
(13:55):
that she brought forward.
You know, years ago, when youwere a florist in a town and I
think it probably goes the samefor any kind of industry when
there's like businesses in thesame industry, there's
competition and in the floralbusiness way back when you, you
didn't connect with your otherflorists.
(14:16):
You didn't share ideas, youwere definitely in huge
competition and you weren'tfriendly with each other.
But what that family of AIFDbrought to me was this
connection with other floristsand really making it about the
industry and bettering theindustry and bettering each
(14:37):
other as designers, educatingthe public, educating the
student and educating thedesigner, so that we can all
make this industry better.
So it changed my whole attitudeon how how I would approach
people that were in my businessand share with them and not be
threatened by them and not makethem feel threatened by me,
because there's enough work togo around.
(14:59):
We're all in so many differentaspects in this industry and
some of us are event designerslike Amy was saying, you service
hotels and then there's peoplethat are just everyday retailers
and there's so many facets toit that there's no reason to be
threatened by somebody else.
We should all kind of worktogether to elevate it and it
(15:20):
just makes for a much happierlife when you are not trying to
compete with another business.
You should concentrate on yourown business and share your
thoughts and help each other out.
It really it really isbeneficial to everyone around,
including yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I so agree and I find that interesting that you were
there during the change of that,because for me, coming into the
industry, when I first went toa convention or got myself out
there, the same thing I bought aflower shop in my early 20s,
didn't know as much as I should,you know, and was craving to
learn and to be better and, yeah, just you know, being together
with other people really, andpeople who have been so open, I
(15:59):
couldn't believe that when Ifound these people, you know,
and I was like I'm new, I, youknow, I want to learn, and I
remember one guy was like youknow, I asked about contracts
and stuff.
He said, well, I can show youmine, I can show you and I'm
like, really Like cause to me inin most industries.
Like you said, it's not thekind of things you share.
You know what I mean.
It's like you know.
But I find today our industryis so open to you know, this
(16:22):
isn't a secret.
I'm so-and-so and I make thesecertain designs and I'm not
gonna show you how I do it, it'sthe opposite.
But that is so interesting tohear from you that it wasn't
necessarily like that, you know,when you started and you saw
that change that maybe camethrough education and people
coming together and realizingthat Because I do think we're
very fortunate to be in thisindustry that that for what you
(16:44):
just said, that when I go to aconvention people are spilling
out excitement of whatever.
It's not a secret and it justhelps us all in the end.
So I find that very important.
And just super quickly, for thepeople who don't know who
Frankie Shelton is Teresa, Ididn't know her.
I've heard a lot of people weredefinitely she did.
She got through to a lot ofpeople If you could just tell us
(17:05):
a little bit about who she was.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
So she was a designer in Texas.
She was one of the originalpeople that joined in AIFD and
became a champion for theorganization, and when you talk
about the organization, it'sreally what the organization
stands for, which which makesher a champion.
Because the organization standsfor education and it's about,
(17:30):
like I just said before,educating the public, educating
each other, and she was soawesome.
She was a great, great designerto begin with, but her
enthusiasm was infectious, likeyou could have a conversation
with her and you would walk awayfeeling like you could tackle
anything, because she justelevated you to a point where
(17:51):
your self-esteem was so great.
She was just that kind ofperson, and so she recently
passed, and so so many peoplelook to her because she she was
just this great light in in alot of our lives.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Oh, that's, that's how I've seen her.
Just didn't you know, I didn'tget to know her, but I know that
, yeah, she was a strong forcein our industry for sure, and
made a lot of impressions.
That's exciting.
Well, ms Valerie, I would loveto hear from you, I'd love to
hear about a woman who inspiresyou that has to do with the
floral industry.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I would say the local Atlanta florist.
When I jumped into the sceneand added floral as a component
to my event planning business, Ididn't really know where to
even start, so I was makingthese bouquets just out of my
own knowledge and some YouTube.
But the reception that Ireceived from getting started
(18:47):
was amazing.
You know, I thought this was aspace that was heavily
competitive, but to be able tocome alongside other floral
vendors and they be willing toteach me the skill or give me
feedback, I was very surprisedby that and even to this day,
going into year eight, just thelevel of support that we have
with one another, freelancingtogether, collaborating on
(19:09):
events, traveling together forevents.
For me, that's been mostly thebiggest joy of my experience
here in Atlanta being a florist.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love that.
That's exciting, and I knowthat you were just at the
Philadelphia Flower Show and Iwould love to hear about your
experience with that.
I believe it's maybe yoursecond time going.
I know you were there last yearas well, but please tell us I
know you were representing theBlack florists and you know,
tell us about that experience,because there's many who don't
know how fabulous and great thatmust be, yeah, so this year was
(19:40):
our second year participatingin the Philadelphia Flower Show
and we were there for about twoweeks.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We've been preparing for about five to six months for
our installation and it wasjust amazing.
A lot of hard work, a lot ofdiligent work.
We had a team of about eight to10 women with about five to six
volunteers.
That also helped.
So a total yeah, a lot ofpeople 14 to 15 people total.
That helped and it was a lot ofwork when you talk about
(20:08):
preparing the buds, going toanother state, making sure that
the structure stays up for overa week.
It was a lot of work, but itwas really great.
We had an opportunity to connectwith one another.
We were coming from all over thenation.
You have women there fromMaryland, from Cleveland, from
all over Myself, from Atlanta,some of the local girls in
(20:30):
Philadelphia, and it was greatbecause all of us have our own
businesses.
So we all took time out of ourown places and homes and shops
to come and bring thisinstallation to life.
And just one of the mostbeautiful parts about it was
engaging with the differentattendees who experienced the
exhibit and meeting a lot ofother Black women who basically
said that they saw themselves inour exhibit, that they were
(20:51):
glad that we were there, that wewere able to create
representation from hugging somany different people and crying
with different people, like ittruly made an impact in in the
show.
And last year it made a hugeimpact because we were the first
all black team to participateand so, you know, the media was
there and a lot of people werethere supporting us.
But to have the same supportthe second year and to make a
(21:14):
different impression, it wasamazing to see that is so
exciting.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
So how many days does it take to put up the
installation?
Is it like a week?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
install or like yeah, yeah, the whole week before you
were there for about, yeah,seven days.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Wow See, that's what I want people to realize too is
you know, you see these fabulouspictures and you are, you know,
taken back.
It's amazing installations, butyou know the work that goes
into it, the planning, the youknow the teamwork just all of it
for for those kinds of hugethings to come to life, I think
is really exciting.
Teresa, I know you were theretoo and hopefully you guys got
(21:50):
to see each other there at theevent, correct?
Yes, teresa and Susan werethere.
I was like, hey, I got to meetValerie.
Yeah, see, small world, I loveit, I love it.
I I have to say I haven't beenyet, but it's on my bucket list,
so hopefully I'll get to gonext year, cause it looks like a
an amazing journey.
How was your experience, teresa?
Did you have a good time it?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
was great.
It always is, always is.
But yeah, I love in thebeginning when I was kind of
done with my part of the exhibit.
So that's when I kind of walkaround and see the back end of
before the exhibit is done andthe public sees it, and then you
get to walk around and meeteverybody and that's when I got
to meet Valerie.
Oh, that's so exciting, Veryexciting.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I love it girls.
Well, good work.
I say way to represent and,like Valerie said, you are,
you're giving up time from yourown businesses.
You know these are the kind ofthings you know that we do in
this industry is we do give backand I thank you for giving back
.
And the reason I think thatshow is so important is is for
the public to see.
You know, the four of us, We'veseen amazing floral work, We've
(22:53):
worked on it.
We've, you know, been in thetrenches.
You know, and I'm still in awea lot of the time.
But you know, imagine thepublic, and that's what is
important to me is for them torealize our craft and the hard
work that goes into it and justthe amazing things that we can
create.
So I think that things likethat are very exciting.
Miss Amy, I'd love to hearabout some of the big events
(23:14):
you've done, or if it'ssomething that stands out as one
of your prouder accomplishmentsor big, cool event.
Share something fun with us.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I mean, one of our big accomplishments for us is
like all of our hotel accounts,so I'm always-.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
That is a big accomplishment.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
I'm proud of our team , for we keep getting new hotels
, which is really cool, andproud of our team, for, you know
, we keep getting new hotels,which is really cool, and I
think that just speaks to atestament of how we handle those
accounts, because you know,it's the Beverly Hills Hotel and
Hotel Bel Air and BeverlyWilshire, four Seasons and
Waldorf, astoria, beverly Hills,mayborn, beverly Hills.
So those are properties thatrequire, like five-star service
and we have to provide themfive-star service because their
(23:51):
guests are expecting that.
So I'm proud of our staff forbeing able, you know, to handle
that and to do that day in andday out, cause it sometimes, you
know, it gets a little, it canget a little grueling.
You know people have opinionsabout what's in the lobby and
you're like, am I supposed tolisten to that person's opinion
or this person's opinion?
You know cause, everyone has anopinion about flowers, right.
So that's that's probably oneof the biggest day-to-day
(24:13):
accomplishments that I see wealso do.
I think I'm in my 13th year ormy 12th year, I can't remember.
Now we do a lot of work withthe NFL, so we do Super Bowl
every year and that's beenreally cool, yeah.
So we travel wherever the SuperBowl is and we handle their
tailgate party, which is thecommissioner's party, before the
game.
