As I sit here at my mom's house waiting for her caregiver to bring her to the breakfast table, I'm reminiscing of the times we spent working together in my business. She was my right-hand lady for the first 26 years of my business. You see, now, she's either walker or wheelchair-bound and requires 24/7 caregiver help. I'll admit, it's extremely difficult to see her like this; not as the strong, energetic, resilient person that I got to see every day.

Time has gone by since she "retired" from physically helping me at the shop, but she's never stopped giving a listening ear or helpful support especially in stressed times when I need a person to just go over what I'm thinking. 

Often people would ask her how I was doing since taking over the shop? She would chuckle and let them know that "she worked for me" not the other way around. Little did they know that I was my idea to open a florist business in the first place. She has always been the sturdy pillar for me to build on,...

So, do you have a SIDE HUSTLE OR FULL-TIME GIG in your floral business? Where are you at in your floral career? For almost the first 10 years of my business, floral design was my side hustle. I had a business license, but I got through college, worked two full-time jobs before I took more of a plunge to grow my business.

After 8 years of working floral design on the side, I took action and went for the leap to quit the safety of my full-time salary to work out of the downstairs of the house. I also strategically wanted to learn more about running a brick and mortar retail florist so I worked part-time at a flower shop in a neighboring town. Even though I worked at that job for less than a year, it helped me gain so much knowledge! 

You may look at my business today and see the success that it is, but just remember I started out for years making it work on the side. If you are even remotely feeling that this is taking forever, just remember ACTION is what will set...

I'm just gonna ask it...HOW DID YOU DO?

Really, how did you do yesterday? Did you kill it for Valentine's Day? Was it your best ever in sales or did you struggle with your deliveries? Order too little roses? Or, for that matter, did you order too many? 

It's time to decompress, my friend! Not only do you want to take a load off your feet, but you want to do a brain dump of all that went on while it's fresh on your mind. I know, you don't want to think about it, right? 

No matter if it's your first experience with this holiday or your 50th, it's always good to take some time and write down how it went. When I had my first Valentine's in my brick and mortar store, it was crazy! No one told me really what to expect. For the first ten years of my business, I worked out of a basement. I kept a few notes, but I didn't need to think about how each year went since I only had a few deliveries on my plate that day/week. But, my first one in my shop? Well, let's just say, it was...

I know, this is a sensitive subject. Some believe that you should take any client, no matter what their budget. So hear me out...

I do believe in taking the time to get to know the potential client before you schedule an appointment. There are some ways to find out if they are the right fit ahead of time.

I personally use a form to find out more about them before scheduling a consultation. This helps figure out where the potential clients are having their special event, what other vendors they may be working with and how many guests they are expecting. All of these insights help you prepare for meeting with them.

Along with this primary form, I do provide them with our Wedding Floral Calculator. This helps me get an idea of where they are regarding the budget. This calculator is so insightful as to their needs and expectations too.

Handling inquiries can be a tricky as you peel back the layers of what they are looking for, but it can also be gratifying when you have the right...

Ok, I'll admit it! I have a habit of listening to podcasts and videos in the background while I am working on the computer. (I'm a multi-tasker!) On this particular day, the interviewer had Tony Robbins on as a guest. She asked him about what things that most progressive people do that we might be missing to become successful. He went down a few points, and two caught my attention.

The first, "The best performers are focused on outcomes and not activities." Meaning the to-do list isn't the most important, especially if it encourages a failure mentality as it can be neverending. Yes! I hate to-do lists. Do you ever have this issue? Once I start the list, it goes on and on and on... I feel like it becomes a book. It really can make me stressed! Focusing on the outcomes...getting the event finished and delivered, spending time with family, creating a work environment that is pleasing to others. Those are the items to focus on--the activities will come as the outcome is the focus.

The...

With the Royal Wedding happening a few weeks ago, I realized that many brides would be clamoring to get a look similar to the wedding arch of flowers and foliage at the cathedral for the Duke & Duchess of Sussex.

I put together a quick infographic to give florist's an idea of the costs that it would take. Mostly, I wanted to see how other florists figure out their pricing for doing floral installations. We need to be able to create beauty, cover our costs and make our living, right?