The Fresh Bunch

Send us Fan Mail On this week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch , we’re talking about the power of the customer experience and why making people feel special can set your business apart in a market full of options. Mike & Mimi kick things off with a little customer appreciation, including Mike’s unique way of “ducking” clients with rubber duckies tucked into their boxes.  Then, we chat with Sara fr...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, Jimi jumps on the mic for an on-the-road episode celebrating Petal It Forward! From industry stats and interviews to a long-distance call, Jimi the Tulip takes us along for a day dedicated to spreading smiles and sharing the power of flowers.  Mimi makes her debut as the Gerb Gal & formally pitches a Daffodil Doll Mascot.   Follow along as the Jet...

Send us Fan Mail This week, The Fresh Bunch is in Quito, Ecuador, for ExpoFlor! The team takes you along for the ride from our Jet Fresh Growers Open House to the aisles of this international floral expo We catch up with familiar faces and new friends to hear all about their floral week, explore the latest trends, sip matcha, and connect with our individual auras. Plus, Jet Fresh invited four Ecua...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, Mike & Mimi sit down with Andy Arthur, aka @ sourcedforyoubycommercedrew , and David Kaplan, aka Floradamus, for a candid conversation about the current state of the flower industry. Inspired by Drew’s social media post about fuel costs, tariffs, and the challenges impacting businesses across the industry—and David’s Wizard Wand Newsletter sharing...

Send us Fan Mail The Fresh Bunch is on the road again! Mike is on his annual Canadian Farm-A-Thon and meets up with Mimi, Ty, Jason, and Greenie for a behind-the-scenes visit to Rosa Flora. The team gets a closer look at how Rosa Flora grows Gerberas, Lisianthus, Snapdragons, and more, while getting the inside story from Rosa Flora founder Otto, whose floral journey began back in 1978. We talk far...

Send us Fan Mail Mimi is flying solo—and yes, the reporter blazer is back—for a very important October Events Preview! This week on The Fresh Bunch, Mimi rounds up the industry initiatives, events, and dates you need on your radar. She checks in with the Jet Fresh Marketing Team in Ecuador about two very different events happening in Ecuador, gets the scoop on Green Career Week and Petal It Forwar...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when you combine event floristry, freelancing, social media transparency, and… a floral vending machine? On this episode of The Fresh Bunch, we’re talking with Olena Romanchuk, founder of Oro Gifts in New Jersey, about building a floral business that doesn’t exactly follow the traditional playbook. Olena shares how she started over after coming to the U.S. from Ukrain...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re tackling a serious topic that every small business needs to hear: Business Email Compromise & Cyber Fraud. We’re joined by two full-time law enforcement professionals and an IT professional who knows the floral industry to talk about how these scams happen, what hackers are looking for, and—most importantly—how to protect your business. We c...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we’re talking flowers, clay, creativity, and the journey that led Sullivan Owen from being a florist to creating a line of limited-edition porcelain vases made right here in the USA. After running her floral business for 11 years, COVID gave Sullivan the unexpected opportunity to take a class at The Clay Studio—and one slip-casting class changed every...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Fresh Bunch , we’re joined by Melanie Rauscher and Michelle Sullivan, best friends and the innovative co-founders behind FleurSpace —an innovative platform designed to cultivate a more connected, collaborative floral industry. From Melanie’s journey as an award-winning master florist with deep family roots to Michelle’s inspiring background as a photographer...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch , we’re joined by Amy Balsters, The Floral Coach® —award-winning floral designer, educator, and one of the industry’s leading voices in helping florists better understand the why behind great design. Amy takes us through her journey in flowers, from learning the fundamentals of floral design to building a career focused on educating and empowering othe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Fresh Bunch , we sit down with the effortlessly charming Canaan Marshall—the floral designer bringing vibrant energy, warmth, and floral flair to the flower world. From growing up with a natural knack for all things green to transforming everyday spaces into elegant masterpieces across Macon and Atlanta, Canaan shares how he turned a lifelong passion into a...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to create one of the floral industry's most anticipated events? This week on The Fresh Bunch, we sit down with Monnaie Pepin, Lisa Fillice, and Cagney Miller from CalFlowers to pull back the curtain on Fun 'N Sun.  From the history of CalFlowers and the value of membership to the challenge of building an event that keeps people coming back, the trio sha...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Fresh Bunch Podcast, we sit down with the owner and Creative Director of Blossom & Bee Floral & Event Designs in New Jersey. Pennylyn Woosley shares how she opened her own floral business at just 25 years old, built her reputation in the competitive wedding industry, and carved out her own path despite growing up in a family of entrepreneurs. We also...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch Podcast, Mike, Joel, and Mimi welcome Amanda Jedlinsky, Senior Director of Content and Communications at the Society of American Florists (SAF), for an episode that's equal parts sunshine and storm clouds. We kick things off with the fun stuff—summer gardens, what's thriving in Amanda's growing zone, and some of her favorite flowers to g...