I actually got started on thatbecause it was in Arizona the
(24:37):
first year that I did and theywere.
The NFL is very good abouthiring locally to support the
community and you know so thatthat is one of the most
important features of like beinga part of that group.
Well, they brought us in as alocal owned minority business
owner.
So, as a female business owner,I was brought in as a minority
(24:58):
business owner my first year andwe did a great job.
And so they asked if we couldcome back for the next one.
And I was like sure, and thenwe just hired local people to
help us work and then we justkind of it spiraled into where
we are now, where our teamtravels every year to do that.
So that's always a really fun,fun event to me.
You know that we, our team, isreally proud of every year to
(25:19):
work on.
And then at COVID yeah, covid,when the NFL moves the games a
week they moved it right intoValentine's day.
So that was always great.
So that's been, that's been forthe past few years.
Has always been a fun treat,yeah A little you know.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
They need to change that because it's not good for
florists of any kind.
I've noticed that too I'm like,oh please.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
I know there was the one year that it was on the same
day and I was like this is notgood.
There's no guy that's gonnalike.
Stop this, no no, men.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Men are supposed to be buying the flowers.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
You know exactly, yeah, and the women want so they
still want to watch the gametoo.
So, yeah, but it's, it's moved.
This year it was Wednesday, sowe got a little bit of space, so
next year will be Thursday.
So I'm like I feel like we're,but then we're going to move
right back into the weekendagain.
But yeah, so that that's been areally a good thing and that I
do want to chime on oninspirational people like that
helped you For me.
(26:14):
I guess sometimes people don'tthink it it would be the case in
LA, but we actually have a lotof the top floors in LA and in
Orange County.
Honestly, we were all like, socollaborative, like, hey, I'm, I
lost this, or I need more ofthese.
Do you have this?
Or hey, does anybody have thisI could borrow?
Or where did you get this from?
Or what, what's your source onthis product?
Or we're so good about talking,and I mean like on the regular
(26:38):
text, messaging like, hey, Ineed this, you know.
And so I'm always really proudof, like, all of us in the
business that do that together,because it kind of goes back to
what we were saying, like it'sflowers and they're beautiful,
and anyone can make beautifulflowers.
They really can, but yourclients are hiring you because
it's you, not just because ofthe flower, like the flowers are
(26:59):
pretty, they're off, of coursethey're pretty, but like who are
you to the client and that'swhy they hire you.
So I think a lot of the peoplethat I end up collaborating with
business-wise here in LA andOrange County is it's really
like that's your client becauseof who you are and you do
beautiful work and I dobeautiful work, but we just have
different clients.
You know that gravitate to usas people and I think that's
(27:21):
what a lot of people lose sightof.
But I do think in LA, thepeople that I connect with we
all realize like look, you'regoing to make something pretty,
I'm going to make somethingpretty, how can I help you?
You know so.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
And I think it is that way in our industry, like
we were saying earlier, believeit or not, and it's.
You know, regular people don'trealize that, but even when I
owned a retail shop, you know,if I was out of a foam wreath
ring for a funeral or something,you're like, oh my God, I have
this thing tomorrow instead ofdriving to wherever you know,
you call your competitor and hey, can I replace it on Friday,
you know, and and then theyrealize, okay, yeah, maybe I'll
be in a jam someday and I shoulddo this for you, you know, but
(27:58):
it's nice.
Like you said, it's in everybusiness.
I don't think people would evendare to do that, you know, but
it really does help us all inthe end.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah, I love that.
I want to hear a little bitmore about hotel florals,
because I know the ones, youknow, that I've seen in big,
fancy hotels like that aresometimes these massive, you
know, pieces of art, beautiful,but they also have to last a
(28:19):
week.
I just want to hear anything youhave to say if it's business
tips for anybody out there doingcorporate work.
But I have always been curious.
I mean, I know it's big money,I know you have to be five star,
you have to provide, you knowshowing a good product.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
The way we do it is we build, well, one of the
hotels we build on site, butmost of the most of them we
build here at the shop.
We call it the shop, so webuild it at the shop and then we
install usually 5am, 6am in themorning, at the hotels and then
we have them spaced out.
So we're going at a differenthotel property each day, so
we're not trying to do them allin one day.
And then the trick really ismaintaining what's in the lobby.
(28:57):
So you know, you have a sevenday window of something to be in
the lobby.
So let's say you do a Tuesdayinstall to the next Tuesday
install.
Well, we have a staff of peoplethat actually go every morning
to each of the lobbies, to whatwe call refresh, and that might
be adding water, it might meanjust plucking something out of
the lobby.
I think the thing that makes usso great at it is we do do that
(29:20):
every single day.
We don't let it sit there forfour days and say, oh, we'll
come back.
So we make sure that the lobbylooks cause.
To me the lobby is kind of ourmarketing Like.
So if someone walks in and islike who's?
Speaker 1 (29:31):
who does your?
Speaker 5 (29:31):
flowers you know and they can say the hidden garden.
They're like, oh, those are sopretty.
Or people take pictures all thetime in front of hotel flowers,
Right?
So the lobby flowers justalways need to look pretty.
So you know, I'll go tomeetings or my my event managers
will go to a meeting at a hotellobby and you have, like you're
required to go walk by thelobby florals and make sure
everything looks okay, Just as ahidden garden employee.
(29:56):
So because we don't want towalk in there and see dead
flowers anywhere, Like I don'twant to see dead petals, I don't
want to see, you know, anythinglike that.
So I think that's been one ofour biggest successes as far as
being a hotel florist is that wereally make sure that it looks
amazing all the time and there'salways going to be, you know, a
bloom or something like that.
(30:16):
It's a fresh product, but theattention to detail is a big
deal.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, but that takes time and you know money and so
forth.
But I agree, I think, todeliver that five-star service.
And that's why I was curiousbecause I mean, I know from even
weekly accounts at littlerestaurants and little places
that I used to have, you know,tell them, please add water.
You know, I mean, like you'rethe receptionist or whatever
right, like don't you see thatthere's no water?
But nobody would ever do itwhen we'd go pick up things a
(30:41):
week later, you know they'rejust like dried out and you know
we didn't.
They weren't the client, thekind of clientele that was going
to pay for me to come check itevery day.
But you know how do you.
But you know, with a high endclientele like that and that
makes sense and I agree with youI think it needs to look
perfect and I assume that that'smaybe how Bellagio does it.
You know, that's what Iwondered is big things like that
(31:03):
that have seen that lookperfect anytime I've walked in
but see there's a florist behindthe scenes.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Oh yeah, there's a little fairy and, trust me, they
want the little fairy to comeat 5am when no one's in the
lobby.
Trust me, so that's why that'swhy we have that early morning
hours, cause it'd be great if wecould show up at noon and start
touching it up, but they don'twant us in the lobby.
Right, and then you just wentyeah, and when you're building,
we we have what we call refresh,so we build and then we have a
(31:32):
slush of refresh flowers andthose refresh flowers each go to
each property and then that waywe, the driver, will take the
refresh with him.
He might not use it, he mightuse it, it just depends.
And then we use that to refreshwhat's in the lobby to make
sure that it looks good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Wow, I love it.
Do you tend to use anyparticular flowers, like
tropicals or things that arelong lasting, or just no?
Speaker 5 (31:55):
No, we don't.
We don't.
We work with whatever isseasonally and looks really good
.
You know, there's certain,there's certain things that
flowers that we know we're goingto die in like three days, like
we'll do a tulip installationand we're like we know we're
changing this out in three days.
It just is what it is, you know, but we try and keep it
seasonal.
And then we also have to bereally mindful of keeping the
(32:16):
lobbies all looking different.
We don't want somebody to walkin and be like, oh, they were
there, there and there, that'sgreat.
So we we definitely work ontrying to keep the looks
different.
So we end up using differentdesigners here to different
looks.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
So it's like you know , one week Tony might be
designing the next week.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Nelson might be designing that, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Try and keep it, so it looks a little bit different
every time.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
It's smart, it keeps it fresh.
I like that, yeah, and they allhave a different flair.
You know, every designer has adifferent look, you can't count
on one person for one.
Look, you'd be dead or you'djust be pigeonholed into only
that.
Look, I guess.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
But I love it.
Yeah, no, I like.
I like that a lot and I can seehow important that is.
If you do a lot of hotels, youknow it's almost like you have
to be a different person.
You know a different florist.
You don't want that same, right, you know you want the good
quality, you want the good stuff.
But, yeah, you don't want it tobe like, oh, it looks similar
to the hotel down the street.
Yeah, yeah, definitely I loveit.
(33:11):
I wanted to hear from you women, because I don't know if you
have children and if you havefamilies and if that's something
that you have to balance withyour life.
Valerie, do you have children?
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't have children right now, and it's very
interesting because for me, Itake this time to truly invest
in my business, because I knowthat when I do have a family, I
do want to take a step back andI want to be a really, really
present mom with my family.
So a lot of times I think aboutwhat would the mother version
(33:41):
of myself tell me right now?
And it's to grind and get thework done now so that you can be
present with your family whenthey arrive.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Oh, I love that, valerie.
That's beautiful and I knowthat you'll be able to do it.
It's something we all juggle,but, yes, I think making time
and not losing out on thoseyears is super important.
Miss Teresa, I think you have afamily.
Will you tell us about yourfamily?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
Sure, I have three grown children, just became a
grandma for the first timeExciting but they all are
relatively close.
One of my son is my son is inthe city and my two daughters
are pretty local, and one of mydaughters works with me, so
that's pretty awesome.
I didn't know that.
That's really awesome.
Yeah, she's a really gooddesigner, but she is really top
(34:30):
notch with customer service, soI love to have her out working
with customers, because I hearher when I'm in my office and
every response that she gives islike on point as to what I
would say.
So it just works out reallygreat, yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You did good, mom see that.
Yeah, I mean, I think that'slike a dream come true to have
your daughter work for you.
Mine are still, you know,younger.
My daughter is 14, but I willtell you that she, you know,
twists my arm every trip I go on.
Of course, she can't come on alot of them, but she wants to go
to the flower show.
She wants to, you know, come tothe convention and she wants to
be a part of it.
You know, and she knows howmuch flowers mean to me.
(35:06):
But I think that that's reallyneat.
I can just picture you sittingin your office and hearing your
daughter and everything that youknow that you've taught her,
and how exciting that you mighthave somebody to, you know, take
over the business.
That's family.
I mean, that doesn't alwayshappen, and but that sounds very
exciting.
Yeah, it's nice, that's awesome.
What about you, miss Amy?
Speaker 5 (35:25):
I do have two older I guess now children.
So I have an 18 year old who'sat Boulder in Colorado, and then
I have an 18 year old who's?
at Boulder in Colorado, and thenI have, yeah, and then I have a
16 year old who just committedto university of Miami.
So that's exciting.
But, yeah, I kind of Valerie ahundred percent, grind away.
That's what I did.
And then, once you have kids, ahundred percent take the time
(35:48):
to make sure you go toeverything that they have going
on, and then that's when yourely on I mean, that's how I
landed with my team too was just, I knew I needed, I wanted to
be a present mom and I wanted tobe a great business owner and
all of the combination of thosethings.
And actually I was just lookingfrom the camera while I was
talking to you, but this picturethat's right behind me, right
there, if you guys can see that.
(36:09):
So my daughter made that.
So she's 16, but she made itwhen she was in kindergarten and
my husband framed it for me forMother's Day one year.
But it says when I grow up, andthen it says I want to be.
It's all spelled wrong too bythe way.
But it says I want to be, yeah,a flower arrangement girl, so I
could be a boss, and I was likethat was the best thing ever,
(36:30):
like it's not even just aboutbeing the flap, like she sees me
as like you're a boss, that'swhat I want, so whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
But that's a role model that's showing our kids
that we can work and we're notjust, you know, I mean I.
I find value in that too, thatthey realize that I have to work
, you know, and that you knowthat it's, I think it's
important.
You just have to find thatbalance Right.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah, I think they always.
I always joke that my kids forsure think I'm a stay at home
mom with a full-time job, likethey don't understand that.
I'm like like they call me asif they're like, hey mom, can
you drop off?
And I'm like, okay, well, I amat work.
But yes, thank God.
So I retry, I try to make itwork and I do feel like I miss
out on some work stuff and I.
But I've enjoyed the past.
(37:13):
Let's just say, you knowteenage years, like toddler
years, that I've spent a lot oftime with them and I have missed
a lot of things.
I've I've missed jobs becauseI'm like I can't do it.
I've got to go to the soccergame, I've got to go to this
lacrosse game.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
It is what it know like once they're in college
right now, they're getting olderand you're going to get that
time back, so it's just that.
So, valerie, if you're listeningto it you know it's when they
are young and it's intense andall these things.
But those are the moments youneed to, you know exactly, say
no to some other things becauseyou won't get that back.
(37:46):
And then, like, I worry mineare getting older, and then I'm
like what am I going to do, eventhough I work and I have plenty
of my own things, but they'rejust.
There's such a big part of yourlife, you know, and it's, but
you know, I got to let them growup and, you know, spread their
wings too, but but yeah, it'sexciting, you know, the, the
balance of of being a woman andand doing all this.
But I think what you rolemodels showing.
(38:10):
I remember when I was youngerand I was first going to have
kids and I was like I mean, I'dlove not to work, you know, just
be a stay at home mom, and thenI realized that that wasn't me.
I have way too much.
I can't just sit around like Ineed, I have a drive, I have
this.
I don't know I need that andand then, like you said, times
it's very tough, you know, orhaving to leave on a trip and,
(38:32):
you know, having your little one, just you know, but you know
they're okay and she was with myhusband and they're fine, and
you know it's part of it too.
But yeah, I think, I think it'sgood, I think it's good to to
show them that we're you know,that we're working and and up,
and I mean that's just sospecial, so special.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
It's cute, unlike you , teresa, I wish I mean whenever
my kids will come in, likethey'll be like Samantha, do you
want to be work here?
And she's like absolutely not.
It's like my mom works reallyhard, right, they see the hard
work, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Yeah, my kids too.
It's not just, oh, go play in aflower shop.
No, they've been.
When I was younger, I had a youknow retail shop in Santa Cruz,
california, and so I'd have tobring the kids, you know, when
they were little, and you dowhatever you got to do it's I
had a little play pen in theside, but yeah, they, they knew
that.
Hey, you know, it wasn't justplaying with flowers, it was
mommy's working, but you know.
(39:29):
But I love when kids getcreative in shops.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
It's so cute when they do that, or when your
friends I mean, we probably allhave the same thing.
It's like your friends say,what do you do?
I always say like, oh, I own aflower shop.
And my girlfriends are like,why do you say it like that?
I'm like because no oneunderstands flowers until you're
in it.
Like when you get in it,they're like this is what you do
, like this is a grind.
I'm like oh, it's a grind, yeah, it's, but it's a beautiful
grind.
Like that's why we do it Right,we do it because we love it.
(39:55):
Yeah, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So it's, it's, it's fun, but it's hard, you know
Right and you're right, and.
But I think it's important forpeople to know that, oh, that's
so fun and yes, it is fun, youknow, but don't think that I
don't work.
It's probably more work than alot of industries.
But and what I see in that isbecause of our love for it, we
(40:20):
wouldn't do this, nobody woulddo this.
Just the money, or just thewhatever, you know, it really
does come down to a true passionfor flowers.
I think that keeps us, keeps usall going, you know.
Speaker 5 (40:32):
And making people happy.
I mean at the end of the day.
It's like flowers.
When is I remember when my dadfirst started working for me?
He said and he was retired.
He said I have the best job.
He said everyone is happy tosee me and I was like what do
you mean?
He goes.
Who's mad at you when you bringflowers?
I was like that's a great point.
No one's ever mad at flowers.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
It's true, that's true, it's.
I mean, for me too, the emotionthat they bring.
You know, like I've doneprojects, you know if it's even
donating flowers to a, like anelderly home or something, and
the way it brightens somebody'sday.
You don't even know.
You know and it doesn't matter,and you know it's.
It's just amazing there's.
(41:12):
There's so many aspects.
I mean, I secretly love funeralwork.
I used to do a lot of funeralwork and some people who aren't
in floral would definitely go.
That's weird.
But if you're in floral, youknow, for me it was the
connection to people and I'mvery emotional and I would cry
with my clients.
I could never hold it together,but you know when they are so
in grief and you just want tohelp somebody, just as a human
to human.
You know, and at least I coulddo something.
You know, even though it wasjust a, you know the flowers,
(41:34):
but it for me that always, youknow, it was always really
special.
Well, to wrap it up, teresa,you've been working with some of
the students, like FFA andthings like that.
Haven't you Bringing some?
Trying to bring education to tosome of our younger, younger
people, trying to get them inthe industry younger people,
trying to get them in theindustry.
Speaker 4 (41:54):
Yeah, so that is an awesome, awesome thing.
When I I started in an SAIFDchapter, which is a student
chapter, when I was an adjunctprofessor at the university
state university in New York, atCobleskill, and I have to say
that's what, that's thehighlight of my career, because
I was able to expose students tothings.
I had some students that hadnever left the towns that they
(42:18):
grew up in and so I brought themto the Philadelphia Flower Show
to compete.
I brought them to AIFTconvention where they were
exposed to the bigger industry.
But what we're finding is thatso many colleges are doing away
with their ag programs, you know, and floral especially, and so
(42:39):
a lot of the chapters are.
It's getting smaller andsmaller because we don't have
the colleges that are supportingthat.
So what we started doing isgoing younger and going to the
high schools and going intothose FFA chapters and that has
been tremendous.
I just came back from theSouthern region, had their
(43:00):
Valerie I wish I knew it wasright in Covington, georgia.
I had to fly into Atlanta thisweekend and they had all kinds
of education and the FFAstudents were there and they did
competition and they attendedall the hands-on classes and to
see them in action.
They are so excited and that'swhat's exposing them to the
(43:23):
industry, and starting at thatlevel is hopefully where we'll
get people really interestedyoung women and young men that
are interested in the industry.
So working with them is justthe best.
I really, really have a greattime when I'm with the students
and the college students and FFAstudents.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
I just love that because you know we do have to
think of our future for theindustry, right?
So you know, and things are sodifferent now the new people
coming in the way they'relearning the so you know with,
and things are so different nowthe new people coming in the way
they're learning the way youknow their styles, but there's
all.
There's a lot of good stuff inthere.
So it's just you know but.
But I always love that.
I've been part of some industrythings and when I see the
students that there is somethingjust super exciting.