Send us Fan Mail In this special LIVE episode of the Fresh Bunch, we're taking you to Orlando, FL at the Signia Hotel for AIFD 2026. We were invited back for a second year to record a special podcast live, on-site during the American Institute of Floral Designers annual convention.  Listen in as Ryan is joined by 3 special guests and a live studio audience as they discuss all things AIFD, wha...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to our Fourth of July Roadtrip Special! Mimi catches up with Mike and Mommy from the road as they talk about everything from the current state of the floral industry and summer heat domes to the surprisingly important topic of America's best rest-stop Buccee’s—and even the history of FedEx. Meanwhile, Ryan is at AIFD setting up the Partners Table, Jimi is testing out...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, we're joined by our cousin from Canada, Karl of Greenpark Nursery. A grower by heart and a businessman by necessity, Karl shares the values that have shaped his family business: attention to detail, an unwavering commitment to quality, and the philosophy that if you wouldn't want to see it in a wedding bouquet, it shouldn't leave the fa...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, longtime BFF of the show, Ogbanna "The Hip Hop Florist" Coates, joins us for an inspiring conversation about entrepreneurship, culture, flowers, and community. Ogbanna shares his journey from working in mass-market during COVID to recognizing the power and necessity of flowers in people's lives. Fueled by creativity, music, and a vision...

Send us Fan Mail It's World Cup week, and we're bringing the excitement from the pitch to the flower cooler! Join Coach Mike (on his birthday, no less!) as he welcomes two passionate fútbol fans for the ultimate World Cup of Flowers showdown. We're assigning floral positions, building dream lineups, making bold predictions, and debating which blooms deserve a spot on the starting ro...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch , we're exploring the powerful topic of Legacy . In light of the recent loss felt throughout the floral industry & Ortega family, we invited several friends and industry leaders to share their perspectives, experiences, and reflections. Willie Armellini opens up about the unique pressures and responsibilities that come with being part of a leg...

Send us Fan Mail This week’s episode of The Fresh Bunch is a very special tribute to one of our original hosts and a beloved part of the Jet Fresh Flowers family, Fern “The Fern Show” Ortega. Known for his unforgettable intros, contagious laugh, incredible energy, and surprise rap and song moments, Fern brought joy and personality to every episode and to everyone around him. More than a podcast ho...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch, the crew welcomes floral powerhouse Amy McCord AIFD, CFD, founder and CEO of Flower Moxie and now author of the visually stunning new book, Blooms Everyday: A Modern Guide to Flower Arranging . Amy joins Jimi, Pinky, Ryan, Mimi and Joel to talk flowers, creativity, confidence and the journey behind creating a floral book designed for both flower lover...

Send us Fan Mail This is a very special Mother’s Day episode of the Fresh Bunch.  Full of laughs, flowers and behind-the-scenes floral chaos. Jimi’s jokes are back, Mimi grabs the reporter jacket and microphone, and there may even be a surprise appearance from Mike… you’ll have to tune in to find out. We hear from all kinds of Fresh customers sharing what Mother’s Day looks like from their side of...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Fresh Bunch , we’re covering ground from Washington, D.C. to Doral.  We discuss a few events that happened in the floral industry in April.  But first, we get some motivation from Head Coach Mike, who breaks down big floral holidays the best way he knows how—through sports analogies and classic movie-style monologues. It’s how his sales team stays focused when the...