(44:05):
I'm sad to hear that thecolleges are, you know, losing
some of those programs.
I think that that's really sadand, as an industry, whatever we
can do to yeah you know, make,make people realize that that's
important.
But I knew that you did that andI just I think that that's just
such a a great way to you knowto help the youth and and help
show them you know what's outthere.
(44:25):
Because if you're, you know, ifyou're just in some little town
, you know you got experience,was in a little shop, you
haven't seen anything.
It's like what you said whenyou first went to a convention,
and for me too, I bought aflower shop, I was starting to
have kids and I was like, oh myGod, and I don't know what I'm
doing and I need to be better.
And you know it was the firsttime.
(44:50):
But yeah, I think it's superimportant to you know to lift,
lift up the youth, that kind ofthing.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
One of the best things is when we have the
competition.
Everyone that's like anexperienced florist can't wait
to get into that room to seewhat these students have done
with this product, becausethey're not so accustomed to
hard rules or anything like that, so they come up with these
great, fresh ideas and it's so,that's so awesome to go into a
(45:16):
room and see all of thesestudents and how their brains
were completely different.
They took the same product andthey each came up with something
different.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
It's great.
I do love that, and I am alwaysamazed with the students' make,
because you kind of think, oh,students, you know, and then I'm
like, but then I'm like, oh myGod, like that's really really
good and really creative, youknow.
So it's very exciting.
I'm just so excited to have you, three powerful, wonderful
ladies, on our show today and Iknow that you will inspire many.
(45:44):
You all have different storiesand I think you're all just
doing amazing work.
You're all just doing amazingwork.
And now we all know each otherand I know that we'll see each
other at some kind of events andwe'll have to get to Amy's side
of the world and go see herthere, and that's right, we'll
come on over and hey, if you govisit your son, I'm just outside
of Boulder.
So, oh, I was just there thisweekend.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
Oh my God, See small world.
I got to been with Nita.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
I know we should have been hanging out, so we'll do
that, you know, to all the womenout there.
We thank you, for you know justeverything that you do for this
industry and I thank the threeof you so much for joining us
today and for being the rolemodels that you are in the
floral industry.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Nita.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
Thanks, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Since 1897 in Chicago , Florist Review has served the
floral industry.
We're thrilled to have this newpodcast medium to help expand
the conversation in our monthlyprint publications.
Visit our websitefloristreviewcom to subscribe.
We greatly appreciate yoursupport and please join us for
the next episode of the FlowerHour with Florist Review.
Welcome to today's episode of the Flower Hour with
Florist Review.
I'm very excited to have aroundtable of fabulous women in
the floral industry and we'rehere to share their stories.
So I would like to introduceValerie Christosimo, who is the
CEO and president of Black GirlFlorist, and she's just an
amazing inspiration in ourindustry.
(00:22):
I've been noticing you more inthe last few years, just seeing
you out at events and doingwonderful things for our
industry.
So welcome Valerie.
Valerie, if you could just tellus a little bit about how
you're involved in the floralindustry and what you do, we'd
love to hear.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Sure thing.
Thank you so much for having me.
I absolutely love flowers inevery capacity.
I've been working with flowersfor about seven years and a
couple of years ago in 2020, Iwas looking for more florists
who look like me and I was like,well, where are we?
So I started a list so peoplecould shop black for their
flowers and then from therestarted a whole organization and
(00:57):
it's made quite an impact inthe industry.
It sure has.
Speaker 1 (01:01):
You should be proud of yourself.
I'm proud, that's awesome.
And so how many people are inyour group?
Tell us a little bit about theBlack Florist movement and
what's going on there.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Sure, sure.
So I'll start by saying that asBlack Florists, we make up
about 2% of the total industry.
So that's 2%, that's Blackwomen and Black men.
So you can imagine it's a lowerpercentage for just women.
And I wanted to be able tofocus on celebrating and
promoting our work, because alot of times we don't have the
same access as our Caucasianpeers in this industry, and it's
(01:33):
been so amazing and sobeautiful to connect with
different organizations and seethe support that has been given
and poured out to ourorganization.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
I love that, and what is your background with flowers
?
Do you have a flower shop?
Are you an event florist?
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Oh man, I work with flowers in multiple capacities,
I would say right now I prettymuch do a little bit of
everything.
I am an event planner by tradeand I went to Florida State
University to study hospitality.
Once I got my event business up, one of my brides was like hey,
can you do flowers?
And I was like Once I got myevent business up, one of my
brides was like hey, can you doflowers?
(02:08):
And I was like, yeah, I thinkso.
So I started by doing a lot oflike pop-up events and working
with some brides doing smallerevents, and I was like I think I
can do this and I really loveit.
So then went from eventplanning to do a floral work and
now primarily manage BGF, and Ialso opened a floral co-work
space in Atlanta for florists tocome and be able to work on
(02:29):
their designs and meet withtheir clients.
So we have about 5,000 squarespace, basically space they can
work in, and then we also have a10 by 10 cooler and a full
kitchen and it's literally myfavorite place in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Oh, that sounds like a great collaboration.
I love that space.
That sounds fabulous, valerie.
Well, we sure are glad to haveyou in our industry and I just I
think you are a powerhouse asfar as a woman role model being
out there and bringing peopletogether, and I thank you for
that.
Thank you, yeah, of course, Iwould love to introduce our next
(03:03):
guest, who is Teresa Colucci,aifd.
She is the current president ofthe American Institute of
Floral Design, as well as aflower shop owner, so we welcome
you, teresa.
Thank you, Teresa.
Speaker 4 (03:21):
Go ahead and tell us a little bit about your floral
journey and who you are and howyou're involved in the industry.
You know I feel like I was.
Really I had to jump on thingsbecause I always knew that I
loved flowers.
I kind of thought, leaving highschool when I was in high
school I got a job in a flowershop and leaving high school I
was either going to go tocollege for restaurant
management I loved cooking andrestaurant management or I was
(03:43):
going to go into the floralindustry.
At that time I didn't know howbig the floral industry actually
was.
I wound up going to college forhotel restaurant management and
worked in a flower shop for mypart-time job and it just kind
of rolled from there.
When I left college I wasmaking more money working in a
(04:03):
flower shop than an entry-levelhotel job, so I stuck with that
because I had to pay the rentand it just rolled from there.
I opened my own shop and fromthat point is when I really
discovered what AIFD was.
I was in a small town for along, long time.
I was reading my trademagazines, wanted to know what
(04:25):
these addendums were behindpeople's names, the
certifications, and went to myfirst convention in 2001.
And that's when I was like whoaI am surrounded by people that
are as passionate about flowersas I am and started my journey
with AIFT.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
I love that.
That's how I started my journeytoo, and I I think there is
something about being in a roomfull of people who share your
passion.
You know, I mean, my familyloves me.
I know they know I love flowers, but they don't have that same
passion.
When I talk about flowers, youknow, and when I'm with my, my
flower friends, there just issomething that just you know,
(05:05):
just it, just with my, my flowerfriends, there just is
something that just you know,just it just makes you feel full
and you learn so much from eachother and you inspire each
other, and you know it's.
You know, the education is onepart of it, but there also is
about the collaboration and thefriendships that we make and how
it really does help us alongour way, along our journeys,
whatever that may be.
Speaker 4 (05:22):
Totally, whether you're in AIFD or not, you know,
along our journeys, whateverthat may be Totally, whether
you're in AIFD or not, all thewomen on this panel today all
share this great passion forflowers and it connects us and
we have so much to share witheach other.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
I love that.
I love that.
So how long have you had yourshop, Teresa?
Speaker 4 (05:38):
I started my shop in 1987.
Wow, and what is?
It called and where are youlocated?
So it's called Meadow Scent andI am in the Hudson Valley of
New York, so we're about an hourand a half north of the city.
Gotcha.
Yeah, right in the mountains, abig tourist area for anyone in
Manhattan.
(05:59):
I love it.
Yeah, the getaway from the city?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Yeah, yeah.
I love it, Teresa.
Well, thank you for all you dofor industry.
I think that you are also agreat role model and just I love
seeing a woman in the lead ofAIFD right now and you're doing
a great job.
You're just, you're a wonderfulleader and I think that
inspires many and hope itinspires the young people, the
new people, so we can get theminto the industry, Because I
(06:24):
know that that's a big goal ofours.
Thank you.
I would love to introduce ourthird guest today, who is Amy
Marella, and she is from LA andshe is a more, I would say, like
an event florist.
But we would love to hear aboutyour floral journey, Amy, and
where you're located and whatyou do for the floral industry.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Honored to be here, especially with these ladies.
So it's always fun to heareveryone's stories in different
parts of the country.
So I started my company 24years ago and I had zero floral
background.
I never worked in a flower shop.
I wanted to work in a flowershop.
I had called to like try andwork at one and they kept saying
, no, you don't have experience,you don't have experience.
(07:02):
And I was like, oh, okay.
So then I started making flowersout of my apartment and at the
time was in the music business,and so all of our friends in the
music industry were like, willyou make this for me, will you
make that for me?
And before you know, at myapartment was filled with flies
and it was 60 degrees and wecouldn't eat out of the kitchen.
And my husband now, butboyfriend at the time was like
(07:30):
you need to move, this isn'tworking out.
So I opened a flower shop, notknowing what I was doing, and my
dad was my delivery driver.
He was retired and I was like,okay, let's give this a shot.
And you know that was 24 yearsago, so I had nothing to lose at
that time and then I just Ijust plugged away.
I mean, I cried myself to sleepfor five years because it was so
hard.
But little by little, I justlike learned, you know, the
lessons, and I'd go to theflower market and I'd like talk
(07:52):
to people and be like what aboutthis, and how do you do that
and who's this?
And you know, and as Icontinued to grow, like looking
now, 24 years later, we have 30full-time employees.
So it's, you know, we just kindof kept packing on, like okay,
now we need someone that can dothis, and now I, so I've done
every person's job, you know,from driving the van to picking
(08:13):
up at the market, to selling, toanswering the phones, you know.
So we've just, as I've like,released parts of the business
to people.
It's like that's how I continueto grow, and then just finding
good people that were able tofill those roles, you know, and
knowing like, okay, that's my,not my strength, let's get
someone to do that and let's getsomeone to do that.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
See that that's so important.
What you just said, I think, asa business woman, is, for some
of us, it is hard to let go attimes, especially when we've
started our business and we'vedone every job or I'm doing all
the jobs you know, right andthen it's like, okay, I can't do
this all alone if I want tokeep growing, and you know.
And then to also realize like,okay, I'm maybe I'm not the best
(08:53):
at this and I can hand this off, you know, and you know just
listening to other people andgetting different ideas.
So I'm sure that that's been abig success for for you, for
part of your business.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
Yeah.
So it's probably the biggestpart of the business, just as
allowing you know people to dothings that they're better at
than maybe me, or just knowingthat we need to have more people
to do those things you know.
So we I started off justwanting to do flower
arrangements like happy birthday, I love you, anniversary, and
then that turned into oh,there's this thing called the
(09:24):
wedding business and I was likewhat's that you know?
And then we got that.
And then about 12 years ago wegot into the event business, or
into the hotel side of thebusiness.
So we do five of the majorhotels in Beverly Hills, we do
all the lobby florals, and thenwe built into the more of the
event side, so the corporate andsocial side of it.
So we kind of have our hands inall pockets of flowers.
(09:45):
So I would say we're dividedinto kind of four buckets.
So we have our daily business,our hotel business, our wedding
business and our social eventbusiness.
So it's definitely challenging,but we've got a great team of
people.
So that's how it works.
Otherwise I would never sleep.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
I think that's so neat.
So you do have like a retailshop for every day.
You know arrangements.
Can people go in, or is it justdeliveries or you could come in
here.
Speaker 5 (10:12):
It is set up like there's a receptionist that you
could walk into to you know, tospeak with, but it's definitely
set up like a warehouse.
You know studio space, officesare upstairs, design floors
downstairs.
You can definitely do that.
Most of our business.
I would say maybe like four orfive times a day someone walks
in but for the most part it'sonline on the phone, handled
that way.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
That's great, though I mean I think that's neat that
you are handling that part ofthe business and have kept it as
well as the event business,where some people you know
separate that and say I can onlyconcentrate on one or whatever
you know.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
The good part about it for us just in LA is there, I
think there's it's a great ebbsand flow to.
You know, when one bucket ofthe business is down, another
bucket could pick up, which isreally great.
So we kind of don't rely.
And then sometimes all fourbuckets are super full and it's
like, oh my gosh.
But it definitely, you know,allows us to kind of like move,
move through the slow periods,then that another side will pick
(11:08):
up and be busy, which is whichis nice, but it is.
It is challenging.
There are days where it'sextremely overwhelming.
But again, team, you gotta havea good team.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
You gotta have a good team.
Yeah, I totally agree.
Well, I just love that.
I think that's.
That's so exciting.
You do a great job.
Tell us the name of your shopand where you're located so that
people know.
Speaker 5 (11:27):
No problem, it's called the Hidden Garden and
we're in Los Angeles.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Awesome, are you like on it?
I mean, I figure all of LA isbusy, but are you like in the?
Speaker 5 (11:36):
you know, we're in the middle of what we would call
West LA, so we're off the 405and Pico, so we're centrally
located.
For us like to get to all ofour cause.
Our hotels were there so manytimes a day, so for us it's with
traffic you need to.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
I was going to say that it's a quick jump, yeah, so
it might be five miles away,but it's going to take you an
hour, yeah.
Speaker 5 (11:59):
Not going to lie today.
It took me almost two hours toget to work today.
It was just so dangerous.
So yeah, so yeah, you just haveto be prepared.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
So yeah, we do stay centrally located so that we can
get to, you know, all of ourclients pretty easily.
That's a huge, huge thing.
I'm sure even just deliveringflowers in LA is, you know, a
lot more challenging than asmall town.
You know, yeah, yes, yeah, it'sdefinitely a challenge, but,
yeah, so that's where we're in,we're in the middle of it.
How exciting, how exciting.
Well, I am just so thrilled tohave these three ladies here
this month is, you know,international Women's Day was
(12:33):
just the other day and we're soexcited to celebrate women and
hear their stories and theiraccomplishments and, you know,
hopefully inspire other women.
So I did want to ask each ofyou a few questions regarding,
you know, international Women'sDay.
Teresa, I had a question foryou.
I wondered if there were anyfemale pioneers or role models
in the industry who haveinspired you and how they've
(12:55):
influenced your work, becauseyou have been around and it
sounds like you've been on quitea journey.
I am just curious, you know, ifit was a mentor in the
beginning or whoever comes toyour mind as someone, a woman,
who has been a role model foryou know where you, where you
are today.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
So my boss in in Boston, susan Bates.
She had this little tiny shopon the bottom of Beacon Hill and
she was definitely inspiringbecause I couldn't.
She was the number two shop inBoston and I didn't even know
that when I went in to get a jobthere how busy this shop was.
But it was pretty mind blowinghow she handled everything.
(13:33):
But if I had to say, like apioneer in the industry, frankie
Shelton was the first personthat I ever took a class from
and I didn't even know what AIFDwas at that point.
I was just taking aneducational class on design and
it wasn't even so much about thedesign, it was the information
(13:55):
that she brought forward.
You know, years ago, when youwere a florist in a town and I
think it probably goes the samefor any kind of industry when
there's like businesses in thesame industry, there's
competition and in the floralbusiness way back when you, you
didn't connect with your otherflorists.
(14:16):
You didn't share ideas, youwere definitely in huge
competition and you weren'tfriendly with each other.
But what that family of AIFDbrought to me was this
connection with other floristsand really making it about the
industry and bettering theindustry and bettering each
(14:37):
other as designers, educatingthe public, educating the
student and educating thedesigner, so that we can all
make this industry better.
So it changed my whole attitudeon how how I would approach
people that were in my businessand share with them and not be
threatened by them and not makethem feel threatened by me,
because there's enough work togo around.
(14:59):
We're all in so many differentaspects in this industry and
some of us are event designerslike Amy was saying, you service
hotels and then there's peoplethat are just everyday retailers
and there's so many facets toit that there's no reason to be
threatened by somebody else.
We should all kind of worktogether to elevate it and it
(15:20):
just makes for a much happierlife when you are not trying to
compete with another business.
You should concentrate on yourown business and share your
thoughts and help each other out.
It really it really isbeneficial to everyone around,
including yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
I so agree and I find that interesting that you were
there during the change of that,because for me, coming into the
industry, when I first went toa convention or got myself out
there, the same thing I bought aflower shop in my early 20s,
didn't know as much as I should,you know, and was craving to
learn and to be better and, yeah, just you know, being together
with other people really, andpeople who have been so open, I
(15:59):
couldn't believe that when Ifound these people, you know,
and I was like I'm new, I, youknow, I want to learn, and I
remember one guy was like youknow, I asked about contracts
and stuff.
He said, well, I can show youmine, I can show you and I'm
like, really Like cause to me inin most industries.
Like you said, it's not thekind of things you share.
You know what I mean.
It's like you know.
But I find today our industryis so open to you know, this
(16:22):
isn't a secret.
I'm so-and-so and I make thesecertain designs and I'm not
gonna show you how I do it, it'sthe opposite.
But that is so interesting tohear from you that it wasn't
necessarily like that, you know,when you started and you saw
that change that maybe camethrough education and people
coming together and realizingthat Because I do think we're
very fortunate to be in thisindustry that that for what you
(16:44):
just said, that when I go to aconvention people are spilling
out excitement of whatever.
It's not a secret and it justhelps us all in the end.
So I find that very important.
And just super quickly, for thepeople who don't know who
Frankie Shelton is Teresa, Ididn't know her.
I've heard a lot of people weredefinitely she did.
She got through to a lot ofpeople If you could just tell us
(17:05):
a little bit about who she was.
Speaker 4 (17:08):
So she was a designer in Texas.
She was one of the originalpeople that joined in AIFD and
became a champion for theorganization, and when you talk
about the organization, it'sreally what the organization
stands for, which which makesher a champion.
Because the organization standsfor education and it's about,
(17:30):
like I just said before,educating the public, educating
each other, and she was soawesome.
She was a great, great designerto begin with, but her
enthusiasm was infectious, likeyou could have a conversation
with her and you would walk awayfeeling like you could tackle
anything, because she justelevated you to a point where
(17:51):
your self-esteem was so great.
She was just that kind ofperson, and so she recently
passed, and so so many peoplelook to her because she she was
just this great light in in alot of our lives.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
Oh, that's, that's how I've seen her.
Just didn't you know, I didn'tget to know her, but I know that
, yeah, she was a strong forcein our industry for sure, and
made a lot of impressions.
That's exciting.
Well, ms Valerie, I would loveto hear from you, I'd love to
hear about a woman who inspiresyou that has to do with the
floral industry.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I would say the local Atlanta florist.
When I jumped into the sceneand added floral as a component
to my event planning business, Ididn't really know where to
even start, so I was makingthese bouquets just out of my
own knowledge and some YouTube.
But the reception that Ireceived from getting started
(18:47):
was amazing.
You know, I thought this was aspace that was heavily
competitive, but to be able tocome alongside other floral
vendors and they be willing toteach me the skill or give me
feedback, I was very surprisedby that and even to this day,
going into year eight, just thelevel of support that we have
with one another, freelancingtogether, collaborating on
(19:09):
events, traveling together forevents.
For me, that's been mostly thebiggest joy of my experience
here in Atlanta being a florist.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
I love that.
That's exciting, and I knowthat you were just at the
Philadelphia Flower Show and Iwould love to hear about your
experience with that.
I believe it's maybe yoursecond time going.
I know you were there last yearas well, but please tell us I
know you were representing theBlack florists and you know,
tell us about that experience,because there's many who don't
know how fabulous and great thatmust be, yeah, so this year was
(19:40):
our second year participatingin the Philadelphia Flower Show
and we were there for about twoweeks.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
We've been preparing for about five to six months for
our installation and it wasjust amazing.
A lot of hard work, a lot ofdiligent work.
We had a team of about eight to10 women with about five to six
volunteers.
That also helped.
So a total yeah, a lot ofpeople 14 to 15 people total.
That helped and it was a lot ofwork when you talk about
(20:08):
preparing the buds, going toanother state, making sure that
the structure stays up for overa week.
It was a lot of work, but itwas really great.
We had an opportunity to connectwith one another.
We were coming from all over thenation.
You have women there fromMaryland, from Cleveland, from
all over Myself, from Atlanta,some of the local girls in
(20:30):
Philadelphia, and it was greatbecause all of us have our own
businesses.
So we all took time out of ourown places and homes and shops
to come and bring thisinstallation to life.
And just one of the mostbeautiful parts about it was
engaging with the differentattendees who experienced the
exhibit and meeting a lot ofother Black women who basically
said that they saw themselves inour exhibit, that they were
(20:51):
glad that we were there, that wewere able to create
representation from hugging somany different people and crying
with different people, like ittruly made an impact in in the
show.
And last year it made a hugeimpact because we were the first
all black team to participateand so, you know, the media was
there and a lot of people werethere supporting us.
But to have the same supportthe second year and to make a
(21:14):
different impression, it wasamazing to see that is so
exciting.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
So how many days does it take to put up the
installation?
Is it like a week?
Speaker 3 (21:23):
install or like yeah, yeah, the whole week before you
were there for about, yeah,seven days.
Speaker 1 (21:29):
Wow See, that's what I want people to realize too is
you know, you see these fabulouspictures and you are, you know,
taken back.
It's amazing installations, butyou know the work that goes
into it, the planning, the youknow the teamwork just all of it
for for those kinds of hugethings to come to life, I think
is really exciting.
Teresa, I know you were theretoo and hopefully you guys got
(21:50):
to see each other there at theevent, correct?
Yes, teresa and Susan werethere.
I was like, hey, I got to meetValerie.
Yeah, see, small world, I loveit, I love it.
I I have to say I haven't beenyet, but it's on my bucket list,
so hopefully I'll get to gonext year, cause it looks like a
an amazing journey.
How was your experience, teresa?
Did you have a good time it?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
was great.
It always is, always is.
But yeah, I love in thebeginning when I was kind of
done with my part of the exhibit.
So that's when I kind of walkaround and see the back end of
before the exhibit is done andthe public sees it, and then you
get to walk around and meeteverybody and that's when I got
to meet Valerie.
Oh, that's so exciting, Veryexciting.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
I love it girls.
Well, good work.
I say way to represent and,like Valerie said, you are,
you're giving up time from yourown businesses.
You know these are the kind ofthings you know that we do in
this industry is we do give backand I thank you for giving back
.
And the reason I think thatshow is so important is is for
the public to see.
You know, the four of us, We'veseen amazing floral work, We've
(22:53):
worked on it.
We've, you know, been in thetrenches.
You know, and I'm still in awea lot of the time.
But you know, imagine thepublic, and that's what is
important to me is for them torealize our craft and the hard
work that goes into it and justthe amazing things that we can
create.
So I think that things likethat are very exciting.
Miss Amy, I'd love to hearabout some of the big events
(23:14):
you've done, or if it'ssomething that stands out as one
of your prouder accomplishmentsor big, cool event.
Share something fun with us.
Speaker 5 (23:23):
I mean, one of our big accomplishments for us is
like all of our hotel accounts,so I'm always-.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
That is a big accomplishment.
Speaker 5 (23:30):
I'm proud of our team , for we keep getting new hotels
, which is really cool, andproud of our team, for, you know
, we keep getting new hotels,which is really cool, and I
think that just speaks to atestament of how we handle those
accounts, because you know,it's the Beverly Hills Hotel and
Hotel Bel Air and BeverlyWilshire, four Seasons and
Waldorf, astoria, beverly Hills,mayborn, beverly Hills.
So those are properties thatrequire, like five-star service
and we have to provide themfive-star service because their
(23:51):
guests are expecting that.
So I'm proud of our staff forbeing able, you know, to handle
that and to do that day in andday out, cause it sometimes, you
know, it gets a little, it canget a little grueling.
You know people have opinionsabout what's in the lobby and
you're like, am I supposed tolisten to that person's opinion
or this person's opinion?
You know cause, everyone has anopinion about flowers, right.
So that's that's probably oneof the biggest day-to-day
(24:13):
accomplishments that I see wealso do.
I think I'm in my 13th year ormy 12th year, I can't remember.
Now we do a lot of work withthe NFL, so we do Super Bowl
every year and that's beenreally cool, yeah.
So we travel wherever the SuperBowl is and we handle their
tailgate party, which is thecommissioner's party, before the
game.
I actually got started on thatbecause it was in Arizona the
(24:37):
first year that I did and theywere.
The NFL is very good abouthiring locally to support the
community and you know so thatthat is one of the most
important features of like beinga part of that group.
Well, they brought us in as alocal owned minority business
owner.
So, as a female business owner,I was brought in as a minority
(24:58):
business owner my first year andwe did a great job.
And so they asked if we couldcome back for the next one.
And I was like sure, and thenwe just hired local people to
help us work and then we justkind of it spiraled into where
we are now, where our teamtravels every year to do that.
So that's always a really fun,fun event to me.
You know that we, our team, isreally proud of every year to
(25:19):
work on.
And then at COVID yeah, covid,when the NFL moves the games a
week they moved it right intoValentine's day.
So that was always great.
So that's been, that's been forthe past few years.
Has always been a fun treat,yeah A little you know.
Speaker 1 (25:38):
They need to change that because it's not good for
florists of any kind.
I've noticed that too I'm like,oh please.
Speaker 5 (25:43):
I know there was the one year that it was on the same
day and I was like this is notgood.
There's no guy that's gonnalike.
Stop this, no no, men.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
Men are supposed to be buying the flowers.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
You know exactly, yeah, and the women want so they
still want to watch the gametoo.
So, yeah, but it's, it's moved.
This year it was Wednesday, sowe got a little bit of space, so
next year will be Thursday.
So I'm like I feel like we're,but then we're going to move
right back into the weekendagain.
But yeah, so that that's been areally a good thing and that I
do want to chime on oninspirational people like that
helped you For me.
(26:14):
I guess sometimes people don'tthink it it would be the case in
LA, but we actually have a lotof the top floors in LA and in
Orange County.
Honestly, we were all like, socollaborative, like, hey, I'm, I
lost this, or I need more ofthese.
Do you have this?
Or hey, does anybody have thisI could borrow?
Or where did you get this from?
Or what, what's your source onthis product?
Or we're so good about talking,and I mean like on the regular
(26:38):
text, messaging like, hey, Ineed this, you know.
And so I'm always really proudof, like, all of us in the
business that do that together,because it kind of goes back to
what we were saying, like it'sflowers and they're beautiful,
and anyone can make beautifulflowers.
They really can, but yourclients are hiring you because
it's you, not just because ofthe flower, like the flowers are
(26:59):
pretty, they're off, of coursethey're pretty, but like who are
you to the client and that'swhy they hire you.
So I think a lot of the peoplethat I end up collaborating with
business-wise here in LA andOrange County is it's really
like that's your client becauseof who you are and you do
beautiful work and I dobeautiful work, but we just have
different clients.
You know that gravitate to usas people and I think that's
(27:21):
what a lot of people lose sightof.
But I do think in LA, thepeople that I connect with we
all realize like look, you'regoing to make something pretty,
I'm going to make somethingpretty, how can I help you?
You know so.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
And I think it is that way in our industry, like
we were saying earlier, believeit or not, and it's.
You know, regular people don'trealize that, but even when I
owned a retail shop, you know,if I was out of a foam wreath
ring for a funeral or something,you're like, oh my God, I have
this thing tomorrow instead ofdriving to wherever you know,
you call your competitor and hey, can I replace it on Friday,
you know, and and then theyrealize, okay, yeah, maybe I'll
be in a jam someday and I shoulddo this for you, you know, but
(27:58):
it's nice.
Like you said, it's in everybusiness.
I don't think people would evendare to do that, you know, but
it really does help us all inthe end.
Yeah, definitely.
Yeah, I love that.
I want to hear a little bitmore about hotel florals,
because I know the ones, youknow, that I've seen in big,
fancy hotels like that aresometimes these massive, you
know, pieces of art, beautiful,but they also have to last a
(28:19):
week.
I just want to hear anything youhave to say if it's business
tips for anybody out there doingcorporate work.
But I have always been curious.
I mean, I know it's big money,I know you have to be five star,
you have to provide, you knowshowing a good product.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
The way we do it is we build, well, one of the
hotels we build on site, butmost of the most of them we
build here at the shop.
We call it the shop, so webuild it at the shop and then we
install usually 5am, 6am in themorning, at the hotels and then
we have them spaced out.
So we're going at a differenthotel property each day, so
we're not trying to do them allin one day.
And then the trick really ismaintaining what's in the lobby.
(28:57):
So you know, you have a sevenday window of something to be in
the lobby.
So let's say you do a Tuesdayinstall to the next Tuesday
install.
Well, we have a staff of peoplethat actually go every morning
to each of the lobbies, to whatwe call refresh, and that might
be adding water, it might meanjust plucking something out of
the lobby.
I think the thing that makes usso great at it is we do do that
(29:20):
every single day.
We don't let it sit there forfour days and say, oh, we'll
come back.
So we make sure that the lobbylooks cause.
To me the lobby is kind of ourmarketing Like.
So if someone walks in and islike who's?
Speaker 1 (29:31):
who does your?
Speaker 5 (29:31):
flowers you know and they can say the hidden garden.
They're like, oh, those are sopretty.
Or people take pictures all thetime in front of hotel flowers,
Right?
So the lobby flowers justalways need to look pretty.
So you know, I'll go tomeetings or my my event managers
will go to a meeting at a hotellobby and you have, like you're
required to go walk by thelobby florals and make sure
everything looks okay, Just as ahidden garden employee.
(29:56):
So because we don't want towalk in there and see dead
flowers anywhere, Like I don'twant to see dead petals, I don't
want to see, you know, anythinglike that.
So I think that's been one ofour biggest successes as far as
being a hotel florist is that wereally make sure that it looks
amazing all the time and there'salways going to be, you know, a
bloom or something like that.
(30:16):
It's a fresh product, but theattention to detail is a big
deal.
Speaker 1 (30:20):
Right, but that takes time and you know money and so
forth.
But I agree, I think, todeliver that five-star service.
And that's why I was curiousbecause I mean, I know from even
weekly accounts at littlerestaurants and little places
that I used to have, you know,tell them, please add water.
You know, I mean, like you'rethe receptionist or whatever
right, like don't you see thatthere's no water?
But nobody would ever do itwhen we'd go pick up things a
(30:41):
week later, you know they'rejust like dried out and you know
we didn't.
They weren't the client, thekind of clientele that was going
to pay for me to come check itevery day.
But you know how do you.
But you know, with a high endclientele like that and that
makes sense and I agree with youI think it needs to look
perfect and I assume that that'smaybe how Bellagio does it.
You know, that's what Iwondered is big things like that
(31:03):
that have seen that lookperfect anytime I've walked in
but see there's a florist behindthe scenes.
Speaker 5 (31:10):
Oh yeah, there's a little fairy and, trust me, they
want the little fairy to comeat 5am when no one's in the
lobby.
Trust me, so that's why that'swhy we have that early morning
hours, cause it'd be great if wecould show up at noon and start
touching it up, but they don'twant us in the lobby.
Right, and then you just wentyeah, and when you're building,
we we have what we call refresh,so we build and then we have a
(31:32):
slush of refresh flowers andthose refresh flowers each go to
each property and then that waywe, the driver, will take the
refresh with him.
He might not use it, he mightuse it, it just depends.
And then we use that to refreshwhat's in the lobby to make
sure that it looks good.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Wow, I love it.
Do you tend to use anyparticular flowers, like
tropicals or things that arelong lasting, or just no?
Speaker 5 (31:55):
No, we don't.
We don't.
We work with whatever isseasonally and looks really good
.
You know, there's certain,there's certain things that
flowers that we know we're goingto die in like three days, like
we'll do a tulip installationand we're like we know we're
changing this out in three days.
It just is what it is, you know, but we try and keep it
seasonal.
And then we also have to bereally mindful of keeping the
(32:16):
lobbies all looking different.
We don't want somebody to walkin and be like, oh, they were
there, there and there, that'sgreat.
So we we definitely work ontrying to keep the looks
different.
So we end up using differentdesigners here to different
looks.
Speaker 1 (32:35):
So it's like you know , one week Tony might be
designing the next week.
Speaker 5 (32:36):
Nelson might be designing that, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
Try and keep it, so it looks a little bit different
every time.
Speaker 5 (32:37):
It's smart, it keeps it fresh.
I like that, yeah, and they allhave a different flair.
You know, every designer has adifferent look, you can't count
on one person for one.
Look, you'd be dead or you'djust be pigeonholed into only
that.
Look, I guess.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
But I love it.
Yeah, no, I like.
I like that a lot and I can seehow important that is.
If you do a lot of hotels, youknow it's almost like you have
to be a different person.
You know a different florist.
You don't want that same, right, you know you want the good
quality, you want the good stuff.
But, yeah, you don't want it tobe like, oh, it looks similar
to the hotel down the street.
Yeah, yeah, definitely I loveit.
(33:11):
I wanted to hear from you women, because I don't know if you
have children and if you havefamilies and if that's something
that you have to balance withyour life.
Valerie, do you have children?
Speaker 3 (33:20):
I don't have children right now, and it's very
interesting because for me, Itake this time to truly invest
in my business, because I knowthat when I do have a family, I
do want to take a step back andI want to be a really, really
present mom with my family.
So a lot of times I think aboutwhat would the mother version
(33:41):
of myself tell me right now?
And it's to grind and get thework done now so that you can be
present with your family whenthey arrive.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
Oh, I love that, valerie.
That's beautiful and I knowthat you'll be able to do it.
It's something we all juggle,but, yes, I think making time
and not losing out on thoseyears is super important.
Miss Teresa, I think you have afamily.
Will you tell us about yourfamily?
Speaker 4 (34:05):
Sure, I have three grown children, just became a
grandma for the first timeExciting but they all are
relatively close.
One of my son is my son is inthe city and my two daughters
are pretty local, and one of mydaughters works with me, so
that's pretty awesome.
I didn't know that.
That's really awesome.
Yeah, she's a really gooddesigner, but she is really top
(34:30):
notch with customer service, soI love to have her out working
with customers, because I hearher when I'm in my office and
every response that she gives islike on point as to what I
would say.
So it just works out reallygreat, yeah.
Speaker 1 (34:45):
You did good, mom see that.
Yeah, I mean, I think that'slike a dream come true to have
your daughter work for you.
Mine are still, you know,younger.
My daughter is 14, but I willtell you that she, you know,
twists my arm every trip I go on.
Of course, she can't come on alot of them, but she wants to go
to the flower show.
She wants to, you know, come tothe convention and she wants to
be a part of it.
You know, and she knows howmuch flowers mean to me.
(35:06):
But I think that that's reallyneat.
I can just picture you sittingin your office and hearing your
daughter and everything that youknow that you've taught her,
and how exciting that you mighthave somebody to, you know, take
over the business.
That's family.
I mean, that doesn't alwayshappen, and but that sounds very
exciting.
Yeah, it's nice, that's awesome.
What about you, miss Amy?
Speaker 5 (35:25):
I do have two older I guess now children.
So I have an 18 year old who'sat Boulder in Colorado, and then
I have an 18 year old who's?
at Boulder in Colorado, and thenI have, yeah, and then I have a
16 year old who just committedto university of Miami.
So that's exciting.
But, yeah, I kind of Valerie ahundred percent, grind away.
That's what I did.
And then, once you have kids, ahundred percent take the time
(35:48):
to make sure you go toeverything that they have going
on, and then that's when yourely on I mean, that's how I
landed with my team too was just, I knew I needed, I wanted to
be a present mom and I wanted tobe a great business owner and
all of the combination of thosethings.
And actually I was just lookingfrom the camera while I was
talking to you, but this picturethat's right behind me, right
there, if you guys can see that.
(36:09):
So my daughter made that.
So she's 16, but she made itwhen she was in kindergarten and
my husband framed it for me forMother's Day one year.
But it says when I grow up, andthen it says I want to be.
It's all spelled wrong too bythe way.
But it says I want to be, yeah,a flower arrangement girl, so I
could be a boss, and I was likethat was the best thing ever,
(36:30):
like it's not even just aboutbeing the flap, like she sees me
as like you're a boss, that'swhat I want, so whatever.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
But that's a role model that's showing our kids
that we can work and we're notjust, you know, I mean I.
I find value in that too, thatthey realize that I have to work
, you know, and that you knowthat it's, I think it's
important.
You just have to find thatbalance Right.
Speaker 5 (36:52):
Yeah, I think they always.
I always joke that my kids forsure think I'm a stay at home
mom with a full-time job, likethey don't understand that.
I'm like like they call me asif they're like, hey mom, can
you drop off?
And I'm like, okay, well, I amat work.
But yes, thank God.
So I retry, I try to make itwork and I do feel like I miss
out on some work stuff and I.
But I've enjoyed the past.
(37:13):
Let's just say, you knowteenage years, like toddler
years, that I've spent a lot oftime with them and I have missed
a lot of things.
I've I've missed jobs becauseI'm like I can't do it.
I've got to go to the soccergame, I've got to go to this
lacrosse game.
Speaker 1 (37:25):
It is what it know like once they're in college
right now, they're getting olderand you're going to get that
time back, so it's just that.
So, valerie, if you're listeningto it you know it's when they
are young and it's intense andall these things.
But those are the moments youneed to, you know exactly, say
no to some other things becauseyou won't get that back.
(37:46):
And then, like, I worry mineare getting older, and then I'm
like what am I going to do, eventhough I work and I have plenty
of my own things, but they'rejust.
There's such a big part of yourlife, you know, and it's, but
you know, I got to let them growup and, you know, spread their
wings too, but but yeah, it'sexciting, you know, the, the
balance of of being a woman andand doing all this.
But I think what you rolemodels showing.
(38:10):
I remember when I was youngerand I was first going to have
kids and I was like I mean, I'dlove not to work, you know, just
be a stay at home mom, and thenI realized that that wasn't me.
I have way too much.
I can't just sit around like Ineed, I have a drive, I have
this.
I don't know I need that andand then, like you said, times
it's very tough, you know, orhaving to leave on a trip and,
(38:32):
you know, having your little one, just you know, but you know
they're okay and she was with myhusband and they're fine, and
you know it's part of it too.
But yeah, I think, I think it'sgood, I think it's good to to
show them that we're you know,that we're working and and up,
and I mean that's just sospecial, so special.
Speaker 5 (38:52):
It's cute, unlike you , teresa, I wish I mean whenever
my kids will come in, likethey'll be like Samantha, do you
want to be work here?
And she's like absolutely not.
It's like my mom works reallyhard, right, they see the hard
work, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:07):
Yeah, my kids too.
It's not just, oh, go play in aflower shop.
No, they've been.
When I was younger, I had a youknow retail shop in Santa Cruz,
california, and so I'd have tobring the kids, you know, when
they were little, and you dowhatever you got to do it's I
had a little play pen in theside, but yeah, they, they knew
that.
Hey, you know, it wasn't justplaying with flowers, it was
mommy's working, but you know.
(39:29):
But I love when kids getcreative in shops.
Speaker 5 (39:33):
It's so cute when they do that, or when your
friends I mean, we probably allhave the same thing.
It's like your friends say,what do you do?
I always say like, oh, I own aflower shop.
And my girlfriends are like,why do you say it like that?
I'm like because no oneunderstands flowers until you're
in it.
Like when you get in it,they're like this is what you do
, like this is a grind.
I'm like oh, it's a grind, yeah, it's, but it's a beautiful
grind.
Like that's why we do it Right,we do it because we love it.
(39:55):
Yeah, exactly, yeah.
Speaker 1 (39:57):
So it's, it's, it's fun, but it's hard, you know
Right and you're right, and.
But I think it's important forpeople to know that, oh, that's
so fun and yes, it is fun, youknow, but don't think that I
don't work.
It's probably more work than alot of industries.
But and what I see in that isbecause of our love for it, we
(40:20):
wouldn't do this, nobody woulddo this.
Just the money, or just thewhatever, you know, it really
does come down to a true passionfor flowers.
I think that keeps us, keeps usall going, you know.
Speaker 5 (40:32):
And making people happy.
I mean at the end of the day.
It's like flowers.
When is I remember when my dadfirst started working for me?
He said and he was retired.
He said I have the best job.
He said everyone is happy tosee me and I was like what do
you mean?
He goes.
Who's mad at you when you bringflowers?
I was like that's a great point.
No one's ever mad at flowers.
Speaker 1 (40:50):
It's true, that's true, it's.
I mean, for me too, the emotionthat they bring.
You know, like I've doneprojects, you know if it's even
donating flowers to a, like anelderly home or something, and
the way it brightens somebody'sday.
You don't even know.
You know and it doesn't matter,and you know it's.
It's just amazing there's.
(41:12):
There's so many aspects.
I mean, I secretly love funeralwork.
I used to do a lot of funeralwork and some people who aren't
in floral would definitely go.
That's weird.
But if you're in floral, youknow, for me it was the
connection to people and I'mvery emotional and I would cry
with my clients.
I could never hold it together,but you know when they are so
in grief and you just want tohelp somebody, just as a human
to human.
You know, and at least I coulddo something.
You know, even though it wasjust a, you know the flowers,
(41:34):
but it for me that always, youknow, it was always really
special.
Well, to wrap it up, teresa,you've been working with some of
the students, like FFA andthings like that.
Haven't you Bringing some?
Trying to bring education to tosome of our younger, younger
people, trying to get them inthe industry younger people,
trying to get them in theindustry.
Speaker 4 (41:54):
Yeah, so that is an awesome, awesome thing.
When I I started in an SAIFDchapter, which is a student
chapter, when I was an adjunctprofessor at the university
state university in New York, atCobleskill, and I have to say
that's what, that's thehighlight of my career, because
I was able to expose students tothings.
I had some students that hadnever left the towns that they
(42:18):
grew up in and so I brought themto the Philadelphia Flower Show
to compete.
I brought them to AIFTconvention where they were
exposed to the bigger industry.
But what we're finding is thatso many colleges are doing away
with their ag programs, you know, and floral especially, and so
(42:39):
a lot of the chapters are.
It's getting smaller andsmaller because we don't have
the colleges that are supportingthat.
So what we started doing isgoing younger and going to the
high schools and going intothose FFA chapters and that has
been tremendous.
I just came back from theSouthern region, had their
(43:00):
Valerie I wish I knew it wasright in Covington, georgia.
I had to fly into Atlanta thisweekend and they had all kinds
of education and the FFAstudents were there and they did
competition and they attendedall the hands-on classes and to
see them in action.
They are so excited and that'swhat's exposing them to the
(43:23):
industry, and starting at thatlevel is hopefully where we'll
get people really interestedyoung women and young men that
are interested in the industry.
So working with them is justthe best.
I really, really have a greattime when I'm with the students
and the college students and FFAstudents.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
I just love that because you know we do have to
think of our future for theindustry, right?
So you know, and things are sodifferent now the new people
coming in the way they'relearning the so you know with,
and things are so different nowthe new people coming in the way
they're learning the way youknow their styles, but there's
all.
There's a lot of good stuff inthere.
So it's just you know but.
But I always love that.
I've been part of some industrythings and when I see the
students that there is somethingjust super exciting.
(44:05):
I'm sad to hear that thecolleges are, you know, losing
some of those programs.
I think that that's really sadand, as an industry, whatever we
can do to yeah you know, make,make people realize that that's
important.
But I knew that you did that andI just I think that that's just
such a a great way to you knowto help the youth and and help
show them you know what's outthere.
(44:25):
Because if you're, you know, ifyou're just in some little town
, you know you got experience,was in a little shop, you
haven't seen anything.
It's like what you said whenyou first went to a convention,
and for me too, I bought aflower shop, I was starting to
have kids and I was like, oh myGod, and I don't know what I'm
doing and I need to be better.
And you know it was the firsttime.
(44:50):
But yeah, I think it's superimportant to you know to lift,
lift up the youth, that kind ofthing.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
One of the best things is when we have the
competition.
Everyone that's like anexperienced florist can't wait
to get into that room to seewhat these students have done
with this product, becausethey're not so accustomed to
hard rules or anything like that, so they come up with these
great, fresh ideas and it's so,that's so awesome to go into a
(45:16):
room and see all of thesestudents and how their brains
were completely different.
They took the same product andthey each came up with something
different.
Speaker 1 (45:24):
It's great.
I do love that, and I am alwaysamazed with the students' make,
because you kind of think, oh,students, you know, and then I'm
like, but then I'm like, oh myGod, like that's really really
good and really creative, youknow.
So it's very exciting.
I'm just so excited to have you, three powerful, wonderful
ladies, on our show today and Iknow that you will inspire many.
(45:44):
You all have different storiesand I think you're all just
doing amazing work.
You're all just doing amazingwork.
And now we all know each otherand I know that we'll see each
other at some kind of events andwe'll have to get to Amy's side
of the world and go see herthere, and that's right, we'll
come on over and hey, if you govisit your son, I'm just outside
of Boulder.
So, oh, I was just there thisweekend.
Speaker 5 (46:06):
Oh my God, See small world.
I got to been with Nita.
Speaker 1 (46:08):
I know we should have been hanging out, so we'll do
that, you know, to all the womenout there.
We thank you, for you know justeverything that you do for this
industry and I thank the threeof you so much for joining us
today and for being the rolemodels that you are in the
floral industry.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Nita.
Speaker 5 (46:26):
Thanks, thanks for having us.
Speaker 2 (46:37):
Since 1897 in Chicago , Florist Review has served the
floral industry.
We're thrilled to have this newpodcast medium to help expand
the conversation in our monthlyprint publications.
Visit our websitefloristreviewcom to subscribe.
We greatly appreciate yoursupport and please join us for
the next episode of the FlowerHour with Florist Review.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.